View Full Version : DC and New York
Driving to Washington DC later today for some sight seeing (only 5 hours away) and would like ideas on what to see and where to eat (if you've been) while we are there. Also will be driving to New York afterwards and again, if you know of any nice places to eat and places to see.
Should be a fun trip :D
DC I've only been to the airport, though the answer seems obvious. Just don't do anything dodgy, or it'll be off to Guantanamo with you and do not pass Go. :p
NY is a bit easier - take your pick from Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island (if you're interested in history), Empire State, catch a game or two at Madison Square Garden, catch a show on/off Broadway (cheap tickets available on the day via Tkts but arrive early and be prepared to queue), 5th Avenue Shops (don't forget to grab an 11% discount voucher if you go shopping at Macy's), head over to Brooklyn for a good view of the Manhattan skyline, Central Park Zoo, etc.
New York... god so many places it's hard to suggest. What do you like?
If you want steak, Peter Lugers off the Williamsburg bridge (literally as soon as you get off, turn right and right again, 2 blocks and it's on the corner). AMAZING steaks - and fantastic quality beef.
If you like fish restaurants, Fresh is very good down towards Tribeca.
Mexican, Dos Caminos down 6th I think, and it's quite far down, towards washington sq I think.
There are hundreds of great restaurants...
As for things to do, Empire State or the Rock are both good for decent views. A walk round Central Park is also worth it. lots of art museums too if that interests you. Frankly just walking up and down 5th, 6th & 7th avenue is quite action packed. Grand central is worth a look, times square ain't all that but it's busy as it crosses with broadway and lots going on so could be fun. Comedy clubs, bars, shows are all well worth it. Try and go and see something at MSG. Wall street and the financial district is worth a visit IMO. The list is endless really....
Chuckles
17-04-2008, 14:13
In NYC - Kraft on 42nd
in DC - The hotdog stand outside capitol building :p
Do one of those mid street shoot outs you seen in American films. That should be interesting :D
If you want steak, Peter Lugers off the Williamsburg bridge (literally as soon as you get off, turn right and right again, 2 blocks and it's on the corner). AMAZING steaks - and fantastic quality beef.
Whoever told you about that place must be a real steak fiend :D
Peter Lugers (take the subway to Marcy Avenue) is quite possibly my favourite restaurant in the US. If you go there do try the steak sauce even if you normally eat your cow unmolested.
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (http://www.nasm.si.edu/). It's great!
Only problem is we are only spending 1 night and day in each city, so travelling today to Washington and spending the night, then walking around tomorrow. Then drive to Philly and catch the Amtrak to NY as neither of us really want to drive around NY, spend the night then the next day walking around, possibly spend another night then leave and drive back to NC.
Some good ideas so at least we have a good idea of what to do. The Smithsonian is a good call as I would love to go there.
Me too. Not sure if I ever will, but if I ever happen to be in the right place.
Whoever told you about that place must be a real steak fiend :D
Peter Lugers (take the subway to Marcy Avenue) is quite possibly my favourite restaurant in the US. If you go there do try the steak sauce even if you normally eat your cow unmolested.
Well he's a **** principally but since he knows about good steak (from one connoisseur to another ;)) I can forgive him that.
If the weather's nice you can't not go for a walk in Central Park it's really lovely IMO. Though the walk along the peers on the Hudson or even the East river is quite pleasant too. In fact NY's just amazing period.
I'm finally in DC, after getting slightly lost finding the hotel, then finding the parking complex and having a few beers back at the bar I've managed to connect to the net after 5 minutes of trying.
The hotel isn't brilliant, but we are paying $109 a night. Saying that, 1 of the plug sockets is completely broken and I'm now scared to switch of the light in case it blows up :D
Luckily we are within spitting distance of the whitehouse so are going to take a walk around in the morning.
Luckily we are within spitting distance of the whitehouse
They supply bongo mags? Fantastic service!
Oh you mean *the* Whitehouse.
Bugger.
They supply bongo mags? Fantastic service!
Oh you mean *the* Whitehouse.
Bugger.
As it turns out, Gordon Brown is in town. I will not make any jokes about 2 birds and 1 stone :D
As it turns out, Gordon Brown is in town. I will not make any jokes about 2 birds and 1 stone :D
Shhh they may be listening.
Semtex.
LOL :)
Only things we had time for in DC was the Museums (didn't get to the airport part of the Air & SPacve tho' :() and the cemetery (Arlington?).
Not that we found much else interesting in the guide books.
I wanted a tour of the Whitehouse, but apparently you have to book it 6 months in advance through your local congressman :( After watching the West Wing I wanted to have a nosy around. :(
Actually, one other thing we didn't do that I wanted to was go up the monument thingy, but it's very hard to get a ticket.
I'm now in a hotel in Philly after spending a day walking around Washington in 90f heat :shocked: went to the Smithsonian, the White House (well, got a few pics from what seemed 5 miles away due to security restrictions) the spy museum, which was awesome as we did an interactive thingy and a few other places.
Driving out of DC at 4pm is never a good idea, especially on a Friday but we finally managed it. Staying in a Quality Inn which has a Hooters right next door :D got to the hotel at about 10.30/11pm, got a room and went straight to Hooters where we had 20 chicken wings (10 medium 10 hot) and 2 pitchers of beer. A bit sleezy but all the girls working there were really nice (unlike DC where no gave cared) I thought I could have pulled a Hooters girl, but figured she was probably just being nice :( It's now 1.30am and I'm slightly drunk and $30 poorer, which isn't bad considering. Just about to find out where the Amtrak station is in Philly and what time they leave for New York as there is no way we driving there.
If you get time go for a wander down south street. Alll sorts of food places and cool shops :)
We are in New York :D ended up driving in instead of getting the train. Was really easy as the hotel was a couple of blocks away from the Lincoln Tunnel. Went to the WTC and sat chilling in the plaza of building 3 (?) staring out over the Hudson drinking Starbucks. Was quite cool. Times Square is quite underwhelming really so we are off to Little Italy to eat tonight. Luckily the subway station is a piece of cake to get round.
Sounds like you're having a lot of fun. I've done the Smithsonian twice now, the second time was two weeks after September 11th and we almost literally parked outside the door! DC was empty of tourists.
Times Square is quite underwhelming really
Try again after dark. Busy. :shocked:
Try again after dark. Busy. :shocked:
Yup, you're not wrong there. It's totally different at night. Amazing.
Went and had a meal in Little Italy then took a walk around, ended up in some weird places but it's all fun. Been to Grand central Station twice now :D Hit some random bars on the way back to the hotel and about ready for some sleep now. Also found out that the hotel we are staying in is located in Hells Kitchen :D a bit ghetto but there is a police station over the road.
Forgot to say, there was a bunch of conspiracy theorists outside the WTC area today claiming it was all George Bush and the Illuminate that caused the WTC to explode :huh: Spent a good 5 minutes laughing at them. To top it all off, walking through Times Square this evening, there were a load of Scientologists around taking Stress Readings and selling Dianetics books. Tried to avoid them like the plague :D
Another day of wandering around to go before driving back to North Carolina, going to try and go see the Apple Store as it looks so Cool :cool: even though I'm not keen on Apple products for some reason.
I love going to Little Italy! You're really spoilt for choice with restaurants there.
Grand Central Station is well worth a visit, I usually end up there a few times when I'm in NYC. The food area downstairs was a big surprise - the food is not only edible but I had some of the best chinese I've ever had there. It's also a great place to sit and watch the world go by.
Every time I went past the WTC site those people have been there. I'm genuinely surprised that they haven't been arrested and charged with terrorism knowing how paranoid the Americans are.
There is a Scientology place on Times Square, just up from Bubba Gump's IIRC so it's quite normal to see them walking around annoying people. I've never understood why Times Square is called Times Square considering it is triangular!
If you're going to an Apple Store, the most impressive looking one is the one on Fifth near Central Park & Bloomingdales but the better one in terms of there being less "customers" and more equipment to play with is the one on East 14th. It's a nice cross town walk from Union Square.
If you've got time, have a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge - you get some fantastic views of Manhattan when you walk back towards it, but be sure to stay on the right side o the walkway otherwise you'll get cyclists getting arsey with you. If you walk to Brooklyn but can't be arsed to walk back over again, go down the steps at the end of the Bridge, turn right at the bottom and then right again to go through the small park area and there is a subway station on the other side of the road. There are signs to it, but from memory they're pretty much useless.
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.