Sorry for the OT but I have a question for the NYC members

[whitehse]

Leon, I know the rules about OT posts especially since I dont post much here (but read the boards 4-5 times per day!). If you need to delete this I totally understand.

My question is this......

The company I work for has an office in Times Square and they host a new years eve party every year as a fundraiser for their charity. A hundred bucks gets you into the building for a party and the official "ball drop" celebration which can be seen from the offices. Being midwesterners, my wife and I have always wanted to go to New York and thought this would be an excellent way to support a charity and experience new years and New York without freezing our butts off with a million of our closest friends. I am trying to plan in advance and would like to know if there any hotels that are close by that will not charge me huge bucks for a few nights. What can I expect to pay for a 2 night stay in New York?

Now I know my way around Chicago after working there for a number of years but I have to admit I am somwhat intimidated by New York and have no idea about anything there. I could have googled the address of my companies building but since I have no clue about the city I have no idea what areas are good and what areas are not. Any information that can be provided will be extremely helpful.

Again, sorry for the OT post and if this offends anyone I will ask Leon to remove it. Thank you in advance!

Andrew

[canjond]

NYC is going to cost you - especially around that time of the year. While the hotel prices may vary due to location and quality (and there may be some deals), I would guess a decent hotel in the area would set you back $350-$500+ a night. That is, if rooms are still available. Now, if you want to stay in a different area and commute to Times Square, hotel rooms would probably run you between $200-250+ a night. However, I would not recommend you do this on New Years. Travel by foot will take you hours with the crowds of people - and pretty much forget about the subways or cabs.

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by canjond

NYC is going to cost you - especially around that time of the year. While the hotel prices may vary due to location and quality (and there may be some deals), I would guess a decent hotel in the area would set you back $350-$500+ a night. That is, if rooms are still available. Now, if you want to stay in a different area and commute to Times Square, hotel rooms would probably run you between $200-250+ a night. However, I would not recommend you do this on New Years. Travel by foot will take you hours with the crowds of people - and pretty much forget about the subways or cabs.

Well this is pretty much what I was afraid of....huge hotel costs...huge amount of people means a very tough commute from anywhere. I can only assume that airline tickets will not be cheap during this time as well. Our only hope is that if my daughter stays stationed at Ft Meade, Maryland (she is in the air force) maybe we can take a train up to NYC for the day and then commute back to Ft Meade. I think I have to rethink my new years eve plans!

[T206Collector]

...and if I were going to do what you are planning to do, without spending big on a hotel, I would get a hotel in Tarrytown, NY, which is an express stop on Metro North's Hudson Line, which offers full views of the River and Pallisades and is maybe 40 minutes or so north of the city and also a charming town to visit in its own right. I'd take the train into Grand Central, which is usually decked out beautifully on New Year's Eve, force my way into Times Square and then head for Grand Central afterwards.

That's how I'd do it if I was going to do it, and not stay at a hotel in NYC. I would probably start with the DoubleTree here:

http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/...-York/index.do

The Doubletree offers advanced confirmed reservations for $177 per night.

And then Courtyard by Marriott here:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...wn-greenburgh/

[calvindog]

I would do all that I could to avoid being on the street anywhere near Times Square on New Year's Eve.

[canjond]

Originally Posted by calvindog

I would do all that I could to avoid being on the street anywhere near Times Square on New Year's Eve.

I actually agree completely. My girlfriend and I go to a small town with a bed and breakfast every New Years. We always get asked where we are from. When we say NYC, the response is always something like "what are you doing here on New Year's and not in NYC!"

[Kawika]

"I would do all that I could to avoid being on the street anywhere near Times Square on New Year's Eve."
Agreed. Being around a million loaded funseekers is not my thing either. Just watching it on TV makes me nervous.

[David Atkatz]

As a born and bred New Yorker, I've just got to comment on what's been written above.

Bunk.

the subway will be no problem after your Times Square party, and you can find cheaper hotels. Why don't you check, say, Travelocity, see what your best deals are, and they get back to us regarding those hotels and their locations?

(My wife, a singer, does a New Years Eve gig every year at the Harvard Club, right near Times Square. Guess what? No problem.)

[whitehse]

I had actually thought about giving up this idea but David, I think I actually will do a check on hotels and like you said, get back to you about them. I was just concerned because I have no clue about the area and didnt want to check into anything that would not be... well you know. Thank you everyone for your comments and I will see what Travelocity offers and get back to you.

[howard38]

http://www.ramada.com/Ramada/control...3&brandInfo=RA

This hotel is three blocks from mass transit and from there it's just 20+ minutes to Midtown Manhattan.