Sherman's Travel

Walking, talking, standing. All things most of us do every day. Yet in New York City, where and how you do these things can often peg you as a hapless visitor or as a New Yorker who acts like one.

Here now, the 10 worst habits big city pedestrians should try to break.

1. Stop walking to the left.
Sidewalks, stairways, always, please . . . stay to the right when you’re walking through New York City. It’s such a basic idea, underscored by all our two-way streets and large stairwells separated by bannisters. Yet there you all are, plunging up and down the left-hand staircase or left side of the sidewalk against the tide of pedestrians dutifully trying to stay to the right. Just as many locals as tourists do this, so don’t point fingers. Just veer right. And pay it forward and yell at three people coming toward you to do the same.

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The Dilemma: You’ve spent the day admiring the bright lights, soaring billboards, and glittery marquees of Times Square. After spending most of your budget on a Broadway show, you emerge from the dark theater only to be surrounded by a throng of hungry tourists. There is nothing but lackluster restaurants and overpriced bars in sight. Where do you go to get away from the herd and enjoy a soothing drink or delicious meal without breaking the bank?

The Solution: Wander west to nearby Hell’s Kitchen, where you’ll find a lively young neighborhood with unpretentious nightlife and hundreds of affordable, quality restaurants. Here’s our shortlist of the Hell’s Kitchen hotspots where you’ll get the best bang for your buck. Read more

Start spreading the news, the Wellington Hotel is offering rates as low as $129 per night in March. Located in Times Square, this New York icon is perfect for travelers who want to take advantage of all there is to see and do in the city: spend the day shopping on 5th Avenue, roam through Central Park, catch a show on Broadway, view the city from the Empire State Building, and more! Best of all, book 3 nights or more and receive a $50 Broadway Theatre credit!

THE VALUE: Save up to 26% when using Bookit.com!

THE CATCH:  In order to qualify for the theatre credit you must travel before March 31.

THE DETAILS: To book, visit Bookit.com.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find low rates on flights to New York City.

Check out our NYC Travel Guide and find out what else you can do while in the Big Apple!

Though the InterContinental New York Times Square actually opened July 12, the ribbon cutting ceremony last week – keynoted by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg – officially heralded this new property as one of the greenest in the city. As part of its bid for LEED certification, the hotel employed sustainable building materials and recycled three quarters of its construction waste. More visibly, there are green roofs on the 4th and 7th floors as well as a lobby-level garden, but guests are not permitted out onto these areas.

The 36-story, 607-room hotel is the largest built in New York in the past 10 years; all but the top two floors are currently open (they’re still perfecting that two-story Presidential Suite). The eponymous Times Square is actually a couple of blocks from the InterContinental, and the hotel straddles the Hells Kitchen neighborhood. This works to InterContinental’s advantage, however: A quirk in zoning laws caps most buildings in that neighborhood at seven stories, so the upper floors of the hotel boast killer views of western Manhattan. Some corner suites can even see all the way north to Central Park.

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Here again with news of yet another New York City hotel opening – but this one is the most affordable to date.  The Distrikt Hotel, opened on February 1, is offering spacious rooms from only $159/night! The hotel goes for a boutique feel with a New York theme. The city is represented (somewhat abstractly) throughout the hotel: floors are designated by neighborhood with a colorful photo collage of say Tribeca or Harlem displayed in the floor’s hallway (decoration within rooms, on the other hand, is the same regardless of which floor you chose); the hotel’s restaurant and bar features locally brewed beers and homegrown Long Island wines; in the lobby, a wooden map of Manhattan sits behind the check-in desk and an 11-foot grassy “living wall” installation represents Central Park. Its 155 rooms (video preview above) are simple, clean, and modern with great perks for the price like free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, iHome docking stations, Frette bedding and robes, and ECRU New York bath amenities. Go for a room on a higher floor (16 and up) for views of the west side and Hudson. All this attention on New York ‘hoods yet its own locale is the dismal Port Authority zone – the high-rise sits across the street from the station on 40th, next to layers of scaffolding (another hotel is underway next door) and a New York City Parole Office down the way. Despite the drab street, Times Square subway stations are two blocks away and prices really can’t be beat.

Deal: Stay two nights through March 31 and get the third night free, plus a complimentary room upgrade, a welcome basket from Dean & Deluca, and a “Distrikt Kit” with city maps and coupons.

For more budget hotel ideas, check out our Top 10 City Hotels Under $100.

We just caught wind of an exclusive party package offered at the W Times Square that will get you into one of the year’s hottest parties. Hosted by Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, The Fray, Gavin DeGraw, Chris Webber, and more, with a special performance by OneRepublic, Esquire Magazine’s Seventh Annual Space Cocktail Party in support of VH1’s Save The Music Foundation will take place in a 9,200-square-foot SoHo penthouse next Thursday, November 5. Tickets are hard to come by but the W Times Square is rolling out the red carpet for 14 lucky guests (there are only 14 event tickets available) if you book their special Rock Star package. The package includes two tickets to Esquire Magazine’s Seventh Annual “Signature Space” Cocktail Party, two cocktails in The Living Room bar to kick off the party, and a tricked-out suite. The going price is $799 (10 percent of the proceeds will benefit VH1’s Save The Music Foundation). What would you pay to party with the music industry’s elite? For more information or to book, call Maya Stanic at 917-543-5902.

The plummeting Dow. Blundered bailouts. Swine flu. Just when it seems the news can’t get any worse, it thunks us over the head with something new. It’s enough to make you want to hide in a hole somewhere…and wash your hands a lot. In this spirit, we commend the Westin New York at Times Square for their new No News is Good News offer, which illustrates how sometimes the best amenities are the ones you take away. For those who want a real break from the headlines, the hotel will unplug a guest’s television, hide the remote control, and cancel the daily doorstep newspaper delivery. And to top it off? They’ll throw in a complimentary cocktail at the hotel’s laid-back Bar 10. This may be the best news we’ve heard all day. Offer from $299/night including weekends through September 7