There is no such place.
...but maybe I'm biased. 
As a resident of the NJ suburbs, I'm a big fan of NOT driving into NYC. It can be 45-60 minutes on the bridge or tunnel alone. If you do end up somewhere on the Jersey side of the river, you can park in Hoboken or Jersey City and grab the PATH train.
I also don't quite understand LEAVING New York City to go to a restaurant.
*shrug* I guess I'm the wrong person to be answering the question.
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I'll second Fulmens suggestion. Jersey isn't so bad if you're taking the train. Traffic in and around the city absolutely horrifies me.
Quote:
I think you are under the very common misapprehension (among people who don't live here) that "New York City" = "the borough of Manhattan".|
Originally Posted by Londoner
Im possibly off to visit relatives in New York City, dont want to stay in the city this time, i want to rent a car, drive in and return to some peace and quiet, nice restauraunt's in the evening etc.
|
New York City is comprised of 5 counties (AKA boroughs). Most of Staten Island and Queens pretty much are suburban.
Also, as someone who has lived in NY City his entire life, I have to agree that driving in and out of "the city" (i.e. Manhattan) is not much fun (except on the weekends, when most of Manhattan is a ghost town).
Given the sheer size of NYC, and the variability in transportation convenience, just where are your relatives located? Not looking for the exact address, obviously, just in general terms: upper west side of Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn, etc.
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I was going to say that driving 45 minutes away from the city will likely get you... a little closer to the outskirts of the city. Unless you're doing it at 4 am, maybe. Plus, some of the best restaurants in the world are in NYC. Quality drops off precipitously as you leave town. (And that's coming from a guy who has relatives in most of the boroughs, Long Island and upstate.)
I dunno, maybe Fort Lee, New Jersey? Or perhaps Stamford, Connecticut?
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Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ironblade
I think you are under the very common misapprehension (among people who don't live here) that "New York City" = "the borough of Manhattan".
New York City is comprised of 5 counties (AKA boroughs). Most of Staten Island and Queens pretty much are suburban. Also, as someone who has lived in NY City his entire life, I have to agree that driving in and out of "the city" (i.e. Manhattan) is not much fun (except on the weekends, when most of Manhattan is a ghost town). Given the sheer size of NYC, and the variability in transportation convenience, just where are your relatives located? Not looking for the exact address, obviously, just in general terms: upper west side of Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn, etc. |
They are in Manhattan, thanks for the replies by the way.
If i get over there this year, i dont want to do what i did last time, which was basically spend the whole time in the city.
Maybe driving in and out wasnt such a great plan, also im aware the best places are in the city, what i didnt make clear maybe was that i didnt want to be staying somewhere devoid of decent evening eating places.
Anyway thanks again
Quote:
See, this is what is confusing us. There's an entire city and surrounding area (the 'NY Metro Area') full of people who go INTO MANHATTAN for dining/entertainment/etc. People come from all over the world to go there. We're puzzled why you would come to NY and then avoid Manhattan. That's where all the cool stuff is. The other boroughs are overwhelmingly residential, plus a decent shot of industrial.|
Originally Posted by Londoner
If i get over there this year, i dont want to do what i did last time, which was basically spend the whole time in the city.
Maybe driving in and out wasnt such a great plan, also im aware the best places are in the city, what i didnt make clear maybe was that i didnt want to be staying somewhere devoid of decent evening eating places. |
Assuming this isn't a money issue (staying in Manhattan is definitely more expensive), why would you want to stay elsewhere? It just seems like you're going to waste a lot of time traveling back and forth.
Anyway, assuming you'd like to minimize travel time, are your relatives near the PATH Train? Long Island Railroad? Metro North? As previously stated, driving in and out of Manhattan is really sub-optimal.
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Quote:
What you might be missing is what a lot of people from here miss. There are world class eateries OUTSIDE of Manhattan (and the number is growing every year). I also don't see why Jersey has been the only suggested alternative.|
Originally Posted by Ironblade
See, this is what is confusing us. There's an entire city and surrounding area (the 'NY Metro Area') full of people who go INTO MANHATTAN for dining/entertainment/etc. People come from all over the world to go there. We're puzzled why you would come to NY and then avoid Manhattan. That's where all the cool stuff is. The other boroughs are overwhelmingly residential, plus a decent shot of industrial.
Assuming this isn't a money issue (staying in Manhattan is definitely more expensive), why would you want to stay elsewhere? It just seems like you're going to waste a lot of time traveling back and forth. Anyway, assuming you'd like to minimize travel time, are your relatives near the PATH Train? Long Island Railroad? Metro North? As previously stated, driving in and out of Manhattan is really sub-optimal. |
Within a short ride on Metro North or the LIRR, you could stay in a place that meets the requirements while also giving a different view of the city. Seriously, anyone who says Manhattan is the only place that's hopping either doesn't live here or doesn't leave their little bubble. That's not an insult, it's just stating what I've noticed. I live in NYC and have for most of my life (I was born and raised here) but I also stay in hotels here and all around the area (it's my job plus I'm lazy and don't want to ride the iron horse more than I need to).
Some places I'd suggest would be:
- Long Island (driving distance to a wide variety of activities in surrounding towns but still within reach of Manhattan via car or LIRR. The Garden City Hotel would be a good base of operations)
- Downtown Brooklyn: You've got major brand hotels (Marriott, Sheraton) and a couple of boutique properties (I can recommend the NU Hotel. Le Bleu in Park Slope is good too). You're just a short ride over your choice of bridges (Manhattan or Brooklyn) to lower Manhattan but you also have easy access to rapidly developing cultural areas (Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill). This gives you the benefit of being able to "break" a place (since most people aren't up on Brooklyn yet. But judging by the number of major chain hotels flooding the area, it won't be long before everyone knows about it).
You can also go north of the city (to Westchester, Rockland, or Putnam counties) for example. Last August, I had some friends in from Germany and they stayed at the Residence Inn in White Plains (since they planned to move north for a Basketball Hall of Fame visit and on to Boston) and they got back and forth to the city fine on the train. Well, first they drove but those parking fees in Times Square shocked their wallets enough to teach them a lesson. They even got to my house (in Bushwick) without me having to guide them (other than giving subway info. ie. go here and take this train to this stop and transfer to this train. Call me when you get to Gates Avenue).
Again, not meaning to sound insulting. It's the same everywhere in that local residents probably don't know much about hotels and amenities outside of the areas they frequent. There's far more to NYC than Manhattan or the Manhattan annexes (Weehawken, Hoboken, Jersey City, Rutherford, NJ).
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Money isnt an issue, and thanks very much all for the replies, food for thought.
I maybe didnt make it clear, its not that im against Manhattans finest, its just that is how i spent the last 3 weeks i was there.
So this time i intend to attend the wedding of my relative then see a bit of the surrounding area, i was merely asking for nice suburb recommendations because i didnt want to end up staying somewhere devoid of good food, nights out etc.
Of course you can read guides, but you cant beat some first hand advice.
Once again, many thanks all.
I live in West Orange, NJ, which is about 20 minutes from NYC if the traffic is good (confessedly that's asking a lot). There are three hotels near my house (two fairly close on the same street, one about a mile away); Expedia lists two as 3 star and one as 3.5 star. There's an excellent steakhouse three doors down from us (Pal's Cabin) and several excellent restaurants close by (The Manor, Highlawn Pavillion, Primavera). Nightclubs aren't my thing but 4sixty6, supposedly a world-class one, would be within walking distance if we actually had sidewalks (my part of the street turns into a multi-lane highway for access to 280). The Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center is across the street; it's just an outdoor amphitheater but they put on some good shows over the summer (they haven't posted their schedule for the season yet). Cecil's Jazz Club is nearby but I haven't been to it. The proprietor is a musician and he and some of his regular acts have performed at OSPAC; they're pretty good. We have two reservations, one across the street from me, Turtle Back Zoo and a skating rink.
Nearby in Montclair are some smaller clubs (names escape me), the Montclair Museum of Art and Trumpets, another jazz club also run by a musician, Enrico Granafei (has three albums up on iTunes, one of which I bought). Newark, a little farther away, has the Newark Museum, some sports teams I don't know anything about, and another PAC. I'm sure there's some night life down there but again, not my thing.
I don't get out much so this is all off the top of my head.
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Sounds like what you really need to do then is try and sight see like a local instead of an out-of-towner.
There are a couple decent "hidden new york" books out there that list and describe some of the lower profile sights. There are also many places those of us within the city go to to forget we are in the city. There are blogs and websites that champion these.
Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx are all very neighborhoody boroughs. Likewise there are many non-touristy neighborhoods tucked away on the isle of Manhattan. Each neighborhood has a different feel. And believe it or not, some of it can actually feel quite sleepy and small town despite being nested in the big city. It's how we locals survive. We could never keep up a tourist pace either and live here!
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Hi all,
What is about the nicest suburb of New York city for a holiday in your opinions? About 45-60 mins drive out of the city.
Im possibly off to visit relatives in New York City, dont want to stay in the city this time, i want to rent a car, drive in and return to some peace and quiet, nice restauraunt's in the evening etc.
Thanks in advance.