Shopping Advice needed for 1st timer in NYC

I have a couple of questions about my trip in November this year.

I will be arriving on 23rd at midday - Got muddled up with the flights and thought I was arriving the day before Thanksgiving!! I am staying in the Millenium Hilton for 5 nights. Any thoughts on if I am going to have a nightmare getting to the hotel because of the Parade. My flight is due to arrive into JFK at midday. I have a coach transfer arranged but would you recomend that a train might be quicker?

Also because of the time I am arrving would you say I am going to miss the parade altogether?

Most Important question - Am I going to pick up the best bargins at Woodbury common or at the stores in town. I am looking for deals on Shoes and Handbags. Gucci, Prada, Gina etc

Shopping Advice needed for 1st timer in NYC

The parade normally ends about 1:00pm so by the time that you reach your hotel it will probably be over. The subway will take a much longer amount of time than a car service or van. With regard to bargains on clothes etc. Travelling and shopping to Woodbury will take the entire day so I really dont think that it is worth it. Keep in mind that most stores are closed on Thanksgiving day, and there will probably be alot of sales that weekend. I hope you have patience because the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, start your shopping VERY early.

Shopping Advice needed for 1st timer in NYC

Thanks for the quick response - I was not sure anyone would be awake yet!!

So would you say I am better off going to woodbury common later on in my trip and going to Bloomindale etc on the Friday. What time do the stores usually open on the friday

Do you realize the Mill. Hilton is all the way downtown in the financial district? It will be very quiet there on a holiday weekend. You are near Century 21 though, a discount dept. store. I don%26#39;t know what sort of coach transfer you%26#39;ve got or how many are in your party, but I%26#39;d take a taxi or a car service. The coach transfers are often Super Shuttle which take forever. You could spend 2-3 hrs. in the bus.

Woodbury Commons is sometimes open when everyone else is closed. They MIGHT be open on Thanksgiving day (while all the other stores are closed). If you%26#39;re coming specifically to shop, that%26#39;s worth checking and perhaps doing on your arrival day.

The Fri. after Thanksgiving is known as ';black Fri.'; the BUSIEST SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR! Macy%26#39;s opens at some ungodly hour like 6 am.

I don%26#39;t know you%26#39;ll find ';deals'; on any of the best high end designers at that time of year. Certainly Woodbury would be one place to look. Century 21 and Find outlet might be another. Here%26#39;s some other ideas.

http://www.nymag.com/guides/cheap/clothing/

Thanks for the info on the shops, I will check to see if Woodbury is open on the day we arrive

I am going to check out the coach from the airport as it is a standard coach transfer which comes with the flight so I would imagine that it is going to be making a few drops.

Is it easy enough to get from the hotel to midtown and downtown? are the taxis cheap or is it better to take the subway.

Sorry for all the questions - your help is really apreciated!!!

';Is it easy enough to get from the hotel to midtown and downtown? ';

You ARE downtown. You%26#39;re looking to go midtown and subway is the faastest/cheapest way to go. If you%26#39;re alone, you might prefer a cab or car service at night.

Hopstop.com is a website that helps figure out the best way to travel from point A to B. They also have a feature where they estimate the cost of a taxi for that trip. They claim a taxi would be about $13 to Rockefeller Center, midafternoon but on the Thanksgiving weekend...probably much more.

What do you plan to do besides shopping on this trip? Is the hotel non-cancellable?

Uh oh!! How embarrassing!! good job I have you to point me in the right direction !!

I can%26#39;t change the booking as I have already changed it once from the 30 30. Although now I am wishing I had kept it the same. The other hiltons are fully booked so looks like we are stuck.

I am travelling with my family on this trip and we are planning on doing the normal sightseeing stuff too ie Statue of Lib, ESB. We are also planning on taking a show. There are 7 of us all aged between 19 and 55 so a real mixture and we are coming for my 30th bday (hope somebody buys me a compass and map!!).

Can you recomend any webs to buy preadvanced tickets for the attractions. Again there are soo many I don%26#39;t know which to use.

Thanks Again!!

Getting to Midtown from the Milenium is pretty easy. The E subway is right there, and it%26#39;s the last stop on the line; meaning you will not be able to get on a train headed the wrong way.

I would DEFINITELY take advantage of your close proximity to Century 21. The downside to it are the crowds and the place being ransacked. However both will be avoided if you get there the minute it opens. They open at 7:45 on weekdays, and it%26#39;s empty from then until about 9 am.

What%26#39;s better than a Venti Latte and some discount Gucci for breakfast every morning?

Thanks for that. Sounds straight forward so thats a comfort!! I think i%26#39;ll be so excited about the trip I%26#39;ll have no problem getting there for that time in the morning!!

The Mill. Hilton is a thousand times nicer than the 30/30 so in your place, I wouldn%26#39;t feel bad. Mill. Hilton is also not far from the ferries to the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, South Street Seaport, lots of downtown stuff-Soho, Greenwich Village. The only thing that will be a pain is getting to/from the theater at night.

Btw, for 7 people, there is NO WAY you should be dallying with a bus from the airport (unless they let you fill your own bus). Find out which bus service it is and how much it%26#39;s costing for each of you.