Mark

My wife and I plan to spend a long weekend in NYC in late July - arrive late Friday afternoon and depart Monday afternoon. This is my second trip to NYC and my wife's first. We are staying at the Essex House by Central Park. So far, the only definite plans we have are to see the Saturday evening show of The Producers (I planned ahead and have tickets). I have reservations at Lattanzi's for before the show (5 PM). These are only definite plans so far.

We were thinking of walking around Times Square Friday evening. Possibly walking around Midtown Saturday and maybe take a brief tour of the Met on Saturday afternoon.

For Sunday, we were thinking of heading to downtown - maybe Battery park by subway or cab and try to make our way back to Midtown by walking through the various areas (Chinatown, etc.). I know this is a hike, but we are both in good shape - it might depend on how hot it is.

Questions:

Any additions or deletions to our plan would be great.

Can anyone recommend a walking tour back to Midtown?

Can I catch the subway from the Essex to Battery Park or Downtown since the former WTC station is out?

I read on several of the postings that a man really doesn't need a suite to attend an evening show. What about a nice restaurant?

jen

We were in NYC January 2002 and New Years 2001/2002. We stayed downtown and walked everywhere, except took the subway to battery park and statue of liberty. We did the Empire state building, which was soooooo cool. I also recommend the statue ferry ride visiting liberty island. We also went to this area on a pier, cannot remember the name of the place, there is a big mall and lots of boats and restaurants and such. Really pretty here. We did the ground zero thing, which is probably pretty much cleaned up by now. Rockafellar center was pretty too, had the ice rink since we were in winter time.

s

To get to Battery Park from the hotel walk to 7th AVe. and 57th Street. Take an N or R train DOWNTOWN and get off at the Whitehall St./South Ferry station, the last stop in Manhattan. First thing you might do is take the Staten ferry round trip. It is free and you don't have to get off the ferry when it gets to STaten Island. Walking tour: Head up Broadway past TRinity Church, WAll St. and CIty HAll. At Worth Street go east (right) and you will wind up in Chinatown. Find Mott St and go left on Mott to Canal Street. Cross CAnal and WAlk north on Mulberry St (Little Italy). At BRoome STreet make a left and walk to West Broadway and make a right. You are now in SOHO. After crossing Houston you will be in GReenwich VIllage. AS you wander through the VIllage always go north and west. When you get to 6th Ave walk north on 6th and at 34th ST you will come to Broadway. Go north on Broadwaythrough TImes SQuare to the park and then to the hotel. The walk is close to six miles.

Howard

A couple of suggested minor switches in plans:
1. Go to the Met in the morning rather than the afternoon. It is much less crowded. (Of course, the downside is that if it's warm out, it'll be hotter outside in the afternoon.)
2. Change your dinner reservations to 6 p.m. You'll still have plenty of time to make the show (which is only a couple blocks away), and that'll give you another hour in the Met (or whatever you decide to do that afternoon).

rqf

Addition to directions provided by "s"

When on Worth walk left side of the street until you come to a very large intersection. Don’t cross the intersection - make a 120 degree turn to the left and you will see Mott St.

Cross Canal at Mott and go one block west to Mulberry St and walk north on Mulberry

When you come to Houston when on West Broadway make a left and walk to MacDougal St..

Walk north on MacDougal to W 10th and then west to 6th Ave.

ADF

What do you and your wife like to do? Would she be interested in Madison Avenue and the shops, or more into dowtown Soho? Do you like seeing the "must-see" tourist attractions, or discovering the out-of-the-way places real New Yorkers go? If it's the former, there's plenty of info around, I'm sure. If it's the latter, try strolling on Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue, on the Upper East Side - very pretty - or in the Yorkville area (Gracie Mansion, Carl Schurz Park). Central Park is nice in the summer as well. You might be interested in spending some time in Greenwich Village, known as "The Village," which is cute and has some historical interest, or the East Village at night, which is where the young people go for cheap food and music (Sidewalk Cafe, Luca Lounge - look on Citysearch.com) . Right now the trendy thing to do is go to an Italian dinner in the Village, and then go for cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery (cupcakes overrated, in my opinion, but it's fun to see how people line up at midnight for these things). If you look in TIME OUT Magazine (available on line) they list events (music, readings, etc) going on for particular weekends, and also list guided walking tours, which are a great way to see the city. They have them for different interests - literary, historical, even culinary, which could be a good way to see Chinatown. If you like modern art, the Guggenheim and MOMA are fun, and I think on Fridays and Saturday's they're open late AND have drinks and free music. On Fridays and Saturdays the MET is open late as well, and I believe they too have music (classical) and drinks. Very pretty. Personally I don't like the midtown area - too crowded, dirty, and no shade in summer - but then again I live here and get to see it all the time! As for the suit, I think you can get away with a jacket in the restaurant - during the summer people aren't as dresed up.
I love New York and hope you have a wonderful time!
-ADF

p.s. Jen - that area you're talking about is probably the South Street Seaport.

Mark

Thanks for the help.

Our tentative itinerary looks like this:

Friday evening (arrive early evening)
Walk around Rockefeller Center and back towards Times Square.
Try to get in the Carnegie Deli to Eat a late dinner. Any other place that doesn't require reservations and very casual?

Saturday
Walk to NY Library and on to Grand Central Terminal.
Quick lunch in the area?
Walk up Madison to Central Park and tour the Met in the afternoon.
Dinner and show Saturday

Sunday
Quick breakfast?
Take subway to Battery Park
May take Staten Island Ferry to and back
Walk through financial district, Gound Zero, and on to Chinatown, Little Italy and onto Greenwich Village. Walk up 5th to Boardway. If we have the energy, take a look at Post Office and on up to hotel.
Good restuarant for Sunday evening - fish or something not italian? Prefer some place that doesn't require a reservation as we don't know when we will get back.

Monday morning
Breakfast at Norma's - if we can get in - may also try on Sunday

s

You write - take a look at Post Office and on up to hotel.

Which post office?.

Howard

Your Saturday schedule looks a little tight. You're not leaving yourself much time for the Met, only about a couple hours, considering that you'd have return to your hotel to get read for dinner and theater that evening. Perhaps you should take a subway from Grand Central to the museum. Again, however, I must advise you that the museum can get very crowded on weekend afternoons. Have you thought about reversing the order on Sasturday and starting with the museum?
For lunch on Saturday, try one of the restaurants on the lower level of Grand Centra.