From NJ to the Met: Best way to go?

Hello,

I posted this on Sunday on the NYC forum and haven%26#39;t received a response.

I am trying to plan a trip to the Metropolitan Opera with a friend, who lives in New Jersey (Elizabeth/Newark area). I will be driving up from Virginia and staying at his house/picking him up.

What is the best way to get into the city from New Jersey?

How far is the drive? How long would it take to get there on a Saturday night (8 pm)?

Is parking easy? Should we just take a cab both ways? Or hire a car?

Should we book a hotel room for the night (it will be an Saturday night, 8 pm opera that usually runs 3-4 hours w/intermissions).

Any guidance/suggestions/alternatives are appreciated.

I grew up on Long Island and have been to the city before (driving in and taking the train to Penn Station, but never taken the subway) so I have a general idea of what I%26#39;m getting myself into.

Thanks!

From NJ to the Met: Best way to go?

For two people on a Saturday, it doesn%26#39;t cost that much more to drive into Manhattan and park then it is to take public transportation.

Use www.iconparking.com to find parking. Print out the reservation

and bring it with you to get that rate.

How are you about driving at night?

Traffic coming back should be light.

I would leave about 4pm and park and have a leisurely dinner near Lincoln Center.

You won%26#39;t be able to find a cab that will take you to NJ except for Newark Airport from Manhattan.

The other choice you have is to arrange with a car service.

From NJ to the Met: Best way to go?

Excellent info. Thanks so much. I don%26#39;t mind driving at night, so it won%26#39;t be an issue.

Be sure to listen to traffic reports about the Turnpike.

Two Saturdays ago an accident caused a long delay southbound.

Never know, so leaving early is always the better option.

The area around Lincoln Center is lovely. And walking a few blocks south is the big Time Warner Center with the

http://www.shopsatcolumbuscircle.com/

to help kill some time. :-)

Good tip. Thanks.

I would suggest going in early in the day and making a day of it. If you try to drive in through the Lincoln Tunnel at 4 pm on a Saturday night, you%26#39;re liable to hit a lot of tunnel traffic. Listen to 880 AM or 1010 AM for trafffic reports. You may want to take the Holland Tunnel instead of the Lincoln Tunnel.

Great idea to go early to New York and have more time there and less stress about traffic delays.

If you%26#39;d prefer not to drive, there is train service from Elizabeth and Newark and many other towns, using New Jersey Transit, but check the schedules since the trains may not run late enough for your evening return. Another alternative is to dirve to Harrison and take the PATH train from there to 33rd Street. It will be a long but interesting walk to the Opera. The PATH runs all night.

You can park your car at the Met - it is really easy and convenient after the opera. There are lots of places to eat - try Cafe Fiorello - http://www.cafefiorello.com/ a very nice place to eat and not too far of a walk.

With the Lincoln tunnel you need to leave a lot of time as it it quite unpredictable. Also you need nerves ot steel to just drive through the crush of cars and buses - not a great introduction to New York and if you are like me you%26#39;ll end up with your teeth hurting by the time you sit down for the opera!

As an alternative you could get the ferry from Weehawken (lots of parking) and they have buses that drive around town and drop you and pick you up - http://www.nywaterway.com/

Enjoy your opera!!

Acacia Beachfront motel

We recently booked a 4 day stay at the Acacia read alot of great reviews from other trip advisor travelers.Would love to get some recent feedback from anyone who has had the opportunuty to visit.Our other choice was the Armada By The Sea. We would also love to hear suggestions on some fun things to do.Haven%26#39;t been back to Wildwood since 1978.

Thanks,Mikeyv.

Acacia Beachfront motel

Hi Mikey,

Brace yourself.

The Wildwoods changed very little from 1978 to 2002. But since 2002... whoa. At last count by people who know what they%26#39;re talking about, 85 motels have met the wrecking ball thanks to a surge of condomania, spiked by the 10,000-sq-ft convention center they plunked down right on the beach by the boards in %26#39;02-03. It%26#39;s going to look pretty different from what you remember. The boards have their problems too, with a couple of piers just sitting there, lifeless (including Hunt%26#39;s). If you want to know more about what%26#39;s been going on, see http://www.doowopusa.org.

That said, it%26#39;s still the wonderful Wildwoods and I still go back every year, with the occasional skip because I%26#39;m too broke to go anywhere :). I stayed at the Acacia for a couple of nights last August. I wanted an oceanfront room and I was booking at the last minute, so of course they gave me the one on the ground floor, where the area in front of the door to the room is a high-traffic passageway from their pool to the coffee shop at the neighboring motel (that coffee shop is very sweet, by the way--you may enjoy it for breakfasts). If your family likes to sit by the pool, you might not like the Acacia, where the pool is quite small and not particularly festive. And I%26#39;d try to make sure they don%26#39;t put you on the first floor (but I%26#39;d give that advice for any motel in the Wildwoods due to noise considerations as well as the lack of view). I remember thinking I probably would have been very happy in one of the oceanfront rooms on the second floor or higher, which have private balconies. But there are only a few of those--most of the rooms have the typical sideways view of the beach.

Have fun!

Acacia Beachfront motel

P.S. I meant to mention that the Acacia is no longer a true motel, it%26#39;s a condo being operated as a motel. And I thought I could feel the difference, in terms of the attitude of the front desk staff. Nothing terrible, but they just weren%26#39;t friendly.

I stayed at the Acacia last summer. It was fine -- nothing great but nothing really bad. As ninaromeo said, all units are privately owned (condo), which we did not find out until after we checked in. But it is still operated like a motel, with daily maid service. However, I do remember the maid service being performed quite late on some days of our stay which really annoyed me! There is no ground floor because the parking is under the building, but there is an elevator. There%26#39;s no free ice either, but you can purchase a bag of ice from the front desk. Oh, and the pool is really small. On the positive side, the beach down in this area of the Crest is really nice -- not as wide as it is closer to the boardwalk (this is a good thing!).

Jerseygurl, thanks for clarifying about the ground floor. There are two or three ground floor rooms on the narrow oceanfront end of the building, one of which I occupied last year. But other than those rooms, you%26#39;re correct, the ';ground floor'; consists of lobby and parking space.

Jerseygurl, thanks for clarifying about the ground floor. There are two or three ground floor rooms on the narrow oceanfront end of the building, one of which I occupied last year. But other than those rooms, you%26#39;re correct, the ';ground floor'; consists of lobby and parking space.

Ninaromeo, you%26#39;re right. I forgot about those oceanfront ground floor rooms by the pool, probably because I did not use the pool at all while I was there.

I stayed at the Acacia 9 times between 1990 and 2000. It was the only place my wife and I would stay. The rooms were clean, decently decorated, management seemed to care about the place. Never seemed to rent rooms to unruly teenagers during Memorial weekend. The 2 room efficiency was a good room.

Daily management seemed to change in 2000, had a bad stay there Memorial Day weekend that year. I do not know who management is now.

We visit Wildwood Crest 1 or 2 times a year and I am willing to give the place another try, but wife and children say no. The pool is small which my kids do not like.

We just got back last night from a week at the Acacia. Loved it. The room was spotless, the maid service thorough (if we were still not ready to leave the room and said we didn%26#39;t need anything, they still left us towels, etc. in a bag by the door), and the front desk helpful. The kids had a blast in the pool.

But, yes...as someone else posted, good ol%26#39; Wildwood is changing. Condos are the norm, Duffinetti%26#39;s is gone, and more and more old do-wop places are being plowed under.

Enjoy it while you can...

Palms Down the Shore II?

Just curious if anyone knows anything about this place in Wildwood, NJ. I don%26#39;t see any reviews of it.... Thanks

Palms Down the Shore II?

This is a privately owned building not a motel.

Buckingham Motel

There is a reason that there are no negative posts about the Buckingham Hotel!! It is a clean, inexpensive and friendly location. Our family stayed there for 4 days( 8/13-8/17/2006). Right across from the beach, near center city ,excellent hosts( Crystal), etc.) We will actually PLAN our visit next year and stay longer.

No one could say anything negative if they were honest.

Buckingham Motel

Hi:

Have to tell you I have worked in Cape May 15 years and never heard a bad thing about the Buckingham. I think lots of people are unaware it exists. It is on the east end of the island which it the quieter end. It is next to some condos, not surrounded by larger hotels. It is clean, well run and maintained. It is directly across from the beach and is in a good location. I agree that if you stay there you will want to come back. Glad to see you acknowledge the hotel. I am sorry I haven%26#39;t suggested it before! Glad you enjoyed the Buckingham and Cape May.

get time from datetime

Nature

I was concerned by the lack of shells on the beach, and the non-existences of Sandpipers. (this extends to shorebirds in general) A few years back I noted that the population of these birds was diminishing. They now appear to be completely gone. There even seem to be fewer gulls. There are a number of dolphins in the water but I%26#39;ve been told that they are feed to keep them around for the tourists. We were with our grand kids so there was no opportunity to hike around for a close look at the birds. I wonder what is happening to the ecology of the shore?

There also seems to be an element of what use to be called honky tonk creeping into town. The town fathers may want to watch this trend along with the over development of the area which may be causing some of the problems with the environment.

Nature

The numbers of birds naturally fluctuate, depending on whether they%26#39;re nesting or migrating, though some numbers may be down. You can contact Cape May Bird Observatory at (609)884-2736. These nice people will gladdly answer your questions.

Several dolphin pods can seen playing near shore, as they have since I can remember; but I don%26#39;t think there%26#39;s any trueth to the rumor that they%26#39;re fed to keep them around for tourists.

There will always be diversity among the townspeople and visitors that come to Cape May. That%26#39;s because Cape May offers so much! You%26#39;ll find cultural events, like professional equity theater, art exhibits, and jazz, to name a few. There are many fabulous restaurants, shops, and crafts people. You may find some %26#39;honky tonk%26#39; , but the majority of people attracted to Cape May are well educated and mature. Professionals, families, and artists also enjoy coming to Cape May.

Nature

Hi:

It is nice to see others concerned with our nature environment. Each spring and fall there are major birding weekends. There is a weekend called the ';World Series of Birding'; April and October are the most popular months for birders as I can see. I see Sandpipers everyday here in Cape May. Dolphins abound aas they follow the Gulf Stream. They follow the ferry boats and sightseeers all the time. Down at Cape May Point they often play close to shore. Last month there were so many dolphins in the Delaware Bay one day it was unbelieveable. As far as Sea Gulls I don%26#39;t see any real significant lack of them in the area. They swim and play along the beach each morning just as I can always remember. This time of the year because it is so busy, it may seem they are less in number. As our season closes and our second season begins and it is quieter, like in april and October, we can all enjoy nature at bit more. Cape May is an important nesting ground for many birds and important flyway on the Eastern Seaboard. The Cape May Point Bird Observatory, as mentioned in the previous post is a wealth of knowledge. Come down in October for the hawk banding, it is awesome and your grandchildren will love that and the Nature Center.

victoria days in october

what are my chances of getting a b%26amp;b with 2 beds during this

victoria days week? can we come down there and get a place to

stay without a reservation? we are 2 seniors

victoria days in october

I would highly recommend making a reservation. It%26#39;s a very popular week and, while I%26#39;m sure you will be able to find %26#39;something%26#39;, it would be a lot easier on you to just go ahead and make a reservation at a B%26amp;B that looks appealing to you.

There are so many sites that will allow you to view and read descriptions of the rooms online - and many will let you book that way as well.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy Victorian Week.

victoria days in october

Make sure you make a reservation. The first weekend, Oct. 6, 7 %26amp; 8 is usually a 3 night minimum at most places because it coincides with Columbus Day weekend. The second weekend, or Finale Weekend is usually at two night minimum. Generally there is no minimum during the week. There is so much to do and see and so many tours and workshops you won%26#39;t get board. Contact the Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts, they have a Victorian Week list of activities. Better yet, visit their website to view the activities. The weater is great in October, my favorite month and you will really enjoy yourselves. No matter what you decide, have a great time.

skin

Trop-the Quarter- 2 restaurants

Tried Cube Libre and Brulee Saturday night. Cuba Libre first. The food was good, but not great. My wife had a watermelon mohito before dinner and it was very good. We had sweet potato croquettes as an appetizer. Good. My wife had stuffed chicken breast which turned out to be stuffed thigh and leg. I had a rib eye. Both were OK. Bill was about $85- not terribly expensive, but the food really wasn%26#39;t worth it. And the service left a lot to be desired.

We thought we%26#39;d splurge for dinner at Brulee, the dessert restaurant. All I can say is save your money. The coffee was good- fresh ground @ $5 per cup. They only have about 7 items on the menu. Very disappointing. Nothing special at all. The place is all hype. Don%26#39;t waste your time or money.

Trop-the Quarter- 2 restaurants

Thanks for the heads-up. It isn%26#39;t a good idea to rely only on the glowing descriptions some of these establishments write about themselves. It%26#39;s good to hear what the paying customer thinks.