jackgus

We are coming to New York for Christmas this year. Arriving from NZ on the 25th via LA. We plan to stay at the Grand Hyatt near Central Station on 25,26,27,28th. The hotel price then goes mad, we then plan to rent a car and drive to DC for three nights. We plan to stay at the Shearaton there. Then drive back to New York for another three days. Then fly to Orlando, then Denver skiing.

What I really need help with is a detailed itinary for our New York stay. We arrive about 7pm, so not too much on the first day.

Can someone please give me an idea of what we can fit in eg, "on 26th you should catch the number 6 subway to Battery Park and go to Statue of Liberty, that will take 4 hours"

I would be so grateful. We have two boys, they will be 10yr and 12 yrs. We will have all our ski clothes, so can have lots of layers on.

We also need to freight our skis, boots etc from LA to Vail, anyone know how we can do that?

Thanks Kate Edmond

persimmondeb

UPS is probably your best bet for the ski gear, but make sure you can get this done from the airport, and keep in mind that UPS will not really function on Christmas Day and your ski gear will likely get to Colorado well before you do. Make sure the hotel knows it is coming. I am assuming that you are not staying over in LA, but just switching planes.
What do you want to do in New York? And keep in mind that planning to drive in that part of the U.S. in December and January can be affected by weather. They know how to plow and keep the roads clear around NYC, but not in and around DC.

jodeenyc

You have a nice central location in the city as basically every subway line you could ever want is at your hotel. Additionally there are lots of easy and cheap food options in Grand Central if you have the 10/12 year old food tastes I'm used to.

All of the holiday decorations will still be up then. The night you arrive it might be fun to walk over to Times Square and leisurely walk through. I suspect you'll be tired from your flight, however Times Square at night is pretty impressive.

If you can bear it that night as well, the kids might like to see the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center at night.

Some other sites are:
-Empire State Building (although some prefer the Top of the Rock for good views of the city)
-Museums: I'm sure your kids would love the Natural History Museum on the upper west side
-There is a Nintendo store right off Rockefeller Center that my 10 y/o niece loves.
-Ice skating at either Bryant Park, Central Park or at Rock Center
-You could try to get broadway tickets at TKTS in Times Square
-Check out Macy's, Saks and Lord & Taylor windows
-Walk downtown through Chinatown and Little Italy

Those are some basic options. If you could tell us more of what you are interested in it would help. It's strange to think about Christmas next year!!

I personally can't tell you the weather a year out, but usually we don't get snow in December. This past December was the first I can remember in a long time where we did.

jackgus

thanks for the feedback, we will have one night in LA, Sheraton at the airport I think. I will get on to UPS, so we will be able to do that on the 24th. I think we are probably interested in the usual New York Highlights, but definatley the Christmas Decorations. What musems should we leave out in New York if we are going to DC? I understand the Smithsonians are wonderful and free!! We love Art and plan to get to the Frick ( although I did read children were not allowed there, is that true?), Guggenheim, MOMA and the MET. We would love to go to a sports game, would anything be on then? Also a show, I was thinking of Billy Elliot, is that on in New York yet? Love to hear from you. Very quick response, aren't you supposed to be asleep over there? Regards Kate

dmlove

It's only 1:00 p.m. in California (4:00 p.m. in New York)!!

Have you thought about renting ski equipment in Colorado instead of bringing your own. It just seems like a huge burden (which would be lessened if you were going straight to Denver, but to have to ship it from LA?)

persimmondeb

Children are not allowed in the Frick, but yours may be old enough. Can't remember if the cut off is ten or twelve.

Anonymous

Yes, late afternoon here; you posted originally at 2:41 PM New York time.

Indeed, the Frick doesn't admit kids under 10. But it's a charming homelike place, with the art feeling much more accessible than at the Met. Walk around Mr. Frick's grand house and right up to his three Vermeers!

However, don't miss the Met. The boys will love the temple of Dendur and some of the other Egyptian and Medieval stuff (although we were sad to see changes, like fewer horses, in the Armor suite last time). Get a floor plan and choose a few galleries, don't try to do too much. If the scaffolding has been removed from the Guggenheim, they will forever remember its unique design.

The American Museum of Natural History in NYC is, IMHO, superior to the Smithsonian's American Museum of Natural History. Have the boys watch the movie "Night at the Museum" before you go. Do dinosaurs in NYC, then in DC you can focus on their specialties like minerals.

Anonymous

Sorry, the Smithsonian is the NATIONAL Museum of Natural History.

mclaurie

You should consider using the train (amtrak.com) to get from NY to Washington. You won't need a car in Washington and if you hit bad weather, driving can be a real problem. The cost of gas, tolls, parking and INSURANCE for you (which usually doubles the price) may wipe out any savings you'd have by driving. If you belong to your local Automobile club, there's a discount.

It's also a shame to have to come back to NYC to then fly to Orlando. You should be able to find a rate in NYC for a week that's more reasonable. Unless you're staying at the Hyatt with points or mileage, I think you'd be much better with a suite hotel for 4 of you or at least a hotel with larger rooms. The Hyatt rooms are basic NYC rooms (not very large). The London agency www.apartments2book.com has contracts with many of the apt/hotels in NYC and might be able to offer you something affordable. You could then proceed to Washington and head to Florida from there rather than backtracking.

As to your original question on an itinerary, generally you can accomplish 2 major things a day, one morning and one afternoon. It's best to group things by geography so the first step would be to get a good map. Then make a list of places you know you want to go (make sure everyone in your family makes their own list) and then plot these out on a map.

Things that tend to take a long time are:

>Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island which requires prebooking (online) in order to be able to go inside the statue and there is heavy security so unless you get there for the first ferry of the day (8:30) you are asked to be there 2 hrs. before your appointed tour time.

Some people decide to see the statue from a distance by taking either the free Staten Island ferry or one of the harbor cruises. Not trying to dissuade you from going, just saying those 2 stops usually fill the better part of a day.

>Empire State building (buy tickets in advance online to avoid at least the ticket buyers line).

The city is extrememly crowded around Xmas, so things can take even longer. This past Xmas, just crossing the street can be a challenge. There are also a lot of holiday specific things to see/do. If you plan to see any shows, you should buy tickets in advance. While there are some discounts to some shows, very often those discounts are not good for the Xmas period. The Xmas spectacular at Radio City Music hall is very popular for families.

Here's a link to another poster's interactive trip report from this past Dec. It's not with kids, but will give you a good start.

http://gardkarlsen.com/NYC_travelogue_2007.htm

Austin

Skip the Statue of Liberty. If you must see it, ride the ferry and look at it but don't get off. You can't go up very far and the security line is 1 hour long.

Hint tho - if you insist on going, you must get a ticket before you go. It's for a certain time to get in line, but we found out that you do not have to wait for that time to get in line. They don't enforce it. At least they did not when we were there. We felt the whole thing was a waste of time. you can see the beauty of the S of L from the ferry.

nytraveler

Agree on a couple of things:

look at Amtrak versus renting a car. The car is useless in DC and you will be paying rental and parking charges for 3 days you don;t use it. And bad weather - it might be 45 and sunny - or it could be 25 and a foot of snow - can make driving interminable.

Also - I don't think the Statue of Liberty is worth it - since it will take probably 5 hours at least with all the lines and there's not much to visit (most is closed due to lack of structural integrity). You can take the same ferry (buy tickets in advance to save one long line) to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum - which is brilliant. (And you get a good photo op of the Statue from the ferry.)

It's hard to give specifics by day since you don;t know what the weather will be like. And you'll want to do the boat and outdoor things (Central Park and a walk up Fifth Avenue to see the decorated windows, Rock Center tree, Top of the rock, ST Pat's etc) on days when the weather is better - and keep the indoor stuff for when the weather is worse.

If you have the option it's better to group things geographically - for instance the Museum of Natural History and Central Park on the same day - IF the weather cooperates.

Anonymous

Amtrak tickets for four will be pricey, even though kids usually go for half-fare. So you do need to figure out all the details, including the possibility of two separate one-way rentals rather than paying for parking. Gas cost for the 500-mile round trip, at a conservative 20 mpg and $3 per gallon, would be about $75.

jackgus

All very helpful thanks, I read on someone elses posting about an apartment, second home on second ave, it is $290 per night for seven nights. If we took that we would not go to DC until the end of our trip. I will look at the other apartment link. We would love an apartment, I was always a bit nervous however that it would be a shame, we would pay our money and arrive to find nothing!! We will do the free Staten Island Trip rather than go to the Statue thanks. Any other tips? Regards Kate

Anonymous

If you want an apartment feeling without the risks of dealing with an individual, there are some economical suite hotels (though in December "economical" is all relative): Try Radio City Apartments or Murray Hill East Suites. The latter is a converted apartment building and wil provide you with plenty of space and a fully-equipped kitchen.

Aduchamp1

The Christmas tree at the Met Museum is the most elegant in the City.

If you can, eat in the residential areas rather than the tourist areas as Christmas week is the most crowded week of the year.

If you are on Broadway and 13th Street take the boys to Forbidden Planet, it is aretail store with all sorts of science fiction and action stuff kids like.

With four people, a car would be cheapest to DC but drop it off and do not use it within DC.

jackgus

Has anyone used this apartment rental agency? http://www.apartments2book.com/, I have heard reports of bogus apartment rental firms. If so which is the best one? Regards Kate

Vttraveler

I highly recommend the Lower East Side Tenement museum in New York. Our younger son actually found it interesting at age 10 and he was hard to please at that age. Gives a unique view of the immigrant experience in NYC
http://www.tenement.org/

Your kids are also a good age for the South Street Seaport museum
http://www.southstseaport.org/

and National Museum of the American Indian (near Battery Park)
http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?s...ny&third=hours

mclaurie

Kate, www.apartments2book.com uses mostly well known apt/hotels. I heard about it from someone in the UK. These are mostly in hotels that offer daily maid service and front desks. (You'll notice that Radio City apts. is one on the list) I figured out which properties were which on their map. My "cheat sheet" is here

1=Affinia 50
2=Affinia Manhattan
3 San Carlos
4-Best Western Hospitality
5=the Blakely
6=the Belvedere
7=Radio City apts.
8=Eastgate Tower
9=Murray Hill East Suites
10=Milburn
11=Beacon
12=Lucerne
16=Benjamin
18= 46th b/w 2nd & 3rd
19=the Larchmont (not suites)
20=Riverside Towers (terrible)
27=the Manhattan Club
29=Elysee
30=the Buckingham
34=Bedford

So you could also look at these hotels individually for prices, but very often apts2book offers cheaper prices. (Not all of these are good and not all have apartments).

For a regular "private" apartment rental (meaning not a hotel without daily maid service etc.), Nyhabitat.com is a reputable company but some of their apartments are in buildings without an elevator (lift) so be careful of that.

Second Home on Second is considered a bed & breakfast (although not sure if they actually provide breakfast) that has different sized rooms/suite. Only 1 is an apt. with a kitchen and that one, the girls would have to sleep on a sofabed.
http://secondhomesecondavenue.com/pa...and_Rates.html

It gets good reviews on tripadvisor.com (check reviews for any hotel you're considering anywhere in the world there!) The location is the east village.

There are other "b & b's" that rent out what amounts to an apartment, but not all with have comfortable accomodation for 4. One good budget place on the upper west side is Jacksbandb.com

You are correct to be concerned about apt. scams though. Don't ever consider wiring anyone money to a bank account.

L84SKY

I can’t answer much on this topic because I'm just as interested in it for our trip to NYC in 3 weeks 3days. But I do have a list of directions and opening times for the museum I’m interested in, hope it helps.
Museum mile borders on Central Park. I’ve cut out the museums that I’m not interested in, so there are others along the mile.
Jewish Museum at 92nd Street ---Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design at 91st St.
National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts at 89th St ----Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at 88th St ---- Metropolitan Museum of Art from 82nd to 86th Streets

I cut and pasted the directions to the Jewish Museum b/c I thought that might be the hardest to find, (apparently I was wrong since they are on the same mile as the others)
JEWISH MUSEUM 1109 Fifth Avenue (northeast corner of 92nd Street)
Subway: 4, 5, or 6 train to 86th Street. Walk west on 86th Street, turn right at 5th Avenue and proceed north to 92nd Street. Bus: Take the M1, M2, M3, or M4 bus running south on Fifth Avenue or north on Madison Avenue, stopping between 91st and 92nd Streets. The M86 (crosstown bus) runs east on 84th Street and Fifth Avenue, 86th Street and Madison Avenue; runs west at 86th Street and Fifth Avenue, Madison and 86th Street. The M96 (crosstown bus) runs east on 96th Street and Fifth Avenue and 96th Street and Madison Avenue; runs west on 96th Street and Madison Avenue, 97th Street and Fifth Avenue.

The Museum of Modern Art Not on the Museum Mile
(212) 708-9400 11 West 53 Street,
between Fifth and Sixth avenues New York, NY 10019-5497
Museum Hours Sat/ Sun/ Mon/ Wed /Thurs 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday 10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. CLOSED TUESDAY EXCEPT: the Museum will be open to the public on Tuesday, March 18.
By subway From the east side of Manhattan
6 train to 51st Street, transfer to the E or V train; one stop to 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue From the west side of Manhattan E or V train to 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue, or B, D, or F train to 47–50 Street Rockefeller Center
By bus From the east side of Manhattan M1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to 53rd Street From the west side of Manhattan M50 cross-town to 50th Street. Proceed to 53rd Street.

American Museum of Natural History - Transportation By Subway:
Take the B (weekdays only) or C to 81st Street. Two blocks west of the Museum, the 1 train stops at Broadway and West 79th Street.
PLEASE NOTE: For the duration of the construction on the Manhattan Bridge the B subway line will not operate on the Upper West Side during the weekends. Weekday service will not be affected during visitor hours, but the B train will stop running weeknights on the Upper West Side at 10:45pm.

Open daily, 10 - 5:45pm The Rose Center remains open until 8:45 p.m. Space Show Hours — Every half-hour, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m
Brooklyn Museum Museum Hours Sun/ Sun 11 - 6 . Mon/ Tues Closed Wed/Fri 10 – 5
By Subway Take the 2 or 3 to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum. Transfers to the 2 and 3 are available from the 4 and 5 (at Nevins Street) and the B, D, Q, N, R, and LIRR (at Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street).
By Bus The nearest bus stops to the Museum are: B71 in front of the Museum
B41 and B69 at Grand Army Plaza
B48 at Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway

maryanne1

My 2 adult children and I were in the city just before Christmas this past year. Yes, it is very crowded especially around Rockefeller Center.
One thing we always enjoy is the small zoo in Central Park-especially the penguins. I think your 2 boys would like this. Also in the park there are carriage rides through the park which child and adults would like.
The Natural Museum of History with children the ages of yours is something not to be missed.
We enjoyed staying at the Hampton Inn which is in walking distance of the park. There were many families there with children. They have a nice buffet breakfast every morning.
Whatever you decide to do it will be a wonderful time to visit the city with its beautiful decorations and festive spirit.