I’ve been lurking for a while, and reading this thread has inspired me to post for the first time.
Me and the Ms. are going to NYC in a few weeks, first time for either of us. There was lots of good info in the post mentioned above, but it was begun last year, long before September 11th. How different is NY from a tourist’s standpoint nowadays? We bought our plane tickets back in August, so we’re not ghoulish vampires or anything out to exploit a mourning city. However, we did wait a while to see how cheap hotel rooms would get before reserving one…
Are touristy places less touristy now? Good deals at nice restaurants? Will they let you near the WTC site, and will we get ridden out of town on a rail if we were to take pictures there?
I guess I just want to do a lot of the usual touristy things (Empire State Building, MOMA, Guggenheim, walk around the neighborhoods, eat pizza/bagels/deli food/swanky restaurant stuff) without coming off like a callous slack-jawed tourist.
Also, what’s the best (cheapest/safest/easiest) way for two subway/taxi virgins with luggage to get from La Guardia to Midtown on a Saturday night?
Not sure about the “touristy” places, but I believe the barrier near the WTC site has moved quite a bit south in the past week or so, you can definately get a look, and yes, you can get pictures without being murdered. Just be taseful about it. It’s not a pretty sight, you may not want pictures once you see it up close, because you will never ever forget what it looks like.
A Saturday nite on the subway from La Guardia should be fine, I’m not sure if one runs directly into the airport, I’ve never been there, but it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than a taxi, which will probably run you a $30 to $35 flat fee.
My father, who worked in the WTC years ago, and now lives in Montreal, is coming to visit me next weekend, and he fully intends to go to Ground Zero and take pictures. He is very emotional about it, and while I understand his intentions, I am cringing at the thought of actually hoofing down there with him. I have heard from several people that picture-taking is not well received by the workers at the site.
If you have never been to NYC before, I would recommend shelling out for the taxi rather than the subway. There is a bus that will take you from the airport to the subway (which does not go anywhere near LaGuardia), but it involves toting all your luggage yourself. If you are staying at a Midtown hotel, you might ask if they have their own shuttle bus service, which will be less expensive than the taxi. There are also independant shuttle buses, and your hotel could recommend the one that stops the closest to the hotel.
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are still closed. The Empire State Building is open. Broadway ticket sales are slowing climbing back to normal, but you can still get a very good selection at the TKTS office, which sells slightly discounted tickets for same day shows. There is a booth in Times Square, and you usually have to stand in line (it moves quickly). Good grief, I was just about to write that there is another TKTS in the WTC … when am I going to get used to this? Again, your hotel concierage will have information about the TKTS hours of operation.
Since the 11th, I have been to several museums that absolutely, positively, do not allow any large bags, including oversize purses, into the building. The lines to check bags are quite long and tedious. This can be a hassle if you were planning on spending the whole day out, and are carrying a backpack with a jacket, guide books, snack, etc. but I’m sure you can see the reason behind it.
That’s why I asked, I had heard that photos were not well regarded. I certainly don’t want to offend anyone, nor do I want to be the normal idiot tourist. It just seems like such a significant thing about this trip, it would be strange not to. I guess I’ll get the vibe before I do anything. Like NotWithoutRage said, maybe I won’t even want to. Its just such a crazy, surreal thing that I’ve been seeing through my television for the past month and half, I fell like I have to see it in person to really comprehend it.
chorizo, I need to see both grounds zero, & plan to take photos just for me. I guess this is my form of reflection, “closure,” memorial, etc. Very personal. I think NYC wants more tourism because of the income it generates. So I would not feel bad about being a tourist.
How furtunate this thread came along as I was sitting here eating my christmas pie. I’ll be driving up on Friday morning, probably arriving around noon-ish. Can anybody tell me if traffic through the Holland Tunnel is still moving at a snail’s pace or has is returned to normal (a turtle’s pace)?
I was in New York last week and since I was there, went to Ground Zero just to try to make sense of it all… Last time I was in NYC, I stayed at the Mariott next to it, and was in the WTC all the time… Caught the subway there, went to the Borders bookstore, hung out outside people-watching… It was just a cool place to go… At least I have some good memories of it.
Going to see Ground Zero was horrible… And it wasn’t just the destruction … It was the damn gawkers… these weren’t people there to consider all the lives lost, these were tourists from around the world acting like they were at a circus… There wasn’t even room to walk on the sidewalks, it was so full of people taking pictures, videos, you name it…
The site itself was hard enough to handle, but all the idiots waving for the cameras with what’s left of the WTC behind their heads made me sick…
I couldn’t stay very long without getting really angry that these people were acting like they were at Disneyworld.
Just walking in the area around the WTC by myself and seeing the destruction still there was overwhelming…
I apologize if this offended anyone… But there’s lots of real tourist stuff to go see in New York… Go celebrate the city, not the destruction…
No subway goes to La Guardia. You can take a bus to the train, or take shuttle buses to the city. Trust me on this, fork over 20 bucks for a cab, you’ll be glad you did.
Re LaGuardia: your hotel may have its own shuttle bus, find out in advance. Otherwise, plan on a taxi. For a tourist it’s so worth it, and it’s now a set fare from LAG to Manhattan (I think $20 + tolls and tip). There are buses, too, but those are so difficult and disorienting.
Re Ground Zero: I went down yesterday for the third time. To me what’s amazing is how much they’ve already cleared. There are still distressing scenes - one caught me by surprise. But much of the most dramatic destruction has been hauled away. I’d suggest going down on a weekday, when people seem less zoo-like and more respectful.
Sadly, Saint Paul’s chapel, where George Washington worshipped, is still closed to the public. They’re reserving it for a ministry to the rescue and recovery workers. (It’s a small miracle that it survived - it was across Church Street from WTC 5.)
Most other sites downtown are open, including Trinity Church, two blocks south at Wall Street.
SoHo and TriBeCa are still pretty empty. To us in the city it’s a little eerie, but for a tourist it’s more convenient; easier to get around. Houston Street is still the dividing line. I was just a few blocks north (Bleecker Street, for a Doper Dinner) and the traffic was back to normal and then some.
Re restaurants: don’t know how many are still running deals. The ones that were hit the worst were the really high end places, and places in SoHo, TriBeCa and the financial district. Neighborhood spots in other parts of the city often did really well. A lot of people just didn’t want to eat alone at first.
“Sadly, Saint Paul’s chapel, where George Washington worshipped, is still closed to the public. They’re reserving it for a ministry to the rescue and recovery workers. (It’s a small miracle that it survived - it was across Church Street from WTC 5.)”
—I read an interview with the pastor of that church, who said that “obviously, God was watching out for this church.” Hmmmm. Mighta been nice if God had glanced a couple of blocks over and a few hundred feet up . . .