Archive for the ‘Attractions’ Category

Question: Can you suggest a few pubs in New York that would be showing GAA matches?

Answer: There are a select few Irish pubs in New York that show GAA hurling and football matches. These matches are screened via a subscription channel called Premium Sports. Be sure to call the pub a few days in advance to make sure they are screening the game. Be sure to ask if there is a cover charge! This is normal and expect to pay approx $20.00

Manhattan

McCormacks: 365  3rd Ave at 26th St | Phone: 212-683-0911

Patrick Kavanaghs: 497 3rd Avenue & 34th St | Phone: 212-889-4304

Playwright: 202 W.49th St (Between 7th & B’way) | Phone: 212-262-9229

Kinsale Tavern: 672 3rd Avenue & 95th St |  Phone: 212-348-4370

Queens

Maggie Mae’s (Sunnyside): 41-15 Queens Boulevard,  Sunnyside, NY 11104 |  Phone: 718-433-3067

Cuckoo’s Nest (Sunnyside): 6104 Woodside Avenue, Queens, NY 11377 | Phone: 718-426-5684

The Gaslight (Sunnyside): 43-17, Queens Blvd. Sunnyside, NY 11104 | Phone: 718-729-9900

Enjoy the game!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team

Question: We are a group of four (two couples) heading to New York for five days in mid November and are interested in catching a basketball game in New York. How do we go about getting tickets? Where would you recommend we stay?

Answer: The 2009-2010 NBA Basketball Season has already kicked off its pre-season friendly games with the first official match throw-ins on Tuesday October 27th which is in fact today! The New York Knicks play their home games at Madison Square Garden at 32nd St & 7th Ave right by Penn Station and around the block from Macy’s Department Store.  Tickets for each New York Knicks game can be purchased directly through VisitNewYork.ie. Be sure to check and see if you can pick up some limited e-tickets that are made available. Although tickets are sent by FedEx, we recommend you book your tickets a couple of weeks in advance just to be sure they arrive in the post on time.

As for hotel accommodation we recommend you look at hotels in midtown Manhattan as you will be well connected by Manhattan’s efficient public transport system. There are a number of hotels close to Madison Square Garden. The 2 star Pennsylvania Hotel, the 4 star Affinia Manhattan Hotel Suites as well as the 3 star Holiday Inn Express MSG (Madison Sqaure Garden) are proving popular with people looking to catch a game and do some shopping at Macy’s.

Go Knicks!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team

There has been no public access to the crown since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, after some safety and security installations, the long awaited reopening of the Statue of Liberty crown will take place on Independence Day 2009.

Up until now, visitors to the statue could only take in views of the Manhattan skyline from the pedestal observatory just below the feet of  Lady Liberty. From July 4th 2009, visitors will be able to climb the 168 step spiral staircase to the crown and its 25 observatory windows. There are apparently some issues to be resolved regarding ticketing and restrictions of visitors. It is thought that 30 visitors an hour can visit the crown. There are project plans in place for renovations to Lady Liberty in 2011 to cater for more visitor numbers and to increase overall capacity.

All in all, this is fantastic news for Irish tourists and the City of New York!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team

Question: Where would you recommend staying in order to get a great view from your New York hotel room?

Answer: This is a tough question as it really all depends on what Manhattan view you are after. For example Times Square, Manhattan skyline, Central Park, Empire State, Statue of Liberty…..

You must also take into account that when you book a hotel room, from a logistics point of view there is no guarantee that the reservation staff can accommodate your request for a specific room, floor, location in the building etc. Best thing to do is to follow up with a phone call two weeks prior to your arrival to confirm if the hotel can accommodate your room with a view request.

Anyway, let us make a few suggestions:

Central Park: Nearly all of the hotels surrounding Central Park South are 5 Star as they offer unrivalled views. The Ritz Carlton hotel will cost you dearly but the The Jumeirah Essex House Hotel 5 stars a few doors down is good value. All you request is a room on the highest floor possible and facing onto Central Park.

Manhattan Skyline: Try the Marriott New York Hotel, Brooklyn Bridge. This gives you the opportunity to walk the Brooklyn bridge towards Manhattan whilst taking in the spectacular skyline view.

Times Square: Crowne Plaza Hotel or The Double Tree Guest Suites. We recommend you check out the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square as their revolving rooftop restaurant called The View has amazing panoramic views of Times Square.

Empire State Building and Chrysler Building: Try the Millenium UN Plaza Hotel

For more great views of New York please check out the “with a view” section in following VisitNewYork.ie guides:

• New York Restaurants
• New York Attractions
• New York Nightlife

Enjoy your trip!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team

Question: Hi there, Im’ going to New York in early April. I want to treat my husband to a great day out for his birthday. He’s a car enthusiast. Any recommendations?

Answer: Well, the first thing that springs to mind is a winner but will cost $895 USD plus taxes. Your husband will get the opportunity to drive six exotic sports cars such as a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, Bentley, Aston Martin. The rental charge also covers the cost for one passenger. You will depart Manhattan in the morning and will be part of a tour of six cars that will take you out into the country roads and highway of Upstate New York for the day. Your husband will drive each car for approximately 30 minutes and then change over. Please contact our friends at Gotham Dream Cars for further information on the Dream Car Tour.

The second option would be taking a helicopter tour of Manhattan. Most car enthusiasts would also be keen on helicopters too. My guess that as long as he doesnt’ have a fear of heights or being in a helicopter that this would be a great alternative for both of you to share together. There are two helicopter tours that give you unrivalled views of New York’s five boroughs. The 10 min tour is €129 per adult  and the 15 min helicopter tour is €189 per adult. This is an experience you won’t forget. Please see the helicopter tours below:

15 min http://www.visitnewyork.ie/new-york-tours/tour.49.1.1.New-York-New-York-Helicopter-Tour.html
10 min http://www.visitnewyork.ie/new-york-tours/tour.50.1.1.The-Big-Apple-Helicopter-Tour-of-New-York-City.html

Wishing you and your husband a great day out whatever option you choose to do!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team

Question: Which is the best hop on hop off bus tour to take in New York?

Answer: New York is such an amazing city with so many fantastic attractions. It can be quite overwhelming trying to think what to see and where to go first. Another potential dilemma is what tour to choose in order to try and take in so many of the attractions on offer…

We recommend the All Loops Double Decker Tour including the Statue of Liberty. This tour is great value for money!

Your ticket is valid for 48 hours so you can hop-on-hop-off at your leisure on anyone of their 4 routes which include Downtown, Uptown, Brooklyn and the Night tour. Some of the landmark attractions on the tour include:

• Empire State Building
• Rockefeller Center
• Wall Street
• Museum of Natural History

One of the highlights of this tour is that it includes a ticket for the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island ferry which is of course is one of the most popular attractions in New York. This tour is also available minus the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island Ferry here

We would also highly recommend this tour because it takes in Brooklyn on one of its routes. Brooklyn is an absolutely beautiful and real New York neighbourhood and somewhere we try and tell everyone to visit!

Another option that would be worth considering is the New York Day pass which is a pass to over 40 top NYC attractions. These are available as a One Day, Two Day, 3 Day or 7 Day passes.

Enjoy your stay!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team.

There are lots of bars in Manhattan that show all of the Munster rugby matches live on pay per view. Be aware that some pubs do charge a cover of $20 but it all depends on the pub and the match.  Here are the contact details of a few bars that show all key sports fixtures especially the Munster matches. These bars are well known to be popular with Munster supporters and plenty of craic to be had.  Best call ahead to check if there is availability as some of them will be packed to the rafters which is a good thing!

• The Red Lion Pub in Greenwich/West Village: 151 Bleecker St at Thompson St, New York   Phone: 212-260-9797
• O’Briens Irish Pub & Grill - Home of the North America Munster Rugby Supporters Club: 134 West 46th St, New York  Phone: 212-391-1516
• The Kinsale Tavern: 1672 3rd Ave btw 93rd & 94th St (Upper East side)  Phone: 212-348-4370
• McCormack’s Pub: 365  3rd Ave at 26th St  Phone: 212-683-0911
• Tonic East: 411 3rd Ave at 29th St   Phone: 212-683-7090

C’mon Munster!

The VisitNewYork.ie Team

Question: We are planning our New York Holiday and would like you to recommend a nice hotel in central NY. We would also like to do a trip to Niagara Falls if possible from the USA side. Help!  Margaret

The most central spot to stay in Manhattan, New York, is Midtown. This five square mile area stretches from 59th Street just below Central Park South down to 14th Street. Some of the world’s most famous buildings and landmarks are located in Midtown Manhattan i.e. Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Centre, Fifth Ave and many more. Naturally most of the major hotel chains are found in this area and so are tourists who want to be close to all the attractions.

It is difficult to recommend a nice hotel without knowing your budget, star of hotel and group type (couple, family with kids, friends). May I suggest you check out the links to the following hotels:

• Family friendly hotels
• Romantic hotels
• Hotels with amazing views
• Four star hotels
• Cheap Hotels
• Boutique Hotels

As for your trip to Niagara Falls, you have two options.

Option one is to take a day trip from New York by Air. This tour is run by Viator.com and can be viewed at http://www.viator.com/tours/New-York-City/Niagara-Falls-Day-Trip-from-New-York-by-Air/d687-2625NIAGARA

Second option is to take a 2 day bus trip and overnight in Canada. Details of this tour are available here http://www.partner.viator.com/en/4295/tours/New-York-City/2-Day-Tour-to-Niagara-Falls-from-New-York/d687-2896NYCNIA

We hope this information helps. Remember, we are offering a FREE Tour of Empire State Building with every hotel booking made in March 2009.

In the meantime, if you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01 685 4312.

Regards,

VisitNewYork.ie Team

New York City is an extremely popular destination for Irish females going over as a group of friends for a short break. We get loads of enquiries, be it for a Hen party, birthday celebrations, shopping trips.  Whatever the ocasion may be, there is probably an excuse in there somewhere to head on off to NYC!…

Obviously shopping is a huge draw due to the fantastic choice and range of shops and the unbelievable value that comes with it. We get bombarded with enquiries about all the Outlet Centers in New York and in particular Woodbury Common. If there are a group of you prepared to tackle the hundreds of designer retail stores, then your best bet is to go on a scheduled day trip to Woodbury Common. Tickets for this service and more can be purchased here

Aside from the shopping, but keeping relatively on the same theme, one of our most popular tours is the Sex And The City tour.  This tour is fantastic, especially for you groups of girls heading over and fancy re-living some of your favourite memories of Carrie and the girls! This is a Luxury motor coach tour guide where you are given the opportunity to drink, shop and gossip in the same spots that were made famous by the hit TV show! This tour comes personally recommended by VisitNewYork.ie and seems to grow in popularity each year! Tickets for the tour are available here.

The Times Square Walking Tour is a cost free way of seeing and learning about Times Square.   A great way to wind down with friends while in the heart of Manhattan after blowing your budget perhaps?…

Enjoy! - The VisitNewYork Team…

When arriving in New York for the first time it’s very easy to be overwhelmed! So much to see! So much to eat! So much shopping to do! So little time!…

So what is the best way to see all the New York Attractions? Well with so many iconic attractions to visit it’s no wonder most people don’t know where to start. To make life easier VisitNewYork.ie have come up with a fantastic way for you to plan, customize and print your very own New York Guide.

Simply scroll through all our listings, add the attractions you wish to visit, print off your guide and away you go!

The best way to see all the major New York Attractions is to get a New York Day Pass. You can purchase either a 1 day pass, 2 day pass, 3 day pass or a 7 day pass depending on how long your staying and how much sightseeing you wish undertake!

The New York Day pass entitles you to admission to over 40 top New York City Attractions. It also entitles you to discounts and special offers at top New York restaurants and retailers.

Here is a list of just some of the attractions included in the day pass:

• Empire State Building
• Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• American Museum of Natural History
• The Guggenheim
• The Museum of Modern Art
• Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
• Madison Square Garden All Access Tour
• The United Nations Tour

The pass also allows you to go to the head of the line at many venues and may be used for multiple times in each venue for the entire day.

All in all the pass offers extremely good value and a chance to see some of the best sights New York City has to offer!  You can purchase a New York Day Pass here.

Happy Sightseeing - The VisitNewYork.ie Team