New York Baby

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

Attraction | "The Little Mermaid rocks!"

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When you are staying so close to Broadway you really can't pass up an opportunity to watch a Broadway show. we really wanted to watch the Lion King, however there were no tickets available for the night we were there. So we had a think and decided to go and see The Little Mermaid, which was showing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on West 46th Street. We managed to get tickets for $40 each, which we didn't think was too bad. We just wandered up to the box office and asked, I'm sure that there are many other ways in which to get tickets, but we hadn't been too organised and booked anything prior to visiting.The theatre itself has been standing in one form or another since 1910, but it's current...Read More

When you are staying so close to Broadway you really can't pass up an opportunity to watch a Broadway show. we really wanted to watch the Lion King, however there were no tickets available for the night we were there. So we had a think and decided to go and see The Little Mermaid, which was showing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on West 46th Street. We managed to get tickets for $40 each, which we didn't think was too bad. We just wandered up to the box office and asked, I'm sure that there are many other ways in which to get tickets, but we hadn't been too organised and booked anything prior to visiting.

The theatre itself has been standing in one form or another since 1910, but it's current look and continued use as a Broadway Theatre began in the late 1950s. It can seat over 1400 people and is currently run by the Nederlander Organization. In the past they have shown other Disney shows such as Beauty & the Beast, but like I already said when we visited in 2009 they were showing the Little Mermaid. I've just done a quick online search and found that this show will be ending at the end of August 2011, so if you want to see it you will have to be quick.

We arrived 40 minutes before our performance started and had to wait in a queue for a few minutes, but it wasn't too bad and the excitement of being on Broadway overrode any kind of boredom. Soon we were inside in the lobby, which had been painted with the names of the people who died in the titanic disaster, apparently this was the show before the one we were seeing (otherwise it did seem rather random). We found our way to our seats easily enough and we were sat on the balcony and despite being almost at the back we had a really good view of the stage, no pillars or anything like that in the way.

The show itself was amazing, the cast were brilliant actors and we got lost under the sea for a couple of hours. The sets were also very good and quite inventive, especially the ones designed to look like you were going under the sea. The story is the same as the Disney Little Mermaid film, so there is not much point in telling you all about it, but we thought that it was a fantastic adaptation that was thoroughly enjoyable to use grown ups and the little children sat in front of us alike.

The interior of the theatre was comfortable, we didn't get grumpy and uncomfortable in our seats and were able to become thoroughly absorbed into the show. There were a couple of impressive chandeliers that sets the tone of the place nicely. The temperature was controlled nicely and we didn't get too hot or too cold thorughout the show, which was good.

All in all a lovely Broadway theatre and a fantastic show, try and get in to see a show here! Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 22, 2025

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
205 West 46th Street
New York, New York 10036
+1 212 575 9200

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American Museum of Natural History

Attraction | "Spend the day with dinosaurs!"

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What to do with yourself when you're on your own in New York? Well I'm sure plenty of people would have chosen to do something slightly more exciting than visiting a museum. However, I grew up watching films that featured the American Museum of Natural History and really couldn't resist having a look around. The museum is located on Central Park West, so you can combine it with a visit to Central Park if you are short on time. However, I think you could spend a few days in the museum on it's own, so you will have to have a bit of a plan when you visit. Which sections do you really want to see, what do you mind missing out?Admission prices can seem a bit confusing, especially as...Read More

What to do with yourself when you're on your own in New York? Well I'm sure plenty of people would have chosen to do something slightly more exciting than visiting a museum. However, I grew up watching films that featured the American Museum of Natural History and really couldn't resist having a look around.

The museum is located on Central Park West, so you can combine it with a visit to Central Park if you are short on time. However, I think you could spend a few days in the museum on it's own, so you will have to have a bit of a plan when you visit. Which sections do you really want to see, what do you mind missing out?

Admission prices can seem a bit confusing, especially as when I was there I hadn't researched anything online before visiting. There is a suggested admission price, which is currently $19 and this includes admission to all 45 museum halls and the Rose Centre for Earth & Space. You don't have to pay this much at the admission desk, if you choose not to you can pay less, but the fee goes towards helping the scientific work of the museum and I personally feel like it's worth paying. For $33 you get all of the above and admission to the IMAX theatres and Hayden Planetarium Space show. Now obviously if you don't have a lot of time you might not want to do the IMAX theatre, you won't be able to do everything in one day. I chose to do the whole thing and just went to one IMAX show and the space show (which was spectacular, I can't recommend it enough).

The museum is open from 10am to 5.45pm and I would advise getting there early as I arrived at 12pm and the queue to get in was quite long. Presumeably this is because they have a load of checks to do of peoples bags and x-ray machines. The first thing you see as you enter the admission hall are the dinosaur bones all set up in the tall hall. I can't remember what exact species it was, but it is an impressive way to start the day. The exhibitions themselves seem to change quite quickly so I would always check online if you were bothered about seeing something in particular. I wasn't really that bothered what I saw, and I assumed that the main exhibits (dinosaurs etc) would always be on display.

What you go and look at will totally depend on what interests you, but what you can be guaranteed is that the exhibitions will be world class and top quality. I found no errors in the areas that I new about (marine) so I can only assume that the other areas are factually correct. The displays vary, which keeps your interest and the way in which the information is communicated also varies, which I think is fantastic because not everyone wants to read everything. A lot of the information was accessible for children and I can imagine that there will be something that interests everyone. I have to say I particularly liked the dinosaur section, it must have been something to do with my fascination with them when i was a child, but standing next to the full sized t-rex skeleton was incredible.

In terms of the IMAX shows, they're good, as all IMAX shows tend to be. But I wouldn't visit the museum just to watch the IMAX shows as you can see IMAX in most cities. The displays are what make this museum great, that and the Hayden Planetarium Space show, which was spectacular. if you have an interest in space and astronomy then I can't recommend it enough.

All in all this place is amazing, I could have spent several days in there just absorbed in the various displays. If you have a rainy or foggy day then loose yourself in this fantastic museum! Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 21, 2025

American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West
New York, New York 10024
(212) 769-5100

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Central Park

Attraction | "The Great Outdoors in the Heart of NYC!"

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I would think that most people have heard of Central Park in New York City, and if they haven't they will when they get there. It's a public park in the centre of Upper Manhattan that was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in 1858. It covers an area of around 843 acres and is 2.5 miles long and 0.5miles wide. I think it really is considered to be an oasis within the city and it provides not only a place for runners, joggers, cyclists and roller skaters to exercise outside, but also an area to relax and take the kids to play. in fact if you were visiting New York with a family it would be a perfect place to spend an afternoon.Being that we were only in NYC for a couple of d...Read More

I would think that most people have heard of Central Park in New York City, and if they haven't they will when they get there. It's a public park in the centre of Upper Manhattan that was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in 1858. It covers an area of around 843 acres and is 2.5 miles long and 0.5miles wide. I think it really is considered to be an oasis within the city and it provides not only a place for runners, joggers, cyclists and roller skaters to exercise outside, but also an area to relax and take the kids to play. in fact if you were visiting New York with a family it would be a perfect place to spend an afternoon.

Being that we were only in NYC for a couple of days, we decided that we should try and have a walk from one end to the other, so we got the underground to Harlam and wandered into Central Park from the north. As we were only walking through the park to get a feeling for it we didn't have time to take advantage of all of the amenities that the park has to offer. There are lots of walking tracks and bridle paths. two ice skating rinks, one of which is a swimming pool in July & August. We were there in May so we didn't get to have a look at it as a pool. There are several artifical, altough they are natural looking, lakes. One of which is called the reservoir and has a great running track all the way around the edge. There is a huge amphitheater called the Delacorte, which shows Shakespeare in the Park, I was really gutted about missing one of the performances, that are by all accounts fantastic. As if that wasn't enough there is also Central Park Zoo, which is open 10am till 5.30pm in the summer and is only $12 for an adult.

When I go back to New York I will make sure to at very least run and around the track in Central Park. Our visit was so brief that I feel like I didn't get the best from it. What we did get though was a great escape from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. That isn't to say that Central Park was deserted, it was really quite busy, but it was a different kind of busy, it was people enjoying themselves in a recerational way. The park is also a great way to cut out some of the busier streets and you can just dip in and out of it on your way somewhere else. It was also a much cooler place to be than the concrete jungle outside it, so if the temperatures are soaring everywhere else head to the lakeside in Central Park.

Safety in Central Park is ok, during the day at least as long as you are in a group you will be ok. But at night I would avoid it unless there is something specific going on there. There had been a few attacks on women prior to our visit and we were advised to avoid certain areas during the day and the whole place after dark. Having said that I didn't feel unsafe when we were there, so I think if you just go with your gut instincts you should be ok. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 21, 2025

Central Park
59th To 110th Streets Between Fifth Avenue And Central Park West
New York 10023
(212) 310-6600

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Times Square House

Hotel | "Funky, bare brick walls right next to Times Square!"

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So as I have already said, my visit to New York City was on a budget, hence we chose to stay in a hostel. We were only there for two nights so we weren't expecting to spend much time at a base, we wanted to enjoy NYC! I found the hostel via the hostelbookers website and we paid just over £30 a night per person to sleep in an 8 bed dorm room.We arrived via Greyhound bus at Penn Station, and walked the couple of blocks to the hostel. It was really easy to find and we managed to do it dragging our suitcases behind us. The front entrance is a bit innocuous, being just a front door and we buzzed to be let in. Check in was really straightforward and before we knew we were climbing the three flig...Read More

So as I have already said, my visit to New York City was on a budget, hence we chose to stay in a hostel. We were only there for two nights so we weren't expecting to spend much time at a base, we wanted to enjoy NYC! I found the hostel via the hostelbookers website and we paid just over £30 a night per person to sleep in an 8 bed dorm room.

We arrived via Greyhound bus at Penn Station, and walked the couple of blocks to the hostel. It was really easy to find and we managed to do it dragging our suitcases behind us. The front entrance is a bit innocuous, being just a front door and we buzzed to be let in. Check in was really straightforward and before we knew we were climbing the three flights of stairs to our room. We passed through the common room area (more in a minute about that) to our room, which was clean and tidy. The bunks were basic and had clean white bedding on, so we didn't have to worry about making our beds. There was plenty of room for our suitcases and there were lockers we could use, but we needed our own padlock. Being old hands at hostelling I had come prepared!

The common room area was small, but there was an open plan kitchen and eating area, with the bathrooms off to the back of the room. In front of the kitchen was a long breakfast bar that was set up with new looking pc's that you could use to check your e-mails. There were a couple of sofas and thats about it. All in all it looked nice, clean and tidy and perfectly usable. There were 2 bedrooms on our floor, but there were more further up the stairs, however, each floor was secure, in that there was a locked front door into the common area and locks on the bedroom. In addition to the locked downstairs door we felt very secure and were happy to leave our valuables there while we explored.

I have to say the first night we were there we had one too many cocktails and being tired from the explorations we all slept soundly. Even though we were right on a main street and the window was open. We weren't disturbed in the morning either and we didn't have to fight with anyone other than ourselves for the shower rooms. The bathrooms were clean and modern and the showers were good, especially refreshing for our hangovers.

On reflection the hostel must have once been a series of apartments that have been converted. The walls were almost all bare brick and it just had that funky loft apartment feel to it. It didn't feel like a typical hostel and our second (and sober) night's sleep was just as good as the first, so I can't recommend this place enough to anyone who is visiting New York on a budget. You are minutes and walking distance from Penn Station, there is a subway station really nearby, Times Square is a short walk away and then there is Broadway right there. There seemed to be plenty going on at all times of the day in the area nearby and we didn't feel unsafe walking around on our own at night. Although if you were actually on your own with no friends I would just get a cab home to be sure.

All in all a great little find! Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 19, 2025

Times Square House
526 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10036

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Staten Island Ferry

Attraction | "See the Statue of Liberty with the commuters."

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When I visited New York I was travelling with two other girls and we were all students, so money was a little tight. We wanted to save as much as possible for doing things like cocktails and shows in the evenings. That being said we didn't want to pass up on an opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty and I found a tip in a forum that said to see it for free take the Staten Island Ferry. Intrigued I looked into this further and you do indeed steam straight past the Statue of Liberty and across New York Harbor from Lower Manhattan all the way to Staten Island. It is a 5 mile trip and it takes 25 minutes each way. What's more is that because it is run by the city of New York for commuters on foot and is...Read More

When I visited New York I was travelling with two other girls and we were all students, so money was a little tight. We wanted to save as much as possible for doing things like cocktails and shows in the evenings. That being said we didn't want to pass up on an opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty and I found a tip in a forum that said to see it for free take the Staten Island Ferry. Intrigued I looked into this further and you do indeed steam straight past the Statue of Liberty and across New York Harbor from Lower Manhattan all the way to Staten Island. It is a 5 mile trip and it takes 25 minutes each way. What's more is that because it is run by the city of New York for commuters on foot and is purely to ferry them to and from Staten Island, it is subsidised and free.

Well I thought I can't really pass up a free sightseeing tour, so I dragged my travel companions on the subway down to Lower Manhattan and the Whitehall Ferry Terminal. It's really easy to find, you take the subway to Whitehall Street-South Ferry and you just come up to street level and the ferry terminal is right there (see pictures attached). We visited in the middle of the work day and there were just an average number of people getting on, it was by no means packed. As you will see from the pictures that I attached the weather was pretty abyssmal that day, however we weren't there long enough to go any other time. I would advise trying to go on the ferry on a sunny, clear day because you will get much better pictures of the skyscrapers, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

We weren't complaining though, we were out on deck, braving the elements like the true Brits we are. The journey itself was pretty uneventful, but we did get a really good look at Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which was heaving with people and I was pleased that I hadn't gone for a closer look. Having said that Ellis Island does have a really good exhibition about the immigrants that came to New York on the big trans-Atlantic steam ships. By all accounts it is worth a visit, but my companions weren't interested so I just figured I would go another time. The Statue of Liberty is what it is, when we were visiting you still couldn't go up to the top of it, which was a precaution taken following 9/11. I didn't see the need to get any closer than we did just to look at the outside, so I think the Staten Island Ferry did us proud.

The ferry itself is clean and tidy inside, just like any commuter transportation, there were toilets and I think a newsagent type shop (but I could be mistaken on that last one). The ferry terminals at either end were modern and easy to understand and everything seemed to work like clockwork. When we arrived at Staten Island, we didn't have time to explore, but you could easily do that and get a later ferry back to Manhattan. We just walked round to the end of the queue of people waiting to go back to Manhattan and jumped right back on the ferry and off we went back.

The best thing about this ferry is that it is free and then on top of that it is very frequent, so you don't have to worry about waiting long if you get to the terminal and miss one. I would say a nice way to see New York harbour and get some good photos....even better if you get a sunny day! Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 19, 2025

Staten Island Ferry
Whitehall Ferry Terminal
New York, New York 10004
(718) 390-5253

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