New York City hotel/lodging at a decent price?

[shreddermon]

Manny's, Sam Ash, and Rudy's are all in spitting distance of each other around West 48th & 7th Ave. Unless you're a Fender, Gibson, or PRS fan, prepare to be underwhelmed, though. Cool shops with a few unique things, but just not my style. (...Then again, few shops are nowadays. )

[Grandturk]

Don't forget to stop by and visit GrandTurk while you're there...just look for pricey strat-style guitars dangling out of windows...you can't miss his place!

Damn skippy! I'm also liable to hang a few Canadiens out the window as well.

Seriously - if you're in town and want to spend a few hours on guitars, PM me and I'll show you around.

Do forget about driving around Manhattan, however. Drive down, park the car in a lot and retrieve it a week later for $300. You will not be able to find parking on the street and driving will be slower than walking during the day.

Tommy hit some stuff already, but here's some more to do (and I don't know what they got up in the Great Why North, but this is shit I like to do):

- Without a doubt, as soon as you know when you will be in NY, call Peter Luger's and make a reservation for dinner. Bring cash. About $100 per drinking adult, slightly less for kiddies (maybe leave the kids in the hotel). A - this is the best steak in the country, and as far as I've traveled, the world; B - this will also cover your trip to Brooklyn (and aside from L&B Spumoni Gardens is the only reason to go to Brooklyn).

- Must have Bagels - Ess-a-Bagel on 1st and ~21st or so - Fuck H&H and Murray. These are the best. Closed on Saturdays. Sorry everyone else in the world - your bagels are shit.

- Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) - hands down, the most art under one roof - they have a bit of everything going on - so if you can't make it to all of the small specialty museums, this one will cover a lot of ground. Last time I was there they had an awesome Greco-Roman exhibit with statues and shit

- Be sure to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge - just watch out for BMX thugs (true story) (alright - there's Pete's Waterfront Alehouse within spitting distance on the Brooklyn side - good food, good beer).

Maybe more to come - gotta go now....




That said, as a Manhattan-ite, there isn't anyplace I'd rather not spend vacation in more than NYC. (also - I don't ride buses).

[RacerX]

Hey GT, what about pizza joints? I read a blurb about some old guy in one of the boroughs who's supposed to make the best pizza, been there for 50 years or so, charges like $5 a slice?

[Grandturk]

Hey GT, what about pizza joints? I read a blurb about some old guy in one of the boroughs who's supposed to make the best pizza, been there for 50 years or so, charges like $5 a slice?

I've got two favorite NY pizza places:

- L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
- Pizza Star in Saugerties, NY

John's Pizza on Bleeker is a bullshit, Food Channel hyped rip

Lombardi's out in Coney Island burned down (not sure if they re-opened)

Totonno's (I go to the one on 1st Ave & ~28th ish) is good

Everything else is average at best (to me). Make sure the pizza wasn't cooked on a wire mesh and you should be OK. I also don't believe pizza should be crusty flatbread with tomato slices and fresh mozzarella - that shit's for yuppies who watch too much Food Network.

For the love of fuck - stay out of chain restaurants! You're in NY - don't go to CPK, Olive Garden, Friday's, Applebees or the gaddam ESPN zone.

[Grandturk]

Whenever I go to California - I live in the burger joints - A - I love burgers; B - I love California burgers

That said, none of my favorite burger places exist in NY (In-N-Out, Fatburger, Carl's Jr), but NYC has recently turned up the heat and offers a decent burger - you may want to sample some:

Island Burger - 9th Ave & 51-52 - been there for a while (pre-dated the burger rush) - burgers and shakes - big fat and really good - lotsa options (no fries)

Goodburger - chain - there's a bunch - despite the raging techno music - very good burgers - a cheeseburger with the works and a shake is a great lunch

The Black Shack - new place by me - Lex & 38th or so - killer. Small menu, beer & the owner is a huge Clutch fan like me

Shake Shack - Madison Sqaure Park - this you've seen on Rachel Ray - it actually is a killer burger and very close to "In-N-Out" IMO. The problem is the fucking line of 1000 tourists waiting in front of you. Odd hours and bad weather are your friends here

BRGR - Chelsea area - 6th Ave in the low 20s - a little pretentious for a burger joint, but they do a good burger

That's all I got - I don't stray too far above 50th street too often - so if they got burgers up there, I'd never know.

[Grandturk]

go to 48th street for guitar shops, you've got the famous manny's of course, and others.

I missed this one. Not anymore. Manny's is gone. Sam Ash moved into the old Manny's building a year ago or so:



For those that don't know - that clock sign used to say "Manny's"

[atomic charvel guy]

Don't go to Peter Lugers, nothing else will do after you eat there, it's that good.
8th street Pizza is good (if it's still there)
VI-Pizza on bell blvd. in Bayside takes the prize for me. There's about 300 "different" Ray's "original" Pizza joints you can choose from in the city-lol
Go to McSorley's Old Ale House in the village around the corner from St. Marks Place, and when you get a waiters attention, order 20 beers at once.
Seriously, they come in 8 oz. mugs, dark or light beer, and the waiters are always busy as it's always packed.

[atomic charvel guy]

Manny's is gone? that's no bueno. Next thing you know, there will be the gap, and a Baby Gap taking over the whole block.
Sad news.

[BenoA]

Guys... With so many offers for food... I wanna taste everything I all have to move down there!

Thanks for all the infos, I'm saving it and will use it for my planning! you rock!

[Endrik]

If you are into pyro then take a fuel can and a box of matches and hit Forest avenue in Douglaston which is in northeast Queens, there's plenty of nice houses waiting to get burned down.

[atomic charvel guy]

The appalling young man is back.

[RacerX]

Hey Benoa, just caught this on Fatwallet:

NYC Hotel $99/night in 2011:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1018226/

Hotel is The Roosevelt Hotel located at Madison Avenue & 45th Street in midtown Manhattan:
http://www.theroosevelthotel.com/
It appears you need to go to the reservation page and not use the home page to try dates.
Use promo code TWEET - rates are $99 - $139/night depending on the room.
This is not a prepaid rate - you can cancel the room until the arrival date.
Older hotel with small rooms http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d99766-r716622... but $99 in Manhattan is tough to beat.

[Grim]

I want to go back to NYC now