Places to visit in the States

Me and the wife are thinking of spending about a week in the states because we've never been there (we're Singaporean) and thought that it'd be a nice change from Europe's churches and castles. Well the wife most definitely wants to go shopping and we were thinking about New York. But friends have been discouraging us from visiting NYC though because they say it's really a rather bleak place (their words not mine).

So... where in the states would be a good place to go for shopping and some sight seeing. Also, I've got a German work visa on a Singaporean passport. Do I still need a visa for the U.S? Thanks a bunch everyone.

I'd get myself some new friends. (Seriously, New York is anything but bleak.)

There have been a few threads recently on recommended holiday destinations in the States, so do a search for them.

For my part, I'd recommend NYC (and not only for the shopping).

Edit: Here are a few links: New York City tourist tips, NYC shopping tips, Visiting Boston for a week, Travel tips for Austin and Miami. Will that do?

I got this from the US EMBASSY IN SINGAPORE website ...

Citizens of Singapore and 26 other countries may travel to the U.S. without a visa for tourism or business for up to 90 days; this is known as the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Permanent residents of Singapore who are not from one of the VWP countries are not eligible for this program. Click here for a list of all the countries in the program.

To qualify for the program, the VWP country citizen must have a valid machine readable passport and be seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less as a visitor. You need to have a round-trip or through transportation ticket on a participating carrier—most airlines are participating carriers, but you can verify this with the airline you intend to use. You cannot have any visa ineligibilities, such as a serious criminal record, or prior visa refusals. You must also be able to show that you can cover your expenses while you are in the United States.

Please note that under the VWP you cannot extend your stay in the U.S. beyond 90 days and cannot change your status while you are in the U.S. Also, you may not work or study in the U.S. while traveling under the VWP.

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Agree with Kay...NYC is a lot of things, but not bleak! Excellent culture, nightlife, shopping, restaurants etc. Pick up a "Time Out New York Guide" before (if) you go.

Shopping is over-rated and can be done anywhere. Now sightseeing is another matter and depends on what you are interested in. So, what interests you the most, wilderness or wilderness with history?

New York is a must.

Thanks for all the input everyone. I guess my interests lies in basically discovering exciting cities and new cultures. My friend is also Singaporean and I guess the reason he said something like that is because Singapore is filled to the brim with skyscrappers and NYC is something like that.

But I think I'll take the advice here and schedule a visit there. Thanks everyone. By the way, any hotel recommendations for about 80E per night. The airfare is already pretty expensive at 600E per person so good and inexpensive hotel recommendations are always a welcome.

you might want to post your new york questions in the NYC thread, so as keep similar topics together. but beware, for 80 Euro a night, you won't get a nice place to stay in new york. i'm going there in a week and all my friends, and the advice I#ve received, told me my minimum hsould be 150$ a night. also, a good site to use is tripadvisor.de for hotel selection in NYC or Mannhatten especially.

Just so you know, British Airways is having a special deal to the states (from Germany), the prices are REALLY good (eg. Munich-New York return for 377 euros). But you have to book until May 13.

You can also go with Aerlingus - but it's more expensive with no frills.

hmmm.
you need to rethink your budget if you want to sleep in NYC for 80euros (approx. $109) per night.
That is not going to happen.

Here is a list of 10 New York Budget Hotels (from the ny times)
budget for city, state and occupancy taxes, which come to 13.625 percent, plus $3.50 a night.

Affinia Dumont, 150 East 34th Street (Lexington and Third Avenues), 212-481-7600; www.affinia.com. From $199. A business and pet-friendly spot with gym and spa.

Chelsea Hotel, 222 West 23rd Street (Seventh and Eighth Avenues), 212-243-3700; www.hotelchelsea.com. From $195. The storied bohemian landmark.

Doubletree Metropolitan, 569 Lexington Avenue (51st Street), 212-752-7000; www.metropolitanhotelnyc.com. From $159. A recently renovated Morris Lapidus landmark.

Excelsior Hotel, 45 West 81st Street (Central Park West and Columbus Avenue), 212-362-9200; www.excelsiorhotelny.com. From $229. Cozy Upper West Side elegance, steps from Central Park.

Gershwin Hotel, 7 East 27th Street (Fifth and Madison Avenues), 212-545-8000; www.gershwinhotel.com. From $119. Hotel-cum-hostel popular with young Europeans.

Hotel QT, 125 West 45th Street (Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue), 212-354-2323; www.hotelqt.com. From $125. A cheap chic hotel by André Balazs.

Hotel Stanford, 43 West 32nd Street (Broadway and Fifth Avenue), 800-365-1114; www.hotelstanford.com. From $189. The staff at this Koreatown hotel speaks Korean and English (and Spanish).

Hudson Hotel, 356 West 58th Street (Eighth and Ninth Avenues), 212-554-6000; www.hudsonhotel.com. From $199. A former Y.W.C.A. redesigned by Philippe Starck.

Off SoHo Suites Hotel, 11 Rivington Street (Bowery and Chrystie Streets), 800-633-7646; www.offsoho.com. Economy rooms from $199 (sharing kitchen and bath with another room); suites from $189. Euro-style suites between SoHo and the Lower East Side.

The Time, 224 West 49th Street (Broadway and Eighth Avenue), 877-846-3692; www.thetimeny.com. From $189. Another hip, high-concept hotel in Times Square.

Woah, I suppose my best bet would be the Gershwin Hotel. Took a look at the website, the hotel looks absolutely fab.

Any experience on this hotel?

EDIT: Screw that. I just read the reviews from Tripadvisor. Seems like a terrible place.

go to www.tripadvisor.com to look at what other people thought of that hotel.

I always stay with friends in NYC so I cant give you first hand reviews.
Looks like the QT Hotel reviews are good ... on trip advisor.

Fly into DC. Stay at a hotel on the Metro line. See the sights and shop all within reach of the Metro line. I would suggest a hotel in the Reston Virginia area. Many have shuttles to and from the Metro line.

Come to Hawai'i for the sight seeing aspect. As for shopping, well, forget it. Growing up in the islands, slippa's (aka Flip-Flops) are the only thing you need along with a swimsuit, shorts, cotton top, and occasional pareo when one doesn't want to wear the items previously mentioned.

I was going to suggest DC too for sight seeing...It all depends on if you are sight seeing for pretty scenic things or sight seeing for historical value???

NYC is too hustle and bustle for me...I got out of Penn station and couldn't stand all the people...I just wanted to scream stop bumping into me!!! I am a tourist leave me alone!!!

For what it is worth I recommend NYC.

NYC, Boston, Philly, DC that whole area is great! you can take the train too between them (or at least DC to Philly or NYC).

Stay out of Portland! ha-ha.

well, west coast has great places.
seattle, portland, san francisco.

chicago is nice

phoenix/grand canyon.

grand tetons

outer banks

etc etc etc

Yeah that's what I did. Flew into Boston, then took a Greyhound to NYC, from there to Philly, and from there to DC. Then flew back (to OKC) from DC. The Greyhound fares are really cheap, and the distances are not that big, I think the longest trip was 4 hours.

If I had the money and time to really show my in laws the US in all it's, erm, glory, it would look something like this:

(all in the summer, btw)

NYC
day trips to upstate NY and Philly
Boston
drive up through Maine for lobster and back again
Niagra Falls (Only because everyone always wants to see it. Whatever. It's not that far.)

Washington DC
greatest southern hits by car
Disney
Colonial Williamsburg

Texas
any midwestern state with a huge state fair

South Dakota
Colorado
Wyoming

Las Vegas

California- coastal tour
Seattle

New Mexico.

There is so much to see!!! I think the US is best seen by car, because it takes time to soak it in, good, bad, and ugly.

As a native New Yorker I used to recommend people not to come to NYC unless you had a couple of months to spend, it is too complicated.
Even then I would stress that above 14th street there is not much to see (just big shiny buildings).
But since I've moved to Europe I realize how much of New York is ingrained in world culture through films.

So yeah, go to Manhattan, take a long stroll down 5th ave. from central park till you get to Washington square. It will be amazing to you how much you recognize even though you have never been there. Walk around Soho down to Chinatown, take the South Ferry just for the return trip, seeing lower Manhattan from the water is a trip (even without the WTC). Go to Wall Street and see what all the fuss is about.
Go up the Empire State building at sunset, though it is better in the winter when it gets dark early and all the offices are still lit up.
Go see a concert at the Met, ticket scaplers out front are fair (more or less)
See a broadway show (yes, a bit tacky, but the talent and production is usually good, the tourist love this stuff)

DO NOT:
waste time on the Statue of Liberty, it is symbolic and it takes up too much time.
take the circle line around Manhattan, also takes too much time
take a couch ride in Central Park (waste of time, explotative of horses)
ride on the double decker buses, use your feet and taxis
waste money on a luxury hotel, you are there to see the city not your minibar

NYC for all the reasons posted above. It blows my mind whenever I go there. Such a diverse and fun place, whether you shop or not. Other than that, I like Chicago and San Francisco.

oh, and go see a ball game. The Yankees are historic.
Then stop by the cloisters to see a bit of old Europe without paying in Euros

If you don't care at all about your personal comfort or personal safety, you can also take the infamous Fung Wah Bus which runs between Boston Chinatown and NYC Chinatown. Its 15 for a one way ticket. Travel at your own risk though, you can check wiki for all the sordid details..

Based on what you've written, I would vote for NYC or SF. Id spend less money on shopping and more on a hotel though. Unlike Singapore and Munich these cities can have very nasty areas and hotels.

Found a good listing of reasonable hotels in Lower Manhattan
http://nymag.com/urban/guides/nyonthecheap/travel/hotels.htm

I'd agree with eurovol, DC is a great place to see. It's a fabulously interesting place, not to mention really pretty, especially when the cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Generally, I'd stick to either coast, maybe some key cities in the south. I'm a 100% midwestern girl and I adore where I'm from, but with the exception fo Chicago and maybe Minneapolis, there's not much as far as tourism goes.

Oh yeah I heard those were even cheaper. Back when I traveled (May-June 05) they had a special deal on the to/from NYC tickets sO I think I only paid $15 as well, and $10 to Philly, or something.

Gah, skip Fung Wah. Take Peter Pan instead. Affordable with big seats and a movie.