RealGM

Hello all,

After visiting new york last year, my girlfriend and I fell in love with the city. So we decided to celebrate new year in new york this year.

Last year we went to a baseball game and it was great. Especially because they had belgian beers like leffe and hoegaarden So this year we would like to go to as basketball game. The only game that we can attend is againts atlanta on 27-12

So we would like some advice on following points:

- what is the best way to get tickets? I can not find an official site to buy them on. I would like to buy some tickets that we can print at home. That way I'm sure that nothing can go wrong.

- how long does it take to get from the center of manhatten to the stadium?

- In case it won't be possible to go to the basketball game, we are thinking of an NFL game. But what if it snows or rains? Here we only know soccer and those games are played in all conditions.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Greets from Belgium

Glad to have you on the board. Here are some things to consider:

1) I'm not sure if you know this but there is a lockout going on right now. Until a new CBA is agreed upon between the players and owners, there will be no basketball. Therefore, if there is no season due to the fact that the two sides can't agree to a new deal, you won't be able to attend any game this season.

2) You can try to go to StubHub.com for tickets. While it may not be the easiest way to get dirt cheap tickets, I like the fact that I don't have to worry if my tickets are fake.

3) There are a few ways to get to Newark (if you don't have a car). The fastest is to take an NJTransit train from Penn Station (34th Street b/t 7th and 8th Avenue). Take any subway you can get to go to Penn Station. Make sure you know the train schedule ahead of time so that you don't miss the train.

The train could take about 10-15 minutes to get there from Penn Station.
The stadium is 5 minute walk from the Newark train station.

Basically, it's hard to give you an estimate of how long it would take to get to the stadium cuz of traffic and stuff. My best advice would be to leave the center of Manhattan AT LEAST two hours before the game starts since you are not from the area. That way you have some extra time just in case you get lost because Manhattan can be pretty overwhelming for people.

4) American football players play through all conditions as well (except for really bad thunderstorms). You can't have your players on the field when lightning is striking nearby.

Thanks for the advice.

I read about the lockout. I assumed it would be sorted out anyway. Surely it isn't possible that there will be no NBA season, right? Can't imagine there being no soccer season here.

As for the tickets, I don't really care how much they cost (up to a certain amount), just want to be sure that they are real and that I have them on time.

Also glad to see that it won't take too long to get there from Penn station. Manhatten is indeed overwhelming, seeing I live in a town with less people than one block in manhatten.

Maybe I'll play it safe and also buy tickets for the NFL game, but than I have to learn the rules of the game. Don't understand it at all right now...

If anyone has any more advice, please post.

Ps: if you don't mind the off topic, any tips on how to celebrate new years evening? (apart from Times square)?

Yeah Stubhub is great.

Hello again,

Glad the lockout is over, and I'm even more happy to see the home game on 27/12 is still on the schedule. Could someone please let me know if this schedule is final or not. If it is, I would like to buy some tickets on stubhub as soon as possible.

And perhaps if going off topic is allowed, some pointers on how to get the most out of our stay would be much appreciated. Times square is not an option on new years evening, so alternatives are welcome.

Thank you in advance

The schedule is final. The game on the 27th will be there.

What events do you like to go to? There's so much to do in New York.

Well, we are going to do the standard things that everybody does when visiting new york (top of the rock, empire state building, brooklyn bridge, intrepid, etc). We visited most of them last year but I think we would regret not doing it again.

What I'm looking for are things to visit that not everybody knows about. For example some nice places to eat, some nice bars, a nice comedy club. I really want to get the most out of this trip and I'm hoping some of you could help me with that.

PS: are you allowed to eat and drink in the stands during an nba game? In Belgium it is not allowed during a soccer game

You are allowed to eat in the stands during the game but you are not allowed to bring your own food to the stadium (if you have something in your pockets you should be good, they're not that crazy but if you try walking in with a burger and fries I believe they'll make you throw it away - I've never seen it myself but I'm nearly 100% sure that's the way it works).

I have kind of an odd recombination for you, while you're in NY I would definitely check out the Food Cart on 53rd and 6th.

It has a HUGE cult following around these parts and if you get the mixed gyro platter you will NOT be disappointed, plus it's something different from the tried and true tourist spots.

Generally I stay away from food carts (I've heard there are some other quality ones in the city but have never checked them out) but this food cart is the king of all food carts just thinking about a gyro platter makes my mouth water

stephGRAHAMbury wrote:I have kind of an odd recombination for you, while you're in NY I would definitely check out the Food Cart on 53rd and 6th.

It has a HUGE cult following around these parts and if you get the mixed gyro platter you will NOT be disappointed, plus it's something different from the tried and true tourist spots.

Generally I stay away from food carts (I've heard there are some other quality ones in the city but have never checked them out) but this food cart is the king of all food carts just thinking about a gyro platter makes my mouth water

my god those things are sooooo good. its basically rice with halal chicken or lamb (or both), and a bit of lettuce and naan (sort of bread) on the side. stay away from the hot sauce, unless you can handle very spicy foods. add GENEROUS amounts of white sauce, it is delicious. and its all just $6 for a nice amount of food.

stephGRAHAMbury wrote:You are allowed to eat in the stands during the game but you are not allowed to bring your own food to the stadium (if you have something in your pockets you should be good, they're not that crazy but if you try walking in with a burger and fries I believe they'll make you throw it away - I've never seen it myself but I'm nearly 100% sure that's the way it works).

I have kind of an odd recombination for you, while you're in NY I would definitely check out the Food Cart on 53rd and 6th.

It has a HUGE cult following around these parts and if you get the mixed gyro platter you will NOT be disappointed, plus it's something different from the tried and true tourist spots.

Generally I stay away from food carts (I've heard there are some other quality ones in the city but have never checked them out) but this food cart is the king of all food carts just thinking about a gyro platter makes my mouth water

Oh snap the Lamb and Rice truck.

The Halal Guys is the one on 53rd right?

Solid, little overrated IMHO.


Mamoun's is the real though. It's on MacDougal in between Houston and the street the Park is on.
Really good shawarma and felafel, hummus is excellent too.
http://mamouns.com/


Blind Tiger is an awesome bar, has a ton of micro's on tap, some real cask ale and good bar food.
http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com/


Vol De Nuit is a Belgian beer bar, it's solid, a little hipster for my liking for a long stay, but nice to visit for maybe an hour when bar hopping, unless it's spring, summer, early fall, then you can chill in the outside area which is nice.
http://www.voldenuitbar.com/



Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem is off the hook. That's a must stop in my opinion.
Great, great barbeque, huge selection of micro's.
Usually a half hour or so wait to be seated though, beware, but if you like beer they have a little wrap around 12 foot bar to get it in while you wait.
http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/

It's on 125th and 12th IIRC.



Something I've always wanted to do but never had the chance is take a helicopter tour of the city. Only one of the heliports still operates them if memory serves and you have to set it up in advanced now I believe. Not sure if the recent crash has put a hold on them though.



Don't sleep on Brooklyn either.

Some great bars and restaurants.



I'm not sure how it would be during the winter, but the Bronx Zoo is something to think about.



Find out who's going to be at the Comedy Cellar, they always have some hilarious comedians coming through.



If you want to venture into Jersey, the Stress Factory in New Brunswick is an awesome comedy club.



Liberty Science Center was redone recently and is supposed to be really cool now, not just for kids either, I've actually been meaning to go the last couple years, I keep blowing it off though.
It's right in Jersey City, which is literally outside the Holland Tunnel.
http://lsc.org/



Somewhere I've been really wanting to go is the Adventure Aquarium in Camden.
Be forewarned... Camden is about an hour and change drive from NYC and it is an absolute **** hole, one of the literal most poor, violent and run down cities in the entire country.
That said, you should be safe at the actual aquarium, just don't make a wrong turn.
http://www.adventureaquarium.com/



Down Neck Newark, or the Ironbound has some awesome Portuguese restaurants.
Rodizio!



There's a lot more, but that's a start.

I used to go to the Camden Aquarium a lot when I was younger it was always a blast, I don't know how much it's changed over the years though, my gut tells me the place is probably more congested but I would look into this if this is something that's up your ally...

You should also come up to Washington heights, say, 3 am. Nothing like a NY mugging!

jeff1624 wrote:You should also come up to Washington heights, say, 3 am. Nothing like a NY mugging!

Here we are trying to help the guy and you suggest a mugging lol!

I'm still trying to confince my girlfriend to visit NY again for the formula one race in 2013, so I think we'll pass on the mugging

As for the other tips, thanks a lot. We'll make sure to try out some of them. Especially the places with the belgian beers. There are a lot of things I love about America, but your beers are not high on that list... . Being from Belgium, that is normal perhaps... I was thrilled to bits last year when I saw they had Hoegaarden and Leffe at city field.

kristof wrote:I'm still trying to confince my girlfriend to visit NY again for the formula one race in 2013, so I think we'll pass on the mugging

As for the other tips, thanks a lot. We'll make sure to try out some of them. Especially the places with the belgian beers. There are a lot of things I love about America, but your beers are not high on that list... . Being from Belgium, that is normal perhaps... I was thrilled to bits last year when I saw they had Hoegaarden and Leffe at city field.

Try Allagash White while you're here, I think you'll change your tune on American beers.

I like Belgian beers, but I'm going to throw an unintentional insult and say that Allagash is the best White Beer I've ever had.

Also, when you talk about American beers are you referring to trash like Budweiser, Coors Light, Miller, etc.?

Cause yeah I agree with you, our commercial beers are just outright awful.

You guys and pretty much all European countries have much, much, much better commercial beers.


But American Microbrews offer a wide variety of excellent beers in a ton of different styles.

Besides Allagash you guys definitely have the better Whites and Lambics, Golden Ales and Browns for sure though, but if you're into hoppy IPA's, or Stouts, Porters and Pilsners, I dare say we have the best of them.

Also pumpkin ales are still in season here, if you get a chance I highly suggest trying Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale.


If you want, let me know what other styles you like besides Whites and I can give you some suggestions.

Blind Tiger Ale House has an amazing selection.