FlyingMalteses

O.K. My cousin is flying in from Italy to visit and she would like a day trip to NYC. She is coming with children ages 12 & 14.

I booked Statue of Liberty platform tickets for 9:00 a.m. We are leaving from Atlantic City at 6:00 a.m., so we hope that will be enough. I booked the audiotour (which they have in Italian).

I figure that we will be done around lunchtime, or we might get lunch on Ellis Island, depending on how fast they sightsee.

We will probably want to see the 9/11 site. (I haven't been to it since October of 2011, so I do not know what to expect.). Also, maybe Wall Street might be interesting. (We are going on a Sunday).

I want to take them inside St. Patrick's Cathedral when we go to Rockefeller Center and Fifth Ave.

dh wants to go to FAO Schwartz, but I disagree. I think that its not the same since the new owners.

We are thinking about going inside Grand Central Terminal, but I have never tried to park nearby there.

Also, we are thinking of taking them to Central Park, but it is vast hard to conquer on foot, and you cannot see much from a car. Maybe a hansom cab ride.

I would love to take them to the Met, but I know that museum is a lot to handle on such a jammed day.

I am thinking of booking TOPR tickets for 8:00 p.m., in time for sunset over NYC.

If we do not have lunch on Ellis Island, we definitely will at Carnegie Deli. I know that there are detractors, but we love it.


Any suggestions?

smetz

Here are some suggestions-

Leave your car in one place once you get to the Statue of Liberty tour. You'll get around much faster using the subways or taxis.

There is very little to see at the WTC site, it's really just a construction zone now. As an alternative, once you are finished with the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, Atlas' globe, which was pulled from the WTC wreckage, has been placed in Battery Park. You'll be right there since that's where the ferries to SOL depart - and many people find it more powerful than the WTC site as it is today.

If you want to go to Grand Central, by all means do, just walk down 5th Ave from Rockefeller Center, then turn left on 42nd St. It's a quick walk.

Considering all you want to accomplish, I would agree that a museum is a little much, and will probably detract from your sightseeing.

There is also a certain square located at the crux of Broadway & 7th Ave, between 42nd and 47th Streets, which is roundly panned by New Yorkers. I would suggest that you include a walk through on your itinerary, since at night it is an amazing sight to behold.

Walking in Central Park is certainly doable, though the hansom cab ride is a good idea & would give your feet a rest. If you want to walk, you can start at one of the southern corners of the park around 59th St & 5th Ave (east side) or Central Park West (west side) and just walk diagonally into the park & circulate around, it is a very pleasant walk.

I hope your weather is nice, & I'm sure you'll enjoy your day!

smetz

BTW, I don't think you'll find Wall Street very interesting on a Sunday. Even on a weekday it's just an office area, unless you visit the NYSE.

Your Italian family might find Chinatown interesting, too. You can walk from Battery Park or take the subway, and it will take you past Little Italy as well.

mclaurie

I mostly agree with Smetz. I think you may be underestimating how long SOL/Ellis Island will take and how tired you and the kids will be. I agree you should head to Battery Park to either eat or just relax when you come back. Gigino's in Wagner Park has nice views of the SOL and decent food. There are some other restaurants there like Southwest and PJ Clark's with outdoor tables and views. Heading to the South Street Seaport is another idea for restaurants and places to sit. There's an Abercrombie & Fitch which the kids will like.

The WTC site is a construction site at this point. There's a wonderful memorial inside the World Financial Center (right at Battery Park) for the American Express employees who were killed and a good vantage point for seeing the size of the site. St. Paul's cathedral is worthwhile to visit nearby.

I think whether to move the car depends on what time it is when you leave the downtown area and what else you plan to do. If it's late in the day, you might want to park it in midtown near Rockefeller Center. bestparking.com is a good website for parking. Remember to use hopstop.com or maps.google.com (and click on public transportation) to get directions for getting from one place to another.

K_brklyn

Here's a good guide for seeing NYC in one day:
http://www.nycgo.com/?event=view.article&id=165500

padams421

The 12 and 14 year olds (same ages as my kids) are unlikely to be interested in FAO Schwartz. The SoL and Ellis will take longer than you are planning. Lunch at the Seaport, as suggested above, is a good idea.

nytraveler

For SoL tickets at 9 am you need to be on the 8 am ferry (unless you mean you have tickets for the 9 am ferry) - which means being there substantially before 8 am. (The park service recos arriving 45 minutes before the IF YOU HAVE TICKETS to allow for the 45 minute security line (as in airport security). So I think you'll have to be out of Atlantic City much earlier than that to allow for traffic into NYC.

Also you need to know the entire process (ferry to Sol,tour Statue, ferry to Ellis Island and tour then ferry back to South ferry) will take from 6 to 7 hours. So you will get back to Manhattan between 2 and 3 pm.

Agree you should drop the car as soon as you hit Manhattan and travel by subway (much faster from place to place and cheaper than moving a car from garage to garage - at $15 to $25 per parking).

Wall ST is empty on Sunday and the WTC is a construction zone.

I would keep Top of the Rock - and you can spend a very minimal time in the Met (go to website) or Museum of Nat'l Hist (kids might like better, again check web site) but you won;thave much time before closing. Central Park (Central Park Conservancy web site) is obviously open longer - so pick out a couple of areas to see. (Hansom cab ride not a good idea since you are limited to the very few roads - and will see few of the sights.)

Don;t get FAO for kids hat age and you don;t have time for Grand Central - since it;s a Sunday many things close early.

You have way to much planned and need to cut back - so those 2 items can be dropped.

FlyingMalteses

Thanks everybody. This goes a long way toward making their day more enjoyable. I really have little time to plan this. I am raising a very active special needs little girl.

Aduchamp1

Do not eat lunch at the Seaport, it is nothing but a food court.

Otherwise I agree with what others are saying.

bmw732002

One day in Manhattan! Yikes! I would not have booked the SOL tix. That will take you a good part of the day.

I would have done something along these lines:

Come in thru Lincoln Tunnel and park right in the bus terminal lot for the day.

That puts you close to midtown area:

Explore Times square
Hit GC Station
Move up to Rock Center and TOR, St Pats Cathedral
Head further up fifth and hit central Park at 59th street
Rest a bit in the park. Kids might like the zoo!

So much to see in one day!
-john

lantana

FYI
My "official Statue Cruises eTickets" say:

"Security Check-In
Battery Park, NYC
6/*/2010 - 8am
Check-in with security at this time."

nytraveler

So you need to be there and reay to go by 8 am (having already dumped the car) - so you need to be in the city by 7:30 at the latest.

NelleYak

We took the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour last October and it took most of the day. You have to go through several lengthly security screenings, the first one before boarding the boat, then more on Liberty Island. The lines are very long for going through the SOL security. If I had it to do over, I would not have wasted nearly an entire day on the SOL, but would have just taken a ferry or tour boat ride that goes by the SOL.

travelbuff

I wouldnt think that the kids are going to be al that interested in Ellis Island. Why not bag that idea and see the city instead with the one day you have.

Instead of being indoors at a museum, be out and about in the city.

To start, I'd come into the city through the Lincoln Tunnel the views of the city as you come up to the tunnel are beautiful.

From the tunnel, park the car at the nearest garage and take a walk through Times Square up to Central Park. Maybe some shopping at the Time Warner Building and a walk through the south end of the park over to the Central Park Zoo and see the Zoo.

From there walk down 5th Ave and stop at some of the shops there like the NBA store or the NIKE store, both of which the kids will like.

From there walk down to Rock Center and to TOTR.

Thinking food, I'd take the kids to Ellen's Stardust, all the servers are aspiring Broaway stars so the food is ok and the entertainment is fun. Good sandwiches and great shakes there.

From there hop on the subway and do some downtown siteseeing, maybe Little Italy for some desert walk through Chinatown, and keep walking downtown and stop at St. Paul's Chapel for the memorial to 9/11 and walk to the WTC, head down to the Staten Island Ferry take the Ferry over and back, head back uptown get the car and head home.

If you have the time you might get a hotel for the night and next day do a museum or two.

Have a great time while you are here.