Heading to see the Jets, need some help

[duffyma]

Originally Posted by GuidoYaztremski

budget?

Budget not a huge issue as this is a once a year trip. Not a 5 star price, but a decent hotel that I will be comfortable in

[SAR I]

Originally Posted by duffyma

OK, hotel cancelled. Any recommendations from people as to where I should stay?

Looks like you are budgeted at around $179 a night. I swear by TripAdvisor, these are the Top Rated hotels in NYC according to their users:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g6...AT_HOTEL_MOTEL

SAR I

[KingofNY]

Originally Posted by SAR I

The difference is that there is no other city in the United States that has as much traffic as New York, and where the Meadowlands is located the ability to get there intersects and impacts every bridge and tunnel and highway to anyone getting to/from New Jersey.

Forget Jets fans- think about the typical family around 5pm trying to get to grandma's house for dinner. Slammed in Jets traffic in Jersey, through Manhattan, and on Long Island. I've got a 20 minute drive without any bridges or tunnels involved and I might not even go, it's going to be that bad.

SAR I

You overrate NYC traffic. It's nothing compared to DC. He'll have fun no matter which game he goes to and if takes the train in it shouldn't be bad at all. I also think you're underestimating the "mood" of the Thanksgiving game. This game probably will define our season. If our fans don't show up ready to cheer then "shame on us" we don't deserve to beat em.

[Kotch]

Lot of bad advice on this thread.

Traffic to game won't be that awful on Thursday, both the bus from Port Authority and Train are easily do-able. If you're at all concerned about getting out there, just take the train.

I'd also recommend buying a ticket to one of the open tailgates, though I'll leave which ones are better to other posters who know better.

Thanksgiving weekend is actually a great time to dine in NYC, as lots of people leave the city but lots of great restaurants stay open and have availability.

As far as hotels go, check out www.quickbook.com, there are always great NYC deals there, particularly at boutique hotels. I do like Trip Advisor, but be warned that pretty much every hotel will have some negative reviews.

Black Friday is sort of a zoo in midtown, so I'd strongly suggest spending the day farther downtown and away from the hordes. Maybe make a reservation to see the 9/11 Memorial that day if you haven't already, or just hang out/eat/shop south of 14th street.

[jxc]

Originally Posted by SAR I

Looks like you are budgeted at around $179 a night. I swear by TripAdvisor, these are the Top Rated hotels in NYC according to their users:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g6...AT_HOTEL_MOTEL

SAR I

You might also try looking into "boutique hotels". The major travel sites tend to skip over such places, but they can be affordable, convenient and interesting places to stay. I don't have a specific recommendation though, sorry.

Since you are from across the pond you may not be aware of "Black Friday." Most Americans get the Thursday for Thanksgiving off from work as well as the next day. The Friday after Thanksgiving marks the "start of the Christmas season" in these parts. It's a big day for shopping because it's heavily promoted as a day to get good deals. People line up at stores before they open. Then it's a mad rush of consumerism. Traffic around commercial districts will be terrible.

[SAR I]

Originally Posted by Kotch

Lot of bad advice on this thread.

Traffic to game won't be that awful on Thursday, both the bus from Port Authority and Train are easily do-able. If you're at all concerned about getting out there, just take the train.

Disagree completely.

Plenty of people make Thanksgiving a day-trip, don't sleep over at anyone's house. And those people heading to/from New Jersey will be passing through between 4-6 on the way in and 10-12 on the way out and those are precisely the times of maximum traffic to/from the Jets game.

I've had great luck on Thanksgiving driving by a) not being on the road during those two time periods and b) not having 30,000 additional vehicles going to an NFL football game.

SAR I

[Vinny Testaverde's Niece]

Originally Posted by SAR I

Disagree completely.

Plenty of people make Thanksgiving a day-trip, don't sleep over at anyone's house. And those people heading to/from New Jersey will be passing through between 4-6 on the way in and 10-12 on the way out and those are precisely the times of maximum traffic to/from the Jets game.

I've had great luck on Thanksgiving driving by a) not being on the road during those two time periods and b) not having 30,000 additional vehicles going to an NFL football game.

SAR I

Or, you could just take the helicopter.

[duffyma]

Re-booked for the Ace Hotel, which seems to have good reviews. Also changed to fly out on the saturday, Black Friday sounds like fun. Amazon UK do a black friday sale over here, even though most Brits have no idea it's thanksgiving. ANd I used to work for a company based in Minneapolis, I've been to blck friday in the Mall of the Americas. Crazy.

I'll check back in nearer the time for tailgating info etc. Cheers though for helping me out today, I am so excited about seeing the Jets live for the first time in 20 years (God, I am getting old)

[jetrider]

Originally Posted by duffyma

Re-booked for the Ace Hotel, which seems to have good reviews. Also changed to fly out on the saturday, Black Friday sounds like fun. Amazon UK do a black friday sale over here, even though most Brits have no idea it's thanksgiving. ANd I used to work for a company based in Minneapolis, I've been to blck friday in the Mall of the Americas. Crazy.

I'll check back in nearer the time for tailgating info etc. Cheers though for helping me out today, I am so excited about seeing the Jets live for the first time in 20 years (God, I am getting old)

November is so far away I wouldn't even book a hotel yet.

You picked the right game, it's gonna be huge.

Rex and company will hype the sh!t out of it. Plenty of celebs will attend.

Anyone who doesn't go will be jealous, if they aren't already.

Hope the weather is dry and you witness a Jets victory.

[rjsg1112]

Traffic will be a non-issue. Went to the last Thanksgiving game, which happened to be at the same time. No traffic.

[Kotch]

Originally Posted by duffyma

Re-booked for the Ace Hotel, which seems to have good reviews. Also changed to fly out on the saturday, Black Friday sounds like fun. Amazon UK do a black friday sale over here, even though most Brits have no idea it's thanksgiving. ANd I used to work for a company based in Minneapolis, I've been to blck friday in the Mall of the Americas. Crazy.

I'll check back in nearer the time for tailgating info etc. Cheers though for helping me out today, I am so excited about seeing the Jets live for the first time in 20 years (God, I am getting old)

Ace Hotel is very cool. Both the Breslin and the John Dory Oyster Bar can be a lot of fun, and should be a good scene.

Check out the NoMad Hotel too, one block away from The Ace. The restaurant and bar there are brand new and should be a lot of fun, albeit a bit expensive. Worth getting a cocktail at the least.

You're also close to Madison Square Park, so grab a Shake Shack burger at some point during the trip.

Might want to check out Bounce Sporting Club on 21st between 5th and 6th (quick walk from hotel) to watch college games or whatever sports are on. Newish, and the kind of place you'll wanna check out as a visitor because there's really nothing like a "sports bar" that has a DJ, gourmet food, and smoking hot waitresses. Kind of place you go once.

[Jetfan16]

Originally Posted by SAR I

....on that note, of wishing the game would come sooner, have you considered switching to the home opener vs. the Bills instead?

If it's too late, forget it, but the atmosphere for the 13:00 Bills game in September will be very different, probably a better experience for you overall if you can swing it. I understand the draw of the Patriots, but a night game in November on a holiday Thursday just won't be as intense as opening Sunday.

SAR I

Umm... assuming the Jets are more less in contention, this statement is entirely untrue. The Patriots game is the one that Jets fans get the most geared up for, year in and year out, not to mention the fact that this is a PRIMETIME game. As long as the Jets are in contention (and of course we know damn well the Patriots will be), the atmosphere will be nothing short of electric, mark it down. Sorry, it doesn't matter what week you put the Buffalo or Miami game, there simply isn't nearly as much juice as there is for New England, because New England is our biggest rival and there is the most at stake.

[duffyma]

Originally Posted by Kotch

Ace Hotel is very cool. Both the Breslin and the John Dory Oyster Bar can be a lot of fun, and should be a good scene.

Check out the NoMad Hotel too, one block away from The Ace. The restaurant and bar there are brand new and should be a lot of fun, albeit a bit expensive. Worth getting a cocktail at the least.

You're also close to Madison Square Park, so grab a Shake Shack burger at some point during the trip.

Might want to check out Bounce Sporting Club on 21st between 5th and 6th (quick walk from hotel) to watch college games or whatever sports are on. Newish, and the kind of place you'll wanna check out as a visitor because there's really nothing like a "sports bar" that has a DJ, gourmet food, and smoking hot waitresses. Kind of place you go once.

Cheers for the advice, all sounds good

[duffyma]

Originally Posted by Jetfan16

Umm... assuming the Jets are more less in contention, this statement is entirely untrue. The Patriots game is the one that Jets fans get the most geared up for, year in and year out, not to mention the fact that this is a PRIMETIME game. As long as the Jets are in contention (and of course we know damn well the Patriots will be), the atmosphere will be nothing short of electric, mark it down. Sorry, it doesn't matter what week you put the Buffalo or Miami game, there simply isn't nearly as much juice as there is for New England, because New England is our biggest rival and there is the most at stake.

Thats what I figured too. A primetime home game against the Pats? Should be amazing. Is it not november yet damn it?

[SAR I]

Originally Posted by Jetfan16

Umm... assuming the Jets are more less in contention, this statement is entirely untrue. The Patriots game is the one that Jets fans get the most geared up for, year in and year out, not to mention the fact that this is a PRIMETIME game. As long as the Jets are in contention (and of course we know damn well the Patriots will be), the atmosphere will be nothing short of electric, mark it down. Sorry, it doesn't matter what week you put the Buffalo or Miami game, there simply isn't nearly as much juice as there is for New England, because New England is our biggest rival and there is the most at stake.

I don't want to derail this thread because it's not what it's about, but Vegas oddsmakers will have us at 4-6 at best by Week 12 and we'll have the impossible task to win-out just to eke out a wildcard berth going into the New England game.

I myself am as diehard as it gets, but if we're sitting with that type of hopeless, losing record I'm not going to put my family through a convoluted Thanksgiving holiday just to accommodate my need to hit the stadium and boo Rex Ryan. Based on past Jets seasons such as this, I'm fairly confident that the stadium will be 40% empty and the game a miserable dud.

I recommended that the OP reconsider and come to Week 1 instead as there is zero risk of it being a meaningless game, the stadium will be packed and electric, the weather cooperative, the traffic low, NYC not shut down for a big holiday, etc.

Anyway, let's make that the last post in this thread on negativity, help the guy navigate his November game choice instead.

SAR I

[Tennessee_Jet]

Originally Posted by SAR I

I don't want to derail this thread because it's not what it's about.

SAR I

I'm a little disappointed you didn't ask for pics of the ex-wife's feet......

[crasherino]

Originally Posted by duffyma

Re-booked for the Ace Hotel, which seems to have good reviews. Also changed to fly out on the saturday, Black Friday sounds like fun. Amazon UK do a black friday sale over here, even though most Brits have no idea it's thanksgiving. ANd I used to work for a company based in Minneapolis, I've been to blck friday in the Mall of the Americas. Crazy.

I'll check back in nearer the time for tailgating info etc. Cheers though for helping me out today, I am so excited about seeing the Jets live for the first time in 20 years (God, I am getting old)

You've immeasurably changed the trajectory of your holiday. The Ace Hotel is 10x better than the Hotel Pennsylvania. For whatever reason, foreigners seem to want to be near Penn Station - I have no idea why. I can't imagine there ever being a repeat stay at that hotel - but I guess enough ppl come here on holiday and decide to stay there that it is still in business.

And while us NY/NJites can argue about the traffic (SAR is wrong btw), it won't matter to you. If you take the bus or the train, you are basically bypassing the traffic, so don't worry about it if that was a concern of yours.

As someone suggested, there are "pay" tailgates that provide you with food and drink for a fixed price. The only one I know of (but have never attended personally) is Tailgate Joe (google him) - he posts on here and from what the feedback has been, he tries damn hard, does a great job and is a very good host.

[GuidoYaztremski]

Originally Posted by jetrider

November is so far away I wouldn't even book a hotel yet.

You picked the right game, it's gonna be huge.

Rex and company will hype the sh!t out of it. Plenty of celebs will attend.

Anyone who doesn't go will be jealous, if they aren't already.

Hope the weather is dry and you witness a Jets victory.

Only thing is, he may want to pick a game that the Jets have a prayer in hell of winning.....

[duffyma]

Originally Posted by crasherino

You've immeasurably changed the trajectory of your holiday. The Ace Hotel is 10x better than the Hotel Pennsylvania. For whatever reason, foreigners seem to want to be near Penn Station - I have no idea why. I can't imagine there ever being a repeat stay at that hotel - but I guess enough ppl come here on holiday and decide to stay there that it is still in business.

And while us NY/NJites can argue about the traffic (SAR is wrong btw), it won't matter to you. If you take the bus or the train, you are basically bypassing the traffic, so don't worry about it if that was a concern of yours.

As someone suggested, there are "pay" tailgates that provide you with food and drink for a fixed price. The only one I know of (but have never attended personally) is Tailgate Joe (google him) - he posts on here and from what the feedback has been, he tries damn hard, does a great job and is a very good host.

It's the deal websites, expedia etc, that push us to the Pennsylvania, I really appreciate the warning you guys gave me. The Ace sounds so much better, should be fun.

I don't give a flying F about what SAR is saying, even if we are 4-6, which we won't be, a Pats game will be amazing. Plus, the people I will meet out and about over Thanksgiving will be ones who want some company, someone to talk to to, as they have no family to go to. If not, I'm a guy who likes his own company, so I'll just have a blast for 4 days. And thanks for the Tailgate recommendation.

One last thing before I stop posting in the thread before I get really excited once the season starts. I've got a ticket in section 116. Row 8. Is that a good seat? The last time I saw the Jets was in the old Cleveland stadium, and we were so close to the field I couldn't see some of the plays because of the players in front of me. Is that likely to be an issue again?

[sg3]

Its a terrific seat. Jet Lifes LL is raised up from the field and you wont have the same issues you describe in Cleveland (or at the old craphole with Giants signs on the outside)

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