Originally Posted by
tonight we fly
Hi -
I am flying to London on May 30 and I will have a layover at JFK, arriving at 11:23PM on May 30, 2009 and leaving at 8:30pm the next day. So that gives me almost 24 hours to explore the city. What's there to do during the wee hours of the night? I've thought about staying overnight at a hostel, but it seems like such a waste to sleep away my precious time in NYC. Plus I am not really keen even 50.00/night for a hostel.
Are any of the touristy spots like the empire state building open past midnight? I really haven't got the slightest clue where to go but I'm sure there are whole stretches of streets in NYC where it's always bright out and shops are open. What are the places I need to avoid as a single woman travelling alone at night?
Thanks!
Other posters can probably let you know about the Empire State Building. NYC basically goes almost 24 hours, particularly on the weekend. The Times Square area is probably the brighest and most crowded into the wee hours. While you should be ok, on a holiday weekend there will probably be loads of young, very drunk and extremely loud tourists in that area. While you should not be overly concerned about your phyiscal safety, be aware that you may be the victim of verbal assaults from young men too drunk and/or too dumb to know better.
Hopefully other posters may have some unique ideas but exploring NYC late at night, but after 1AM or so NYC does not have a lot to offer other than the bars and clubs (for example the museums, art galleries, and stores will be closed). Maybe other posters know of jazz clubs or the like that may go to 3 or 4AM. My advise is to find a place to camp out at JFK and then come into the city around 6AM. Have breakfast and spend the day exploring Central Park, 5th Avenue Shopping, the WTC site, the Hudson River front, etc. The weather should be warm and hopefully not wet by then.