Travel Tips by Slug 'n Snail

Friday, September 23, 2005

Australia -- General Information

Remember that Australia covers an entire continent – just as you might not recommend that someone visiting North America for a short period should try to do it all (e.g. see the east coast, the south, the Rockies, the west coast, etc), you probably will not want to try to tackle all of Australia in one trip. Each part of the country is interesting and worthy of exploring in its own right. It would be difficult to go wrong … in the following postings we will provide highlights for the various places to which we have been … This posting is about some of the practical matters associated with traveling to Australia.

Visas
Yes, this is a country where even North Americans must get a visa before entering. Fortunately, getting a visa electronically is quite easy. You can get one through the airline or do it on your own. If you want to do it on your own, the official site for getting an ETA (electronic travel authority) is http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETAAusXEn.html.

Flights
To/From Australia: You have several options for flying to Australia. From North America, the common way is to fly from east to west on Qantas (get a ticket from their website www.qantas.com.au or from American Airlines, www.aa.com). You can also fly United Airlines (www.united.com) and Air Canada (www.aircanada.ca). American/Qantas and United start from the west coast (Los Angeles or San Francisco). Air Canada makes a stop in Hawaii after leaving from Vancouver. In the past stopping in Hawaii was a bit of a pain because you had to clear US customs even though you were “in transit.” We hear this is no longer the case – and that by stopping in Hawaii you are breaking a very long trip into two parts. Also, Air New Zealand (partnered with United) will fly from the west coast to Australia, making a stop in Auckland.

If you are looking for a great airfare, sometimes if you fly in the opposite direction (west to east) and you go through Asia you can get a good fare on one of the airlines that fly to Asia and to Australia. We think there are even ways to fly through Europe.

The price of a fare really depends on the time of year in which you will be flying. We have seen a dramatic variance in the roundtrip economy airfares over the last few years. Most flights go into Sydney or Melbourne. Sometimes, however, you can get a better fare if you are willing to fly through Brisbane.

Within Australia: Sometimes, Qantas will offer a special deal where you can fly to/from Australia and for just a bit more add in a few segments within Australia. This is usually a good deal. Otherwise, you should try to book your flights within Australia separately from your flight to/from Australia. Currently, there are two key airlines that fly within Australia: Qantas (and it’s subsidiary Jet Star – www.qantas.com.au, www.jetstar.com.au) and Virgin Blue, www.virginblue.com.au). The best deals can be found on Jet Star and Virgin Blue. It is worth watching both websites as they often offer pretty good seat sales. Also, at this point, every day both Jet Star and Virgin Blue have special “happy hour” deals where they will put certain flights on a deep discounted fare. These flights change everyday. Go to their websites to learn more about the happy hour deals.

Driving in Australia
Apart from the fact that you have to drive on the different side of the road, do not expect to get from one destination to another quickly in Australia. While there are a few freeways to be found – most often you are driving along a 2-lane highway with periodic passing lanes. Our first time we thought we would drive from Sydney to Brisbane, about 500 miles. Knowing this would take about 10 hours straight, we decided to do it over 3 days. Were we ever wrong. Each day we were barely making it to our next destination (yes we made stops along the way, but not as many as we thought we would make). If you have limited time in Australia, unless you are going somewhere that is just outside of the city, try to fly.

If you do want to rent a car, a few tidbits. In general, booking on the car rental’s agency’s website will get you a better rate than booking through the agency (even the folks at the agency will tell you this). You can find last minute deals so long as you book with at least 36 hours notice. We were quite happy using either www.frogandtoad.com.au or www.lastminute.com.au). Also, make sure you drive on the correct side of the road. Some insurance companies may not insure an accident that was caused by not abiding by the “rules of the road.”

Train Travel in Australia
We have never taken a train in Australia. A friend has though. Our impression is that it is quite a civilized (and interesting) way to see the country. But there are very few passenger trains in operation.

Lodging
In the major cities, it is easy to find the common names in hotels as well as Australia based hotel chains. The rates may be good, the locations good … or the rates may be high. If the rates are high and you are looking for a deal, two websites we used frequently when we were traveling through Australia were www.frogandtoad.com.au and www.lastminute.com.au. The frog and toad website is run by a travel agency that seems to be based in Sydney. It has search engines for both discount accommodation and last minute accommodation. It covers both areas in the big cities as well as the smaller towns and areas outside of the big cities. The last minute site also provides discounted rates. It covers areas outside of the cities, but is not always as extensive as the frog and toad site.

For areas outside of the big cities, each state in Australia runs a tourist service. Some (at least in Victoria) of these tourist services can help you with finding accommodation in these areas. The website for Victoria is www.visitvictoria.com. In addition to the generic hotels, motels, and inns, there are unique types of accommodation. For example, we discovered that former lighthouse keeper cottages at several lighthouses in Australia are now operated as a bed and breakfast. Although not as posh as today’s hotels, staying at a lighthouse is a great way to see a bit of the outdoors along the coast.

Maps
It can be hard to find a good map when you are planning a trip. While mapquest or yahoo do not have maps of Australia, www.whereis.com.au does … it also has links to let you do a search of business by category near a specified location.

Australia -- Melbourne

From our travels, it appears that Melbourne is somewhat overlooked as a destination if one is going to Australia … in part this may be due to the association of Sydney with the 2000 Olympics and in part it may be due to the reputation for unpredictable weather in Melbourne. Yes, the weather is somewhat unpredictable – but as the locals will tell you, if you do not currently like the weather in Melbourne, just wait 20 minutes … having spent six months living in Melbourne the weather is no worse than most other destinations so long as you dress accordingly. In Australia’s spring/summer (October – March roughly) the weather is usually nice. Sometimes it can get very hot but it usually does not last for more than one or two days. During the fall/winter, it will never snow but it can be rainy and damp (much like a Vancouver or north U.S. west coast winter). The weather, however, should not prevent you from visiting!

From our travels, it appears that Melbourne is somewhat overlooked as a destination if one is going to Australia … in part this may be due to the association of Sydney with the 2000 Olympics and in part it may be due to the reputation for unpredictable weather in Melbourne. Yes, the weather is somewhat unpredictable – but as the locals will tell you, if you do not currently like the weather in Melbourne, just wait 20 minutes … having spent six months living in Melbourne the weather is no worse than most other destinations so long as you dress accordingly. In Australia’s spring/summer (October – March roughly) the weather is usually nice. Sometimes it can get very hot but it usually does not last for more than one or two days. During the fall/winter, it will never snow but it can be rainy and damp (much like a Vancouver or north U.S. west coast winter). The weather, however, should not prevent you from visiting!

Neighborhoods
Make sure you take the time to explore different neighborhoods and take in the wonderful architecture. Melbourne has the feel of an European city in terms of architecture and ambience. Of the North American cities, we think it most resembles Montreal, but on a much larger scale. It is worth taking a tram to a given neighborhood and then walking around.
St. Kilda: Farthest a field is St. Kilda (not to be confused with St. Kilda Road, although you can use the tram along St. Kilda road to get to St. Kilda). St. Kilda is bohemian, is next to a beach, and has some very trendy restaurants. Outdoor cafes and local bars are in abundance. There is even a Coney Island like roller coaster (Luna Park). The key streets for cafes, shops, etc. are Fitzroy, Acland and the Esplanade. Along Acland there are some wonderful old bakeries that will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. If you are visiting at the right time, the St. Kilda festival is a great experience. Also, there are often street vendors along the Esplanade on Sundays. A word to the wise that although we never felt threatened, you may see needles and other evidence of drug use.

South Melbourne: Closer to the city and just north of St. Kilda is the slightly more residential neighborhood of South Melbourne. There are some stunning houses along the bayside of South Melbourne (it melds in with the trendy neighborhood of Albert Park). Over by Dorcas Street, Clarendon Street, and Ferrars Street is the South Melbourne market and some great places for breakfast on a Saturday. The South Melbourne market is smaller, less touristy, and more low-key than the Queen Victoria.

Prahran, South Yarra: Prahran (sounds more like pa-ran) and South Yarra are south-east of the Yarra River. South Yarra is the place to go if you like designer clothes/things in high fashion. Prahran has lots of shops but is less haute couture. There are some good neighborhood restaurants and great pubs to be found in these neighborhoods. Also the Prahran market is the place to go if you like gourmet food (the market is open at the end of the week and on Saturdays – although opened on Sunday, only a few vendors actually operate on Sunday).

Central Melbourne: there are lots of buildings and shops to be seen in the central city. The best walk we know of is to pick up the free brochure on the “laneways” of Melbourne from the tourist office at Federation Square. This walk is best done during the week when all shops are opened – but it can be done on the weekend as well.

Richmond: the real reason to visit Richmond is for the discounted shops … there are tons and tons of stores along Bridge Road – many offer great deals.

Carlton: Carlton is a great place to explore around dinner time or in the late afternoon. It is the part of the city that is close to the University of Melbourne – so has a bit of a university feel. There is a nice mix of shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Fitzroy: Another great neighborhood to explore – especially for the pubs. Fitzroy has a similar feel as Prahran (discussed above).

Sights
Remember we are not trying to be a guidebook. So what we identify below are the places we have enjoyed visiting.

The Royal Botanic Gardens is a great place to explore – there is a nice collection of trees, plants and wildlife that is mostly indigenous. Inside the park are several places to stop for a cup of tea or lunch (or bring your picnic). In the summer time, there are plays and other events held throughout the gardens (and just outside the gardens in Kings Domain).

National Gallery of Art: There are two buildings. The one on St. Kilda road has a nice collection of European and more traditional art as well as art from other countries and special exhibitions. The building at Federation Square is devoted primarily to the display of aboriginal and native Australian art. We highly recommend the building at Federation Square – the other building is worth going to if you have the time.

Also at Federation Square is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image – it claims to be the first in the world to be devoted to all things moving. Lots of short films and other types of art (including photography) can be found here. An interesting museum worth checking out.

The Melbourne Aquarium is interesting for a look at local water life – it is not as dramatic as the Sydney Aquarium but is still quite interesting.

If you get a chance to go to a wildlife sanctuary (there are tons across Australia) you should. A next best alternative is the Melbourne Zoo – one of the oldest zoo in Australia (opened in 1862).

If you want to learn more about who was who in Melbourne and in Victoria, the State Library of Victoria (at Swanston and LaTrobe) is not to be missed. The building itself is quite beautiful. But if you explore the library further there is a nice exhibition of portraits and the history of folks depicted in the portraits. Another tidbit – for a reasonable price there are storage lockers that can be used during the day if you are exploring the area and do not want to be carrying a lot of stuff around.

For more history, visit the Parliament House and the Old Treasury Building along with the Treasury gardens and old hotels along Spring Street.

If you have never been in a Casino before – then visit the Crown Casino in Southbank – a huge complex full of betting and shops.

Of course there is the Queen Victoria Market – definitely the biggest of the three markets to which we have visited (South Melbourne and Prahran) – also the most touristy. There are two parts to the QVM – the main building where there are tons of food shops and the open air market that has lots of produce and stalls selling “stuff.” It is not a bad place to go if you are looking for souvenirs. It has a bit of a feel that is similar to Canal Street in NY City.

Local festivals – often on the weekend there is some sort of a festival. We enjoyed going to many of the festivals. To find out what is on, see www.visitvictoria.com.

Eating in Melbourne
While we will mention a few of our favorite places in Melbourne. For specifics on restaurants we recommend the following websites: http://www.miettas.com/cgi/srch.cgi here you can do a search based on type of cuisine, rating, and/or location. Also, if you go into a local bookstore, one of the local newspapers (the Age) has two books on its reviews of restaurants (one for regular restaurants, one for cheap eats). When taking into account food prices, remember that tax and tip are included in the price (if you get really good service you may want to leave a small amount, one or two dollars, on top of your food bill).

In general, there are restaurants and there are pubs. Pubs are the place to go if you are looking for (a) a family atmosphere, (b) good food, and (c) reasonable prices. Yes, pubs are not always just the place to go for a pint. And yes, pubs do serve traditional pub fare like “steak and kidney pie” and “bangers and mash” but they also have food that North Americans would expect to find in a regular restaurant. And while there is a pub part that allows for smoking, etc., most pubs have a restaurant part that is smoke-free and kid friendly. In the more popular pubs (especially in the neighborhoods), try to make a reservation if you can (not always needed but we have been shut out of a pub because it was full on a given night). On the restaurant side – Melbourne has the tradition of being a “foodie” town with lots of good chefs, etc. While we were there the local newspapers complained that this reputation was getting a bit tarnished. But still, there are lots of restaurants in the city, many with very good chefs. The other thing – pubs are often called “hotels” … long story about this …

Aussie Burger: This is a must experience dish – found best in the pubs. When the Aussies do a burger it is huge (think about ordering one for two people) and has things on it like: fried eggs and beet root – it is so hard to explain we just have to recommend you try one for yourself.

Wood-fired pizza is a big thing in Melbourne. So big that for the top rated pizza restaurant you need to call weeks in advance to get a reservation (Ladro in Fitzroy) or you have to show up very early to get an unreserved table. The pizzas are good, often they have unusual (but good) toppings – worth trying out when in Melbourne.

Our favorites: On the pub front we recommend the College Lawn Hotel (in Prahran on Greville a few blocks west of Chapel, near the Prahran train station), Richmond Club Hotel (on Swan Street). Something that is like a pub but is known more for its nice wine is the Argo (in Prahran on Argo Street north of Commercial Road and east of Punt Road). For wood-fired pizza we recommend Ecco (Toorak Road, East of Punt in South Yarra). For good no-nonsense Italian food (and you can bring your own wine) try Tamani Bistro (on Toorak Road west of Chapel). And for a nice meal that will not break the bank (that also serves wine that are only slightly marked up), go to Vin on High Street in Prahran. Vin is a small intimate restaurant so make sure you make a reservation. For a nice upscale thai food, go to Lemongrass (in Carlton on Lygon). A nice bistro (with good wine) try Jimmy Watson’s (in Carlton on Lygon). And for good, creative vegetarian fare (even meat eaters will like this place), try Shakahari (in Carlton on Faraday).

An unusual dining experience: believe it or not, there is a local reality T.V. show called “My Restaurant Rules.” Essentially the producers have contestants in all of the state capital cities in Australia compete to become the best restaurant in the group. It is worth going to www.seven.com.au to see if the show is running while you are there and then checking out the restaurant. Mind you, it is not likely to be an inexpensive experience.

Sporting Events
Melbourne is a great place to take in a game of Aussie Rules Football, Cricket, etc. There are two huge stadiums (MCG and Telstra Dome) and it is easy to find reasonably priced tickets. If you are in Melbourne in January, definitely try to catch some of the Australian Open. Although the prices for tickets in the main arena (Rod Laver) can be pricey, a all-day grounds pass that will let you watch matches being played in the Vodafone Arena and other courts is quite reasonable (about $20). If you go for rounds 1 through 4, you will get to see tons of great tennis being played. In March there is the Formula One racing event – this is the one sporting event where tickets can be pricey.

Getting around
As mentioned in our general “Australia” posting, you can save money by taking an airport bus to the city and then either catching a tram or continuing on to your hotel (if it is in the city) from the airport bus. The airport bus stops at Spencer Street Train station and then allows passengers to get into different vans depending on where they are going.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi or hire a private car to get you to/from the airport. A hired car is only slightly more than a taxi (about $5 to $10) and is usually a better experience. We have used David at (email: mcgcc@telstra.com).

When in the city we recommend relying on the trams and trains. You can purchase a variety of passes that include unlimited daily, weekly, and monthly passes. There is a store devoted to this on Swanston between Collins and Burke … or you can pick up passes at train stations (e.g. Flinders street station) and at local convenience stores. Otherwise you can purchase daily and two-hour passes on the trams (but you need coins to do this). Note, every time you get on a tram you must re-validate your pass – otherwise an inspector can give you a pretty hefty fine. And yes, there are inspectors.

Renting a car: although we do not recommend using a car for use in the city, you may want to rent a car if you are getting out of the city. We have gotten our best deals by using either www.lastminute.com.au or www.frogandtoad.com.au. NOTE you do not want to drink and drive in Australia. The law permits the police to set up a check point and test every single driver. We have seen this happen quite often. Most Australians do not drink and drive – they use a tram, taxi, etc. to get home.

Staying in Melbourne
Unfortunately hotel prices in Melbourne have been rising (probably because they are hosting the Commonwealth Games next year). There are lots of nice hotels and many so-so hotels. Realize that except for the top hotels, lodging in Australia often provides the essentials needed in a room but not much more. If you are looking for a good deal, we have found www.lastminute.com.au and www.frogandtoad.com.au as good sources for deals. But remember to do your homework on the hotels before you book. Try to find a review (e.g. from www.fodors.com or the user reviews at www.tripadvisor.com). As you can tell from the rest of this posting, there is a lot to be said about Melbourne’s neighborhoods. If you willing to rely on trams (streetcars) and other public transportation, staying outside of the core of the city can save you some money.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

NEW YORK CITY

New York is a lot to everyone. And it is not to everyone’s liking. I was reminded of this the other day when I was searching for hotel options for some relatives and I saw a bad review of a hotel from a traveler based solely on the experience he/she had with the shuttle driver who managed to lock his keys in the van (with the traveler’s luggage inside) and failed to fix the problem immediately. By reputation New Yorkers are not always extremely accommodating. While you can certainly find very friendly, very outgoing New Yorkers, many have an edge. That’s life in a big city.

Before you go to NYC for the first time, we recommend you talk to a lot of friends about their experiences. There is so much to do and everyone has a different take. If you talk to lots of friends, it will help you to figure out what you want to do. Do not try to do it all the first time. You will come back exhausted. At the same time, make sure you explore. A friend of ours went to NY by train his first time. He limited his area to the part around Penn Station and Times Square. When he returned, his comment was that NY was a busy and dirty city. Well, no wonder. He limited his visit to the part of NY that is most full of tourists and in some ways can be grungy (depending on which streets you explore in the Times Square Area). Our friend missed out on the wonderful neighborhoods, the interesting shops, etc. No wonder he had a terrible experience.

We find New York great because it has so many different types of folks. One of our (okay snail’s) favorite things to do is to grab a cup of coffee and then walk from neighborhood to neighborhood. There are so many things to explore on foot in the city. The people, the shops, the buildings. Yes there are lots of attractions, but do not forget to make some time for just simply exploring. Some easy walks (in no particular order): 1. Walk along the upper west side (e.g. along Broadway from the high 80s/90s) to the edge of Central Park. 2. In midtown, walking along Fifth Avenue or Madison Avenue is interesting, especially if you like to shop and want to see such things as Tiffany’s, FAO Schwartz, the Plaza, Old King Cole, etc. 3. If you are in midtown, walk along Fifth Avenue down to the Village, making time to explore the NY Public Library, Union Square area, and Washington Square. 4. West Village (also known as Greenwich Village), e.g. 5th Avenue, 7th Avenue, 8th Avenue, Broadway … and all the streets in between. 5. SOHO (the area south of Houston) 6. Chinatown 7. the lower tip of Manhattan (this is best explored during the week as the area is pretty quiet on the weekend) 8. Central Park – can you find the zoo? How about the statue of Alice in Wonderland? How about the rock garden or the castle? Tons of stuff to see in Central Park if you are willing to explore …

Attractions: These are just some of the things we have done that we enjoyed. If you want a full list, please read a guidebook.

High View Points
Empire State Building: okay, it is no longer the tallest building in the world. But it does give you an interesting view of midtown Manhattan and the architecture of the surrounding buildings. One of the amazing things about the New York is the amount of masonry detail in the older buildings. All of the views are interesting. And if you have seen the various movies that highlight this building, go see it for sentimental reasons. There are extras you can add onto your ticket (e.g. a 3-D ride) – these are fun if you are traveling with a 10 year old child. Otherwise, just get the ticket to see the top of the building.

Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center: This is a great spot around sundown. Go for a drink and get a great view of the Empire State Building. If you are into ballroom dancing we hear it can be a fun place to go for dinner and dancing. We just go for drinks.

Rock Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: If you do not know to look for it you can miss a spectacular place. In the MET (Central Park, Upper East Side), there is a rock garden where you can enjoy a glass of champagne. You feel as though you are in the middle of Central Park (just high up) and then surrounded by tall buildings. On a nice day, it’s a great place to sit and enjoy life for a moment.

The top of the 6s (the 666 Building on 5th Avenue): we know it exists but have never been there – another drinking spot.

Ferries
There are three ferries. The first one is for those who want to stay in New Jersey. You can stay in nice hotels in Weehawken

The second ferry is the one that covers the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It took Snail many many many trips to finally take this ferry. Both places are quite interesting. If you are smart, you will bring picnic supplies and enjoy some refreshments when hanging out and waiting for the return ferry.

The third ferry goes to Staten Island. We are told it is not expensive as the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island – but you get a view of the Statue of Liberty on the Staten Island ferry. We have not taken this ferry. From what we here, best thing to do is to stay on the ferry and take it back to Manhattan.

Museums
There are tons of museums – in Manhattan and elsewhere. Pick the museums based on your tastes. Be sure to find out about the temporary exhibits at all of the museums as there are lots of interesting things to see. And sometimes it is the little museums that have the most interesting exhibits. The key ones:
Museum of Metropolitan Art (MET): a very nice and extensive collection of lots of things. Well worth spending a half day or longer. Do not forget about the rock garden (above)
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA): note the term “Modern” – an easy museum to explore in a short amount of time and the traveling exhibits are usually quite good.
Guggenheim: While there are a couple of rooms with permanent collections, you go to the Guggenheim for the traveling exhibition (find out what it is) and for the architecture (a different type of building). Sometimes the exhibitions at the Guggenheim are out there.
Museum of Natural History: This has a very impressive collection worth a visit. Not a bad thing to combine with a trip to explore the Upper West Side or Central Park.

Other Attractions
If you want an experience that is very north … go visit the Cloisters. It is accessible by subway and is a part of the MET.
Baseball games and other sporting venues are worth the effort if the season is right – if for no other reason than to see Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Garden.
If it is winter time, it is always fun to go ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza and/or Central Park.
And do not forget to find Eloise (she’s in the Plaza Hotel)

Plays/Musicals/Etc.
As you should know, NYC is home to much theater. Two common mistakes can be made. First, going to a show that has made the rounds and is dying a slow death. If you have seen A Chorus Line, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Cats, etc. at home, do not bother seeing it in New York – the original cast and even the cast that replaced the original cast have long, long been gone. Go see something that is relatively new. Second, paying full price for an event that has not just opened. There are a few shows that do sell out and are worth buying tickets to well in advance of your trip. The majority, however, can be gotten at a discount. The best place to look for a discounted ticket it TKTS. There are two outlets. The one that is easiest to find is in Times Square on 47th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue. Essentially you need to go there the day of the show and wait in line and then get the tickets to the performance you like best. If you want to get a listing and a sense of the reviews of the shows, we recommend using one of the following magazines/tabloids: New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Time Out, Village Voice. Do not forget about Lincoln Center (they host tons of things), Carnegie Hall, Joyce Theater (for Dance).

Food and Drink
We are not going to recommend specific restaurants as the landscape is constantly changing. Here are a few tidbits … because there are so many restaurants in NY, we find it fun to pick a given neighborhood (e.g. Union Square, the Village (East or West), SOHO, Tribeca, Upper West Side, Little Italy, and the Garment District) and visit a few places in one night. For example, get drinks in one place, appetizers in another, dinner in a third, and dessert or more drinks in a fourth. Notice we did not recommend exploring Times Square (or for that matter most of mid-town Manhattan) for dinner. In general we find the restaurants in these areas overpriced and/or of low quality.

For restaurant recommendations – try to find in book or on line a Zagats (many NYers think it is the bible), New York Magazine, the New York Times newspaper. For the dinner part it is a good idea to make a reservation. For the most part, do not expect to get into the trendiest restaurants unless you book well in advance (the exception to this rule is if you are visiting during the middle of the summer).

For during the day – either for eating or for just observing .. you might want to check out H&H Bagels (upper west side), Zabar’s (upper west side), Ray’s pizza (in the west village on 7th Avenue – even though you will notice tons of Ray’s pizzas this is the best). If you are into nostalgia and want a lot of corned beef, although expensive, try one of the delis such as Carnegie Deli.

As for drinks – this advice is admittedly dated – but places to check out – during the day the basement of Barney’s department store has a nice wine bar. The bar (called 44) at the Hotel Royalton is fun (can you find the special champagne bar – it is hidden away in the place), there’s Temple Bar (in between SOHO and the Village), lots of watering spots in SOHO, the oak bar at the Plaza.

Time of Year to Visit
Except for probably February and March and the couple of weeks before Christmas, almost any time is great. You will just see a different side of the city. In the fall (a very busy season for visitors), the air is crisp and the weather invites long walks. You just have to deal with a lot of tourists and high hotel prices. But there is a reason you want to go there at that time, the city is alive. The week between Christmas and New Year’s (but do not stay for New Year’s eve) can be quite pleasant as there are not as many tourists and everyone in the city is in a good mood and relaxed (with some folks out of town). The spring, especially if you get those days where the weather is unexpectedly nice can also be great. And finally the dregs of summer. Yes it can be hot and humid. But the city is virtually empty on the weekends (the residents have gone to the beach) and so it is very easy to get into restaurants and other places.

Shopping
You can shop anywhere -- some of the more interesting places -- Fifth Avenue/Madison Avenue in mid-town. Along Broadway in the upper west side. SOHO. For knockoffs go to Canal Street. Chinatown is always interesting.

Where to Stay
Remember that Manhattan (we would recommend staying on the island if you can) is divided up into neighborhoods with each neighborhood with a different personality. We hate staying in Times Square. Why you ask? It is very crowded, full of tourists, and has lots of overpriced or low quality restaurants. You get no feel for the city from Times Square. The other neighborhoods – here is a rough description … The upper west side tends to be a mix of yuppie and laid back folks with some artist types thrown in for good measure. It is a bit more reasonably priced than the upper east side (which represents the more well to do, established wealth type of person). The hotels in the upper west side used to be of the older type – but this is certainly changing. Mid-town (as far west as 6th avenue – and we would recommend not going any more east than Lexington Avenue) has the most concentration of hotels – a bit more business than neighborhood – but you are close to lots of things and close to public transportation. And often you can find good hotel deals in this area. The union square/gramercy park/Chelsea areas are more residential – still centrally located – and in an area with lots of trendy restaurants that are somewhat reasonably priced. The village has fewer hotel options but can be quite an interesting area in which to stay – west village is old hippy (folks our age should feel quite comfortable there); east village will have more of an edge (and a bit of a grunge feel to it – but still safe). Trendy hotels in recent years have opened in SOHO – a place with lots of lofts, restaurants, local art galleries, etc. We would not recommend lower Manhattan, especially if you are going to be visiting on a weekend – Wall street, etc. is interesting but very quiet on the weekends (and a bit of hike to get out of).

In terms of particular hotels .. you can go small boutique, popular chain, etc. Also, you can go old and dowdy (which can be interesting and usually not as expensive) or trendy and small. Just remember one rule – the more recent the renovation or opening, the smaller the rooms. If you are from Iowa and are used to hotel rooms with lots of space, NY may not be for you. The older, established hotels that fall more into the “refurbished”/unrenovated spectrum are likely to have bigger rooms. But the bathrooms may not be up to your standards (clean but quite old). As to how to find a hotel … we used to use a lot either www.expressreservations.com or www.quikbook.com especially if they had a special on a recently renovated /newly opened hotel. Last time we checked, there were no great deals to be found on these sites. In any event, for whatever hotel you are thinking about, try to find some reviews – try fodors.com (which has regular reviews and customer reviews), tripadvisor.com (which has customer reviews), and places like New York Magazine, and New York Times … remember to take the customer reviews with a grain of salt – some of the customers are just like you – some are not. A recent website we have found is through the New York Magazine: http://www.newyorkmetro.com/visitorsguide/index.htm it has hotel recommendations (as well as restaurant, etc. recommendations) … not a bad site to visit before going to see what is going on in the city.

Regardless of where you end up – if you go into your room and your first reaction is “what a dump” … go back to reception and ask to see another room. Worst thing that will happen – you end up with the first room you are given.

Transportation
Two things – absolutely avoid driving in the city … it is a busy city with lots of drivers that like to race in between traffic lights and who know where they are going … do not tempt fate. We find the subway and buses quite easy to figure out (they usually run north to south or east to west). And the taxis are rather reasonable – they sometimes just drive a bit erratically (so ask to get out if you do not like the driving). Second, if you fly into the city – you may NOT want to jump right into the first taxi. If you fly into Newark – there is an easy connection on the New Jersey Transit (a commuter train) for a reasonable price – it will take you right into Penn Station. If you fly into Laguardia – either take a taxi or check out the bus service (we think they go to Grand Central Station). And if you fly into JFK, there is a subway line (we think it is express now) that will take you into the city.

Safety
Neither of us have ever had anything happen in NY … but remember – it is a city and things do happen. Be aware of your surroundings. Watch out for pickpockets. Only carry what you really need for the day (in terms of cash, credit cards, etc) – minimize your loss in case there is an incident. If you are a woman and you sit down -- do not sling your purse behind your chair or out of your immediate sight – otherwise it may disappear. If you are walking down a street and it is dark and quiet – try to find a busy street as soon as possible. Remember, you are enjoying the city but are trying to minimize the probability of anything happening.