1. Is the subway still in decent shape?
Well, define “Decent”. They look run down and ancient. Some of the stations have been prettied up with tile murals and the like. They still go pretty much everywhere you might want to go. They are NOT for the mobility-impaired: you will walk a lot to get to your train, and you will climb up and down stairs a lot (escalators / elevators are almost unheard-of).
2. Are there still taxis, or do I have to use that Uber thing?
There are plenty of taxis, as long as you don’t urgently need one :D. If you’re in a last-travelled area they might be scarcer. You cannot phone for a taxi, unless they’ve changed a LOT, but there are car services, and of course Uber / Lyft.
3. What’s the current tip %?
15-20%, same as elsewhere in the US
4. How much is a street hot dog? What’s the street food situation in general? Is Gray’s Papaya still around?
Not sure. You’ll find plenty of carts in the busier areas. There are food trucks as well though I’ve only rarely done that; we tend to be in the touristy areas and they aren’t common there.
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5. A few years back, everyone was talking about this park they built on an old elevated track down in the Meatpacking District. Is that still a thing? Worth going to?*
The High Line. It’s well worth a visit at least once. You have to climb up a couple flights of stairs to get to it (there are one or two locations with elevators). It runs 20ish blocks, from around the Javits center (I think) to just north of the West Village. On a nice weekend afternoon you’ll see lots of families etc. There are art installations in various places. It can get crowded if the weather is particularly nice. The walk itself is quite easy, as it’s pretty level and of course being 2 stories above the streets, you don’t have to dodge cars and trucks.
6. That new building they have instead of the Twin Towers - does it have an observation deck? Or should I just take my kid to the top of the ESB?
It does though I have not been up it (I have seen the fountains on the old WTC footprints). I would imagine it’s expensive and has long lines, as the WTC did (and ESB does). If it’s cloudy, don’t bother - you won’t see anything.
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7. Brooklyn - what’s going on there? I heard it turned into the East Village. Worth it?*
I met a colleague who lives in NYC, a month or two ago, and asked what I should do on my next visit, as I’ve done most of the touristy things. He suggested going to the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn and spending a few days. Sadly, on my next trip, I’ll be acting as a semi-local tour guide for a girls’ weekend out, and we’ll be staying in Manhattan.
Any other suggestions, recommendations and warnings would be welcome. Thanks.
Hotels: Depending on your requirements, you can sometimes get away with Priceline’s Name Your Own Price tool and get a room at a surprisingly good rate. We got the Marriott Marquis (Times Square) once for about 180 a night. Usually you can extend that a night or two at the same rate. But if you have specific requirements (really NEED to stay two+ nights, have a need for 2 beds in the room, or whatever) I don’t recommend it.
If you want to see a Broadway show, other than the really hot ones like Mormon, WIcked, Hamilton, Lion King, you can usually get same-day tickets, heavily discounted, at the TKTS booth in Times Square (there are other locations as well). You must go in person, and it truly is same day - e.g. they open late morning to sell matinee tickets, and mid-afternoon for evening tickets.
Dining: Bring a smartphone with Yelp or similar. You will find any kind of restaurant you could imagine, and rather a lot of ones you never dreamed of. There is a huge Olive Garden in Times Square (as well as several other major chain restaurants). I am fond of saying “Anyone who goes to New York, and eats at the Olive Garden, deserves it”. Hell’s Kitchen is 1 crosstown block west of there (well, 1-2, as 8th and 8th Avenues both count) and has an incredible variety of good places.
Do not take a car into the city. Driving in NYC is an exercise in torture. You will get places faster walking than by car, often, and parking is a horror story. If you absolutely must use a car to get there, park it at your hotel and do not expect to use it again until you’re ready to leave - it simply isn’t worth it.