# Broadway shows in NYC?



## DaveNV (Sep 20, 2010)

We're going to the Manhattan Club in Septembr of 2011.  I'm interested in getting tickets for a few Broadway shows while we're there.  What's the best way to do that?  Is there a website that lists what is playing and when?  I don't even know what's playing anymore.  Anyone know how to get the best Broadway bang for the buck?

Dave


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## Piper (Sep 20, 2010)

Dave,

I have just returned from a weekend in NYC. I saw two plays (La Cage aux Folles and Next to Normal). I got great seats by buying the tickets at the box office using vouchers I printed out in advance of the trip through a website called THEATERMANIA.com.  They list the show that have discount tickets. You can buy the tickets in advance and be sure to get in -- or do what I do. I print out the vouchers (at no cost) for any plays I am interested in seeing. Once I'm in NYC, I see what I feel like going to and then go directly to the box office. Only once have I been told that the discount tickets were not available (and then I went to a different show's box office and got discount awesome seats). 

Some theaters also have a "lottery" a few hours before show time. They have some seats for an extreme discount. (I think the tickets are $25) I believe the seats are often in the first couple of rows -- right next to the stage. I've never done this but it would be a great way to see a show for quite a discount.


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## learnalot (Sep 20, 2010)

*Playbill.com*

Hi Dave,

NYC in September should be wonderful!  Used to live near NYC but now we're on the west coast.  Haven't been back in a few years.

Playbill is the stage magazine for all the shows.  You can read a synopsis of each show at their website, which is playbill.com.  What show you should see is so much a matter of your tastes.  Have you seen any shows?  Any that you particularly enjoyed?

Perusing the list of shows, if you haven't seen Wicked, it's definitely worth seeing.  There are currently revival productions of West Side Story, Anything Goes which are classics.  If we were going to NYC, the first shows I would probably see are In the Heights and Memphis.  

Jersey Boys is a very enjoyable show even for people who don't consider themselves "theater people" BUT it has a semi-permanent home in Las Vegas, as do Phantom and the Lion King, so I would probably choose to see other things in NYC.  

There are a lot of excellent shows.  Just a matter of choosing one (or four)    Seriously, there are also some great discounts to be had because the economy is still recovering.  I am not familiar with the theatermania site mentioned in the other post, but I would definitely check that out.  The other discount fixture in NYC is the TKTS (as in tickets, but the locals will refer to it by saying each letter T.K.T.S. in case you are trying to ask someone about it).  Basically they sell half-price tickets to shows with unsold seats.  Main booth at Times Square sells same day tickets only.  At least one of the others sells tickets for the next day.  There are 3 booths - they have different hours and restrictions.  You can read about them at the Theater Development Fund website here:  http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56/ 

There will be more availibility during the week than on the weekend, so plan accordingly.  If you want more specific recommendations, post again with some indicators of your taste or your can PM me or send me an email.

Have fun!


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## caterina25 (Sep 20, 2010)

I don't know your age but Jersey Boys(the life of Frankie Valli and the four seasons)was just wonderful!


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 20, 2010)

*Promises, Promises was very good. 
*Jersey Boys was a little slow, but the musical history was interesting.
*Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was free and a much better time than I thought - so I went a second time. Time commitment was 3:30PM til about 6:30PM, as a standby. Got in both nights as I had a "low" stand-by ticket number (8:30-9AM handout time on 49th St by Tumi Luggage store - Rockafeller Center near Today Show).

*Manhatten Club has the best location.

Pedastal tickets for Statue of Liberty run out early.  I took the ferry over at 9AM. Go first thing to avoid 2+ hours line waiting for both ferry and base of Statue access.


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## debraxh (Sep 21, 2010)

http://www.broadwaybox.com/

Has some great discounts you can use online or at the theatre once you arrive. It also has a comprehensive list of what's playing, with mini-reviews.  Once you decide what you want to see you can check the official ticket website (i.e. ticketmaster) to see what's available. Beware that there are also links to aftermarket websites which sell for more than face value (typically the high-demand shows). 

TKTS deals are great, but we don't like to spend an afternoon waiting in line when we can be doing something more fun in NYC!  The broadway box discounts are often nearly as cheap.


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## DaveNV (Sep 21, 2010)

Thanks, everyone.  Those links are very helpful!  Current choices look like Wicked and In The Heights, and maybe one more.  Too bad we can't buy tickets this far out, so we can commit. (Timesharing has me trained to buy early!) Stay tuned...

On a slightly separate note, and not to hijack my own thread, does anyone have an opinion about the City Pass for New York City?  Seems like a lot of the daytime things we want to do are part of it, and the pricing seems great.  Is this the best way to get admission to the best sights?  Is there something better?

Dave


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## debraxh (Sep 21, 2010)

My understanding (from reading tripadvisor reviews) is that the citypass doesn't prevent waiting in line where they're the longest: statue of liberty & empire state building. Also, keep in mind the metropolitan museum & museum of natural history are "pay what you wish".  So the citypass pricing is good if you use it for all 6 attractions, but not that great otherwise.


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## learnalot (Sep 21, 2010)

BMWguynw said:


> Thanks, everyone.  Those links are very helpful!  Current choices look like Wicked and In The Heights, and maybe one more.  Too nad we can't buy tickets this far out, so we can commit. Stay tuned...
> 
> On a slightly separate note, and not to hijack my own thread, does anyone have an opinion about the City Pass for New York City?  Seems like a lot of the daytime things we want to do are part of it, and the pricing seems great.  Is this the best way to get admission to the best sights?  Is there something better?
> 
> Dave



Hi Dave,

City Pass is good.  I haven't used it in NYC, but I have used it other places.  You might also look at smartdestinations.com.  We got a Go Oahu card from them when we went to Hawaii this summer and we got a really good value from it.  It may depend on what type of things you will want to see.  Either one will probably cover the obvious ones.  We found that the Go Oahu card provided some additional options that were cool.  (For instance, we got scooters for a day with our cards, which was a blast and probably not something I would have done without the cards).  They have some different configurations you can choose from.  You can take a look and see what fits you best.

Couple more thoughts:  Do you subscribe to Travelzoo's weekly newsletter? I have been seeing a lot of entertainment deals in there - shows in NYC and Vegas, especially.  I'm pretty sure I saw Memphis in the newsletter recently.

This is really making me miss NYC!  Keep us posted of your adventures


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## dmorea (Sep 21, 2010)

*NY Theatre*

I am from NY and almost always use either    Theatermania or BroadwayBox websites  to get my tickets... I second those recommendations, some interesting comedy shows off broadway things and tourist attractions may be available there too! 
Enjoy your time!


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 21, 2010)

*Walk up to the Crown of Statue of Liberty*

This is a definitely PLAN EARLY event. Get on web site to book as this is multiple months out for any availability. There are NO 'day of' tickets.


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## Helene4 (Sep 21, 2010)

BMWguynw said:


> We're going to the Manhattan Club in Septembr of 2011.  .  Anyone know how to get the best Broadway bang for the buck?
> 
> Dave



Check my new thread on TKTS.
Go see: Jersey Boys, Wicked, A little night music, Lion King. ( The Biggies)


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## e.bram (Sep 21, 2010)

Try the Met opera(Lincoln center). The real pros!


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## DaveNV (Jun 18, 2011)

Well, our trip to NYC is getting close enough, it was time to finally commit to some activities...

After watching the Tony Awards last week we decided to add tickets to "The Book of Mormon" and "War Horse" to the tickets we already have for "Wicked."  Three excellent nights in a row at the theater may set my head to spinning.  I hope it won't be too much.  A musical-comedy, a traditional musical, and a heart-wrenching drama should give us a great cross-section of current Broadway offerings.  Can't wait!

I asked before about the Citypass thing.  I want to go ahead and get them, but would like to know if anyone has a cheaper resource to buy them than the $79 price I'm finding via Google.

We're going to go ahead and buy separate Statue of Liberty tickets for the Pedestal/Museum.  The Crown tickets are sold out, and I don't think I could climb the 354 stairs to the top anyway.  My arthritic knees would never forgive me...

Anyone have any other suggestions for activities for this trip?  It'll be a combination of museums and boat rides and theater and dining out, all surrounded by things like stops to check out Grand Central Station and Ground Zero and Central Park.  I may need a second week just to be able to see it all.

Can you tell?  I am SO excited about this trip!  

Dave


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## puppymommo (Jun 18, 2011)

Dave,

Sounds like a wonderful trip!   Have a great time.

Susan


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## e.bram (Jun 18, 2011)

American Ballet Theater at the Met Opera House in Lincoln Center.


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## Sandi Bo (Jun 18, 2011)

You will love Wicked!  You might want to watch the Wizard of Oz one more time before going.  Reading the book will help you understand what's going on, too (although it's a hard-read).  Regardless, the play is awesome!

I also highly recommend the walking tour of ground zero. Docents have a connection to 911 (were rescue workers, lost someone, etc).  For more info see www.tributewtc.org. 

Trinity church (across from ground zero) is also very humbling.

Taking in a Yankees game is always fun.

Sounds like you have a great trip planned, have an awesome time.


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## GrayFal (Jun 18, 2011)

You might want to sign up for Groupons for NYC to get some restaurant deals. There are many available for both lunch and dinner in the mid town area. I used them for my visit in May and really enjoyed trying new restaurants. TravelZoo also has local deals, I enjoyed a nice brunch at Pappardellas (SP) this past weekend on west 76th street using that site. 





BMWguynw said:


> Well, our trip to NYC is getting close enough, it was time to finally commit to some activities...
> 
> After watching the Tony Awards last week we decided to add tickets to "The Book of Mormon" and "War Horse" to the tickets we already have for "Wicked."  Three excellent nights in a row at the theater may set my head to spinning.  I hope it won't be too much.  A musical-comedy, a traditional musical, and a heart-wrenching drama should give us a great cross-section of current Broadway offerings.  Can't wait!
> 
> ...


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## bjones9942 (Jun 19, 2011)

My suggestions are entirely food related 


Joe's Shanghai for soup dumplings (xiao long bao) - Pell Street, Chinatown
(there's a dim sum restaurant down the street from Joe's that's excellent)
Dhaba (Indian food) - Curry Hill area (Lexington Ave)
Katz's Deli for Chopped Liver sandwich & a sour pickle - Lower East Side
Christina's, the BEST Polish food - G train to Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  On Manhattan Ave.
Stage Deli - 7th Ave near 54th.

Now I've made myself hungry!


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## liborn2 (Jun 19, 2011)

After living in NY for 52 years..I finally did the tourist Double Decker bus http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/, and LOVED it...from Harlem to Battery Park in two days..hop off and seek out new finds..We recommend to family/friends..one of those things you have to do...we jumped off at Seaport to use the chaise chairs on the top floor of Mall, overlooking the EAST RIVER..free you know..and we sat there with $4 beer from the food court watching the yachts, boats leave for the Sunset cruise..aaahhh the joys of life.
Would also recommend Circle Line Cruise..3 hours tour around Manhattan Island. .http://www.circleline42.com/new-york-cruises.aspx you circle the whole Island or can take shorter cruise to part of the island

If you plan to visit Met Museum don't forget to visit the roof top..sometimes they have exhibits or you can enjoy the view with eats/drink available to purchase.  Your MET admission will also allow you entry into the Cloisters Museum, tip: you don't have the pay the full recommended admission charge..you can pay much less..these prices have really gone overboard lately..so keep that in mind.
http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/dining/#RoofGardenCafe

The Cloisters have beautiful gardens as well, overlooking the Hudson River, 4 acres to truly enjoy this peaceful place. Rich in Medieval European History.
http://www.metmuseum.org/cloisters/

Here is a link to keep tabs on upcoming free suggestions..and other interests
http://www.nycgo.com/deals/free/

http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php
If you love great pickles, coleslaw and plenty of food..hot dog and knish..or split a brisket/corned beef sandwich..$3 charge sharing.

Entertainment while you eat..lots of fun..and hamburgers are good.
http://www.ellensstardustdiner.com/

Enjoy dinner/brunch/ or drinks..
http://www.theviewnyc.com/restaurant...t-marquis/home

Enter the TAPAS bar..wonderful Sangria..$27 half pitcher..loaded with soaked fruit..and you could order a couple of tapas..if you wish..excellent..
great cuban beat music.
http://www.victorscafe.com/index2.html

Highly recommend..Catch Me If You Can.OUTSTANDING show..lots of laughs, acting is wonderful..
http://www.broadwaybox.com/shows/cat...c_tickets.aspx

Something new most tourists and non tourists are not aware.....
http://www.thehighline.org/about/park-information
The High Line is a public park built on a 1.45-mile-long elevated rail structure running from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street on Manhattan's West Side. What was it used for? The High Line was a freight rail line, in operation from 1934 to 1980. It carried meat to the meatpacking district, agricultural goods to the factories and warehouses of the industrial West Side, and mail to the Post Office.  Stop in at chelsemarket for breakfast/lunch to go
http://chelseamarket.com/visitors/

Enjoy your visit, and many happy memories.
Welcome to NY


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## DonM (Jun 19, 2011)

*A good book to read before your trip*

I am currently reading New York the novel- a Historical novel by Edward Rutherfurd.

Even if you're not a native, it will give you some insight into the history of the City. Besides, it's a very interesting and easy read.

Enjoy your trip!

don


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## DaveNV (Jun 19, 2011)

Thanks, everyone.  These tips are awesome!

DonM, I'll for sure check out that book.  I always like having an idea of how a place got its start.  I watched the PBS series on the making of America, and they discussed the settlements that were on Manhattan, the shipping settlements, the military protection of the island and so forth.  I'll look forward to reading more.

liborn2, I think the Citypass includes admission to the Metropolitan Museum and The Cloisters, so I'll for sure check out the roof.

bjones9942, thanks for the food ideas. With so many great choices, I don't know how much weight I'm going to gain that week!  

GrayFal, I hadn't thought about Groupon.  I subscribe for a few other cities, so I'll do that.  Definitely worth looking into.

e.bram, I think the play War Horse we'll be seeing is also at Lincoln Center, so I'll see about the ABT performances there, too.  I've never been to the ballet.

Susan, (puppymommo), this will be my first trip to New York, and I can't imagine how I'll be able to see it all.  I'm going to do my best, but at a pace where I can remember things clearly afterward.  I'm not much of of a whirlwind kind of tourist.  

Sandi Bo, funny you should mention reading the Wizard of Oz before going.  Amazon has free classic books available for Kindle folks, and I've been re-reading the classics I grew up with.  I've been enjoying reading Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, Herman Melville, and whoever else all over again.  Earlier this year I did read the Wizard of Oz again.  It was tough not comparing it to the movie, and I could see how the movie edit of the story was done to be even more dramatic.  But I think I'm ready to try defying gravity...  

Thanks again, everyone.  You're helping a great deal!  Does anyone know of a place to buy the Citypass for less than the $79 I'm seeing online?  I'm retired Navy, so maybe there's a Veteran or Military Discount site I haven't found?  After buying these extra Broadway tickets, I'm trying to stretch the budget as far as I can.  

Thanks,
Dave


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## pedro47 (Jun 19, 2011)

How are the reviews on the Spiderman show doing?


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## DaveNV (Jun 19, 2011)

pedro47 said:


> How are the reviews on the Spiderman show doing?



I haven't checked.  After the problems they've had just trying to get the show launched, I'm not all that interested in seeing it.  I hope it does well, even without me.  

Dave


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## sammy (Jun 19, 2011)

On our recent trip to NYC, we saw 4 great shows - Wicked, Billy Elliott, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Baby Its You.  All were very good, depends on what you like.  I can give more feedback if you like.

Something new for this visit I must highly recommend.  We did a Foods of NY tour and it was really really fun.  We did the one that went to Chelsea Market which we all loved for several reasons - most is in the mall so weather is not an issue, also gave plenty of opportunity to pick up items to take or ship home, and is in an area we never would have found had it not been for the tour.  They have a half dozen or so different tours and I am sure all are excellent in their own way, but this one, I can highly recommend for the reasons stated above.  I believe the website is foodsofny.com but if not I'm sure a quick google search will find it as it is very popular. 

Another thought is this - as our girl's weekend, shopping was part of the fun.  I had considered doing a shoipping tour, but did not not wanting to 'waste' $100 each, and felt I'd been to NY enough times that I could manage to find boutiques, etc.  After the fact, I think next time we do a girl's weekend I will do the shopping tour.  The hours we wasted walking and cabbing all over the place to find designer stores and designer sample shows would easily justify taking the tour next time.  Just a thought for serious shoppers of designer finds.  

I'm sure you will have fun and most certainly plenty to do!


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## abbekit (Jun 19, 2011)

Our favorite tours are Big Onion walking tours.  Given by grad students who know their stuff.  There is a tour for just about any area or interest.
http://www.bigonion.com/

Also don't miss a walk on the new High Line, they just opened section 2:
http://www.thehighline.org/

If you are into jazz another of our favorite stops on our last trip was Louis Armstrong's house in Queens:
http://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/about/history.htm

Also recommend the Tenement Museum, it really brings all the history together after you visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island:
http://www.tenement.org/

Stop into the Times Square Visitors Center and see the Waterford ball that used to be the one dropped on New Year's Eve.  Plus other interesting history of the Times Square area.
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/info_center.html


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## learnalot (Jun 19, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> Thanks, everyone.  These tips are awesome!
> 
> Thanks again, everyone.  You're helping a great deal!  Does anyone know of a place to buy the Citypass for less than the $79 I'm seeing online?  I'm retired Navy, so maybe there's a Veteran or Military Discount site I haven't found?  After buying these extra Broadway tickets, I'm trying to stretch the budget as far as I can.
> 
> ...



Hi Dave,

My only other thought is perhaps a regional Costco.  I just checked to see if Costco had it online (I've seen it before, I think).  They don't have it online right now.  What airport will you fly into?


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## DaveNV (Jun 19, 2011)

learnalot said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> My only other thought is perhaps a regional Costco.  I just checked to see if Costco had it online (I've seen it before, I think).  They don't have it online right now.  What airport will you fly into?




We fly into JFK, and I've hired a car to take us to the Manhattan Club.  I know Costco sold the passes last year, but I'm not finding it anywhere online this year.

Dave


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## tombo (Jun 21, 2011)

BMWguynw said:


> We fly into JFK, and I've hired a car to take us to the Manhattan Club.  I know Costco sold the passes last year, but I'm not finding it anywhere online this year.
> 
> Dave



I am going in 2012 so I would appreciate your opinion on the value of the city pass and any other reviews and advice you could give after you return. Also where did you get the chauferred auto? I will get a cab but if it is not much more I wouldn't mind having a car waiting on us when we get there.


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## janej (Jun 21, 2011)

We went to NYC for spring break and purchased the 7 attraction explorer Pass.  

We only stayed for 5 days and used 6 attractions.  I gave them to my sister.  She had on problem using them up in 30 days.  The attractions we used were: NBC Studio tour, Top of the Rock, BODIES, BIKE and ROLL Bike rental, Bike and Roll central park tour, Guggenheim and MoMA.   My husband and older son did not join us for some of the tours so the rest of us went to more than 6 places.  It worked out well.  We really enjoyed biking.  It might be too hot in the summer.  But there are a few sailing attractions that would be perfect for summer.


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## DaveNV (Jun 21, 2011)

tombo said:


> I am going in 2012 so I would appreciate your opinion on the value of the city pass and any other reviews and advice you could give after you return. Also where did you get the chauferred auto? I will get a cab but if it is not much more I wouldn't mind having a car waiting on us when we get there.



I'll be happy to share the lessons learned when we get back.

The car we hired is through www.Dial7.com.  I found an online coupon for $5 off, so it will be $51 to get to the Manhattan Club from JFK.  I was being quoted about $45 for a taxi ride, so the other six bucks seemed worth it.

Dave


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## bjones9942 (Jun 21, 2011)

Another thing I like to do (probably not good for a first visit unless you're there several days) is to buy the weekly metro card, hop on a subway train, pop off at a random stop and go up to street level, wander around and have fun.  Be sure to grab a subway map at any of the manned subway booths (ask for one).

And you can use http://broadway.com as well to see what shows are playing on/off broadway, and to buy tix.  If you don't mind a little high-camp, slightly smutty, sometimes gay-themed fun, Naked Boys Singing is a riot.  Yes, they're naked.  Sometimes the off-broadway shows are better than what's on-broadway.  In the early 80's I saw 'Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You' off-broadway and 'Nine' on.  Hated Nine.  Loved Sister Mary Ignatius!

Anyway, have a great time and don't forget to tell us how things went once you get home!


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## akp (Jun 21, 2011)

*FYI, here's my quote from Carmel:*

I'm flying into La Guardia.  JFK is a bit higher IIRC.  There is a $4 off coupon, and this does not include tolls or gratuities.

New York Reservation	
From:	  LGAL 6323:MCI (OUT)
To:	  Manhattan Club Hotel: 200 W 56 ST (BROADWAY / 7 AVE)
Date:	  9/20/2011 (Tue)	 Time:	  2:45 PM	  	  
Passengers:	  2	 Luggage:	  2	  	  

Car / Fare Availability 

 Car Type	Fare	Availabilty
 Full Size Sedan 1-4	  $28.00	     
 Luxury Sedan 1-4	  $36.00	     
 Deluxe Sedan 1-4	  $42.00	     
 Mini Van 6	  $50.00


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## bjones9942 (Jun 21, 2011)

You can also take the 'A' train from JFK into Manhattan.  Airbus to Howard Beach Station, 'A' train into Manhattan.  40-60 minutes.  Fun people watching.  Not as scary as one might think


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## abbekit (Jun 22, 2011)

akp said:


> I'm flying into La Guardia.  JFK is a bit higher IIRC.  There is a $4 off coupon, and this does not include tolls or gratuities.
> 
> New York Reservation
> From:	  LGAL 6323:MCI (OUT)
> ...




We use both Dial 7 and Carmel and recommend springing for the Luxury sedan.  For only a little bit more money you get a much nicer, newer, cleaner car.  And the driver seems better overall.  Either way though these car services provide economical fares into and out of  the city, never had a problem with them being on time.


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## SiquePupi (Jun 26, 2011)

Great site for discounts on restaurants is restaurant.com. If you google Restaurant.com discount codes you can usually get 80% off. The most common discounts amount to $2 for $25 off $50 up to $8 for $100 off $200. there are some restrictions but most often they are good Sun-Thurs. This is good everywhere but especially in NY. I use these coupons at least 3-4 times a month here.


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## Maple_Leaf (Jun 26, 2011)

*Add a couple*



bjones9942 said:


> My suggestions are entirely food related
> 
> 
> Joe's Shanghai for soup dumplings (xiao long bao) - Pell Street, Chinatown
> ...



Le Veau D'or - 60th St. between Park and Lexington - It's Paris 1947
Keen's Steakhouse - 36th St. near 6th Avenue - A real steakhouse
Russ & Daughters - Houston near Orchard - Another real deli


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