Reposting - sorry - forgot to put New York City in my original post title.

Hi all - thanks again for all that have helped in my planning. Following is a brief outline of how I have each day - any thoughts or further suggestions are very welcome. I've left most of the eating open since I know there won't be any trouble finding places to grab a bite - I find for the most part I enjoy just stopping for meals or snacks when we feel the urge.

I have been to New York City several times and my friend has been a couple. I tried to work in some areas we haven't been and revisit some we particularly enjoyed in the past.

Any evening suggestions would be appreciated as well. I've been to the Iridium and could head there again one evening - or the Jazz Club downstairs from Blue Smoke. I also considered a comedy club but don't know if we should book either a jazz or comedy act - would prefer to go somewhere you don't need to purchase tickets ahead if we find we have a free evening and fell like heading out. Would you have to book ahead for most acts? I bought tickets the month before when I went to the Iridium and it seemed it was a full house that night.

Sorry this is long - I've tried to keep it as easy to read as possible.

Friday, September 1, 2006 (Day 1)
• Arrive at the Belvedere (8th and 48th) about 12:30 p.m.
Grab lunch (le Pain Quotidien) and hang out midtown including
• Central Park including Zoo
• Serendipity 3
• Takashimaya
• Top of the Rock
• Times Square

Saturday (day 2)
BROOKLYN
• Coney Island (Nathan’s for lunch)
• Park Slope (restaurant suggestions from Fodorites: Al Di La, Convivium Osteria)
• Carroll Gardens area if time permits (restaurant suggestions from Fodorites: Cafe Cafe Luluc, Savoia, Frankie’s 457 on Court street, Little Bistro, Joya, Zaytoons, Lobo, Grocery, PJ Hanley’s and Savoia)
• Walk the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan

Sunday (Day 3)
• The Annex/Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market
UPPER WEST SIDE
• Tom’s Restaurant (just to say we’ve seen it)
• Riverside Park
• American Museum of Natural History

Monday (Day 4)
MIDTOWN
• Shopping on Madison and Lexington
• MOMA
• Macy’s

Tuesday (Day 5)
DOWNTOWN
• Historic Downtown Walking Tour (FREE)
• Shop at Century 21
OR
• Subway or bus into Brooklyn for Jacques Torre chocolates (Dumbo)
• Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory – we can enjoy the promenade area
• Walk the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan
• RENT (we have tickets)

Wednesday (Day 6)
MIDTOWN
• Bryant Park and New York Public Library
• Brunch at Grand Central
• Grand Central Terminal tour by the Municipal Arts Society
• Dinner midtown
• Spamalot (we have tickets)

Thursday (Day 7)
LOWER EAST SIDE
• Ellis Island
• Kiehl's New York Flagship Store
• Dinner Lower East Side or Blue Smoke, E 27th

Friday (Day 8)
THE BRONX
• The New York Botanical Gardens
Chihuly Exhibit - take Metro-North Railroad train (Harlem Line)
• Back to Grand Central - dinner somewhere in Midtown

Saturday (Day 9)
VILLAGE and CHINATOWN
• Chinatown and Little Italy in the morning
• MICHELLE NEVIUS Walking Tour (The Best of Greenwich Village) 1:00
• Dinner in the Village

Sunday (Day 10)
MIDTOWN
• Breakfast near hotel (Pigalle?)
• Broadway on Broadway 11:30 a.m.
A free outdoor concert featuring musical numbers and appearances from almost every play and musical on Broadway, as well as sneak peeks at several upcoming shows opening in the new theatre season.
• Spend remaining time in Central Park or midtown
• Flight from JFK departs at 5:15 p.m.

A couple of random notes/suggestions
Jacques Torres has a place in Manhattan too, it's where they actually make the chocolate, and in today's New York Times they mentioned that he know makes ice cream (yum!).
It's on the edge of Soho, so maybe you can fit it in one day,maybe day 5

Kiehl's has a store on the Upper West side too,so if it's to buy stuff, not so much to see the original store, it's a less busy location and not too far from the Museum of Natural History.(day 3)
Day 1. Serendipity isn't so close to the other places
Day 7. None of the places you list are on the "lower east side"--were you hoping to go there too?
Day 4 . If you're thinkning of actually shopping (rather than wndow shopping) you've got too much planned with the shopiing and museum.Add do you mean Madison and 5th avenues, rather than Lexington? Or do you have specific stores on Lex that you're looking for? Keep in mind that Madison ave is very high end shopping. Macy's is certainly not

This looks great! However, I think you can combine all of your Brooklyn interests into one day.

I love Carroll Gardens, but it's very residential and somewhat similar to Park Slope. Any particular reason for visiting there?

Another option is to take the 2/3 train from Park Slope to Brooklyn Heights, wander and explore the neighborhood, and include your trip to Jacques Torres. Brooklyn Heights is a beautiful neighborhood, and the Promenade is excellent for photo ops. You can then eat dinner at the famous Grimaldi's, or any other restaurant that might appeal to you.

I did exactly this trip with a friend last weekend, and it was perfect for one day. Coney Island is, in my opinion, somewhere you can see in a few hours tops. This leaves you getting to Park Slope early afternoon (plenty of time for a stop in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, if you'd like!), and then arriving in Brooklyn Heights early evening. Time it right and you'll be walking over the bridge at sunset!

I would take an afternoon to get lost and really try to live like a NYer, without bounds to an itinerary.

Being from Coney Island I'd say to stop in and see a bit of the side show - sword eaters and such.

The Chihuily exhibit is just gorgeous!

Have you heard of the Cloisters in the Bronx. Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Årt. Kind of a magical place and setting. You could look it up on web and see if it appeals.

janie: Thanks for the Jacques Torres info - I’ve been to the one in Dumbo but my chocolate-loving friend hasn’t so if we can’t get to Dumbo we’ll check out the Soho location. I love the chocolate-covered macadamia nuts!

On day 1 we’ll have the whole afternoon and evening and we’ve both spent a fair bit of time in Midtown so I figured it would be a good time to try to make it to Serendipity - maybe we’ll cab it over and then walk back. It’s not critical - just one of those places I’d like to get to sooner or later.

I did really want to see the original Kiehl’s but if time doesn’t permit I’ll could my purchases at the Columbus store. You’re right - looks like Kiehl’s and Blue Smoke are both on the east side but not on the LES - correct? I planned to hit those places since we’ll be in the lower part of the city when we get back from Ellis Island - sort of work our way east and then north - does that make sense?

Shhhh ;-) - I have a bra fitting appt on Lexington on day 4 - that’s why I figured we could maybe hit L’occitane (hard to find their products here in Canada - love the Verbena stuff) for actual shopping and window shop a bit. We don’t want to spend more than a couple hours at the MOMA and Macy’s is open til 8 that evening so I was hoping we could fit it all in.

TarheelsInNj: Thanks for the input - good to hear that the day could work out perfectly and have us walking across the bridge at sunset - have always crossed it in the day time so that would be lovely. The only reason I’ve listed Carroll Gardens is because of the pride and enthusiasm for it from another post - we would only wander through if we found we had a lot of extra time. I have walked along the Promenade and have eaten at Grimaldi’s a few times - unfortunately the friend I’m going with this time is on a gluton-free diet so that’s out. Any other dinner suggestions for Brooklyn Heights?

thereadbaron: Thanks - great idea - I’m hoping we’ll end up doing that somewhat. Hard to stop this “crazy planner girl” though - I’m really trying to hold back this time - but, but, whatarewegonnadoforthose15minutesIdon’thaveplanned ? At least this itinerary is just text - I often plan trips to NY (my fav destination) complete with text and the entire trip mapped out. I’m really looking forward to “experiencing” Coney Island - we’ll be sure to check out the side show and I’m glad you enjoyed the Chihuly Exhibit - the website gallery looks amazing - can’t wait to see it.

kdappleton: Thanks for the suggestion - we did think about the Cloisters but decided against it this trip - maybe next time.

Could one of you New Yorkers please throw a big tarp over Coney Island - hmmm - better yet the whole of Brooklyn so we'll keep dry on Saturday.

Oh well - nothing we can do about the weather, so no point in worrying - I'm sure we'll have a fab time regardless and hopefully next week will be dry.

One more thanks to all who offered advice. I'll do my best to trip report when I return home.

The Kiehl's store just moved back to the original location after a decades long haitus or either isn't really in the original store. I can't remember which it is (Michelle? NYTraveler? mclaurie?).

Anyway, I wouldn't make a special trip downtown just to see the store. It is no big deal.

The location on the UWS is still open and the Flagship is open and located, of course, on 3rd Ave. between 13th and 14th, I believe. I also would not make a special trip to "see" the store. If you fancy a product, order it online from kiehls.com.

Thanks for the info about Kiehl's - that will free up a bit of time that day.

I've made a couple other changes to the itinerary as well - Monday night we're going to Jim Caruso's Cast Party and one of the days we're going to the Cooper-Hewitt - I've never been - looks interesting.