3. You can get almost the same discounts as the TKTS booth by looking at Broadwaybox.com playbill.com and theatermania.com. You print off the discount offer and get the tickets (assuming availability) at the box office. No waiting on line for hours.

2. Not much to see on Wall Street, They no longer offer tours of the exchange, so the most you'll see is crowds of people in suits going to lunch or taking smoking breaks outside.

Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty ferry will be busy all summer. An educated guess is that weekends might be slightly busier since some people just vacation over the weekend.

5.The Apple store on 5th avenue is open 24 hours. Fit it in as late as you can.

B&H and J&R are both good stores with good prices, J&R can be crazy during the week because its location is good for both downtown tourists and workers in the neighborhood. There are several stores on one block and it can be overwhelming, in my opinion. B&H is closed Friday afternooon and Saturdays. It specializes in cameras and related equipment and that's where it excels

Just a couple of comments (you will get lots of great detailed advice from others):

Eat in the Met cafe. It will be easier and allow you more time in the museum; many restaurants in the surrounding area are overpriced.

Your kids might like the entertainers in Central Park. There are often musicians, rap artists, skaters showing off, etc. although more on the weekends than a Fri.

The Apple store on Fifth Avenue has the cool glass cube; however, it is the busiest, highest grossing store in the world and it can be oppressively crowded. If your kids want to 'play' with Macs or ipads, consider the newest store in Grand Central. I've been there many times and it doesn't get as crowded. fyi - the 5th Ave store is open 24/7.

One other thing. I highly recommend a Broadway play. There is nothing like it. Save time and buy online in advance at www.playbill.com or another discount site.

I work in Times Square and there are visitors at all hours including early morning. You walk around Times Square. It is always crowded, but there are fewer cars allowed in these days and more areas for pedestrians. It runs from 42nd to approximately 49th Streets. It is more dramatic and more crowded at night.

While traffic in NYC can be heavy it is nothing like Rome (no traffic lights and chicken is king) or Shanghia (chaos). The problem in NYC is traffic and taking forever to get anywhere. If you can get there by 3 pm do that - dump the car and you have he rest of the afternoon and evening for yourselves. Easier to drive in daylight than dusk or dark.

A couple of notes - for transit feet are best and subway is fastest for longer distances.

For the Ellis Island ferry ONLY timed tickets will do - otherwise you could be on an interminable line.

The Rock Center tour gets generally poor reviews and I wouldn't waste the time.

For something else in the area near Grand Central go to the Main branch of the library (not a lending library but for research only). Always has great exhibits and the reading room is gorgeous. I believe this is the second largest in the world.

For tickets to a broadway show do not waste valuable time in NY standing on line. Go to Broadwaybox.com in advance and get the discount code for the show you want and buy through the official tickets seller for will call at the box office. This is esp important for 5 people - since you may well have trouble getting 5 seats together at TKTS.

I think you have good answers to most of your questions. I'd just like to reiterate how much time you save with a timed ticket to Ellis Island. Hours, particularly in the summer. But you need to make the reservations now. You're actually kind of late nd may not find a prime time even now. Go early. The museum takes a long time if you really look at the exhibits nd watch the film. I'd skip Liberty Island entirely.

Much of the UN is under renovation now, so check to see What you can actually see there to know if it's worth it. The audio tour of Grand Central is fun but perhaps only for the adults.

It's a little early for June discounts on Broadway Bo's, but keep looking and definitely buy tickets in advance. But you absolutely do not need to stand in line for hours at TKTS. If you want to see some show but don't care which one, there are always tickets. Arrive at 5 on a weeknight, and you will likely have tickets by 5:30 or 6, then grab dinner and go to the show.

I'd also strongly recommend arriving no ater than 3. The Dumont is near the Midtown Tunnel and gets a lot of traffic after work.

I have been following your replies on my phone and am finally getting a chance to reply on the computer properly.

If we are done checking out the college we will definitely try to make it earlier in the day into the city. We'll have to see how that plays out though.

Doug, I have played with several dates on Statuecruises.com, which is the link from the National Parks site for Ellis Island. The dates I am looking at are all fairly open. Do I have the wrong site? Or maybe the crown being closed has deterred some tourists from going? In any event, I will decide soon and make my purchase. I am thinking of getting an earlier time (9am?) in case it's a warm day and it would give us the option to spend more time there if we want to.

Central Park Girl, Central Park definitely sounds more fun on the weekend. But wouldn't the Met be pretty busy if we swapped days and went there on Saturday? I wanted to pair them for ease of getting to the sites.

Also, I had wondered if the big Apple store would be crowded. We do have several apple stores in our hometown, so I think the novelty and the "wow" factor are probably the main draw.

will definitely cross off a Rockefeller tour from my list... Is there a favorite place to eat in the complex?

Yes, the main Apple store will be crowded - it always is except in the middle of the night. When I go I do it either earl Sunday morning or late at nigh (it;'s open 24/7). If you actually want something done/bought (I used to upgrade by operating system) you need to make an appointment to do so,

I don' t want to mislead you. Central Park is busy all the time. It's unlikely that there would not be street entertainers on a Friday in June. In CP and the Met, there are lots of visitors every single day. Common areas for entertainers are near the Mall, (north at 72 St and at the south end too), and Bethesda Fountain, but can be found throughout the park. These performers are not scheduled so they can be anywhere at any time but some of them are regulars.

As far as Apple, the glass cube is quite striking, but if you descend the glass staircase, it looks like an extremely crowded store. If your children want to use the new iPad or a Mac, they will have a better chance to do that in Grand Central. And btw, GC is a visitor's destination too. Since rescued and restored in the late 80's, it is beautiful including the ceiling. Consider a tour.

Just wanted to add that I am looking at a similar itinerary, going with 2 13 y/o's in late June. One activity I'm looking at is Scott's Pizza Tours, they got great reviews and I think would be a nice way to get info on a local area. Plus we get to eat NY pizza!

I have kids and we go to the city often. A few kid friendly options are:
The Beast Speedboat
Intrepid
Wax museum
Virgil's BbQ
5 napkin burger
Holy cow ice cream?
Lenny's Deli (all locations)
Serendipity
Sports Museum (downtown)
Also, if you don't want to splurge on Broadway show, Stomp is at downtown theater. Kids loved it.

I know these are a little touristy but it breaks up all the adult stuff.

Ellens Stardust Diner
www.ellensstardustdiner.com/
check it out-waitstaff on roller skates singing

The Met Museum is open late on Fri. and Sat. nights and has live music in the evening hours. This potentially leaves daytime for other things that you were considering. Imo, if you don't get to NYC by 3pm on your entry day, I'd head to Brooklyn or Long Island City for views of the skyline and maybe an early dinner. The Brooklyn Promenade or Gantry Plaza in Long Island City both offer great views.

J & R and B & H are not the sort of places to browse imo. They offer good prices and people go to buy. The Apple store is more a place to browse imo.

Buy discount tickets in advance using bwaybox or Playbill (you have to register for free) or print out the discount and bring it with you. Take it to the theater when you arrive and buy tickets for another day. Most shows are dark on Mons. and many don't have discounts for Sat. night so that leaves Sun. matinee or a few shows do Sun. evening performances. Whether you use TKTS or not, you do need to figure out when you're going to go since the days you're here have some limitations.

I'm not sure what greenery you see where you live, but Central Park is not just greenery. It's a coming together of the people of NYC and visitors. It's as much a people watching venue as it is a very varied green space.

I have sons 16 and 14, and we have been to NYC several times. Your trip plan looks good overall. You have excellent comments and advice above so I won't repeat. I didn't see anyone mention that you should buy your Empire State Building tickets ahead of time, and splurge for the VIP or whatever the best ticket is called. You will bypass much of the line, and add time back into your trip.

My 16yo has toured Cornell, and loved it. Ithaca is a beautiful place. Are you going to tour Columbia or NYU during your time in NYC?

Wow, thanks to those reviving my post.

McLaurie, I did ultimately go to playbill and bought tix for Nice Work if You Can Get it; I checked in for advice on that on one of the Broadway threads. Really looking forward to it. The idea of staying later at the Met Friday could work out great. I will mull that over!

Regarding the electronics shopping, I should explain that my son assembled his own computer in eighth grade and put Linux on it. He is a fan of PCs, open source and Android. It's been a couple of years I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to change/upgrade/add something to his computer again. I am doing this for him. If you know a better store than the ones I mentioned, please steer me to it! I have spent a few hours looking around and it's overwhelming. The Apple Store will be of interest only to say that he went and because my youngest really loves Apple and will want his picture there.

KBrenn, I will map out on Google all of your restaurant ideas. What is in your sports museum? Is it a good one? We are primarily basketball and soccer fans.

kenav, The people-watching element is also a huge part of our urban spaces; I do get what you're saying. The main problem is that our time is limited.

padams421, What does your son want to major in? What did he like about Cornell and where did you stay in Ithaca? We are figuring that there is likely at least one more trip back east for my son and me. That visit is probably a year away, although your thoughts on any of the schools mentioned are welcomed!

Recently took two groups of kids on the NBC Tour at Rockefller Ctr which they all liked a lot. You visit the sets of SNL, NBC News with Brian Williams, Jimmy Fallon or Dr. Oz, others, weather, behind the scenes. Lasted 1 hour. Well done .

HappyTrvlr, how old were the kids in your group? What did you enjoy about it? Had most of you visited a TV studio before and how did the experience compare?

I ask because previous posters on this thread told me the Rockefeller tour generally gets poor reviews and to skip it.

Actually, I went on the tour as a child back when it was all radio! The kids I took were 11,14,14,16., three girls, one boy. For two of them, it was their favorite thing in the city..One of them was chosen for the weather "program", i.e. They had be the weather broadcaster and do the show with the invisable green map. They also all loved the NBC Store in the lobby. SNL set was a big hit too.

They are all rather sophisticated, well traveled kids and they all liked it. It was not touristy schlock.Also loved the Met and MoMA, Greenwich Village, Ellis Is, Broadway shows.

Do make reservations for lunch after St.Pats. Restaurants get crowded in NYC. The restaurants in Rockefeller are lovely for a special treat.
I recommend Memphis as the show to see. Great for kids and it has an excellent message. Wonderful music.
Of course you are going to see Columbia when in NYC. Great college and the campus might surprise you. Of course the term will be over but there still should be kids around.

Don't be afraid of driving in NYC.

Recently I drove a 10 ft. Budget rent truck through Manhattan, from the GW bridge at like 178th st. all the way down Broadway to and through Times Square to a hotel on W.40th St. At 9 p.m. in the dark by myself.


It is like driving in any big city really. Just watch out for the other guy and watch for the one way streets. And know ahead of time where you are going to park the car- research this ahead of time.

Elaine and others: Which restaurant near St. Patrick's should I look at for lunch?

Emd3: Thank you, it is good to have that reassurance. I had to direct my brother when were driving in Rome and that was absolutely a war zone so I'm figuring this can't be worse. I will definitely have it mapped out though!

The Sea Grill at Rockefeller center is lovely. A real treat. In the Theater district I recommend Becco esp. with kids. Just upscale enough to feel special and most kids really love the pasta and the way it is served.

I think we are probably looking at something more casual for lunch. I notice there are a couple of sandwich shops in Rockefeller Center (wichcraft or hale &hearty) and so we will probably just do one of those and maybe go into dean and deluca for some dessert treats after.

While Sea Grill at Rock Center is very good - and has nice views - the prices are definitely upscale. There are other choices in the area that have menus with non seafood choices. You might look at Rock Center Cafe or Bar Americain.

Cheek out menupages.com for actual menus with dishes and real prices.

5alive, if you are looking for sandwich places in Rock Center area, take a look at Tri-Tip Grill. They have all differnet kinds of sandwiches, salas, small plates, etc. and wines. Reasonable prices and good fresh food.

We have been there several times and really like it.

http://tritipgrill.com/#/food

I prefer Pret a Manger for sandwiches in the Rock Center concourse (which is open on weekends), though there is limited seating, so you sometimes have to take things over to the big dining area by the windows.

Many consider the two most beautiful architectural designs in NYC Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge. It is s not only known for as a green oasis in the largest city in America but for its grand design including the exquisite bridges, the reservoir, the rambling paths, the zoo, the statues, and the activity it attracts.

There is plenty for kids and adults.

For ice cream:

Il Laboratorio de Gelato
Cones on Bleecker Street
Grom, an expensive Italian chain
Chinatown Ice Cream factory
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Cones and Sundaes on East 10th Street

5alive, Im not a techie but I do good rearch. B & H and J & R are places for great prices but not necessarily for touching and feeling. The Wired store is one place that looks promising http://www.nyc.com/shop/the_wired_store.635804/editorial_review.aspx. This place also looks promising but isnt open on Sundays. http://www.computernyc.com/. Why not get your son to do some research himself on where HE would look to look. Yelp.com is one good source for reviews.

As for lunch after St. Pat's, for a casual place, you can't make reservations. There's a food court under Rockefeller Center with a bunch of options. But if you walk over to 7th ave, Fluffy's is a good diner that serves breakfast & lunch where you can get table service. http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/fluffys-cafe-bakery/

We'll definitely do one of the casual choices mentioned above for lunch that day. I especially appreciate the gelato and ice cream recs, Adu.

Thanks, mcLaurie for your additional finds. The computernyc store looks promising. We had nixed the Wired store because on Yelp it was described as a popup store for the holidays. Obviously there's a website that you found for the actual store. (Yelp also listed stubhub as a computer store so their search on this topic is less stellar than usual.) I will probably leave this point to him until when he gets out of school and has more time. I should be more specific in these posts but tend to get too long already. My hours looking, he was home and helped look during breaks from working on a research paper. He isn't realistic yet in thinking through the logistics of getting places. He had reasons for two ones we narrowed it down to--probably prices or specific products.

Guess I posted too soon-- I read the wired web page more and it's a pop-up store for the holidays.

5alive, I just remembered to come back and read through your full thread. Great advice so far!

Driving:
- Doug's comment about rush hour traffic near your hotel is no joke! In the afternoon/evening rush, a huge volume of traffic will be heading east towards the outbound Midtown Tunnel, accessed from 34th Street.
- So if your travel from Ithaca ends up being on the later side, *do not* come down the West Side Highway and then across - much better to go south on the FDR Drive from the top of Manhattan and exit at 34th Street... (Look at google maps to see all this.)
- Traffic in NYC is almost entirely volume. And car honking. And obstinate NYers not budging an inch when you try to merge (guilty as charged...). And, when the opportunity arises, some hotshot thinking he can zig and zag and cut you off as you inch forward! But in the end, nothing compared to the cities you mentioned!

Hotel neighborhood:
- This area is pretty generic, but happily centrally located. For example, it's an easy walk to Grand Central Terminal (less than 1/2 mile), and also to Madison Square Park (notable for the first Shake Shake, which still operates there).
- Lex in the immediate blocks is fairly barren. However, head south a few blocks and you'll be in "Curry Hill", one of the best places in the city for Indian food, especially South Indian. If you're interested, I can give some specific rec's.
- You'll find more restaurants along 3rd Ave. A few long-time NYC chains have locations near you: Patsy's Pizzeria, Jackson Hole Burgers, Blockhead Burritos, Lemongrass Grill.
- Daniel's Bagels is old-school, with a case full of smoked fish right when you enter the store and fresh bagels all day. And you're so lucky to be near the "new" location of 2nd Ave Deli!
- Murray Hill Diner is a perfectly serviceable diner nearby, and Guy & Gallard is good for takeaway sandwiches and salads.

Regarding tech stuff:
- If your son is into building his own computers, he might want to check out the NYU Computer Store, probably the best brick-and-mortar store in NYC for components, sensors, etc. However, you'd have to switch this for a different day since it's closed on Sundays.
http://www.bookstores.nyu.edu/computer.store/
- School will be out for the summer, but if he's interested, you could see about meeting with someone from NYU's Computer Science or ITP programs. Parsons has a similar program to ITP called Design + Technology, but unlike the former includes an undergrad program. Both NYU and Parsons are in the Village.
http://itp.nyu.edu/
http://amt.parsons.edu/programs/dt/
- I know there are locations in NYC related to Make Magazine. I swear I walked by one just the other day! But can't seem to remember at the moment... If I do think of something, I'll let you know.

As for your itinerary:
- Friday and Saturday will be easy to begin from the 6 subway station around the corner on Park Avenue and 33rd Street.
- Personally, I would combine your SoL/Ellis Island with walking around in the area, including Wall Street. You won't see much different on a weekday in the financial district anyway. Depending on the weather, you also could take the free ferry from Bowling Green to Governor's Island:
http://www.govisland.com/html/home/home.shtml
- Sunday, I would swap this afternoon with Monday (see my note about NYU above, and the AMNH is open on Mondays). I'm not sure I'd recommend Pret a Manger for lunch: while I find the sandwiches yummy, and until recently this chain was a novelty in NYC, they are very pricey for the amount of food you get, and the shops are really geared for takeaway service. I'm not sure I have a better suggestion though, especially on a Sunday when the work-week places will be closed. Places I like are a little farther north, like La Bonne Soupe on 55th Street, or Joe's Shanghai for soup dumplings on 56th.
- Do come out to Brooklyn! Even if it's just a walk over the bridge to DUMBO. Any interest in going out to Coney Island?
- One thing I'll say about the Tenement Museum is that it is very different from any museum you'll see in DC. (In scale, the Met is more similar to DC museums.) The fact that it's accessible by guided tour only means that its history comes alive for visitors. However, if it's hot out, it gets very stuffy in those small rooms - talk about realism LOL.
- On Tuesday, if you haven't by this point, you could visit Grand Central and take a tour. An easy walk to/from your hotel, and you could check out the food options on the dining concourse for lunch:
http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/
- If you still have time after that, walk a little farther west to the New York Public Library and Bryant Park behind it. More lunch options here and you could picnic at one of the many small tables - but know it gets crowded with office workers at the peak of lunch hour!

After all that, I still forgot two things I wanted to add...

Rental car dropoff:
- Regarding logistics, IMO I think your best bet will be to pull over on 34th Street and unload everyone and the luggage, then have the driver go straight to the rental car office to return it while the other parent checks into the hotel.
- There is a loading zone in front of the hotel, but it's not meant for parking. The opposite side of 34th Street doesn't allow any stopping. There is metered parking if you turn left onto Lex, or continue around the block onto 3rd, but no guarantee any will be available.
- If you do end up approaching the hotel on 34th Street from the east (FDR Drive), to end up in front of the hotel: turn right onto 3rd Ave, left onto 35th Street, left onto Lex and then left again onto 34th Street.
- If it seems like too much to deal with the car straightaway, you could always spend the $$ to put the car in the parking garage across 34th Street from the hotel for a half-hour or so.

Supermarkets:
- I covered places for takeaway and bagels, but meant to include area supermarkets too! The closest decent supermarket (not deli or grocery) is the Food Emporium on 3rd Ave and 32nd Street. It's better than the D'Agostino on 3rd Ave/38th Street. (FWIW, you can purchase beer in delis and groceries in NYC, but have to go elsewhere for wine and hard alcohol.)
- There also is a large Duane Reade drugstore on the corner of 34th and 3rd Ave, which would carry mainstay grocery items in addition to health & beauty products.
- In Curry Hill, do stop into Kalustyans, an emporium of spices and all comestibles middle eastern and south asian, even if it's just to see the eye-popping array of goods.
http://kalustyans.com/

GGreen: Need to give up the computer for homework priorities but wanted to let you know I checked back in and will be studying the traffic routes into the city and also your dining recs. I did stumble onto Murray Hill Diner and Second Ave. Deli on my own and I printed out a multi-page food post of Aduchamp's that I need to take to a Google Map and find some that I will get to.

I do like the NYU store idea. Honestly we hadn't seriously thought about visiting there this trip. I don't enjoy long driving trips if I'm the main driver, and DH loves them, so the CMU/Ithaca thing grew out of our personality preferences. My thought was I'd be coming back to the East Coast at least once with my son, and that I'd see more then.

Will post back with more questions later....thanks for now!

Well, good thing you didn't read my posts too closely. Even though I previewed before submitting, I still see some gaps... Should be Shake ShaCK in Madison Square Park. And by "combine your SoL/Ellis Island with walking around in the area", I meant in the area of Manhattan in the vicinity of the ferry dock, not in the waters around the islands-!

Aduchamp has excellent restaurant rec's. I just wanted to provide some guidance in the environs of your hotel - and I see you already have done some excellent sleuthing! I'm pretty sure we've all told you by now about menupages.com, too. Second Avenue Deli was a favorite of mine in its original location; sadly I haven't made it to dine on 33rd Street in too long... great corned beef!

And I wouldn't add on the universities for this trip, either. I think I got a little carried away! But at least you'll get an idea on this trip if your son has an interest in returning to look at NYC more closely.

Have you heard about the tech campus Cornell will build on Roosevelt Island (part of NYC)? Phase 1 might even be ready before your son starts looking at grad school LOL:
http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2011/12/19/after-yearlong-competition-cornell-wins-nyc-tech-campus

I ate at the "new" Second Avenue Deli two weeks ago, and can say from personal experience that the corned beef and the pastrami are both outstanding!

They're half the price, though not quite as good, at Sarge's, which is on Third Avenue between 36th and 37th Streets.

This neighborhood has a lot of great restaurants, many suitable for families and all quite close to the Affinia Dumont. Shake Shack is within walking distance, but if you don't get there by 11am on a weekend, the lines are just too long to be worth the trouble.

If you like barbecue, we have two excellent nearby options. Blue Smoke is very nice, a little expensive, but really requires reservations about a week or 10 days ahead of time unless you want to go for brunch or a very early dinner. Hill Country is much more casual (you buy by the pound and eat off paper rather than real plates).

Good rec's all, Doug. I wouldn't have thought of the proximity of Hill Country since it's crosstown, but really it's not far. I always am overwhelmed by the by-the-pound thing so just order one of the pre-set combos. Always delicious (and never any room for those yummy-looking desserts!).