Judy

I am at the beginning stages of planning this trip for our extended family. This is truly a dream come true for my dad. He has wanted to return to NYC, since he took his children when we were a young family. It has been his dream to bring his grandchildren and return for one final trip.

Money is certainly an issue. He definitely wants to see a couple of shows, show us the sights. The problem is he is 85 and has a very difficult time getting around. He is limited in how much walking he can do (very little), samr thing for my mom. I do believe adrenalin will allow this trip to happen, which is fine.

I would love some help on suggestions of how to deal with the transportation issue. I am thinking of the on/off bus the first day might be the best idea - we can all get off, maybe he can sit down somewhere for a cold drink while the rest walk around some. I don't want him to be left out alot. Cabs I think will be too expensive to rely on exclusively for 9 of us. It would be so perfect to be able to afford a driver for the few days we were there to transport 9 of us, but I am sure it is out of our price range. Are there non traditional cabs, like mini vans?

If anyone has any suggestions - if you've visited NYC and are physically impaired or travelled with someone who is, any tips you can give me I would really appreciate.

Ellen

The most important question is, when are you coming to NY? Weather could play a huge factor in your father's ability to maneuver around the city. My best suggestion, with this limited info, is that you plan on getting a really early start every day before things get too crowded (sidewalks, lines, attractions). The next thing I would say is to plan your shows for the matinees - Wed and Sat. Some of the shows run late and it may be too long of a day for him. Also, sitting in the afternoon may be a good idea. Then, if he wants to, he can retire after dinner and you are free to run around with the kids at night to the Empire State Building, Times Square, Seaport, etc.

Judy

Ellen - we are making the decision now when we are coming. I think it is going to be the end of April (last weekend of our school vacation, and I think, mild enough weather for my parents).
Any ideas on the transportation?

ny

Judy:
Any chance of a wheelchair rental for Mom and Dad? NYC is pretty wheelchair accesible. The city buses all have lifts and some subway stations have elavators.
Museums etc, are all accessible.
Godo luck!

Jen

Sorry, I don't have specific suggestions on transport, but you might try getting a hotel in the Times Square/Theater district if your folks are capable of walking 2 or 3 blocks -- taxis and traffic are just awful when the shows are getting out.

Also, remember that there will be times then you don't travel as a group of 9; some people will get tired, others will have different ideas of where to go and you might want to split up (into a shopping group and a museum group for instance).

Your most economical and practical strategy might be to make a few appointments with a livery service for specific times and places for pickups, rather than hiring someone to be available to you all day. Taxis are not very expensive, partly because the distances involved in Manhattan are usually short. Perhaps livery service to get you where you're starting your day, then adhoc taxis later?

The hop-on-hop off Grayline tour would be good for your group; I bought the 2-day all-loops tour, which worked out very well.

Ellen

Judy, weather will be mild, but there is always the chance of April showers. Very hard to get cabs in the rain. Allow extra time. Get theater tickets asap so you can be in the orchestra and not have to climb stairs for balcony or mezz. Get your father an aisle seat if possible. The hop on/off bus is a great way to see the city. I think that is your best bet with 9 people. Do smaller museums instead of the Met - Frick, Whitney, etc. Find out where he wants to go, pull out a city map, and circle areas so you are not going back and forth. Make sure you look at the location of the theater when you pick your shows. You could be as low as 42nd St, or as far up as 54th.

xxx

I know I'll probably get flamed for this but here goes. Firstly, get a hotel right in the middle of Times Square as it is convenient to everything. I'd look into the Marriott Marquis, The Doubletree or the Sheraton which is a little up 7th Avenue. The reason is you can base yourself out of this area and aren't very far from Central Park, 5th Avenue, shopping, museums, etc. Secondly, do the Greyline Bus tour. You can get a two day all loop pass for $49. I'm sure Seniors and kids get a discount.

Give your parents down time. My parents like to be left in a swanky bar to people watch while the rest of us go nuts. My parents hung out at the Waldorf while we hit Saks.

The Met can be huge and overwhelming but take one of the free tours.

Good luck and keep us informed!

xxx

Museums generally have free wheelchairs available. The larger museums like the Met and the Museum of Modern Art usually have a bunch available first-come-first-served, while at other musuems you may have to make arrangements in advance. Their websites will have this information. Although some older people who don't absolutely need wheelchairs may be reluctant to use them, they really are an excellent idea in museums, allowing the users to conserve their "walking energy" instead of using it up on those long corridors.

Marilyn

Judy, you are simply going to have to allow something in your budget for transportation. With 9 people, you are looking at 3 taxis anytime you go anywhere together, unless you've got a couple of young children who can sit on laps. Most taxis won't take more than 4 adults. There are larger taxis, but you would wait forever trying to hail one, which is how you get a cab in NYC.

For that price it might not cost much more to have a car and driver for some of the days. Check with a limo/car service like Tel Aviv (a search on this site should get you their telephone no.). I'm sure you can arrange for a mini-van with one of the car services, but I don't know the cost.

The only other option, if you are really on a tight budget, is to put your parents in a taxi and the rest of you take public transportation and meet at your destination.

nyer

The car services like Tel Aviv (212) 777-7777 and Carmel (212) 666-6666 do offer hourly rates that aren't bad if you want to have a day of hopping from place to place. It's something like $25-$30 per hour (with a 2 hour minimum, plus tip) for a regular sedan seating maximum of 5 passengers. More obviously for bigger vehicle. If you group together a few places you just want to drive to, maybe some of you make a quick dash into, others wait in the car, you can make this kind of option worthwhile.
You can pretty much be sure that when you need a cab, you won't find one, but when you order a car service in advance (either by the hour, or for a specific trip, say from a restaurant to a hotel or theater) at least you'll know you'll
have one

Judy

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful considerations and very helpful info. I will have to think about all your different suggestions. I know they won't use a wheelchair. My father is very stubborn about that sort of thing.

We won't be doing museums - I don't think there is interest for that. Definitely theatre, Ellis Island, the village, jewish delis,cheesecake, etc. I know he wants to see all the different neighborhoods which is why the on/off Grey Line sounds perfect. I will keep you posted as I research it all. Thanks.

What

Please don't take this the wrong way but.. a trip to NYC for a group of 9, including elderly parents and children (how old are the children?) Sounds like a nightmare.

I love NY, but bear in mind that depending on the kids ages, you may be stuck with whiney kids who could care less about strolling around the village, jewish deli's, Ellis island or cheesecake. Compound that with orchestrating transportation and meals, it sounds exhausting. I know people are going to say "Oh it's a dream trip, grandpa wants to go to NY, blah, blah, blah, but have you thought about the logistics and dare I say it - the reality of that type of trip? Forget the cost of transportation, dining in NY is very expensive, and I don't care what anyone says, you aren't going to eat pretzels and hot dogs off the sidewalk for all your meals.

Never in a million years.

The best extended family and all age range trips are cruises, all inclusive resorts or ranch type vacations. People can do as much or as little as they want, they cater to all ages, it wouldn't take a tour guide/general to get every in gear and on the go, plus I have a feeling it would be a lot less pricey.

Now go ahead and call me a spoilsport, but it sounds like a disaster in the making, and a colossel waste of money, and it doesn't sound like grandpa has money to burn.

simply

What--- I agree with you.
How long must the hop on hop off buses be held up waiting for grandpa and grandma to climb the steps? Unless they are joggers and don't have any old age infirmities that could be a problem.

suzanne

I have to agree somewhat with "What were you thinking". It's going to be tough. My boyfriend and I once hosted four guests for the weekend, and walking around was a nightmare because all the touristy areas are literally crammed with people, making movement difficult esp. with a large group. It might be better to split into smaller groups for most of the day, then meet for dinner or at the theater.

The double-decker tour sounds like a good idea. A boat tour or the free Staten Island ferry (with its views of the Statue of Liberty) would also be good.

If you want to take cabs anywhere, you'd have to take THREE because you're not allowed more than four per cab.

It's not going to be easy, but I hope you manage to enjoy yourself!

jill

Please do all of us native New Yorkers a HUGE favor and do NOT all walk 9 abreast on the street. Do not all stand at the corner and not move when the light turns in your favor. Please practice saying "Excuse me" when you walk into others.

Jen

One place that might interest everyone is the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. Wonderful reconstruction of the immigrant lifestyle of 80-100 years ago, with multimedia suport (storytelling etc.) that will give the younger ones plenty of insight into just what it is that grandpa is remembering. Contact themin advance about your group to ensure that you're accommodated.

http://www.tenement.org/

Ellen

Yes, the Tenement Museum sounds like it would be perfect for you. I would also make sure the kids and everyone else has the address of the hotel, a phone number, and cash in case you get separated. Especially the kids. Some shows that the whole family will enjoy are Thoroughly Modern Millie and 42nd Street. Depending on the age of the kids you may also want to give them a break from the sightseeing and head over to the Central Park Zoo.

abc

"Jill" and "What are You Thinking", why don't you just shut up? Do you really think that this family should stay home because one of you is afraid of how they will walk, and the other thinks there are too many of them?

Judy posted here because she is PLANNING the trip - she didn't ask if any of you far superior people THOUGHT she and her family should visit NYC, they are going.

As Ellen, Marilyn, Jen and XXX have said there are arrangements that can be made ahead of time to make things easier for the entire family. I would like to suggest that you take Ellen's advice about the matinees. Exiting the theater into the crowded evening streets could be overwhelming to the senior members of your group, and also tough to keep track of the kids.

I certainly understand being on a budget, but since your trip is almost 7 months away, maybe you can do a little "family fund raising" for the show tickets, etc. I know, sounds a little corny, but if all of you (including the kids) get together and have a garage sale or put some things on a site like eBay, you have some extra spending cash in no time. We did this last year and used the money for all of our food expenses for a week (and no, we didn't eat hot dogs for 7 days.)

Also, as far as the bus tour is concerned, you don't HAVE to get off at every stop, you can ride the entire route if want to. Also, weather permitting, you could take the circle line boat cruise. I would taxi to the pier, sit inside where it's warm and enjoy the cruise. There are senior & student rates. This year's Entertainment book had 2 for 1 cruise tickets, I don't know if the 2003 book has them or not.

Talk to your Dad and see what is REALLY important for him to see/do and then work on the logistics to make it happen. One nice "event" per day may be enough for him, after all you want it to be enjoyable, not exhausting.

It's great that you are doing this, it will be a special time for all of you.

Kay

Judy-- don't let the negative people get to you..
You can do this with a LOT of, planning--you have time to check resources.
One thing we actually did--sent Mom and Dad ahead in taxi to several places and kids and I followed on bus (which was quite convenient)
Good advice is NOT to plan several
excursions in one day for parent an they will need at least one or part of a day just to rest...Several times we grown-ups divided the kids up and then took Mom and Dad off on side trip in taxi.. Also Gray Line tour (off & on type ) worked out well also.
We did a trip somewhat like yours and while it was not easy --90% of it was fun. Take lots of pictures..
In years to come you will be glad you put out the effort.

Judy

Again, I so appreciate all of your support and it is helping me a lot at this early stage of planning. In particular, it is becoming quite clear to me that I have to be so careful not to overplan too many activities. It is the experience of all being together in NY - I realize now its not going to be a trip crammed with running and doing all day long. The Tenement Museum sounds like a great idea, along with Ellis Island. I am going to check out their website.

FYI - my children are 17 and 15, and a 9 yr. old nephew. I am not concerned with any problems dealing with them. I like the idea of going out at night with the kids while Mom and Dad go back to the hotel after a full day.

My father has been talking about us seeing Lion King. From what I've read I think everyone should enjoy it. Any opinions?