TT

I'll be in Tarrytown for a few days in October on business and am bringing my wife and son with me (driving). We'd like to take a couple days after my meetings to make a first visit into NYC. Am looking for suggestions on some logistics ...

Not sure whether we should stay in Tarrytown and take a train or harbor boat into the city to do our sightseeing or drive into the city and stay at a hotel overnight - suggestions?

We're just looking to hit a few highlights ... Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty (take the Staten Island Ferry around it?), Macy's, FAO Schwartz, good bagels, pizza - not looking for museums or shows, nor cheesy tourist joints. Mostly looking to just see and take in some of the city, coming from a midwestern, rural area. Is this a good plan? Other suggestions?

Thanks so much for any advice - I know it's tough to answer general questions when there are so many options to consider.

wantsomesun

Tarrytown to the city is a bit of a hike, so I would suggest staying in the city.

Try priceline.com for some great rates available right now.

My cousin and her husband and 3 kids stayed at the Travel Inn on W. 42nd ST and really liked it, the price was good, and you get free parking, good bagel shop next door and the hotel even has a pool.

Staying midtown you would be closer to all the things you want to see and most would be walkable.

I would also try the Museum of Natural History, your son would love the dinos there.

Also check New York Magazine for special events going on in the city, or try lots of websites like www.sidewalk.com

You also might try Chinatown or Little Italy for dinner one night.

Have a GREAT time.

dan_woodlief

Take the Staten Island ferry with only two days for views of the Statue of Liberty and skyline. Anything else eats up lots of time, although the 2-hour Circle Line boat around lower Manhattan is very nice.

Toys R Us is a must. Big ferris wheel, life-sized T-Rex, and better than FAO in my family's opinion. Right on Times Square, which is a must in itself.

If one museum, the Musuem of Natural History is a great choice. At least see the huge dinosaur collection. Get there very early to avoid lines.

My four-year old liked eating in Chinatown, at Mars 2112 (a theme restaurant), and at Katz's Deli (delicious sandwiches and hotdogs). There are tons of good pizza places. We ate at the large John's Pizzeria near Times Square.

For the Empire State Building, buy your tickets online ahead of time. You can actually print your ticket out at home and take it with you. Then you don't have to stand in line. You don't have to buy it for any particular time but have to use it within a given number of days.

A Broadway show is always memorable. We all loved the Lion King, but there are a few other choices for kids. The Lion King can be pricey except for the balcony seats, but you can get discounted tickets to many other shows.


For the best convenience with a child on a short stay, consider staying in the Times Square area. I am not sure of your budget, but we thought the Super 8 Times Square was a good deal (AAA rate of $109 per night a few months ago), and the nearby Comfort Inn Midtown gets even better reviews for budget hotels. They have the same owners.

mclaurie

I think your decision to stay in the city depends on what hotel rate you have in Tarrytown and whether you want to see NYC for more than a day.

I found this website
http://www.tapkids.com/listofservices.html
which says the train from Tarrytown is 38 mins. & runs about twice an hour. If you have some amazing rate in Tarrytown, maybe taking day trips would be better. Remember you'll pay about $30/day to park your car in the city.

That website also shows things to do in Tarrytown for your family while you're working. It's a beautiful place. The Rockefeller Estate Kykuit is nearby, as is Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow.

If you decide to stay in the city, I would try looking on quikbooks.com, hotres.com or hotels.com for cheaper rates. There are bargains to be had on Priceline, but they advise against using it for more than 2 in a room. If you want to check it out, go to biddingfortravel.com & read the section on New York Hotels.

There's a hop on hop off bus tour you can take with Greyline (greyline.com) OR there's now a hop on hop off BOAT Nywatertaxi.com just mentioned in the NY Times yesterday.

Other things to do are go to Central Park & see the carousel, the zoo and maybe take a row boat out. Go to Dylan's candy store near Bloomingdales. Have a great time.

Grinisa

If your son is interested in history, he might enjoy visiting the Tenament Museum in the lower East Side. Not very "museumy" but a fascinating look at how immigrants lived at the turn of the century. My seven year old daughter loved it.

suzanne

Macys - and the area around it - HAS become a cheesy tourist joint. It's packed packed PACKED with people, and the quality of the merchandise has gone downhill. The only redeeming quality is those cool old wooden escalators.

Your other highlights are perfectly doable. I'd add in Central Park too...and/or some of the other much smaller parks, like Bryant Park or Washington Square Park where you can just sit with some lunch and watch the interesting people go by.

HowardR

First of all, Tarrytown is not that far from NYC--about 25 miles and with great train service, as mclaurie has already noted. I agree with her comments about staying in Tarrytown if you've gotten a good rate.
With an 8-year-old, I assume you wouldn't be staying out late, late. So, it might make more sense to leave the car at your hotel and take the train.
You've already gotten good advice--Staten Island Ferry, Museum of Natural History, Kids 'R Us should definitely be on your A list.