For people arriving at Newark travel into the city is easy there is a free AirTrain to Newark Liberty Train Station from where you can get a NJ Transit Train to New York’s Penn Station in Midtown. If you are staying downtown use the Air Train then the NJ Transit to Newark Penn Station then the PATH train to lower Manhattan this might include a change at Journal Square if you are going to Greenwich Village but very simple even with baggage.
For travel within New York go to the nearest Subway Station get either a Metro Card for a specific amount of dollars or even better the 7 day unlimited card get a Subway Map and a Bus Map and you are all set.
Hotels are expensive and the best place to stay is downtown around Greenwich Village, Soho and the West Village. Hotels are scarce and mainly very expensive so apartments are an option. The best hotel option is The Washington Square Hotel www.washingtonsquarehotel.com which is highly recommended and is in a great location.
Forother Hotels look at all the normal Hotel Web Sites, for apartments some of the current sites are www.citysonnet.com , www.affordablenewyorkcity.com , www.spnewyork.com , not all their apartments are available for short lets but they have some good properties, www.travellibrary.com , go to NY section, www.nyc.com, www.newyorkproperties.co.uk, www.nyhabitat.com, www.manhattanlodgings.com
New York has probably the best eating and drinking in the world, all types, all price ranges if you want good dining then you need to book in advance a great web site is www.opentable.com used by some of the best restaurants in New York, register, book from home and turn up it works !
Union Square Café 21 East 16th St between 5th Ave and Union Sq West, always in the top NY restaurant survey, you can book 28 days in advance and you need to. Food is Californian/ Italian influenced and is superb, as is the service and the setting, try and get a table on the ground floor $$$
Gramercy Tavern 42 East 20th between Broadway & Park Ave South, owned by the same person as Union Square Café. A special treat restaurant, must be booked a month in advance but you can eat in the bar area where you are not able to book so be prepared to wait but worth it fabulous food and service $$ - $$$
The Modern at MOMA 9 West 53rd Street between & 5th & 6th Avenue, a new venture by Danny Meyer who owns Union Square & Gramercy above, attached to the Museum of Modern Art but with a separate entrance - voted best New Restaurant in 2006. Go to the Museum in the morning and then try and get a table in the Bar Room less expensive than the restaurant but a great place to sample the cooking $$ to $$$
Lupa 170 Thompson Street between Bleeker & Houston a very talked about Italian restaurant owned by Marco Battali. A cheaper option than some of his other places but wonderfull food, service and atmosphere. Book or go early 6.30 to get a table or sit at the big communal table at the window $$
Blue Hill, 75 Washington Place, between Washington Sq West and 6th Ave, booking essential, up in the top list of NY restaurants, very grown-up serious foodie place, excellent service $$$
Five Points, 31 Great Jones Street, between Layfayette & Bowery on the edge of the East Village, very buzzy modern restaurant great menu of “American Creative” cooking meat and fish, good service and the Bar does Happy Hour Martinis ! $$
Mermaid Inn, 60 2nd Avenue between 5th & 6th Street, East Village a Fish and Seafood restaurant with a New England feel, terrace and garden as well as two dining rooms very reasonably priced wine list $$
Olives New York, at the W Union Square Hotel 201 Park Ave South at 17th Street, owned by Tod English, great reputation and it lives up to it go for a cocktail or try the 3 course Greenmarket Lunch - one of the best value and top notch cooking experiences that you can find dinner also available although top range prices $$ to $$$
Odeon Tribeca 145 W Broadway Long established trend restaurant worth being put on the waiting list for a table while waiting at the bar €€ to €€€
New York Noodle Town, 28 Bowery at Bayard St, China Town excellent cheap eating highly rated in an area full of places to eat share a table and enjoy $
Republic, 37 Union Square West very modern Noodle Bar sit at the bar area and watch the cooking $
Kelley & Ping Asian Grocers & Noodle Shop 127 Green Street (between Houston & Prince) €
Grand Central Station Oyster Bar Eat at the bar good at lunchtimes worth a visit
Also load of places in the food court
Jane 100 W Houston Street recommended for a great Sunday Brunch menu which includes a cocktail $
Arturos 106 W Houston St at Thompson Great friendly family run Italian Pizzerria and bar with live jazz - what can one say it is a well kept secret used by locals and other New Yorkers regulars come for the excellent and reasonable food and the good jazz every night go and give it a try $
AcquaGrill 210 Spring Street (Soho) Highly rated fish restaurant with Oyster specialities great service & food. Booking advised €€ to €€€
Otto, One Fifth Avenue at 8th Street, part of the Marco Battala empire (see Lupa above) like an Italian Enoteca with great meat & cheese plates also a pizza restaurant wonderful wine selection gets very busy but worth a visit $$
Casa Mono/Bar Jamon, 52 Irving Place at 17th Street (Union Square) the Tapas here are a cut above the normal go and try or just pop into Bar Jamon for a drink
Arturos West Village see above just pop in for a wine or beer, meet the locals and listen to the jazz
Fanelli - Soho - 94 Prince Street at Mercer excellent old fashioned Soho bar and eating place locals comment that the food is so-so, perhaps just stick to popping in for a drink has a kiosk outside doing fabulous soups
The Bourgeois Pig, 124 McDougal Street (Off Bleeker Street ) West Village & 122 East 7th Street (East Village) excellent wines bars with French Wines, Champagne Cocktails and great cheese platters
Vintage New York, 482 Broome Street at Wooster, Soho, wine bar doing food all wines and foods come from New York State
Walkers 16, N Moore Street, at Varick St. Tribeca, a lovely old fashioned bar with a couple of dining rooms serving good reasonable priced food
Gonzalez y Gonzalez, Broadway, Mexican Bar Restaurant with live music just keep going to the back where the music is
Heartland Brewery 35 Union Square West at 17th Street (another branch at 1285 Avenue of the Americas 51st St) Micro Brewery good beer and food good and reasonably priced
Café Noir 32 Grand St at Thompson Soho friendly bar with food
Houstons Park Avenue South at 28th Street Very Stylish Bar & Restaurant recommended
Corner Bistro 331 West 4th Street at Jane Street Known for the best burger in NY the Bistro Burger cooked to order top notch with a good selection of beers it’s great value
Eer Inn 326 Spring Street between Greenwich & Washington Streets great old fashioned bar second oldest in the city (and one of the best) good beers and very reasonable food
Blind Tiger Ale House 281 Bleeker Street at 7th Ave very popular bar with incredible selection of draught beers, and bottled beers also wines does food open late every night
Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher Street good local bar with decent beer and wine selection
McSorleys Ale House 15 East 7th Street, between Bowery & 2nd Ave East Village old fashioned beer house with sawdust on the floor does bar food as well, worth a visit
Wine Bar 54 2nd Avenue at 4th Street, very smart modern wine bar with a great list and good cheese and meat plates very Italian Influenced
Pete’s Tavern, 129 East 18th Street, between Irving Place and 3rd Avenue, (Union Square) the oldest bar in New York seves food worth a visit
Top of The Rock, the newly re-opened observation deck at the Rockefeller Centre book on line for a time slot then get the lift up 67 flights it is amazing with all round views of New York
Circle Line Cruise from the pier at West 42nd Street, you don’t need to book on line as there is a hefty surcharge but check out the times of the round Manhattan three hour cruises and get there early take your own picnic the snacks on board are poor
Lower East Side Tenement Museum ticket office 97 Orchard Street, visits are as part of small organised groups but there are frequent slots - it is a fascinating experience where you learn about the immigrant families who occupied the building
Staten Island Ferry Best Free Journey anywhere
Walk across Brooklyn Bridge from City Hall take the subway back
Visit the Brooklyn Brewery Williamsburg Tours Friday & Saturday check out their web site a short tour and free tasting afterwards in bar which is very popular and fabulous view over the East river from the end of the street
If you visit Brooklyn also try and visit Bierkraft specialising in beers, cheese and chocolate it is at 191 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn www.bierkraft.com
Have a drink in the Rainbow Room at the Rockefeller Centre 65th Floor for a good view worth the very expensive prices opens at 5 p.m.
Go cheap/discount shopping Loehmanns 101 Seventh Avenue, Filene’s Basement 620 6th Avenue , Daffy’s 11 5th Avenue at 18th (these are all around 17th & 18th) Century 21, 22 Cortland Street
Visit Dean & De Lucca 560 Broadway at Prince possibly the best food shop ever seen
