TripHip - Travel Tips and Advice for Traveling on a Budget

If you're in NYC and you're a fan of the Late Show with David Letterman, why not try to get on the show?

You can submit a request for tickets online at their website, or you can visit the theatre and request tickets in person.

They choose people randomly to receive tickets, so don't worry about waiting in line early, because it won't work. If they grant you tickets, they'll let you know by phone.

Keep in mind that they don't allow anyone under 18 to attend the show.

If you can't get tickets, try hanging out at the Hello Deli, which is right next to the Ed Sullivan Theater (where the Late Show is taped). Dave often pops in there during a taping, and you may wind up on TV!

What is real New York? It's a question New Yorkers have been asking themselves for decades, if not centuries. Is it the lox-and-rye Upper West Side of Seinfeld and Woody Allen? Is it the dodgy and dark restaurants of Little Italy, with rumored Mob connections? Or is it the Manoho-Blahnik wearing, publicist-dating club scene popularized by Sex and the City, or the slightly classier Upper East Side version made famous by Gossip Girl? The truth is, New York is all of these things and more. But one thing that the "real" New York is not is the "Big Apple" seen on postcards. You are likely to find far, far more tourists near Times Square than New Yorkers, and as for the Empire State Building, in a word no real New Yorker has ever used within the earshot of this writer, "fuggedaboutit." So where to turn when you want a slice of "real" NYC? Try these neighborhoods:

1) The Lower East Side - Where it all began. The LES, as it is known, has a history of being the district of tenements and immigration, of people who came to America with a dream of making it big and often suffered terribly from discrimination and hardship. Today, the LES retains its Russian-Jewish influence, but is also a highly trendy getaway for hipsters, with cocktail bars, beat poetry jams, and intimate indie venues. The East Village, nearby, is the home of grungy bohemia, and although it's mellowed since its "Rent" days, it's still worth a visit, not least for the amazing restaurants (Banjara, on 1st Ave and 6th St, and Mogador, between 2nd and 1st Aves on 8th Street/St. Mark's))

2) The Upper East Side
Elegant, refined, beautiful - this neighborhood, lining Central Park with lush 19th century mansions, exemplifies the Old New York of Edith Wharton or Henry James. With the high-end couture of Madison Avenue's shops, the Old World charm of the Carnegie Hill neighborhood, with outdoor cafes and farmer's-market gourmet delis, and the thrilling people-watching down Park and Fifth Avenues, the Upper East Side will make you feel like a character in "The Age of Innocence."

3) Other Boroughs
New York's historic status as a city of immigrants and dreams is still going strong. But most of these enclaves are now located in Brooklyn or the Bronx rather than downtown Manhattan. Take a day or two to wander the streets in a non-Manhattan borough; you're likely to hear twenty languages spoken and eat Chinese for breakfast, Jamacan for lunch, and Filipino for dinner...

New York is very much an urban metropolis - beauty is sacrificed to industry, and efficiency, not art, is the name of the game. While there's one big main park in Manhattan, Central Park, most of the city consists of skyscrapers and the grid pattern of the street arrangement. But what can you do if you're looking for a bit of a getaway amid the hectic rush-hour traffic and noisy shouts of pedestrian commuters? The answer is simpler than you think: just head west.

One of New York's best-kept secrets is the recent development taking place beneath and around the West Side highway. Heading down from the charming Riverside Park at 72nd street, the entire west end of Manhattan has recently been transformed into a trendy, gorgeous riverside complex. Check out the basketball courts and skating lines that are located beneath the overpass of the highway. Or have a seat and drink some ice tea and eat a sandwich in one of the many new snack bars overlooking a surprisingly clean Hudson River - although we advise you don't try to swim in it. Or ride your bike down the bike path that, with a slight diversion far downtown, takes you all the way to Battery Park - a great way to get exercise without a gym!

Separated from the main highway by rows of oxygen-emitting, carbon-dioxide-eating greenery, the West Side parks are an oasis of calm in a busy city, far more even than Central Park. There are piers with chairs and free-wifi, gorgeous marshgrounds with high-growing grasses, and even access to the sports center of Chelsea Piers of 21st street. While you might hear the roars of horns, tires, and sirens from the nearby highway, they are relatively easy to ignore. So grab a friend and a picnic, rent a bicycle, and escape the hustle and bustle of the city, at least for a little while.

New York City, despite its reputation for congestion and pollution, is actually one of the greenest cities in the world…when it comes to parkland. There are over a thousand parks in the five boroughs. Central Park, located in Manhattan, while probably the most famous park in the city, is actually only the fifth largest.

The only National Park in the city is the Gateway National Recreation Area. There are three different locations, and eleven different park sites within them. The three locations are Jamaica Bay, Staten Island and Sandy Hook.

Jamaica Bay parks are Floyd Bennett Field , Jacob Riis Park/Fort Tilden, the Canarsie Pier, and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Staten Island parks are World War Veterans Park at Miller Field, Great Kills Park, and Fort Wadsworth.

Sandy Hook, a barrier spit. (be aware that thanks to construction, there are delays in driving to Sandy Hook – expect up to 3 hours added to your commute!) The only road that connects to Sandy Hook is Route 36.

If you’re travelling with your dog, it’s easy to find out, these days, if a hotel or motel will allow you to bring your dog into the room. You can check out the lodging’s website, and they’ll let you know. If they don’t allow pets – don’t try to sneak one in, the fines can be substantial. But travelling with pets is so popular that you will be able to find many nice hotels that allow you to bring your dog.

When walking your dog in New York City, always carry a pooper scooper and a bag in which to scoop the poop. Fines for not cleaning up after your pet are considerable, and in any event, it’s just politeness to do so.

In addition, there are hundreds of dog runs in the city, where you can take your pet for a little exercise, which would be safer than walking them on potentially crowded streets.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogruns

If you are traveling around New York or New Jersey by train, you should be aware that there is a Penn Station in Newark as well as in New York and they are definitely NOT the same station.

Add that to how similar New York and Newark sound (especially in a New York accent) and you need to pay close attention to where you are getting off the train. Double check with the conductor before disembarking, or you might end up seeing a city you hadn't planned on. Though that might not be a bad thing, really.

New York City consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. When many people think of what’s in New York City, they are actually only thinking of Manhattan, which occupies Manhattan Island – the theater district of Broadway, the New York Stock Exchange, the Empire State Building, Times Square, and so on. Most of the big tourist areas in Manhattan are located on certain select streets in certain areas, and it’s quite possible to walk everywhere.

The New York City subway system serves all five boroughs and runs 24 hours a day. The system is crowded but most lines are relatively safe – except very late at night, when it is best to take a taxi to your destination, if you must travel that late.

Manhattan has plenty of youth hostels - places for young travelers to stay which are less expensive than hotels or motels, but provide the safety and security of formal lodging. What the traveler receives is a bed in a dormitory room – so there’ll be little privacy. There may be 8 – 12 people per room. But the low cost is worth it for some travelers.
Check out: http://www.hostels.com/us.ny.ny.html#