Leave this Tues! What do you think of 4 day NYC plans? Restaurant ideas?

If you go the box above which reads "View by state" and click on New York, you will get a great deal of helpful inforamtion.

Agree with Aduchamp1 - look at New York forum for ideas - also for lunch / dinner you might try http://www.menupages.com/ for the area you'll be in at that time and for prices.

Top of the Rock - not Empire State building and get the combined ticket with MOMA and eat at the cafe(teria) sort of on the 2nd Floor - then go to the Theatre

Definitely Top of the Rock. Great views and usually a short wait.

I think MOMA has a free Friday evening(still?)

If you want some great views take the subway to Brooklyn, walk around the promenade area, have a pizza at Grimaldi's or ice cream at the Ice Cream Factory and then walk back to Manhattan on the Bridge. A great couple of hours.

I didn't see any time in your plan for walking in Central Park.

Reviewing any number of itineraries that visitors haveposted I note that there is a sort of cookie cutter regulalrity to them including just about the same sites - e.g. SOL, Top of the R., ESB, Grimaldi's, Times Square and etc. Allcertainly worthy of a visit especially for first timers. but it seems to me that by limiting a visit to these sites all visitors get to see is - other visitors. A suggestion: try for a lunch or dinner: take the Lex subway to 77 St. -walk up 3rd Ave. - lots of local places to choose from (many with outdoor tables)- all local folks and usually very friendly - a taste of the real town. Instead of the ferry to SOL with its long wait and crowds - try: (Friday and weekends) - the ferry to Governors Island (next to the Staten Island ferry) - a 10 minute ride and free. See historic Governors Island and the spectacular view of lower Manhattan and then they have a shuttle (or walk) to Picnic Point for the best view in town of the Statue of Liberty - this is the spot from which Pres. Reagan lit the torch by electric switch when renovations were completed a number of years ago.

thanks all, looking forward to trip!!

Don;t even think about Coney Island. A lot of things have closed, the area is quite unpleasant, it's an hour each way on the subway and there is little to see or do except the aquarium (and there are better elsewhere).

Agree to do TOTR instead of ESB (which has awful waiting lines)

You must do the Met (greatest cultural institution in the western hemisphere) - look at the web site to see what departments interest you most (Costume Institute? Temple of Dendur?)

Dance clubs won;t allow 19 year olds in - their liquor licenses are too valuable to lose. You can all do a comedy club - or a restaurant with music - but that's more likely to be jazz or similar.

For restaurants there are hundreds of choices. A budget would help.

But realie midtown is usualy more expensive - and if you get into the residentia areas (upper west side, village, lower east side) there will be a lot more moderate choices, many with outdoor dining for people watching,

thanks for the info on Coney Island. Anyone know about walking the brooklyn bridge? Is this a good walk, sounds exciting to me, but other mom has a bad knee.
Holly

I think you're lacking time to just soak up the city. Take the girls to SOHO for a day of just walking around, shopping at all the great shops, eating or resting with a drink at the many cafes and restaurants. The Brooklyn Bridge walk is an easy walk, take a subway over and walk around Brooklyn or since it's Summer, grab the water taxi at the South Street Seaport and boat over to Fulton Ferry Landing, grab an ice cream from the Ice Cream Factory right at your stop and then walk back over the BB. Best to do this at sunset, the views are amazing, and you see the city lighting up. Don't try to plan so much, as you will find so many things to do that your plans may get in the way. Have fun and know that you will be back!

Absolutely, as ziggydoo suggests, check out MenuPages.com. It's a great resource. We ate at a little place called Rachel's that we found thru MenuPages. It was excellent! Also, check out TripAdvisor.com. Lots of good suggestions there. I think 19 year olds probably would get a kick out of SoHo & Greenwich Village. Have a great trip!