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dukeebear

Well-Known Member
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Jul 30, 2006
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Ames
The largest town by far that I have ever lived in is Ames, IA. I can usually get around cities after being around for a couple of days, but this one has me perplexed.

A lot of people are staying near Laguardia. Is it easy to get to the city from this location. My wife and I are planning on going to time square for new years. It will be the only time we will probably do this in our lives. Will we be able to get back to Laguardia without using a cab at 1 am (or whatever time after midnight) on new years day?

I am on a budget, that is why I am looking there or Brooklyn. I havent really found anything in Brooklyn in my price range yet.
 
Read the long thread about booking tickets. It is filled with info that will help you. Seriously, I think you will find specific answers to your questions and some guys from NY/NJ who you can PM for even more info. The Rutgers guys have been great.
 
Cycsk said:
Read the long thread about booking tickets. It is filled with info that will help you. Seriously, I think you will find specific answers to your questions and some guys from NY/NJ who you can PM for even more info. The Rutgers guys have been great.
Click to expand...

I did read that whole thread. Didn't give me much information about the airport area, just a lot of people that are staying in that area.

Thanks for the reply. I have spent 5 hours on trying to find something I am comfortable with. Just don't want to get there and get swallowed up.
 
dukeebear said:
The largest town by far that I have ever lived in is Ames, IA. I can usually get around cities after being around for a couple of days, but this one has me perplexed.

A lot of people are staying near Laguardia. Is it easy to get to the city from this location. My wife and I are planning on going to time square for new years. It will be the only time we will probably do this in our lives. Will we be able to get back to Laguardia without using a cab at 1 am (or whatever time after midnight) on new years day?

I am on a budget, that is why I am looking there or Brooklyn. I havent really found anything in Brooklyn in my price range yet.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I can't help you a lot because I haven't been to New York either, but I think we let the idea of New York scare us more than it should. It's a huge city, but once you get there, it will be like most big cities you've visited.

I am actually at a work conference this week with people from our New York office. For a while we were considering staying in New Jersey. My coworker said that she would recommend Brooklyn Heights. We actually bit the bullet and ended up with the Grid Iron Club in Manhattan.

I wasn't excited at first about NY, but I am getting more and more exited. I think we will all have fun.
 
dukeebear said:
The largest town by far that I have ever lived in is Ames, IA. I can usually get around cities after being around for a couple of days, but this one has me perplexed.

A lot of people are staying near Laguardia. Is it easy to get to the city from this location. My wife and I are planning on going to time square for new years. It will be the only time we will probably do this in our lives. Will we be able to get back to Laguardia without using a cab at 1 am (or whatever time after midnight) on new years day?

I am on a budget, that is why I am looking there or Brooklyn. I havent really found anything in Brooklyn in my price range yet.
Click to expand...

One thing I've been told from other boards is that if you plan on being in Times Square for midnight you have to get there by early afternoon. It's probably worth finding out for sure how early you need to get there to make sure you don't miss out.
 
dukeebear said:
The largest town by far that I have ever lived in is Ames, IA. I can usually get around cities after being around for a couple of days, but this one has me perplexed.

A lot of people are staying near Laguardia. Is it easy to get to the city from this location. My wife and I are planning on going to time square for new years. It will be the only time we will probably do this in our lives. Will we be able to get back to Laguardia without using a cab at 1 am (or whatever time after midnight) on new years day?

I am on a budget, that is why I am looking there or Brooklyn. I havent really found anything in Brooklyn in my price range yet.
Click to expand...

Make sure you research this one. You'll need to be in Time Square easily 8-9 hours before the ball drops... there are no bathrooms, and there is no leaving then coming back. Once you're in, you're in. If you leave, you're gone.

It's doable (I did it this last year) but you need to know what to expect.
 
Judoka said:
One thing I've been told from other boards is that if you plan on being in Times Square for midnight you have to get there by early afternoon. It's probably worth finding out for sure how early you need to get there to make sure you don't miss out.
Click to expand...

Depends on the year but I got there about 3-3:30 last year and I was in the back of Time Square. Word of advice? They close off various streets as the close off the pens they put people in... make sure to check for which streets you can come over on.

I'd also start on a northern street working your way south...

Attached is a picture taken from where I stood... we were the last pen IN Time Square (they keep going up the streets past the square itself...)
 
I did NYE Times Square several years ago. We got there at maybe 9PM and were about 11 blocks from the ball -- that was all the closer we could get due to the crowd. I don't regret it at all -- it was still fun and I didn't spend my whole day there. It all depends on what you are expecting.
 
dukeebear said:
I did read that whole thread. Didn't give me much information about the airport area, just a lot of people that are staying in that area.

Thanks for the reply. I have spent 5 hours on trying to find something I am comfortable with. Just don't want to get there and get swallowed up.
Click to expand...



Well, I and a few of the RU fans have written somewhere about LGA options.

Here is the summary. LGA has good hotels. However, it isn't really close to trains. You would either need to take a bus (or a cab or hotel shuttle to a train station) to get to Manhattan and up to the Bronx (for Yankee Stadium). A few months ago, I gave a decent tip to the hotel shuttle driver and he took me to the Astoria train station from which I went to Manhattan very late at night. And he gave me his cell phone and met me when I returned at 4am. Once you get on a train, you can get anywhere. And with busses, you truly can get anywhere. The transit workers are also usually very helpful.

If I were you and had already decided to fly into LGA, I would try to stay in an Astoria hotel with an airport shuttle. This will put you close to the train stop that will take you right into Manhattan and then up to the stadium.

Here is the most important thing about the any big city. You have to look and act like you know what you are doing. Looking clueless on the street makes you vulnerable. Have a long talk with the shuttle driver or hotel clerk to help you think through your options.

And interact a lot with the RU fans on this board. I find that NY/NJ folks are extremely helpful. The "pushiness" is really them just being aggressive in letting you know what they think you ought to know. I find it very helpful.

PM some of the RU fans who have been friendly. They will probably give even more precise help.
 
Judoka said:
One thing I've been told from other boards is that if you plan on being in Times Square for midnight you have to get there by early afternoon. It's probably worth finding out for sure how early you need to get there to make sure you don't miss out.
Click to expand...



Times Square is a great spot anytime. However, I think NYE at Times Square is over-rated. And you probably are under-estimating what it will feel like to be in that huge crowd.
 
Cycsk said:
Times Square is a great spot anytime. However, I think NYE at Times Square is over-rated. And you probably are under-estimating what it will feel like to be in that huge crowd.
Click to expand...

The whole NYE celebration at Times Square can seem :SLEEP: sometimes if you are there either by yourself or not near friends. But the "virgin" experience can be quite fascinating.

As for the crowds, definitely keep in mind how you react when you are in a crush of people. Those who have Agoraphobia and Aphenphosmpphobia (fear of being touched) should just be aware the crush of people can be overwhelming.

That said, if you do go to Times Square for NYE Cycsk's earlier post is spot on.

1) Get there early,
2) Make sure you have an empty bladder,
3) Be prepared to stand for quite a while.

I would also add, even with the mass of humanity around you, dress warmly, but make sure you can move easily in the clothes you wear. Don't be like Randy in The Christmas Story. :smile:
 
dukeebear said:
The largest town by far that I have ever lived in is Ames, IA. I can usually get around cities after being around for a couple of days, but this one has me perplexed.

A lot of people are staying near Laguardia. Is it easy to get to the city from this location. My wife and I are planning on going to time square for new years. It will be the only time we will probably do this in our lives. Will we be able to get back to Laguardia without using a cab at 1 am (or whatever time after midnight) on new years day?

I am on a budget, that is why I am looking there or Brooklyn. I havent really found anything in Brooklyn in my price range yet.
Click to expand...

You probably don't want to be in the subway with your wife late at night on New Year's Eve. It's not necessarily dangerous, but the cacophony of drunken loudmouthed imbeciles, random conflicts and the odd puddle of vomit is not for the faint of heart. Or anyone who is sober, really. The only MTA bus I know of that goes out to Laguardia from Manhattan (The M60) departs from Harlem, and I wouldn't recommend that in the middle of the night either. I don't know of any airport shuttles that would be running then.

You may find some other way out there with some internet sleuthing, but otherwise I'd strongly suggest that you cut a corner or two elsewhere on your trip and take a cab late at night. Maybe you can find a couple of fellow fans who are staying out by Laguardia / going to Times Square and split a ride at the end of the night.
 
mred said:
I did NYE Times Square several years ago. We got there at maybe 9PM and were about 11 blocks from the ball -- that was all the closer we could get due to the crowd. I don't regret it at all -- it was still fun and I didn't spend my whole day there. It all depends on what you are expecting.
Click to expand...

I did the same thing a few years ago, but we got there around 10:30pm. It was okay, but I wouldn't do it again, and frankly it wasn't worth it IMHO. But that's just me. You can stand in the cold for hours on end, or be somewhere warm with a bathroom, seats, and beverages. I understand the appeal of the thought of Times Square on NYE, but meh...
 
Getting from Times Square to LGA (especially on NYE) will be a royal PITA.

First, for a general perspective, read this:
Directions to La guardia Airport - How to Get To La Guardia Airport Airport from New York City

Then, consider you'll be making this trip from the midst of a crowd of several thousand people who are going to the same subway station you are. You could easily be looking at a trip of 2+ hours from the time you decide to leave Times Square, including a wait of 30-60 minutes for the M60 bus (schedule here:http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/schedule/manh/m060cur.pdf) outside after your subway ride to 125th St. Then a 30+ minute bus ride to LGA. Then, remember to consider where exactly your hotel is relative to the M60 bus route. How will you get from the bus stop at LGA to your hotel at ~3 AM on New Year's day? This might not be a trivial question. And even if you decide to give in and take a cab, it will not be easy to find one after midnight on new year's day.

Are you looking at LGA hotels because you're flying in there? If you're not committed to staying around LGA, it might be worth looking at hotels near a PATH station in NJ. Public transit back-and-forth from there to Manhattan will be much more convenient than if you're staying at LGA.

I don't want to discourage you; if you get anxious in crowded, hurried environments this could be a nightmare, but if you approach it with a positive attitude, expecting to encounter and overcome obstacles, I'm sure it will be a great adventure!!
 
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