Yet another NYC itinerary for your comments...
Jun 24th, 2003, 07:33 AM
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Yet another NYC itinerary for your comments...
Now that I've finally scored our final dinner reservation for my wife and my trip to NYC next month (and thanks to everyone for your help on previous posts), here's our rough six-night itinerary for your comments, suggestions, etc. The Broadway shows and Yankees game are the only things "set in stone" (i.e. already purchased tix).
Day 1 (Sat.): Arrive at Newark; check into Theater District hotel by 5pm.
Plan A: stroll around and take in Times Sq. area, grab some dinner along the way; make our way to Macy?s; and eventually go up the Empire State Bldg. by dusk. Walk back to hotel via 7th Ave. or Broadway & take in more of Times Sq. at night.
Plan B: Head to Central Park and take in 150th Anniversary festivities.
Day 2:
?Cabaret? at Studio 54, 7pm; dinner beforehand (inexpensive suggestions?).
Daytime Plan A: Head to LES, browse Orchard St., do LES Tenement Museum; stroll through Little Italy and Chinatown if time. Or skip LES and just do Little Italy/Chinatown.
Plan B: Gospel brunch at Sylvia?s; subway back to Central Park and stroll; Metropolitan Museum if enough time.
Day 3:
Yankees/Blue Jays game at 7pm.
Daytime Plan A: Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island; lower Manhattan (including Ground Zero) or walk Brooklyn Bridge and have pizza at Grimaldi?s & stroll the waterfront.
Plan B: Central Park; Metropolitan Museum; some Park or 5th Avenue store browsing.
Day 4:
?Nine? at 8; dinner at Le Madeliene at 5:45.
Daytime Plan A: Lunch at noon at Chanterelle; walk down to Ground Zero; check out financial district before or after lunch.
Plan B: Cancel Chanterelle lunch and do the Foods of NYC/Greenwich Village walking/eating tour 11-2; do additional Village or SoHo browsing after tour.
Day 5:
?Long Day?s Journey...? at 7; dinner at Becco at 5.
Daytime Plan A: Chinatown & Little Italy; LES if we didn?t do that on Sunday.
Plan B: Rockefeller Center; Park & 5th Avenue shopping; the Met. Museum of Art.
Day 6:
Dinner at Babbo, 7:30.
Daytime Plan A: Coney Island; play rest of the afternoon by ear.
Plan B: Do the Foods of NYC Greenwich Village eating tour this day, along with additional Village or SoHo browsing afterwards.
Day 7:
Get up early and see ?Today? show (maybe); pack; leave hotel by 10:30 or 11am to head back to Newark for 2pm flight home.
Day 1 (Sat.): Arrive at Newark; check into Theater District hotel by 5pm.
Plan A: stroll around and take in Times Sq. area, grab some dinner along the way; make our way to Macy?s; and eventually go up the Empire State Bldg. by dusk. Walk back to hotel via 7th Ave. or Broadway & take in more of Times Sq. at night.
Plan B: Head to Central Park and take in 150th Anniversary festivities.
Day 2:
?Cabaret? at Studio 54, 7pm; dinner beforehand (inexpensive suggestions?).
Daytime Plan A: Head to LES, browse Orchard St., do LES Tenement Museum; stroll through Little Italy and Chinatown if time. Or skip LES and just do Little Italy/Chinatown.
Plan B: Gospel brunch at Sylvia?s; subway back to Central Park and stroll; Metropolitan Museum if enough time.
Day 3:
Yankees/Blue Jays game at 7pm.
Daytime Plan A: Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island; lower Manhattan (including Ground Zero) or walk Brooklyn Bridge and have pizza at Grimaldi?s & stroll the waterfront.
Plan B: Central Park; Metropolitan Museum; some Park or 5th Avenue store browsing.
Day 4:
?Nine? at 8; dinner at Le Madeliene at 5:45.
Daytime Plan A: Lunch at noon at Chanterelle; walk down to Ground Zero; check out financial district before or after lunch.
Plan B: Cancel Chanterelle lunch and do the Foods of NYC/Greenwich Village walking/eating tour 11-2; do additional Village or SoHo browsing after tour.
Day 5:
?Long Day?s Journey...? at 7; dinner at Becco at 5.
Daytime Plan A: Chinatown & Little Italy; LES if we didn?t do that on Sunday.
Plan B: Rockefeller Center; Park & 5th Avenue shopping; the Met. Museum of Art.
Day 6:
Dinner at Babbo, 7:30.
Daytime Plan A: Coney Island; play rest of the afternoon by ear.
Plan B: Do the Foods of NYC Greenwich Village eating tour this day, along with additional Village or SoHo browsing afterwards.
Day 7:
Get up early and see ?Today? show (maybe); pack; leave hotel by 10:30 or 11am to head back to Newark for 2pm flight home.
Jun 24th, 2003, 08:41 AM
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Hi Dave-
Just a few observations. I'd skip Macy's on the day you arrive. It closes about 6pm on Sat, I think, and there's nothing terribly scenic about the walk. Can't comment on the celebration at Central Park but it's sure to be jammed and people might have been saving "seats" all day (as they do for concerts) if there's a fireworks display. If it's fair weather, I'd opt for the Empire State. Maybe buy tickets ahead of time on line so you don't have to stand in line.
I think a gospel brunch is a fun thing to do on a Sunday. Have never been to Sylvia's but I hear the Sugar Hill Bistro (also in Harlem)is much nicer. Another option to avoid going all the way uptown is Lola's on 22nd betw 5th & 6th. You could also do LES with a stop at Lola's before or after.
For an inexpensive meal around Studio 54, how about Thai? Siam Inn on 8th betw 51-52 or Wondee Siam (better food but very short on decor)on 9th betw 53-54 or their newer spot a block up 54-55.
Don't know what the GV eating tour is or where they take you but I'd be skeptical. You can eat your way through the Village without much help.
Have a great trip. The weather has FINALLY improved (2 days of sun in a row!)
Just a few observations. I'd skip Macy's on the day you arrive. It closes about 6pm on Sat, I think, and there's nothing terribly scenic about the walk. Can't comment on the celebration at Central Park but it's sure to be jammed and people might have been saving "seats" all day (as they do for concerts) if there's a fireworks display. If it's fair weather, I'd opt for the Empire State. Maybe buy tickets ahead of time on line so you don't have to stand in line.
I think a gospel brunch is a fun thing to do on a Sunday. Have never been to Sylvia's but I hear the Sugar Hill Bistro (also in Harlem)is much nicer. Another option to avoid going all the way uptown is Lola's on 22nd betw 5th & 6th. You could also do LES with a stop at Lola's before or after.
For an inexpensive meal around Studio 54, how about Thai? Siam Inn on 8th betw 51-52 or Wondee Siam (better food but very short on decor)on 9th betw 53-54 or their newer spot a block up 54-55.
Don't know what the GV eating tour is or where they take you but I'd be skeptical. You can eat your way through the Village without much help.
Have a great trip. The weather has FINALLY improved (2 days of sun in a row!)
Jun 24th, 2003, 08:55 AM
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Thanks, mclaurie. I certainly hope the weather does improve by the time we get there in mid-July!
I appreciate the alternate LES restaurant tip for Sunday and pre-"Cabaret" dining options for that evening. If one got to the LES in the morning on a Sunday, is doing the Orchard St. shopping thing AND doing either Chinatown and/or Little Italy feasible before heading back that evening for the dinner and show? I'm thinking that might be a little too much to cram in for a day...
I appreciate the alternate LES restaurant tip for Sunday and pre-"Cabaret" dining options for that evening. If one got to the LES in the morning on a Sunday, is doing the Orchard St. shopping thing AND doing either Chinatown and/or Little Italy feasible before heading back that evening for the dinner and show? I'm thinking that might be a little too much to cram in for a day...
Jun 24th, 2003, 09:48 AM
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Dave, first a clarification. Lola's is not on the LES-it's on the way down from your hotel or on the way back uptown. You COULD eat on the LES (Katz's deli is famous). Was just trying to provide an option for a gospel brunch that was more geographically desirable than Harlem.
You could definitely do LES, Chinatown & Little Italy-just depends on how much shopping you want to do & how your feet hold out
Start real early. Stop for a bagel & coffe. Do some shopping & see how you feel. IMO Little Italy is an eating destination more than a sightseeing one. Chinatown is both. Many people like to do a Dim Sum Sunday brunch.
You could definitely do LES, Chinatown & Little Italy-just depends on how much shopping you want to do & how your feet hold out
Start real early. Stop for a bagel & coffe. Do some shopping & see how you feel. IMO Little Italy is an eating destination more than a sightseeing one. Chinatown is both. Many people like to do a Dim Sum Sunday brunch.
Jun 24th, 2003, 10:50 AM
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Thanks for the clarification, mclaurie. Had I taken a closer look at the street number, I would have caught that. (And by the way...all those question marks all over my original post are supposed to be either quotation marks or apostrophes; don't know what happened there.)
Jun 27th, 2003, 09:25 AM
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Great itinerary -- really well planned and thoughtfully put together. A few thoughts:
You should plan on eating in Chinatown -- wouldn't really want to miss out on the opportunity. Also, consider doing Dim Sum in Chinatown Saturday or Sunday morning. Best time to go is around 11am, or you'll end up waiting on line. There are lots of great choices: Dim Sum Go Go on Chatham Square, Ping's on Mott Street or Golden Unicorn on East Broadway are three favorites, although I also like Oriental Garden on Elizabeth Street between Canal Street and Bayard Street.
Agree that the walk from Macy's to Times Square isn't particularly interesting. Take the subway. And also agree that, unless you make a commitment and go early to get a good seat, the Central Park celebration will be extremely crowded and probably disappointing.
Places to eat after Cabaret: walk east to Ninth Avenue. There are lots of inexpensive restaurants there. I particularly like and recommend a place called "The Eatery" on Ninth and 54th Street. Contemporary menu, modern decor, moderate prices. But there are lots of other choices on Ninth Avenue.
As for the Lower East Side, Orchard Street at Houston now has a bunch of hip restaurants and bars. At Orchard and Rector there's even a French Bistro which has opened up -- not very "old world" New York, but tasty nonetheless.
I would definitely do some of the Brooklyn Bridge walk, but unless you have a good guide, finding Grimaldi's and the doing the waterfront can be confusing for a non-New Yorker (and even some New Yorkers). The Metropolitan Museum is not to be missed if you like going to museums -- it's simply one of the best in the world.
Don't cancel your lunch at Chanterelle. Another truly amazing experience. While the walking tour would be fun, I wouldn't give up on the chance to eat at one of New York's finest restaurants.
Unfortunately, right now due to construction on the Subways in Brooklyn, to get to Coney Island on the weekend you have to take a bus from the subway. So the travel time might be really annoying. And Coney Island, frankly, is pretty run down and not as interesting as it might seem. The New York Aquarium is there -- not my favorite aquarium, but if you're in the neighborhood...
You should plan on eating in Chinatown -- wouldn't really want to miss out on the opportunity. Also, consider doing Dim Sum in Chinatown Saturday or Sunday morning. Best time to go is around 11am, or you'll end up waiting on line. There are lots of great choices: Dim Sum Go Go on Chatham Square, Ping's on Mott Street or Golden Unicorn on East Broadway are three favorites, although I also like Oriental Garden on Elizabeth Street between Canal Street and Bayard Street.
Agree that the walk from Macy's to Times Square isn't particularly interesting. Take the subway. And also agree that, unless you make a commitment and go early to get a good seat, the Central Park celebration will be extremely crowded and probably disappointing.
Places to eat after Cabaret: walk east to Ninth Avenue. There are lots of inexpensive restaurants there. I particularly like and recommend a place called "The Eatery" on Ninth and 54th Street. Contemporary menu, modern decor, moderate prices. But there are lots of other choices on Ninth Avenue.
As for the Lower East Side, Orchard Street at Houston now has a bunch of hip restaurants and bars. At Orchard and Rector there's even a French Bistro which has opened up -- not very "old world" New York, but tasty nonetheless.
I would definitely do some of the Brooklyn Bridge walk, but unless you have a good guide, finding Grimaldi's and the doing the waterfront can be confusing for a non-New Yorker (and even some New Yorkers). The Metropolitan Museum is not to be missed if you like going to museums -- it's simply one of the best in the world.
Don't cancel your lunch at Chanterelle. Another truly amazing experience. While the walking tour would be fun, I wouldn't give up on the chance to eat at one of New York's finest restaurants.
Unfortunately, right now due to construction on the Subways in Brooklyn, to get to Coney Island on the weekend you have to take a bus from the subway. So the travel time might be really annoying. And Coney Island, frankly, is pretty run down and not as interesting as it might seem. The New York Aquarium is there -- not my favorite aquarium, but if you're in the neighborhood...
Jun 27th, 2003, 11:56 AM
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If we went to Coney Island, it would probably be on that Thursday, not a weekend day. Would we still have to do the subway/bus combo then? The Coney Island excursion is more for my wife, partly so she can try one of Nathan's Famous hot dogs. Are the dogs served at any of the Nathan's branches all over Manhattan just as good as Coney Island's?
Also, how should one dress for lunch at Chanterelle? Are jackets required for men? And roughly how much time should we allow for a three-course pre-fixe lunch there?
Also, how should one dress for lunch at Chanterelle? Are jackets required for men? And roughly how much time should we allow for a three-course pre-fixe lunch there?
Jun 27th, 2003, 02:01 PM
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re: Coney Island...
Yes, you will still have to do the bus/subway combo because the CI subway stop is being reconstructed. It's an easy transfer.
Coney Island is much more than hot dogs! (Though I DO always get a Nathan's when I'm there. I haven't had any Nathan's outside of CI so I can't compare.) You should of course check out the boardwalk and the rides. There are batting cages, mini race cars, disco bumper cars, the Wonder Wheel ("80-something years without an accident") and the world-famous Cyclone. And...there is the freak show (yes a real one). Though walking on the boardwalk may be a freak show in itself LOL...seroiusly though, it's an interesting place with lots of history, people from every different background, AND the place is being renovated, little by little. Yes, most of it is still run down, but heck, it keeps the huge crowds away (kind of like the old Times Square, which I miss...). There are rarely lines for the rides.
If you like baseball, the Brooklyn Cyclones play in a great little minor-league stadium right there. Several ex-Mets coach/manage the team. Tickets are dirt cheap, but you may have to get them from scalpers on the street b/c it's become pretty popular. www.brooklyncyclones.net
Yes, you will still have to do the bus/subway combo because the CI subway stop is being reconstructed. It's an easy transfer.
Coney Island is much more than hot dogs! (Though I DO always get a Nathan's when I'm there. I haven't had any Nathan's outside of CI so I can't compare.) You should of course check out the boardwalk and the rides. There are batting cages, mini race cars, disco bumper cars, the Wonder Wheel ("80-something years without an accident") and the world-famous Cyclone. And...there is the freak show (yes a real one). Though walking on the boardwalk may be a freak show in itself LOL...seroiusly though, it's an interesting place with lots of history, people from every different background, AND the place is being renovated, little by little. Yes, most of it is still run down, but heck, it keeps the huge crowds away (kind of like the old Times Square, which I miss...). There are rarely lines for the rides.
If you like baseball, the Brooklyn Cyclones play in a great little minor-league stadium right there. Several ex-Mets coach/manage the team. Tickets are dirt cheap, but you may have to get them from scalpers on the street b/c it's become pretty popular. www.brooklyncyclones.net
Jun 27th, 2003, 06:50 PM
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Coney Island is much more than hot dogs!
Oh, absolutely. The dogs weren't the only reason for going there; just one of my wife's top ones (that and the beach, boardwalk, etc.). And if we had more time, I'm sure a Cyclones game would be a lot of fun. I'm just trying to pare down what things we really want to do on this trip; the wonderful problem with going to New York, of course, is not trying to find things to do, but trying to decide what not to do. And with the current subway station construction going on at CI, I'm not sure it'll be a priority trip, especially if there are other things to do that we haven't done up to that point, like the Met, Central Park, Ellis Island, etc. We'll probably play CI by ear when we get there, and will have a good time if we go--weather permitting, of course.
Oh, absolutely. The dogs weren't the only reason for going there; just one of my wife's top ones (that and the beach, boardwalk, etc.). And if we had more time, I'm sure a Cyclones game would be a lot of fun. I'm just trying to pare down what things we really want to do on this trip; the wonderful problem with going to New York, of course, is not trying to find things to do, but trying to decide what not to do. And with the current subway station construction going on at CI, I'm not sure it'll be a priority trip, especially if there are other things to do that we haven't done up to that point, like the Met, Central Park, Ellis Island, etc. We'll probably play CI by ear when we get there, and will have a good time if we go--weather permitting, of course.
Jun 28th, 2003, 03:29 AM
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Dave, I haven't done a taste test lately on Nathan's hotdogs CI vs NYC
8-) but you should know Papaya King (43rd bet 7-8th) & Gray's Papaya (6th & 37th) both with several locations in NYC- I've given the ones that would be closest to your hotel-are considered tops.
There have been previous conversations on this board about CI. You might have a text search to help you decide whether you want to go on this trip. BTW, there's a famous place for knishes there but can't remember the name.
8-) but you should know Papaya King (43rd bet 7-8th) & Gray's Papaya (6th & 37th) both with several locations in NYC- I've given the ones that would be closest to your hotel-are considered tops.
There have been previous conversations on this board about CI. You might have a text search to help you decide whether you want to go on this trip. BTW, there's a famous place for knishes there but can't remember the name.
Jun 28th, 2003, 04:53 AM
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I think I even initiated one of those CI threads, one on how convenient it would be to subway it from there to Yankee Stadium for a nighttime game. (The answer: not very.) I'm just still on the fence about CI itself, but will probably wait til we get there and decide.
Thanks for the heads-up on Papaya King. I hadn't heard of that until your post.
Still needing to know if Chanterelle has a jacket-and-tie dress code. And since we'll already be dressed nicely for lunch there, we'll probably wear the same clothes to the Le Madeliene dinner and "Nine" that evening. In between, any suggestions on what we can do to kill time while dressed in our Chanterelle best? I thought we could either head back to 5th Avenue so my wife can do the stores along there (Lord help me), or maybe go the the Metropolitan Museum of Art and kill some time there before dinner. Are either of those things do-able, or does anyone have other suggestions? Are there intersting things to explore around Tribeca, where Chanterelle is located?
Thanks for the heads-up on Papaya King. I hadn't heard of that until your post.
Still needing to know if Chanterelle has a jacket-and-tie dress code. And since we'll already be dressed nicely for lunch there, we'll probably wear the same clothes to the Le Madeliene dinner and "Nine" that evening. In between, any suggestions on what we can do to kill time while dressed in our Chanterelle best? I thought we could either head back to 5th Avenue so my wife can do the stores along there (Lord help me), or maybe go the the Metropolitan Museum of Art and kill some time there before dinner. Are either of those things do-able, or does anyone have other suggestions? Are there intersting things to explore around Tribeca, where Chanterelle is located?
