I’m planning to spend four nights in New York this August. The objective is to see professional baseball in four different boroughs while using public transportation to get around the city.
I’m hoping to score a room in Manhattan, ideally around midtown or Times Square, for a decent rate with Priceline, but I’m not sure how realistic that is. To save some bucks we might end up in Brooklyn instead. There appear to be subway stops practically everywhere, so I don’t think getting around will be an issue. But I know very little about Brooklyn or its neighborhoods, or the safety thereof if we’re getting back to the hotel late at night after a ball game or exploring the city.
So, what say you, NYC Dopers? Would you stay in Brooklyn? What should I know if I do? Any other ideas for the trip? (I’m hoping to keep it at $150 or less per night.)
I’m going to make the same recommendation to you that I make to everyone else who wants to travel to NYC-stay at the Americana Inn. Lots of people balk at staying there because the rooms are small and the bathroom isn’t attached (there are half a dozen bathrooms per floor of the hotel and probably 15 rooms per floor that share them) but honestly you aren’t going to do anything there but sleep and shower and the hotel is literally 2 blocks from Times Square. The subway is about 3 blocks away and can get you anywhere in the city you want to go. I stayed there several times in 2006 when scouting out places to live and work in NYC and I paid less than $100 a night, though that was 6 years ago now and it looks like it is about $130 a night these days.
So, I’m guessing Mets (Queens), ‘Spankees’ (Bronx), Cyclones (Brooklyn), and Staten Island Yankees (guess) - is there a four day period within August when there will be a home-game by each team?
Northeast Brooklyn (here I’m referring to the rather amorphous area of Brooklyn heights thru Williamsburg) has nightlife, but no where near the amount that you’d find in Manhattan. How important is this to you, and big are you on walking?
As I live here (Queens), I know very little about hotels. But I do know about transportation. Manhattan stops are the easiest, as you will often have the choice of what line to choose. There will be less transfers, and you usually won’t need a bus to get anywhere. Once you move into the outer boroughs, you are often limited to only one line to get where you are going, and if you make plans at a time when there is track work (especially our new Fastrack[sup]®[/sup] repairs), you may find getting around difficult.
Generally speaking, the Yankees and Mets do not play at home on the same days. Teams usually start a new opponent on Fridays and again on Monday/Tuesday, so if you plan it properly, you may get where one team is home on Thursday and then travels out of town while the other team travels into town. I don’t know about the minor league teams’ schedules.
I just checked. You could do:
Saturday 8/4: New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners
Sunday 8/5: Brooklyn Cyclones vs. Auburn Doubledays
Monday 8/6: Staten Island Yankees vs. Lowell Spinners
Tuesday 8/7: NY Mets vs. Miami Marlins
Mets are off most August Mondays, but that (Mon/Tues) seems to be the travel day to or from home for both the Mets and Yankees during the month. No long homestands or roadtrips. The Cyclones and SI Yankees don’t worry about counter-scheduling.
Already have Mets and Yanks tickets. The minor league teams go on sale next month. All four ballparks seem pretty easily accessible via public transport.
pbbth, I’m not too keen on the idea sharing a bathroom, and I doubt my traveling buddy would be either. But we’ll see; I’ll keep the Americana in mind. The hostel? Nah, I don’t think so. We’re not 20 anymore.
I’m starting to come round to the idea that I’ll just need to spend more than I had (perhaps naively) originally hoped. Looks like I can find a decent two-star in Manhattan around the $180 range; I guess I can live with that.
…Unless somebody here talks me into Brooklyn or elsewhere. Long Island City seems to have some of the best hotel prices in town, but I’m sure there’s a good reason for that!
Last year, I took a trip to NYC with my family. Five people. Mom and Dad, Me and Better Half and my younger sister.
My Mom (the planner) found one of those vacation houses to rent. Hell of a lot cheaper than hotel rooms. The only time we used a car at all was from the airport to the house the first night.
It was out in Queens Corona (or whatever order it’s supposed to be.) And we did go to the Lemon Ice King! (And now I understand that Simon and Garfunkel song better.)
Subways are awesome. It was two blocks to the nearest stop. We walked A LOT. Better Half has spent time on the Tube.
Him: Oh, this is soooo much less scary!
I would say take a cheaper room in the sticks and ride the subways/trains.
Actually, the more I looked at LIC, the more I agree with this. I’m very close to pulling the trigger on the Sheraton two blocks away from Queensborogh Plaza for $149 a night. A place like that would be twice as much on the other side of the river.
Is this the one that Google tells me is at 27-05 39th Avenue? Not bad. You’re about a 3 block walk to the N/Q trains, or (better IMHO) a 7 or 8 block walk to the Queens Plaza station for the E/M/R trains that go right into Midtown - in 10 minutes you’ll be at Rockefeller Plaza, St. Pat’s, the MoMA, Radio City Music Hall, the south side of Central Park… Or you can walk directly to Q’boro Plaza to catch the 7 train or take the N train one stop and transfer (I’d walk it myself, especially on weekends, as among Astoria residents the N train has the nickname of “Never”).
Visiting Brooklyn is easy if a long ride on the subway. Just get on the N train and stay on it to the last stop, Stillwell Ave. in Coney Island, and walk to the Cyclones ballpark (formerly Keyspan, I think it’s called MCU Park now or something). You can also change for the D train in Brooklyn which runs express.
If you’re interested in exploring the multicultural side of NYC you’ll be on the doorstep of Astoria, a bustling immigrant neighborhood that’s historically heavily Greek (and still is) but has seen a large influx of Hispanics, Arabs and East Asians. Look into guides to Astoria if you have the time to kick around. And when you go to Citi Field, take the 7 train one more stop (or walk after the game) and visit downtown Flushing.
You’ve already got tickets for the 8/26 Mets game; where will you be sitting? I’m a Mets season ticket holder and may be at that game also. I could show you around (depending on where your tickets are you may not have access to several nice parts of the ballpark). Also PM me if you want me to help you get the Cyclones tix, there’s a pre-sale offered to us since they’re a Mets’ MiL team. I haven’t been down there yet myself but intend to do so someday.
Yep, that’s the one. Booked it last night. The more I looked at Manhattan, the more I became convinced that any hotel charging less than 200 a night is an absolute shithole. That’s probably not 100% the case, but I’m happy with my choice. This looks like a very nice place, and it should be easy enough to get anywhere we need to.
I’ll be thoroughly researching the subway lines and downloading some apps before the trip. One of the (admittedly silly and touristy) things I want to do while in town is walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. So on Saturday we’ll probably make our way down there, walk the bridge, and then get back on the train for Coney Island. We’ll have a few hours to kill so some exploring will be called for.
Sounds like good tips, thanks. I didn’t even know there was a downtown Flushing. I’ll be sure to check it out.
Section 421, upper deck third base side. We usually spend almost as much time wandering around the ballpark as we do in our seats anyway. Certainly wouldn’t mind somebody in the know to show us around.
I’ve never had a problem getting A-ball tickets anywhere. Do the Cyclones regularly sell out? Should I be concerned?
Downtown Flushing is a thriving Asian Community. There are loads of restaurants and shops,bakeries, grocery stores, housewares etc. Joe’s Shanghai is a safe bet which is enduringly popular. They are famous for their soup dumplings (not dumplings IN soup – dumplings filled with soup!) and right across the street from the Hong Kong supermarket.
Alternatively, catty corner from Joe’s across the municipal parking structure a is a huuuuge dim sum place, Jade Asian, which is my favorite (I like Joes too though). Usually very crowded on the weekends but a definite experience! Carts come around, you point at what you want, they stamp your card, and at the end you find out what you owe. (which is usually not much, around $12-15/pp if you like the more expensive seafood items.)
There is lots to see in the Coney Island area. They reopened the amusement park if you’re into that sort of thing (the eponymous Cyclone never closed, but it was all alone for a while there). The NY Aquarium is small but fairly nice (and I love the Sea Lion show). In adjacent Brighton Beach you’ll find “Little Odessa” NYC’s major Russian neighborhood. There’s plenty to see and eat!
How late is the amusement park open (I’ll be there on a Saturday night) and is there an admission charge? I don’t really care about the rides but it would be fun to wander around the park. I don’t know how much time we’ll have before the game (which starts at 6:00) but we’ll have all night after.
My daughter lives in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. It is very safe (unless you have unvaccinated children with you–Park Slope is the world capital of the anti-vaxxers). She lives near the R and F trains and the Q and 2/3 are not far away. But hotels there are not cheap (I’ve searched). The best bet is a private rental. Whether anyone would let their place for 4 days is something I don’t know.
I’ve heard they often do, or did especially back when the ballpark just opened - especially the matchups against the cross-bridge Staten Island Yankees, which I see is who the opponents will be on 8/25.
If you’re walking to Brooklyn, you may as well refuel with a meal at Junior’s on Flatbush Ave. Famous for its cheesecakes, I’ve always liked their food as well (fried chicken, pastrami on rye, matzoh ball soup, etc.).
Have fun!!!