wendycleave

Hi,
We will be in landing in New York Newark airport on Fri 11th Oct at 12:10 if on time and have car transfers to The Pearl hotel on 49th street
This is what I am thinking we might do.
Oh by the way we are me and hubby and this is my 50th birthday trip!

Friday:
Get something to eat at Ellen's stardust diner
Carriage ride central park, I know that is really touristy but it's just something I want to say I have done
Go to time square and see the lights

Sat
Statue of liberty
Bowling green park
charging bull statue
9/11 memorial
Walk Brooklyn bridge back from Brooklyn as sun is going down

if time along the way call in at century 21 and get a cheesecake at Eileen's special cheesecake

Sun:
Empire state building
Grand Central Terminal
Chrysler Building
Saint Patrick's Cathedral
Roosevelt Island Tramway
World Yacht dinner cruise

Mon:
Columbus Day parade
Macys
Staten Island ferry
Hard rock cafe

Tues:
Trip to Niagara falls

Wed:
Top of the Rock
Central Park maybe hire bikes
See a show might be the Motown one

Thurs:
Shopping and things we missed flight home

We are not really into art and museums and I am sure we are missing lots of stuff
We are going to get a 7 day metro card.

What do you think? Are we all over the place, is it to much or to little and have we missed out really good stuff?
Basically HELP!

Thanks

doug_stallings

Niagara Falls isn't really a day-trip from NYC. I don't see how you're going to do that even by flying.

You've missed a lot, but as long as you are seeing what you want, I guess that's ok.

Personally, a World Yacht cruise, Staten Island Ferry, and Statue of Liberty are overkill. I'd lose one of those. I assume you already have tickets purchased for the Statue of Liberty? If not, this is probably not happening.

And Top of the Rock and Empire State Building are also overkill. I'd lose one of those (if you want to do the Empire State Building, be sure to book in advance, but realize that this takes hours of waiting in line on most days. Top of the Rock can be done in about 90 minutes total and usually has no lines.

SusieQQ

My suggestions:

Day one, skip Ellen's and the carriage ride. Ellen's not good food and better to stroll in Central Park than to take smelly ride.

Day two; instead of wasting most of the day at Statue of Liberty, take Staten Island Ferry back and forth.

Day three: skip Empire State Building. Eat at better restaurant than Hard Rock Café.

Day Four: Niagara Falls is not a day trip.

Of course, this is your trip and you should see what you want to see...one suggestion is to get a good map and plot places on it so you can minimize running all over the place.

J62

I've already commented on your other thread. Glad to hear you're up for a lot of walking as it's a great way to see NYC in my book at any age.

I have no objection to the carriage ride. Many have strong feelings about the horses or smells. I can understand the attraction and if it's something you want to do then by all means go ahead.

I disagree with Susie about just taking the SI ferry. For a once in a lifetime trip like this, and you have a most of a week, by all means take the time to actually go TO the SOL. But you don't need to also take the SI ferry that just passes through the harbor at a distance. One or the other, but not both.

I have mixed feelings about Empire state building. The view from Top of Rock is better since you see the Empire state building, but the top of the Empire State building IS one of the iconic tourist spots to say you've been up there, and to experience the thrill regardless of whether your point of reference is King Kong, Sleepless in Seattle, James & the Giant Peach, or just your own interest.

Definitely agree about Niagara Falls - it's a 7-8 or longer drive EACH WAY. Not a day trip.

I love the idea of bikes in Central Park. The weather that time of year can be beautiful, and there should be plenty of fall color in the park to enjoy. Sounds like a great idea to me. I've done a 100mi organized tour of all NYC so I'm all for biking whenever possible.

You don't include any museums. That's fine, but there are many great museums in NY of all sorts that you may not be aware of.

- Tenement museum gets great reviews & gives a different perspective into life in NYC. www.tenement.org
- American Museum of Natural History on Central Park. One of the great classical natural history museums of the world, and far too much to absorb in even a full day visit.
- Many art museums. Your hotel is not far from the Museum of Modern Art. But art museums aren't for everybody, and aren't on my own top 10 NYC sights list either.

You have left plenty of time for strolling and just absorbing the sights and sounds and tastes and smells of NYC.

Sunday in St. Patrick's. Be mindful/respectful that there are masses all throughout the morning on Sunday. Definitely go for a mass if you wish. All are welcome. I usually do when I'm in the area.

Fra_Diavolo

Frankly, I think you'll have a lot of free time with this schedule. If you told us a bit more about your likes and dislikes, perhaps we could help you fill it in.

Food doesn't seem to high on your list, but surely you have some preferences -- let us know and we can recommend restaurants.

You seem to like to walk. I'd suggest a walking tour of Greenwich Village, either on your own or guided. A walk on the High Line.

Maybe a trip out the the NY Botanical Gardens. Or the Bronx Zoo. Or Woodlawn Cemetery. (All in the Bronx)

There are some nice day trips closer to NYC than Niagara! Hudson Valley has some nice small towns, estates from the Gilded Age, etc.

ellenem

Like many visitors, your itinerary includes busy midtown and downtown iconic sites. You have the luxury of seven days, enough time to visit other neighborhoods where you will see a different side of New York--Greenwich Village and the High Line already suggested, East Village and Lower East Side are others.

panecott

I also think a walk in Central Park is nicer than a carriage ride, but if you really want to take the ride, then by all means do so.

I also think you should go the the ESB. As J62 stated, it's a NY icon and since this is a special, once in a lifetime trip and you really want to see it, then by all means go. And if you want to go to the TOTR, do that as well.

BTW, you will get great views of the Chrysler Bldg. from the top of the ESB so you can kill two birds with one stone.

Generally, I'm pretty sure the lobby of the Chrysler Bldg. is no longer open to the public, HOWEVER, it's usually one of the sites of OHNY, that Sue mentioned above, so if you really want to see the lobby, keep it on your agenda for Sunday.

I would skip the Roosevelt Island Tramway. RI is residential and there's nothing to see there really and there's nothing too special about the tram itself. I would also skip Ellen's and the Hard Rock Cafe. NY has so many better places to eat!

Also agree that Niagara is not a day trip. Scratch that and rethink Tuesday.
You might consider a visit to the Cloisters. I know you're not into museums, but it's relatively small and the grounds are beautiful and you will have wonderful easterly and westerly views from there. The Palisades, across the Hudson River, should have beautiful color in Oct.

nytraveler

Your schedule is actually quite loose since many items you hav listed are just walk bys.

Suggestions: Do ToTR ad NOT ESB which has lines hours long

Statue of Liberty visit is great is you already have ferry tickets - if yuo don;t check now but probably too late to get them

I would not eat dinner on any boat - never found any that had decent food.

Ellen's Stardus is for the fun of the performing wait staff - it is very basic diner food.

Chrysler building all you can do is look at the outside. In Grand Central you might want to go for a cocktail at Camopbell Apts on the mezzanine - and watch the turmoil at 5 or 6 pm. Bring big $

I would not do a carriage ride or bike in the park - since it limits you to the very few roads. Much better to explore on foot - so you can see whatever you want. Look at the web site of the Central Park Conservancy - so you have a map of the paths and info on the sights.

Roosevelt Island tramway is a big yawn - it's for commuters.

and agree you can find much better laces to eat the Hard Rock.

I would never visit NYC without a visit to one major museum - look at the Met and MoMa and just pick out one or two departments you are interested in - the Costume Institute or the Egyptian Dep't or the Impressionists. - Worth at least an hour,

BigRuss

Look: Niagara Falls is not a day trip from NYC. Just get that straight. It's closer to Cleveland and Pittsburgh than to the City. You could go to Bear Mountain for foliage or somewhere on the Connecticut coast (Mystic?) for a different view.

NeoPatrick

Of the thousands and thousands of restaurants n NYC, Ellen's Stardust Diner, Hard Rock Cafe, and eating on any boat around Manhattan would be very near the bottom of the list. Maybe food isn't at all important to you, in which case I guess that's fine. But if it is, I'd look around.

BigRuss

NeoPat: At least she didn't mention the (not so dearly) departed Jekyll & Hyde restaurant.

>

And thus, you miss a lot of places that make NYC famous.

>

Yeah, completely useless. It goes to Roosevelt Island (yawn) and back, BFD.

Check into concerts and nightclubs. Your itinerary is really sparse.

NeoPatrick

BigRuss, I hate to be the messenger of bad news, but Jekyll & Hyde is not departed. It merely moved to a bigger location closer to Times Square.

ortley2000

I agree with others who suggested skipping the Staten Island Ferry. It's an OK boat ride, but there's nothing very interesting on Staten Island. If you're going to ground zero, I'd suggest not missing the historic little church next to it. And although some others disagree, I'm partial to the Empire State Building. I'm not sure when the best days/times are to avoid the lines, but I've been there when I had less than half an hour wait.

NeoPatrick

There's nothing interesting on Staten Island? No of course not, but most people ride over and return.

Shar

Top of the Rock over Empire State Building for sure. Have done both and like the Rock more and quicker. Beautiful views and you can see the Empire State building and all of Central Park. Lower eastside tenement museum is one of the best in the City to see how our ancestors came and what they had to live thru. Need tix in advance as it always sells out. Neighborhood walks are fab in NYC. we just did Greenwich Village and very much enjoyed it. Lower East Side is also great as is SoHo and Little Italy. Get a book somewhere or go on line for ideas.. 9/11 memorial get tix in advance on line as they only allow so many at a time. Very moving experience. Just returned from NYC and ate at a great restaurant on Spring Street AQUA GRILL. Loved it and easiest access to and from subway. Download a subway app as it is so easy to find out how to get somewhere and when the trains are arriving, etc. I think everyone should take a carriage ride once in their lives and if it is your desire then do it. walking thru the park especially on a weekend is wonderful with all the people strolling and entertainment. enjoy

KL467

Niagara Falls is not a day trip from NYC.

wendycleave

Thanks for all your replies

OK I don't think I've done very well here lol.

As typical tourists we want to say we have been up the ESB but the top of the rock seems to have better reviews and I love to take pictures. Again the visit to Staten Island is something that, as Brits, we know from the songs and so it's just a case of doing it. I wanted to go to Coney as well lol

We have been given the Dinner cruise as a gift and the trip to Niagara is with Viatour and is also a gift. We know that this will be a flying visit but again we can say we have seen it.

3 years ago food would have been a big priority on our trips but as I have lost 9 stone over the past 2 yrs food no longer plays a part in our plans. I tend to eat lots of fruit. We had thought that Ellen's looked like fun I realize that the food will probably be greasy and not that good but it's more the American diner experience of yesterday that we were hoping for.
We both love music of all kinds but at 50 we tend to like older stuff. Again the Hard Rock cafe is more to look at it than for the quality of the food.

What do we like , we like music and shows, we like history but my husband tends to rush through Museums so they have to be ones where you don't really need to stop and read lots of things. I tend to avoid them as I get frustrated when he wizzis through them. We did spend a day in Washington years ago and all we did was the museums and the monuments and we loved it. We don't appreciate art I am afraid. we do like sights and we like animals

I was not sure how long it would take to get from one place to another and didn't want to be rushing around like a mad man. trying to cram it all in.
Seems I have allowed to much time.

All your comments have made me realise that I should look again at what we are doing

ellenem

People are concerned that, no matter how interested in food you are these days, you have chosen overpriced, poor quality dining options. I think most people who have commented on the choices feel that if one has to eat, there must be better choices. If one wants to try a New York diner, go to a real neighborhood place and have the breakfast special or a grilled cheese deluxe like most New Yorkers do--not fine dining, but the real thing. You are being encouraged to have real New York experiences rather than prepackaged ones, that's all.

I don't think your plan is as bad as all that. As I said in an earlier, you have not over-scheduled, so you have time for kismet and to explore. My tendency would be to reorganize a few of your days to avoid some of the holiday weekend craziness. Here are some options for your current plan.

Friday:
Lunch/snack at Ellen's Stardust Diner (It's near your hotel, so why not?)
Carriage ride Central Park (I would take the ride since it is a dream)
Go to Time Square and see the lights (head over to Ninth Avenue in the 40s to find an interesting dinner/snack)

Saturday:
Statue of Liberty 10AM Ferry
Battery Park
charging bull statue
9/11 Memorial (get tickets!)
Century 21 (is across the street from the memorial)
Walk Brooklyn Bridge as sun is setting
Walk/dinner in Chinatown or Little Italy
cheesecake at Eileen's Special Cheesecake (only open until 7pm on Saturday)

Sunday:
Saint Patrick's Cathedral
Top of the Rock (do this BEFORE Empire State Building. Then decide is you really need to do the ESB later in the trip)
Central Park - maybe hire bikes (look at a map to see all the wonderful options to explore in the park. Bikes wil limit your abiity to see things since you can't take them on paths, only roads.)
Roosevelt Island Tramway (I revisited this after many years recently with a friend and we really enjoyed it. I would not go out of my way to do this, but if I were in the neighborhood, and had the unlimited MetroCard, I would do it. It is near Bloomingdales if you planned to go there.)
World Yacht dinner cruise (a lovely gift from friends)

Monday--Columbus Day Holiday:
Columbus Day parade (I would skip this. Not very interesting to me)
Macy's (there will be massive sales and craziness for the holiday. If you want to shop the sales, perhaps do this on Sunday)
Staten Island Ferry (may be unnecessary since you will have been on the SOL ferry and World Yacht)
Hard Rock Cafe (I would skip--find someplace else with music and better food)
This day, I would head to Greenwich Village or the East Village to explore and find dinner

Tuesday:
Trip to Niagara Falls ( a long day. Be prepared to be tired the following day.)

Wednesday:
Empire State Building (if yes, go early)
Grand Central Terminal (Moved this to a weekday. It will be empty and some places there will be closed on a Sunday.)
Chrysler Building
NY Public Library at 42nd St (beautiful building to visit, check for interesting free exhibits)
Bryant Park
See a show might be the Motown one (If you want to see Motown, look for tickets NOW)

Thurs:
Shopping and things we missed flight home

Hope this helps.

wendycleave

Thank you what you have said makes sense.

SueNYC

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