Priceline Hotel: One down ~ Two to go!

[toliverair]

Thanks guys! I appreciate all of the input.......both for and against! Hey, we do need both sides of the coin to make informed decisions! As of right now, we have the Comfort Inn Midtown reserved for $149.99 a night. No king beds......that's not too good but we might have to live with it. After staying Sunday night at the Westin Times Square in those 'Heavenly Beds', we are going to be too spoiled! I still am looking. So if anyone sees anything come up, I would love to hear about it.

As of now, I am needing some additional help planning an itinerary for NYC. We are arriving at Penn Station Sunday Morning at 9:45 am. We will have to take our luggage to Westin Times Square and then we would like to be at Brooklyn Tabernacle as close to 11:00 am as possible for the 12:00 service. Depending on several things we may decide to go back for the 4:00 service (I think the 12:00 service last about 2 hours) but most in our group are not wanting to spend that much time in one place. We would like to walk across the Brooklyn bridge at night so we need to do this on Sunday night, right? So what else is there in Brooklyn area to do Sunday evening?

Some other things that we definitely want to do:

Ground Zero

Take the Staten Island Ferry to see Lady Liberty ( I wouldn't have known about this time saver if it wasn't for this board....Thanks!) Would like to come back about the time the City is lighting up.

Empire State Building at night

Eat, Eat, and Eat again!! We are really "southern eaters!" In other words, we like Country cooking, bar-b-q, Soul cooking (I've read- years ago- about a place called Sylia's Soul cooking, or something like that....has anyone heard of it?), Mexican, Italian, Chinese (limited number of us like chinese, some do not), Not really into Thai (I know, we would probably like it if we tried it!), Pizza, Deli food, I think you get it. Please help in this area. I don't want to eat where other tourist are (from what I've read on here) I want to go where the "good, authentic grub" is.

We would probably enjoy looking at that one church that is so amazing...I can't remember the name of it. (oh, it's St Patricks)

Times Square......We would like to go to some live TV show if it was Conservative! Like America's Funniest Home Videos or something like that. We are pretty much Conservatives.

We would like to see a "good conservative" Broadway Play. Nothing off color, as we will have one pastor and one preacher with us who have very conservative values.....we all do, actually.

Maybe a "little" shopping

Can't think of anything else right now. Please post your opinions and ideas. I will be forever grateful. I am a wonderful cook (not bragging ~ I just had good training....My mom and granny were the best!) I wish I could bake you guys an awesome pie or cake for all of the help you have given me!

[toliverair]

Sorry.....I forgot to tell you that we are leaving NYC from JFK on Wednesday morning at 9:30 am going to Niagara Falls, Canada for a couple of days. Then back to Washington, D.C. for the final two days of our trip. Yes, three days before the election. Are we crazy, or what?

[KatiesMom]

Hi, I hope you have a wonderful trip. NYC is not the best place for authentic country/southrn cuisine or bbq. I can give you a few rec's, but I would also recommend you post this question on chowhound.com or egullet.com because the people on those boards know the city inside and out.

As for the amazing church, yes St. Patrick's is rather nice, but St. John the Divine is in a league of its own. It's a little further out in the city, but you can take the subway there.

For theater recommendations check out playbill.com to see what is currently playing. They give a synopsis of the shows and list whether or not they are approporiate for certain age groups, so I think it will help you decide.

Check these places out on menupages.com. They will give you menues/locations/prices.

BBQ- Blue Smoke, Jacques-Imo, Virgil's (in Times Square).

Southern & Soul: Pink Tea Cup, Amy Ruth's, Sylvia's, Mara's Homemade.

Pizza: Patsy's on First Avenue in East Harlem. Very special.

[thereuare]

BTW, the La Quinta was clean, it was just extrememly small.

Itinerary stuff:

What to do in Brooklyn:

Dinner at Grimald's Pizza under the brooklyn bridge.... expect a line if you are eating at typical meal hours, but it goes pretty fast. Afterwards if it's not too cold get some ice cream at the Ice Cream Factory and walk along the promenade to take in the lower manhattan skyline. Brooklyn Heights is a nice neighborhood as well.

You may be interested in BLUE SMOKE. It's a Danny Meyer restaurant... who it seems every restaurant he touches turns to gold! Website states the average check is $20-$35/pp and you can also see some of their menu offerings there too (but not prices)

On the Staten Island side of the ferry is the best pizza i've ever had, at Denino's. You'll have to take a bus once you get off the ferry in Staten Island but i frequent this place often enough and in my opinion is worth the trip i make from NJ. If this is a real possibility let me know and i'll get the exact bus number for you.

For Italian and a large group i recommend Carmine's (tourists and locals alike). It's not "it'll blow you away Italian food" but for a large group it's a very fun time as everything is served family style. Food is very heavy on the garlic (so you better like garlic!) and be forewarned that drinks are very expensive (like $12 for a mixed drink!)... but the food is reasonable since one entree can feed 2-3. Two locations: theater district and upper west side, you'll need reservations at either (as you will most places in NYC).

Chinese: if you're going to have one Chinese meal it should be in Chinatown... good, cheap, and interesting to see (you should walk thru here even if you don't end up eating in the area... but i would eat there just to experience it). Wo-Hop is very popular for a meal, although i also enjoy the "wonton garden" for noodle and wonton soup ($5).... great dumplings and wonton, but the place is really a dump (part of the charm) and may have a problem with your large group (maybe not... you can eye it as you walk by).

Deli: hands down, Katz's Deli on the lower east side. Don't use the waiter service as part of the experience is going to the counter, tasting a piece of the meat, and then watching the guy make your sandwich.

Shopping: you may want to check-out Century 21, which is a discount department store. It's often hit or miss, and the men's stuff is often better than the women's, but i've often been able to get good deals on name brand ties there.

I'd also add Grand Central Station to your list... no need to make a special trip but you'll eventually find yourself nearby and the architecture and magnitude of the building make it worthwhile to check out.

You can do Brooklyn, Ground Zero, Staten Island Ferry, Century 21, Chinatown, and Katz's Deli in one day. Empire State Building, Grand Central, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patricks Cathedral in another.

You're probably too late to get into a taping of a show, unless you can get 'stand-by' tickets and that's not likely with the size of your group (and not worth the time waiting online). I would suggest the TKTS Booth to see what B'way shows you can see on the cheap.

[toliverair]

Thanks KatiesMom! I will be sure and go to the other two websites you gave me.

And.....There's Sylvia's! I think we might want to try that.....unless someone has eaten there and it was not up to par......I just remember reading about it in a magazine somewhere and it sounded like really awesome food.

I forgot to mention that we love seafood. I've been seeing something about south seaport street? Is this worth going to?

We will check out St. Johns the Divine. If we have time, that sounds like it would be great.

I don't know how people took trips before there was "an Internet"? I bet they didn't have near the Fun!!

I'll check out Playbill.com too.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

[KatiesMom]

Why not give Sylvia's a whirl?

Sylvia's

328 Lenox Ave. (Above 103rd St.)

Between 126th and 127th Sts.

212-996-0660

Call about reservations.

It's not all that far from St. John the Divine.

[toliverair]

KatiesMom....Have you ever eaten at Sylvia's? Also, if you had one choice in NYC, which restaurant would you pick? (Thereuare, you too, which restaurant would you pick, if you had only one choice!)

Thereuare......Blue Smoke looks great! I sent the menu to a friend of mine and told him not to Drool! :~)

I forgot to mention that we would like to go to Ellis Island. I'm trying to figure out this map that I received with my NYC info packet. Although it is a "little" intimidating! If we get out of Brooklyn Tabernacle at 2:30 would we have enough time to go to Ellis Island, Staten Island Ferry(timing this at dusk), Walk across Brooklyn Bridge (is this what you call the Promenade?), Ground Zero, Century 21, Chinatown, and Katz's Deli? This sounds like a lot in one afternoon. We still have Monday and Tuesday but I wanted to get as much done in that 'area' as we could before we went back to the times square area and on to other things. If we want to do all of this, will we have to come back on Monday?

If we do Grimald's Pizza, we probably won't want to do Straten Island Pizza, too. Is it much, much better than Grimald's?

Carmine's sounds like a go. Do you have a website or number for reservations. We will do it on the night that we do Times Square.

Again, Thank you guys sooooooooo much. I don't know what I would do w/o you!

[KatiesMom]

No, sadly I have not been to Sylvia's. I heartily recommend you ask the folks on the Manhattan Board of Chowhound.com. Those folks are in the know, and they will answer you quickly.

Carmine's

(Theater District)

200 West 44th Street

New York City

bet. 7th & 8th Aves

(212) 221-3800

My favorite restaurant in NYC is Balthazar in SoHo. It features french comfort food in a lively bistro/brasserie setting. My second favorite is Peter Luger's in Brooklyn...steak like no other in the universe.

Cheers!

[toliverair]

Woo........If I tell the guys about the steak, they'll veto me on everything else! Thanks for the info.......I have about 7 or 8 places already and we only have three days.......Too much to eat....not enough time! Someone told me I HAD to try the street vendors...said they had great authentic, ethnic foods. I see I'm going to have to do some choosing!

[thereuare]

I don't think you have time for Ellis Island... it will take up the majority of a day; save it for a return trip. Grimaldis is fine, no need to go to Staten Island for pizza.

This is what i would do on Sunday:

Penn Station>>Tabernacle>>Grimaldis (little or no line at 3pm too!)>>Walk Bridge back to Manhattan

then depending upon time (how close to dusk) either go to Century 21 and/or Ground Zero and/or Staten Island Ferry (this last is your destination at this point, but if it's too early knock of Century 21 and/or Ground Zero).

Upon returning from the ferry, you can visit Ground Zero if you weren't able to do so prior (Century 21 probably closed on a Sunday by that time), and if you have energy left make your way over to both Chinatown and Little Italy... walk thru both (you may still be full from the late lunch pizza, so splitting some dishes in Chinatown or stopping at a cafe in Little Itlay for coffee/canoli may hit the spot). On the way back to your hotel walk thru Times Square.

Then on either Monday or Tuesday....

I would go down to the TKTS booth at the South Street Seaport (less crowded than times square)... website says they open at 11am so i would be there by 10:30am for a better selection of shows and seats (note: cash and traveler's checks only). Once you have your tickets i would then go to Katzs for lunch, finish up an 'loose ends' on the lower part of the island that you didn't get to on Sunday, then head back uptown to see everything else on your list. If you're early risers you may also be able to fit in going to the top of the Empire State Building... not sure what time they open.... or you can hit it when you're done with your downtown activities this day.

Carmines: if you haven't done so already you better call now for a reservation... you'll see reservations in NYC are not easy to come by... even 2 weeks in advance! This could also be done the nite of your theater performance... either before of after. Also, unless you go at an 'off-hour', expect to wait 30 minutes past your reservation time... you better show up on time or they'll give away your reservation, but they're notorious for running behind schedule (just be prepared for it so you don't get upset... and plan accordingly if you are going pre-theater... kill the time by reading the menu on the walls and figuring out what you will be ordering/eating/splitting)

Central Park: take a stroll thru at least part of here. The forsight that a city planner had to keep this area 'green' amazes me.

Ess-A-Bagel: i have suggested many times on this forum for breakfast (52nd St and Third Ave). Some of the best bagels in NYC (and unlike any you've probably had before) and it's counter service with some tables available... so it's a good place for a light, quick, and inexpensive breakfast.

And i'm sure you've probably seen this already, but buy yourselves unlimited METROCARDS and get around the city by bus and subway.

[toliverair]

Thanks, Thereuare! That itinerary helped immensely! I have called Carmines and have reservations at 8:00 on Monday night. They only had a 5:30 and 8:00 so I took the later. Not knowing what time the broadway shows are, it was a little hard for me to pick a time for reservations. After looking at playbill.com, I see that most shows don't have a perfomance at all on Monday. I haven't looked at the site in detail but as of now here are the ones that I think we would be interested in:

Fiddler on the roof

The Lion King

Little Women

Mamma Mia

Wonderful Town

Have any of you guys seen any of these? I would love some feedback on these, if you've seem them. We will probably have to take whatever is available at the TKTS booth.

I think I have Sunday Down. After churh, eat at Grimaldis>>Walk Bridge back to Manhattan (although we were wanting to do this after dark....It may not be possible with everything else)>>Century 21 and/or Ground Zero>>Staten Island Ferry. After returning from the ferry, walk through Chinatown and Little Italy, eating as we go....>>Walk through Times Square, on the way back to our Hotel.

I'm still working on Monday and Tuesday.....But as least Sunday is DONE! :~)

Is there a website where I can go and plan out my subway itinerary? I know that I saw something like this for Washington, DC. I want to have the Subway system figured out to some degree before we get there, Or I'm afraid I'll be greatly intimidated by it!

Also, we would like to up the Empire State Building after Dark. Anyway, this is what was recommended to me.

Thanks again for all of the help!

[audreydoll]

Concerning the Broadway shows you mentioned, I think Fiddler on the Roof would be your best option. Lion King will not be available at a discount, Little Women doesn't start until December, and the storyline of Mamma Mia would not be to your taste, based on what you've posted so far. You might also want to consider 42nd Street. Both that and Fiddler contain music you're probably already familiar with and contain nothing you would find offensive.

There are generous discount codes available for both these shows that enable you to purchase your tickets directly at the box office or online, so it eliminates waiting in line at the TKTS booth. Take a look at www.broadwaybox.com to read about the discount codes. There are some restrictions but it looks like these discounts would be available for the Tuesday evening performances on October 26.

I've seen all the shows you mention (except Little Women of course), so if you have any specific questions, just post again and I'll try to help.

[thereuare]

audreydoll... Welcome to BetterBidding and thanks for helping out with your theater knowledge.

Regarding your other info:

HERE is a NYC Subway Map. Your metrocard also works on the NYC Busses, which are usually slower than the subway, but do come in handy when you have a short trip to make (especially due north or due south) and are a few blocks from a subway station (BUS MAP).

For the Empire state building at dusk/nite you can do that before Carmines on Monday (assuming it's a clear nite). After the Empire State Building it's a 15 minute walk to Carmine's or you can take the subway (34th and 6th Ave/Broadway) one stop to Times Square.

As for the plays, i've seen Fiddler on the Roof and Lion King (both many years ago), my wife is a BIG Mama Mia fan. The storyline of Mama Mia is that the woman doesn't know who her father is, but other than that i don't think the show itself is 'risque'... the play is based on the music of Abba, so if you're an Abba fan it's probably a must see, if not, you could probably take it or leave it. Here is a list of recent shows avialable at the TKTS Booth, but also consider the link above that audreydoll supplies (but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to Katz's deli :) ).

[toliverair]

audreydoll.....thanks so much for the great theater information! We are leaning more towards the 'Fiddler On The Roof'. That sounds like one that we could relate to! The only show that we would be able to see would be the show at 7:00 Tuesday. It last 3 hours. Should we wait and it at Carmines Tuesday evening before the show? We were thinking of eating at Blue Smoke one night. It is on 27th Street. Should we do Blue Smoke Monday Night and Carmines on Tuesday? We were also wanting to eat at Sylvia's......but that's pretty far....we may not get to do this.

Thereuare....Should I stress myself out over this Subway Map or can I just ask the best way to get to wherever when we get to NYC? I just don't do real good with directions, especially on a map! The way I see it 5th ave and 8th ave are your main streets going north and south. The numbered streets (42nd st.) get larger as you go north and run east and west. Am I getting the hang of it, or not? I live in Tulsa and the streets here going east and west are numbered the streets going north and south are named. Makes is pretty easy to figure out so I thought it might work with NYC. Am I dreaming?? :~P

Also, do we need to go to the Century 21 in Brooklyn or the one on Cortlandt St.?

We are flying out on Thursday the 21st. (We are going to Virginia for a few days) So I'm going to need to get all of this wrapped up pretty soon so I can start packing my duds! Can't wait, really, we are all sooooooo excited!!

[thereuare]

NYC is actually quite easy to get the hang of... at least midtown and higher (it can get a bit confusing once you get below the numbered streets). Here is the simple view of NYC:

-think of the island as a grid of streets

-Avenues run North/South, Streets run East West (all the avenues are pretty 'major', some east/west streets are 'major thoroughfares' and are handle two way traffice, sich as 14th, 34th, 42nd, etc... but you wont' be driving so don't concern yourself with this)

-Broadway goes diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner

-Fifth Avenue separates "east and west" addresses, so the address 1 E. 14th St is on 14th St. just east of Fifth Ave, while 1 W. 14th St. is on 14th St but on the opposite side of Fifth Ave... the numbers of each get higher as you move away from Fifth Avenue. So an address such as 300 E. 14th St you know is some distance away from Fifth Ave... probably closer to Second Ave, likewise 200 W. 14th St is probably close to about Seventh Avenue or so.

There is no need to memorize the map, but you may want to have a general idea of where you are going. When you call places for directions/reservations, ask them "what is the closest subway stop". When you get to a subway station, just think about where you are and where you are going, is it south (down/below) from where you are, if so you want the downtown train, if it is north (up/higher) from where you are then you want the uptown train. Many trains platforms are markted "to Brooklyn" or "to Queens" so you can look at the map and see the end destination for the train... that will let you know the directions. Despite the repuation to the contrary, most NYers are actually quite helpful; if you want to confirm your route just ask anyone around (that doesn't have a camera around their neck)... you're more likely to get <better> help from the people of NY than you would from the token booth clerks. Speaking of the booths, you don't need them, you can buy your unlimited metrocard from the machines next to the booths... easy and self-explanitory.

Also note that some stations on the map are designated by a black circle/bullet while some are white... the local trains stop at all stations while the express trains only stop at the white ones. So just make sure that the number/letter train you get on actually stops at the station you want. It is also a good idea to print the map in the link about (or take one from the guidebook i think you mentioned you had) and goes to a copy machine and shrink it down a few times... comes in handy as a great pocket reference!

Only problem i see with doing Carmines the day of the theater is that they are notoriously late with their reservations... so you'll need to get a reservation (if available) before the time you really think you'll need it. Nothing in NYC is really that far from anything else (at least in the midtown area) so i wouldn't worry about the distance from Blue Smoke to the theater... you could walk it in 20 minutes or so or hop in a cab if you're running late for a $6 (and 6-7 minute) cab ride.

You want the Century 21 in Manhattan (cortland st)

[audreydoll]

I agree that Carmine's might be tough to do if you decided to go to "Fiddler" on Tuesday night. At this point, you might not be able to get a reservation for a pre-theatre time. If you could get a reservation early enough (in the 5:00 range) it might work since Carmine's is just across the street from the theatre.

I see that on www.seasonofsavings.com, there is a code that will let you purchase orchestra or front mezzanine tickets to "Fiddler" for $55. These seats are normally $100, so that's a nice discount. You have two options to purchase tickets using this discount.

You can print out a coupon from that website and go directly to the box office and get the tickets for $55. There is a limit of eight tickets with that coupon, so you would need two people to purchase tickets if your group was larger than eight. When you're at the Westin, you're a five-minute walk from the theatre, but be sure to check the box office hours first. I believe they open at 10 AM on weekdays.

You can also purchase tickets using the SAVE6 discount code on the ticketmaster website, but they add in a service charge of $6.50 per ticket, plus a transaction fee. That's still a good deal and they hold your tickets at the box office, so you could order them now and pick them up when you get to the theatre the night of the show.

It's a very large theatre, so I'm attaching a link that contains a detailed seating chart. This will be useful if you decide to purchase tickets through ticketmaster, because the seating chart on their website is not very good. Use this one instead because it gives you exact seat locations:

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/chartwe...eb/plan_min.htm

As far as seating, you don't want to sit too close to the stage or too far over on the sides. I'd recommend no closer than about 12 rows back in the orchestra. The first couple of rows in the front mezzanine provide a great view also. Try to stay towards the center. Since you have a large group, you might want to split into groups of 4 or 6 to get better seats.

There is also a website for this show that contains a few short video clips you might be interested in:

www.fiddleronbroadway.com

Thereuare, I hope it's okay to post these other links on this site. I'm new here, so if this is not allowed, please let me know.

[dahammer]

You mentioned that you might want to attend a TV show, here is a website that lists shows that tape in NY and have free tickets http://www.americanatickets.com/tv/ Your group will probably be too tired from all that walking to get up early and be on the Today show with Katie, Matt and Al, but it would be a lot of fun!!

Make a sign for all the folks back home to see!

[toliverair]

Thanks guys! I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner but yesterday and today have been CRAZY! Hope that's not an indication of how the rest of the week will turn out!

Thereuare, as usual, your Subway/Street info was brilliant! I love the info about the white/black bullets.....I wouldn't have figured that out except the hard way! Thanks! I think I'll leave the reservations at Carmines for Monday night.....I don't want to be rushed at a fun place to eat!

Audreydoll.....Thanks for the link to the Fiddler! That gave us great insight to the show! I really think we will enjoy this one. One lady going w/ us has suggested 'White Chocolate' but after doing some reviews on it, I don't really think it would be too great......what's your opinion? Since this is probably a one and only trip, I would like to see the best one for us.....considering the fact that we don't like nudity, vulgar language, sex scenes/talk, etc.....we probably don't have a lot of choices! The seating info has helped a lot. I think they charge a $3 fee anyway, so the $6.50 fee isn't too bad. I'm sure that we could get better tix now instead of waiting the day of.

Also, have any of you eaten at Bubba Gumps? One in our group is wanting to eat there and I was wanting some reviews on it.

Once again, you guys are great!

I think we will have a laptop along.....I might be bugging you all during the trip! And you thought you would be rid of me by Thursday.........:-P

[KatiesMom]

Well, sure you can got to Bubba Gump's, I reckon... however...you are in NYC....The Big Apple and there are so many good local places you can try rather than chains (Times Square has an Olive Garden and an Applebees too). I always recommend people try the local stuff instead. What happened to Blue Smoke and Sylvias? Still in the running??

[thereuare]

Times Square has an Olive Garden and an Applebees too

<ouch!!> :)

I agree wholeheartedly! Tell the member(s) of your group where you'd like them to meet you after dinner.

PS- u forgot to mention the Red Lobster too

[toliverair]

Okay.....You guys got me laughing on that one! ;-0

I will most definitely take your advice on meeting them after dinner!

Yes, Sylvia's and Blue Smoke are still in the running (I think we are going to be eating a lot!) Syvia's just sounds soooooo good. I did post something about it on chowhound but I only got one response and he said it had been several years and he wasn't impressed. I don't really want to veto it on one response. Blue Smoke would be great, I think.

BTW, how much do you think it is going to cost (average) for these places? I read somewhere that applebees was $75 for 2.........that's about double what it is at applebees most places.

thereuare, you told me where to eat in chinatown but not little italy. Since we are eating at Carmines on Monday night, we don't want to overdue it on Sunday night in Little Italy but I don't want to walk through there and not eat anything......that would be a disgrace.

Pray I get my packing done in time to catch my plane.........It's not looking too promising. Hopefully Century 21 will have really good buys!

[toliverair]

I just thought of another question....imagine that....

We are arriving Penn station at 9:45, if our train is on time. We have to go to Westin Times Square and drop off luggage and then to Brooklyn Tabernacle. We need to be at Brooklyn Tab by 11:00. I would really, really appreciate it if you could tell me which subway to take to times square (or do we need a cab, since we will have luggage?) and then which one to take to Brooklyn Tab from Times Square. We are going to buy Unlimited metrocards as soon as we arrive at Penn Station. We won't have much time to figure out anything so if I have the route down it will help us out bookoos.

Thanks a MILLION!

[thereuare]

Unlimited use MetroCards are sold by the day or week ($7/day, $21/week). Since you have 3 full days + Wednesday morning (if i recall correctly) i would just by the full week... this way you can use it if there is something you want to do on Wednesday morning. You could also give them to the hotel employees (or anyone else first checking-in) and they can get the additional use out of them. On my last day of use, when i'm leaving the city, i usually give them to somebody in the area who looks like they could use somebody doing something nice for them.

Directions:

Looking at a map, i think the Westin is on 43rd St, closer to 8th Ave, so from Penn Station you would take the A, C, or E train (uptown) for one stop to 42nd St/Port Authority. Whether or not you can manage on the subway depends upon the number of bags you have, although the subway shouldn't be too crowded at 9:30am on a Sunday. If you need to take a taxi it should only cost $4-$5. If you'll be taking a cab, exit Penn Station on 8th Avenue, this way you'll already be heading uptown (it's a one way street heading uptown, while 7th Ave is a one way street heading downtown). One more thing about taxis (important): on top of each taxi is a light with the cab's number on it. If the light is out, it means the cab is already hired and not taking new passengers, if the light is on, the cab is vacant and available for hire (just don't confuse this as to when the light is on, but the words on the side of the number "off duty" are also lit up, in which case the cab is not for hire)

From the Church's website:

The Brooklyn Tabernacle church can be reached by mass transit to Downtown Brooklyn Fulton Street Mall.

Take 2,3 to Hoyt Street

4 or 5 to Borough Hall

Take A, C, or F to Jay Street/Borough Hall

M, N or R to Lawrence Street/Metro-Tech

G to Hoyt St. / Schermerhorn St.

Each line above is an option, not continuous choices. I don't know which stop is the closest to the church, but i would just take the A or C to Jay Street/Borough Hall since that's the closest stop to your hotel. The 2 and 3 train are very close to your hotel too.

Grimaldi's:

After the Church, to get to Grimaldi's Pizza take the A or C train to High St. When you exit the subway you want to walk down the hill towards the water. Just ask anyone nearby where Grimiladis is and they'll point you in the right direction.

Food will generally cost you more than it has cost you anywhere else... the rent here makes everything expensive. Hard to say how much each meal will cost as there are so many varying prices on the menu, i don't know if anyone in the group drinks, appetizers, desserts, etc. However, things are often mega-inflated in the Times Square area (where Applebee's is located). A friend of mine was meeting a friend in the area and they met at (some chain name here), ordered two bottles of some domestic beer (not the fancy stuff... just Bud or Coors) and it was $17!!

The good thing is that there are also very inexpensive places too... chinatown will likely have prices less than what you typically see in your average town (and ducks hanging in the window too!).

Since you're going to Carmine's, i would eat in Chinatown and go for dessert in Little Italy. I'm not in Little Italy too often, but probably one of the most famous places down there is Ferrara's (195 Grand St. New York, NY 10013, 212-226-6150), and that might be a good choice for dessert (cannoli?).

I look forward to updates/a recap of your trip, what you thought was good, bad, confusing, worthwhile, etc... this will help me (and others) advise future travelers to the area.

[KatiesMom]

So glad you are re-thinking chain restaurants.... NYC is an eating town and then some. Da Nico restaurant at 164 Mulberry Street in Little Italy may be worth a visit. The best italian food in NYC, in my opinion, is on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, but that is not in your vicinity.

To get menus/prices of NYC restaurants, check out menupages.com. You can even plug in a neighborhood and cuisine type and they will give you ones that fit your parameters. This is a great way to find out what's nearby.

[RadioFanatic]

If you're still looking for a place to stay, I would highly recommend the Best Western Seaport Inn which is down near the statue of liberty. I stayed there last October for $170/night (regular rate) hotel room and bathroom is HUGE, had a balcony that you could see the Empire State Plaza on one side and the Hudson River/Brooklyn Bridge on the other - and breakfast is included.