Dromomaniac

I have a mileage run (in the truest sense of the word) this weekend, flying into JFK at 12:30 a.m., and leaving just a few hours later at 6 a.m.

The plan (for now) is to take a cab to Times Square (unless someone would recommend the Airtrain/subway or Airtrain/LIRR method at this hour), people watch a little bit, grab a bite to eat, and then cab back to JFK around 4:30 a.m.

How realistic is this plan, and does Times Square still have something to offer at 3 or 4 in the morning? Any recommendations for 24 hour eateries in the area?

Would anyone else recommend something in addition to, or instead of, Times Square?

maisany

First, with time of the essence, a cab over AirTrain would be a good idea, yes.

But to your broader question, exactly what is it that you want to do/expect to do, and why do you think it would be available in Times Square?

What night are you arriving? On most nights, Times Square certainly is not "shut down" by 1AM (about the earliest time that you could get there), but unless it's a Friday or Saturday night, it's not going to be "hopping" either. All of the shows would've ended hours before, so the exiting crowds would be finishing up their post-theatre drinks and desserts and heading home by this time. Some restaurants and bars would still be open, but again, unless it's Friday or Saturday, they won't be open for much longer, and certainly not until you were ready to leave.

If you're looking for late-night action, you're probably much better off in the more hip sections of town, such as the meat-packing district or the lower east side, where you will find a larger number of bars and shops that will stay open later into the night.

There are plenty of places that stay open 24/7, but I don't think that there are that many places of that variety that you'd consider as interesting stops (you can find plenty of Duane Reade drug stores open all night, but unless you're looking for Band-aids or batteries, not exactly a must-see for out-of-towners). Your best bet might be to find one of the all-night hipster restaurant-bars and get in some dinner and people watching.

Dromomaniac

maisany, thanks for the reply.

It will be a Saturday night (Sunday morning).

All I'm looking to do is burn a few hours in the city, preferably getting a cheap or moderately-priced bite to eat. Times Square came to mind because I know from experience it's still full of "bodies" at 2 a.m. But, I'm fully aware it may not be the best place to eat this late.

Thanks for the suggestions of other neighborhoods.

high_flyer

Eating at 2 AM in NYC at Times Square is surely possible, but...

My favorites...

Sarges Deli - 548 3rd Avenue
Gray's Papaya - Hot Dogs - many locations
L'Express - 249 Park Ave S

themicah

Saturday night peoplewatching options:

Times Square (take taxi to 42nd and 7th Ave) is where you'll find the tourists and the hip-hop crowd. Read: foreigners, Middle Americans, and kids from Harlem.

The Meat-Packing District (take taxi to 14th and 9th Ave) is where you'll find the aspiring club kid crowd (the established club kids are all inside clubs at that hour and won't be seen on the street so much). Read: Paris Hilton wannabes.

The East Village/Lower East Side (take taxi to Houston and 1st Ave) is where you'll find the hipster contingent. Read: self-consciously cool 20-somethings who like Indie rock and vintage clothing.

You can find late-night eats in all three locales. In Times Square you're most likely to find hot dogs, hamburgers, and bland TGIF-type chain restaurants open late. In the Meat-Packing district and EV/LES you'll find more European-style pub and cafe food.

And of course the people-watching will only be really good if it's a nice night. If the weather sucks, there won't be so many people out and about in the middle of the night (they'll run straight from their restaurants and bars into taxis to get home).

maisany

My favorite late-night eatery is Florent, down in the meat-packing district. It's an oldie-but-goodie, in a neighborhood filled with johnny-come-latelies. It's a tad cozy, but the food is pretty good (if you like bistro type stuff) and it's still pretty popular with that late-night crowd.

I've never been, but Pastis, just around the corner from Florent, is run by the same people as Balthazaar, which is one of my favorite restaurants in SoHo. Again, bistro type food, and lots of people-watching, given the neighborhood.

chauming

NYC is mostly dead after midnight. Yes, you can find 24 hours diners there, but you can find near the airport. Why spend 100 bucks roundtrip to eat dinner in NYC? Don't spend your time in Time Sq. after midnight. It's spooky. If you want to eat in the city go to a 24 hour diner in the village. Actually, I suggest you buy a lounge pass and hang out there until your plane leaves.

JeremyZ

lol.

We don't eat dinner until midnight.

You must be thinking of somewhere else.

Blumie

I can't tell if chauming is being sarcarstic or if s/he never has been to NYC. That said, I'd go to the Meat Packing District, the Lower East Side or the Village before going to Times Square (even though there's nothing "spooky" about Times Square; cheesy, maybe, but not spooky). The absolute last place I'd go is some depressing 24-hour diner out near the airport (which certainly will be a lot more spooky than hanging out in Times Square). As to buying a lounge pass, do you know of any airport lounge that is open from midnight to 6am?

wanderlust_jules

L'Express is a great place and then you can just walk down 2nd avenue to check out all the people in the east village. Much more interesting people watching than Times Square (which will be tourists and high school kids). Meat Packing district is such a schlep and still has pockets of desolate areas.

chauming

Hate to burst your bubble but I am a native New Yorker. Born and schooled in NYC. I own a house in Brooklyn. I consider myself a night owl. I am more than qualified to assess the situation in the city between midnight and 6 am. It was just a few months ago that a Jewish girl thought it was okay to shout at a Black youth who was robbing her friends. This occurred right after her and her friends left a restaurant at Grand Street around 3 am. With a little common sense, the tragic death of this girl could easily been avoided. Unlike you, I would not recommend to tourists to walk the streets of NYC after midnight. As to your comment on lounges I know of one lounge in Honolulu that doesn't open until 9 pm. Since it's not my problem I leave it to those that need the infomation to search for it.

JeremyZ

You're just throwing everything against the wall, ain't ya?

Nicole DuFresne was not Jewish
Max Fish is not on Grand Street
Nobody has recommended that the OP walk around the LES at 3am
The victim actually shoved the guy with the gun and said,"What are you going to do, shoot us?"

chauming your advice is bad advice, and I think you should stop trying to spread hysteria. For many of us, New York only turns on late at night. If the goal is fun, staying at the airport is a terrible idea.

FlyerBeek

Dromomaniac,

I usually do a couple of morning MRs ex-JFK each year and find myself in the same predicament as you since I live in DC and generally take a late-night Amtrak train into Penn station, arriving around midnight.

If the weather is good, walking around Midtown is fine. I usually head up to Times Square first. On Fridays and Saturdays the Virgin Megastore is open until 2 - and that can be a fun place to kill a little bit of time. After you leave Times Square, consider walking up 7th Ave to the Carnegie Deli (near 55th St) and have yourself an amazing NY cheesecake - they're open until around 3:30. Then, I usually take the subway to sample one of NY's late night restaurants. I've been to Florent (a trendy French diner in Hell's Kitchen), the Corner Bistro (a neat little tavern offering incredible burgers until 4am on 4th St), and L'Express (a 24hr French bistro on Park Ave. South). If you're a big Seinfeld fan you could go uptown to Tom's Restaurant - although the food there is nothing special. Alternatively, if you want an incredible late-night gourmet experience, you could skip the Carnegie Deli and head right to Blue Ribbon on Sullivan St. in SoHo (they also have a sushi place nearby) open until 4am on Saturdays. They have an amazing menu and on my visits the service has always been top-notch.

I usually then go back to Penn Station and take the LIRR to Jamaica and transfer to the AirTrain. The whole process is sometimes just as fast as taking a cab, but service can be a bit sporadic leaving Penn before 5am so you might want to check the schedules to see if the train times work well for you. Also, see if you can get your boarding pass (either through OLCI or an agent if any are still around) before you leave JFK to head into the city.

I've never had any issues with safety late-night in NY, but as with anything in life - a little common sense will go a long way. Whatever you do, I've always found plenty to keep me busy and full during the late-night hours. I'm sure you'll find the same. Enjoy.

-FlyerBeek

themicah

Florent is in the Meatpacking District about a mile from Hell's Kitchen.

Otherwise, FlyerBeek's advice is pretty good, although I'd probably skip the Virgin Megastore (big generic record store with nothing extraordinary except its size) and Carnegie Deli (overpriced tourist trap).

chauming

A couple of points. How do you know she's not Jewish and why do you care? I don't know exact address of the restaurant, but the newspaper article said the incident happened at Grand Street. I was referring to where the event occurred, not to the location of the restuarant. If you read my post differently, then I am sorry for that. Exact restuarant location not really a main point anyway. The deceased yelling at an armed man to shoot them was not a smart thing to do. That was the reason she was killed. I don't think the robbery and death would have occurred at 3 pm. Even if the death did not occur I sure it would have been traumatic enough to be robbed. If that's your idea of fun, then go ahead and walk the streets of NYC at 3 am. I would think common sense tells you otherwise. When the parents of a tourist who listened to you has to fly to the NYC and go to the morgue to identify the body, go tell them how good your advice was and how bad my advice was. As part of my job, I have been to the NYC Medical Examiner's facilities to see some dead bodies. Not a pretty picture. Maybe it's because I'm older and wiser that I say not to walk around NYC after midnight. I guess I have a lot more in the bank and plenty more places to visit.