Graziella5b

Please advise and suggest changes to our family's itinerary for our next month visit to NEw York City. Thank you for your help....I shall appreciate the know how of neoyorkers to tell me if it sounds feasable or not. Like going from Affinia 50 to Museum of Natural History seems will take a lot of time>? ...THank you.

1 st day Thursday

Every body tired from long trip.
Rockefeller Center and 5 th Avenue area.
Lunch at Beccos in West 46 street.
4 PM. Pre paid tickets for Top of the Rock
Dinner in hotel suite.
-----------------------

2 nd day Friday
Slip in two groups,
Parents and Children : Museum of Natural lHistory. 10 Am Taxi
Lunch nearby
Taxi
3 PM reservation at Sony wonder Technology Lab at
550 Madison Ave
Light dinner at hotel suit
Theater Mamma Mia 8 PM
-------------------------------
Grandparents: lunch at L ' Ecole in 462 Broadway
Getting there by subway 6, then Subway C to ground Cero. Back to hotel
Avoiding rush hour.....hopefully

Day 3. Saturday

Subway 6 to Brooklyn Bridge entrace in Manhattan side, 10.00 AM
Walk the Bridge
Subway C at High Street Exit , to Canal St.
Lunch at Balthazar
Walk around Soho, places like Innovation Store, Scholsatic, Apple Soho store,
and some landmark buildings like King of Greene.
Any suggestions >?
Subway 6 to hotel

Day 4 Sunday
Parents and children, Brunch at 11.Am at Turkish Kitchen. Third and 28 st
3 PM Broadway show Lion King

grandparents, 10.15 Mass at St Patricks
Lunch some place or Brunch

Day 5 Monday

Museum of MOdern Art. 10 AM
Lunch in Cafe 2 at Museum
Visit some places like Meatpacking etc
or South St Sea Port....

Day 6 Tuesday
Metropolitan Museum
Lunch at Boat House in Central Park
riding bicycles
7 PM theater Elliot

The End

mclaurie

It all looks reasonable. Yes, it will take time to get from the hotel in midtown east to the museum on the upper west side but you're on vacation, not an army march!

Some odds and ends comments:

>Becco is not particularly convenient to Rock Ctr. (nor is it particularly special imo). Unless it's a favorite from a previous trip, I'd choose something that doesn't require going so far out of your way.

> I would take the subway to Brooklyn and walk back to Manhattan over the bridge so you have the Manhattan skyline in front of you. You might also want to visit the Brooklyn Promenade while you're in Brooklyn for some iconic views.

>Day 6 seems like too much for the kids. They may be exhausted by the evening for the show. Riding bikes and getting sweaty will likely require going back to the hotel to change for the theater and it's an early curtain. You might consider switching the order of things or doing the park and bike ride on day 5, Monday after lunch.

J62

Seems reasonable here too.

Regarding lunches, I find the food court in the Rock Ctr basement to be quite convenient w/ some tasty options. Not as elegant as going out, but it's "right there"

Lunch at AMNH museum - go to a deli near your hotel in the morning, pack a (soft sided cooler works great), or eat at museum cafe - going outside the museum isn't really convenient.

Aduchamp1

The brunch at Turkish Kitchen is not only a great bargain but great food. I am glad you are partaking in NYC's choices of ethnic food.

On your SOHO walk add Evolution on Spring Street and Dean & Deluca on Broadway, the food store that is the original food museum with very high prices.

Aduchamp1

There are scores of Italian restaurants that are better than Becco and many French Bistros which are cheaper and have a unqiue atmosphere such as Casimir, Lucien, and Flea Market.

Echnaton

Somehow, the word "overplanned" pops into my mind...

Seriously: You cannot plan everything in advance. Some activities are weather-dependent, e.g. the walk across Brooklyn Bridge and Top of the Rocks.

A few comments:

- Top of the Rocks is most impressive at sunset. The tickets are very expensive. What happens if you buy those expensive tickets with a time window and you cannot see anything because it rains cats and dogs? What you can do: If you see, the weather is fine you can buy a timed ticket online (in your hotel's business center) or at one of the ticket booths. If you go in the evening to the ticket booths, expect to wait in line for 30 minutes (one person of our party is enough) and to get a ticket for a time which might be an hour or two later.

- The best walk over Brooklyn Bridge is from Brooklyn TO Manhattan and not the other way round. From High Street subway station, the way to the bridge is short and clearly marked. Again, Brooklyn Bridge is weather-dependent - although I agree it is one of New York's best experiences.

- I have not seen a ride on Staten Island Ferry. I would include it - it is free, requires a little more than an hour and provides fantastic views of Liberty Island and Manhattan. (If the weather is fine.)

- MoMa: Buy your tickets online in order to skip the lines.

owlwoman

Hi Graziella,
Welcome to NY!!!! Sounds like you have a good plan, I agree with the other posters, stay flexible, some of your activities are very weather dependent. My best advice is the earlier you get to a place (like the museums/Brooklyn Bridge), the less crowded it will be.

You can also buy tickets for the Museum of Natural History on line, look into joining the museum first, might be more cost efficient, plus you get a special member line/discount. For lunch, the cafeteria is not great (and expensive), I would try and have a bigger breakfast then have lunch when you leave the museum.

Also, FYI, there's a "crosstown" bus on 49th and 50th Street that might come in handy when going East/West and vica versa.

For more ethnic food, the restaurants on 9th Ave. are all pretty good.

Hope this all helps.

Graziella5b

Thank you all. I do not know if any of you care for my opinion but being an American born elsewhere who has lived 14 years in New York ( ages ago) , and now quiet a few years in Miami I have to
put in black and white how I feel , and that is that Newyorkers are very unique , always in a hurry but kind and helpful. Also very sharp and with a lot of good sense.
I am taking note of all the advice you haave given me , I understand that may be it is a little overplanned but I am very flexible, more than a plan it is a guidance. Thank you again.

ellenem

MoMA offers a combined ticket with Top of the Rock for $30. I'm not positive if you must use the ticket all on the same day, but it might be worth checking for your group.

One neighborhood that is missing that I think may be worth some time: Greenwich Village.

For the grandparents on Friday, from L'Ecole, it would not be that long a walk to the World Trade Center site from the restaurant. In any case, the "Subway C" would not be the best choice in my opinion. Instead, they should return the the 6 train and take it to its last stop, Brooklyn Bridge. They will be right by City Hall, can walk south through City Hall Park, walk past and/or visit St Paul's Chapel, and then visit the WTC site.

padams421

I think your itinerary looks great. We always pack a lot into our NYC trips with the kids and yours is doable.

BigRuss

The food offerings at the AMNH are crap and they're expensive. Eat elsewhere. You said in your itinerary nearby -- that's a better choice.

I like Becco but there are better Italian restaurants and unless they've refurbished the place since the last time I've been there, it's a tight fit with a large group.

You're better off riding bikes in the park on a Sunday when vehicular traffic is prohibited on the various park loops.

Go to the various galleries in SoHo, not the Apple Store.

doug_stallings

When you go to the Natural History Museum, you could have lunch at Shake Shack. It's a couple of blocks from the museum's southern entrance, and it's now a NYC institution. Plus, the line on a Friday may not be too bad for lunch. But there are many other nearby options if you don't want to deal with the crowds there. Just walk to Columbus Avenue.

Instead of Becco, perhaps you could have lunch at The Modern (in MOMA). The bar room serves small plates, so you can save money by getting less for the kids (the two kids, for example, could probably split an Alsatian tart, which is not unlike a pizza with onions and bacon, and a smaller appetizer. That's more than enough food for a typical kid and would run you about $20 each. The adults can get by on a little more, and you'll end up spending not that much more than you would for a very mediocre meal at Becco.

bachslunch

I think your itinerary is perfectly fine and not at all over-planned. Am thinking you'll be wise enough to make itinerary adjustments if needed (can't imagine you'll do something foolish like walk the Brooklyn Bridge during a raging thunderstorm, for example). There are no shortage of museums to explore if a rainy day hits and makes outdoor plans impossible.

Am assuming by "Meatpacking" you're referring to the Meatpacking District. I'm not aware of any tourist related things to do there, and what little I've read suggests it's an area of minimal appeal. Then again that's not a part of Manhattan I've explored. Given the wealth of interesting neighborhoods in NYC, I'd choose other areas over this one.

I also was underwhelmed by the South Street Seaport Museum, but your kids may like walking around here and exploring the shopping areas. For my money, am thinking one can find more compelling places in Manhattan.

Graziella5b

Again thank you all. Doug Stallings , I think your advice is great, I thought The Modern would be to expensive for us, but the possibility of small plates at the Bar seems ideal. I can feel the general perception that Becco is not it, and that the MNH does not offer the best of foods .
Echnaton, you are right,following your advice I am not buying ahead of time the tickets for the Rock.Not a good idea. Also the ride in the Staten Island Ferry had slipped my mind I shall fit in someplace.
.. and I agree it is a wonderful ride. IT has the distinction of being the only thing in all NY that is cheaper now, it was a quarter in my time.
How about the South Street South Port, do you think we should go.?
The UN , I think it is relevant to go, I used to work there as a foreign delegate, today I better do not tell how I feel about the UN, however I believe the children can have a quick look.

EricH

If the weather is nice on Saturday, do your day 6 daytime activities and swap your day 3 plan to day 6.

The suggestion to take the subway to Brooklyn and stroll the Promenade before crossing the bridge is excellent.

There are some nice restaurants west of the AMNH if you want to stay in the area for lunch.

I'd skip the UN, for a variety of reasons.

bachslunch

I've toured the UN. While it's okay, I'm not sure it's at the top of my "NYC must see" list, especially since parts of it are currently under renovation and not available to tour. But if the place holds special meaning, there's certainly no reason not to go.

Echnaton

When you are coming from the Staten Island Ferry, the South Street Seaport might be on your way, especially when you intend to work your way up through Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo. When you just walk by, you see three or four more or less historic ships, including a tall ship. There is a maritime museum (which we did not visit) and an area with lots of souvenir shops, ice cream stands, restaurants and other touristy things. The Seaport might appeal to your children.

doug_stallings

I must admit that I'm having a few second thoughts about my recommendation of The Modern. I was just looking and the prices are higher than I was initially thinking. Almost all dishes are under $20, but most are over $15, and for lunch you'll probably want 2 things each, so it would be more than Becco, where lunch is a base price of $18 per person (could be closer to $40 per person, and I'm not sure you'll want to spend that much for lunch, so this might be a better dinner option). I don't want you to be surprised (and I also want you to make sure the food is ok for you and your kids). It's still a good option for you, though, and pretty reasonably priced for the high quality of the food.

There are a few midtown restaurants that have deals for lunch. And remember that with 6 people, you probably will need a reservation, even for lunch if you want a sit-down meal. You can usually call that morning upon arrival and be accommodated, or you can make reservations online right before your departure.

Graziella5b

Hi all, thinking how to make the best of our time and avoiding subway transfers if possible I came up with this, however to convince my daughter I need some assurance , please help,

Saturday
Take line 6 Subway to City Hall, ( I know it is better the walk the opposite way but it is much easier for us to get to the Manhattan entrance versus two subway transfer the other way)
-walk the bridge ( we can always stop a little looking back ,taking pictures etc)
-have early lunch at Grimoldi + Ice cream factory
this is the catch, get at High Street the C line Subway all the way to the Natural History Museum, I checked it takes 28 minutes!!) hoping to get there around 3 Pm and then later taxi to hotel.
Is this doable on a Saturday or should I find another day.>?

bachslunch

The Saturday itinerary sounds good in theory, though note that there can be closures of certain subway lines on the weekends for track work and such. As long as the C line isn't affected, you'll be fine; if not, you may be out of luck. Would recommend getting to Grimaldi's at or a little before opening time, as waits can be long there otherwise.

The only other problem I can see is that the Natural History Museum is gigantic, and closing time here is 5:45 PM. Not sure how much of it you want to see, but when I went, I spent the better part of the day and loved it -- it's an amazing place. If you get there at 3 PM or later, you'll notably limit your options.