Waterloo12

Hello, I apologize for yet another itinerary postings for New York City, but after reading several I have come up with my own and would love any suggestions. It really is hard to know how to organize as there is such a lot to do. I am planning on visiting NYC with my 2 teenage girls (16 and 18 years) at the end of June 2015. Some of the things I have chosen to do the girls have requested (it is a very touristy itinerary!). Here goes:
Day 1: Arrive at hotel (It is near Times Square which I initially didn't want to do but it is central and chosen for the reviews) about 2pm.
Walk through Times Square, up Empire State Bld to give girls an idea of the layout of NYC, visit Grand Central Station, and peep in the NY Public Library, get some pastries at Magnolia's Bakery and eat in Bryant Park (right near hotel). Evening: dinner somewhere (Carmine's restaurant?) and then walk around.
Day 2: Visit Museaum of Natural History earlier in the morning, perhaps try Shake Shack across the street for lunch, then a walk through Central Park exploring (Strawberry Fields, Bethesda Fountain..), walk toward the Met museum for girls to get photo taken on the steps as in Gossip Girls (have never seen it...). Walk back along fancy shopping streets, girls want to see Tiffany's and I want to visit Leonide's chocolates as we were in Belgium last summer. Dinner at John's at Times Square and we have tickets for Aladdin.
Day 3: Metro to National 9/11 museum and memorial (will buy tickets before we go), lunch nearby and girls want to go through Century 21 shops. Explore Battery Park and take Statue Tours of Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Back to get ready for dinner reservations near Gershwin Theatre (suggestions with the teenagers? nothing too fancy) where we have tickets to Wicked.
Day 4: Take the metro near to the Brooklyn Promenade then walk the promenade and over the Brooklyn Bridge toward NYC, lunch at Lombardi's Pizza. Spend the afternoon exploring Soho and doing a bit of shopping. Dinner out (not sure where) and then we are then looking for something to do in the evening. I wondered if the high line was a good evening walk? Or any other ideas for teens in the evening would be very welcome.
I really would appreciate any suggestions or comments. Thanks in advance.

IMDonehere

Please note that NY'ers do not call it the metro but the subway or the train. This was made more confusing a number of years ago when the agency that runs the subway called the entry ticket for the subway the Metrocard.

Although I appreciate your choice of chocolates, I suggest anyone of the following as we too were in Belgium last year but try:

Kee's
Payard's
Jacques Torres
MarieBelle

For those with stores in NY
Teuscher
Maison du Chocolat
LA Burdick
Vosges
_________

Carmine's may be convenient but certainly is not the best NY has to offer.

For burgers:
Brindle Room
Spotted Pig
Burger Joint in The Meridien
Corner Bistro
And Paul's Da Burger Joint-few tourists, pure NY

doug_stallings

In general, make dinner reservations whenever you can, especially if you have theater tickets. Places get busy at 6 before the theater, and restaurants in the theater district do book up. I'd hate for you to end up eating fast food all the time.

I just have a couple of additional suggestions. If you want a family-style Italian meal near Times Square, avoid Carmine's which doesn't take reservations and usually has a 2-hour wait, and make a reservation at Tony's di Napoli, which has better food served family style. Reservations at least a week in advance (2 if you can).

Going to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island takes about 4 or 5 hours, and you need to buy tickets in advance. It's very likely they could be sold out for your trip. You certainly won't be able to go into the crown, but perhaps to the pedestal. Check now ... today ... and reserve them if you can. But do that early, before the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Then go to the museum. I doubt you'll be able to do all that in one day, so you may have to live with the free Staten Island Ferry and a sailby of the statue. If you don't have a reservation, then you'll have to stand in line for 2-plus hours, and you don't want to do that in the summer heat.

Ditto for the Empire State Building. It's a mob scene and not pleasant. Advance tickets are a good idea, but even then you have to stand in line. Better in my opinion is Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, which rarely has a long wait (but you have to buy a timed ticket).

When you mention "pastries" at Magnolia, I hope you understand that they sell only cupcakes and cake, not pastries. For pastries, visit Bouchon Bakery at Rockefeller Center. Or perhaps you meant cupcakes. It's just a very different thing to me.

Near the Gershwin Theater, you may consider 5 Napkin Burger (reservations a MUST ... at least a week in advance, if not more). Uncle Nick's (Greek). Toloache (Mexican, and really good ... also reservations a must). I also like Maria Pia, but you will have already had Italian. A bit more upscale is ViceVersa, which I like but which may be a bit too fancy. And Thalia (really good, varied American food).

aGirlfromBrooklyn

I think your itinerary is great. Walking around NYC is awesome. Consider time to see the Met -- it is well worth it. I agree with Doug, especially about the Statue of Liberty tickets. We used to tell friends if you want to go be on line for tickets by 7AM. Alternatives are the Staten Island Ferry (free) and Governor's Island (ferries from Brooklyn and Manhattan). I usually avoid reservations for food unless I HAVE to go to that restaurant. There are many great places to eat and just wandering into one is sometimes the best part of being in NYC. Most, if not all restaurants post menus outside so you can decide if it is in your price range and matches your appetite. The best "review" is noticing how many are eating there and how happy they look. NY also has a rating system for cleanliness and violations. A, B and C with A being the best. That can be helpful if you're not sure where to go. I do know that some of my favorite places have scored a C at some point so it's not a guarantee that the place is "bad".

Sounds like you're eating exclusively pizza and Italian -- try a visit to Little Italy or cross Canal St. for Chinese.

As a Brooklynite, I'm happy you're planning to walk the Promenade and across the Bridge. Both are amazing!

Don't be disappointed if you miss something on your list. There's so much to see and do and discover. Sometimes the best visit to NYC is one where you don't plan anything!!!

BigRuss

THERE IS NO METRO IN NEW YORK CITY.

Call it that, and you'll get blank stares. The trains are the subway. The buses are . . . ridiculously slow. The closest thing to "Metro" is Metro-North - and that's a commuter train service you won't use.

Go to Veniero's on 11th and 1st for pastry.

Reconsider Carmine's - listen to Doug.

northie

Highly recommend Top of the Rock as previously said- better views over a wider area and tickets on line beforehand.
I love hi line walk - not sure about it night though.

Waterloo12

Those are great suggestions, thanks. I wasn't totally committed to the Empire State Building ( I think we had heard more about it then the Rockefeller thats all) so will take that advice. Also thanks for the restaurant recommendations.. will reconsider Carmine's!!
I will have to re-think the Statue Tours & 9/11 memorial day, I did wonder if that would be a bit tight. Is the Ferry usually crowded? Or perhaps we could book a 2 hour Circle Line tour instead that goes near the Statue. Then we would miss Battery Park.. is it worth a separate visit?
Again, thanks for all your careful considerations.

doug_stallings

You can certainly book a Circle Line tour, but I don't think it gets any closer to the Statue of Liberty than the Staten Island Ferry, and it's much more expensive. But a lot of people do like to have the trip around the harbor, so it's hard to say. I think the kids will get bored, but that's just me.

I'm not a great fan of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, but I understand why people want to go. But it's not something for me. The memorial is now a public plaza, so you can see that without going to the museum, and that wouldn't take more than half an hour. Nearby is a truly wonderful upscale food court called Brookfield Place (the old Winter Garden), and that's a great place for lunch ... and it also has the best bagels in NYC at Black Seed. There's a lot of other great stuff to see in NYC that I prefer (Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, any of our major art museums, the Highline, a round-trip on the Roosevelt Island Tram, etc. that I would organize that day very differently). But there's absolutely nothing wrong with seeing what's on your list, especially if that's where your interests lie.

doug_stallings

Sorry ... one more thing. I really do disagree with aGirlfromBrooklyn about the restaurant reservations. That strategy may work in Brooklyn, where most restaurants do not take reservations, but it's not a good strategy for the better places in the theater district, which do. If you spend your time looking at menus in windows, you'll end up eating at a deli or some touristy place because the area is insanely busy and crowded from 6 to 8 before the theaters open. The exceptions are the Thai restaurants along 9th Avenue in the 50s. None takes reservations, and they are cheap and pretty good. If you want Thai food, you'll have plenty of choices and can just pick the one that appeals to you.

IMDonehere

In Chinatown go to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory also you girls will probably love Pearl River.

If you want something very different, go during the week at lunch for dim sum at Jing Fong or Golden Unicorn. It will be the cheapest and most interesting meal of your visit.

There is little to see in Little Italy that isn't directed at tourists besides Lombardi's Pizza, Parm, and the place to get churros, close to what they serve in Spain. That your girls will probably love too.

They would also like the many, many owner/designer clothes shops on East 10 to East 7 between 2nd Ave and Ave A.

ElendilPickle

The food court Doug mentioned is Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place. We had lunch there last year after visiting the 9/11 memorial - Num Pang for me, Mighty Quinn's BBQ for Mr. Pickle - and the food was excellent. I'll second the recommendation.

Lee Ann

andyrenee

When I was a teenager my mom would take us to NYC every year and one of the highlights was Macy's in Herald Sqaure.
And if I was one only doing one museum the Met would win in a landslide. Any Gossip Girl fan would love to see the fashion especially with Chinese couture exhibit going on through August.

mclaurie

Any paid cruise whether Circle Line or nywatertaxi.com or one of the fancier ones like sail-ny.com or shearwatersailing.com will get much closer than the Staten Island ferry which is designed for transportation between Manhattan and SI, not a tourist trip with views. It's impossible o do the SOL/Ellis Island AND the 9/11 Museum which takes 2-3 hrs. Deide which is most i portant and plan accordingly.

While it may not be fair to make generalizations, I think most teen girls would prefer the Metropolitan Museum to the Natural History. The new costume exhibit "China through the looking glass" will be open. http://metmuseum.org/exhibitions/lis...-looking-glass
The Met is open late on Fridays and Saturdays.

I dont know if you've picked Carmine's just because you've heard of it or have been there yourself. It serves huge portions meant to be shared by 4 hungry adults and it's loud. I would think 3 women would much prefer something else. The area west of Times Square known as Hells Kitchen is now filled with good eating options including a good upscale food court called Gotham Market.

Near the Gershwin theater, Toloache or Hells Kitchen for Mexican, Don Antonio or Capizzi for pizza, Pure Thai Cookhouse or Danji dor Korean. Be aware that John,s doesn,t take reservations so it's not ideal to go there before a show.

Lombardi's always has long lines. Julianna's is nearby and not as well known (and just as good if not better).

Consider spending your evening wandering Greenwich Village, an area filled with students that you don't mention. Loads of good food, live music, shops. They might like themarketnyc.com...Cafewha.com is family friendly and fun.

nycguy10002

I have to concur on that we don't call our subway a 'Metro'. Also we refer to each subway line/route by the letter or number not by the color (which is more for a visual recognition and a way to follow it on a subway map than anything else).

Now about the MetroCard (amazing isn't it? - we don't call the subway a Metro YET our fare media is called a MetroCard - well that is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for you).

A new MetroCard has a 1 time fee of $1.00 when purchased at a booth (cash only) or MetroCard Vending Machine [MVM](cash/credit/debit). The card can be refilled at a booth or MVM at no additional cost. There is a limit of 2 daily credit or debit transaction in a MVM.

Do not fall into a trap I have seen many visitors get caught in - do not buy single fare cards @ $3.00 from the MVM. You will wind up spending more than you would want to (even with the $1.00 fee for a new regular MetroCard).

The only unlimited MetroCards are the 7 day $31.00 and 30 day $116.50 and each person would need to have their own. I know you will only be here for 4 days but I mention it for the benefit of others who might be interested.

One MetroCard will can cover up to 4 paid fares in the same turnstiles, so if there are only 3 of you then one card should be sufficient.

I am running out of space on a regular post - This will be continued in the following posting.

nytraveler

Well I think the Met is the greatest cultural institutioo in the western hemisphere. BUT, given that the Museum Nat'l Hist is also great and might be preferred by the girls based on their interests. if either is a budding scientist the dinos and evolution exhibits are not to be missed, nor are the many exhibits at the Hayden Planetarium. (They've been favorites of mine since I was 5; we're members and go to many of the lectures and most of the special exhibits there.)

If you are in love with the SoL you might still be able to get ferry tickets - even if the show full. Agree to get there very early - and you will probably get on a ferry - and be able to see it up close but from the outside But you need to allocate at least 5 hours for buying tickets, waiting for ferry, security Line for ferry (airline type security) ferries to the two islands and time to see the exhibits even in a rather cursory way. And you will need to pick between that and the 911 memorial if that's all the time you have.

Agree that you should use a couple of evenings to walk around some of the cuter residential areas - and have dinner in one of the hundreds of sidewalk cafes.

nycguy10002

Continued from above

Now what value to put on a MetroCard. The fare on the NYC Subway is $2.75 ($3.00 if were to buy single fare cards).
Any amount of $5.50 or more placed on a MetroCard gets an automatic 11% bonus. In the majority of cases there will be some amount left over on the MetroCard after you use up all the fares @ $2.75 (the turnstiles deduct $2.75 at each use).

Examples:
$5.50 gets a value of $6.11 which is 2 fares at $2.75 leaving 61 cents left over (remember you can add more money at at MVM - whole nickel amounts only) or booth (cash only but they will take any amount to be added).

The MVM will offer some basic amounts on the screen which you can choose or you can see the amounts I have worked out below.

The amounts you can add to have the least amount left over are (in using the MVM you would choose the Refill your MetroCard and "Other amount" buttons on screen):

$7.45 which will get you $8.27 for 3 fares ($8.25) and 2 cents left over)
$10.00 for $11.10 gets 4 fares ($11.00) and 10 cents left over.
$12.40 for $13.76 gets 5 fares (13.75) and 1 cent left over
$14.90 for $16.54 gets 6 fares (16.50) and 4 cents left over
$17.35 for $19.26 gets 7 fares (19.25) and 1 cent left over
$20.00 (this one has a button on the screen) for $22.20 gets 8 fares with 20 cents left over
$22.30 for $24.75 gets 9 fares ($24.75) with no amount left over
$24.80 for $27.53 gets 10 fares ($27.50) with 3 cents left over
$27.25 for $30.25 gets 11 fares ($30.25) with no amount left over.

Note: The MTA does not make the above information readily available on their website which is why I put it here. I have had many interactions with visitors who are trying to make sense of the MVMs (I see their confused looks as I am passing by as I am leaving a station or entering and try to offer assistance).

Anyway - Welcome to NY and have a great time.

maxima

The Staten Island ferry is free and runs on the hour and half hour. It takes about 20 minutes each way and you do get a nice view of the Statue of Liberty. If you take it at sunset on the return trip you get to see the buildings in lower Manhattan as the lights come on. It is crowded generally during rush hours, and you do get tourists at any time of day but its manageable. you wont be as close as the cruises around Manhattan, but it all depends on how you want to spend your time and money.

Do avoid Carmine's the food is meh, the servings are huge and you really don't want to have a long wait when going to the theater.

The Metropolitan Museum is open 7 days a week. Don't be put off by the admission price.. it is pay what you wish despite the suggested admission price.

if your girls want to shop a bit ..Forever 21, H & M(there is one on 42nd st) and Uniqlo (5th and 53rd St are pretty good for girls their age ... and won't break the bank

Leonides flies the chocolate in from Belgium. the shop is tiny the prices are not . as noted above there are lots of good chocolate shops in NYC.

Shake Shack.. expect long lines.. there is one in the Times Sq area too 8th Avenue and 44th Street

nytraveler

Note on evening dining out. If you visit Greenwich village, the east Village, Chelsea and the upper west side eating outside it's quite possible that you might see one or more celebs. Unlike many other places they are out on the streets in NYC all the time (I can't even begin to list the famous I have run into at the supermarket, vet's office, local stores and restaurants etc. Andnearly killed ALec BAldwin when he jumped out of a cab right in front of my car).

Also NYC has a listing of movies and TV shows being shot in the city at any time. I've lost the web site but if you call 311 when you get here they can give you info and your kids might have a chance to see "someone". (There are so many shows and commercials being shot that there is rarely more than a couple of weeks going by that I don;t see something being shot just in my usual getting around town.)

Waterloo12

I really really appreciate all the suggestions, I feel very lucky to have all the information that everyone took the time to write. Thanks for the restaurant options, the shopping suggestions (the girls won't have a ton of money for shopping so the stores geared toward teens would suit us very well) and nycguy, for the subway information, that will come in very useful.
The girls would love to see a celeb.. that's one task I can give to them to find out about! I think we will consider walking around Greenwich village for one of the evenings we don't have a theatre booked. I am usually a total planner and really should take some of the above advice and just wondering around. Am so looking forward to it, thanks again.

IMDonehere

Part of the NY culture is when you see someone famous, leave them alone.

Nothing could be more hit or miss than running into a celebrity.