Does this look feasible for a September itinerary? Any alternate restaurant ideas? We're trying to keep the restaurant options inexpensive and fast to keep a budget and keep our young child moving. (She's an amazing traveler and loves museums, but long meals are out of the question.)

Day 1
early, Cloisters w/car
cafe @ Cloisters for lunch
St. John the Divine
check in to hotel in murray hill
(park car for duration)
NY Public Library-illuminated manuscripts
Empire State @ sunset (5:55pm)
Bardolino for early bird dinner
Guggenheim

Day 2
American Craft & Folk museums
Carnegie Deli for lunch (Shaan?)
Rockerfeller Plaza
St. Pat's Cathedral
5th Avenue browsing
Dinner in Grand Central Station food court
Lion King

Day 3
Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty
Tea and Sympathy on Jane St for lunch
Merchant House Tour
NY Historical Society - antique game exhibit
dinner-upper west side, Patsy's pizza?
wander upper west side, Cafe La Fortuna
(is it still as wonderful as it was 10 yrs ago?)
Day 4 Gauguin exhibit & Temple of Dendur
lunch at Serendipity III
Madison Ave shops
Tea at Palm Court (Pierre is not big enough for our party of 11!)
meandering to Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

We've got two older ladies with us, so we can't do a whole lot of walking, probably 10-20 blocks a day and the rest by bus or subway. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is out. It's their second trip to NYC so they've already done the Met, MOMMA and a couple of other obvious highlights. And they will be debarking from a cruise in NY when we pick them up, so forget a boat tour!

Is this too much running all around town? Have I made any grave ommissions? Thanks for the advice.

ooops, forgot to mention we're going in September

Hi, Val-
It does sound like a lot to do, but maybe you will find some things will not keep you very long.
* day 4-The Met Museum is about 20+ blocks from Serendipity.Then back to Mad Ave is a few blocks,then to the Plaza,more blocks!and then another museum! I think that day someones feet might fall off
The Metropolitan Museum is huge, you will walk a lot there.I think you might have to cut out a museum or something else somewhere in there.

Day 4

I'd suggest--have lunch at the Metropolitan Museum, in the cafeteria not the "table service" side, faster, easier with kid/s, better for the $, still fun.




Serendipity is way out of your way & could be a time-eater/waster. If you want to take your daughter there for fun, find a time to go there just for dessert, which is really the fun of the place anyhow.

Does everything on this agenda involve the party of 11? If so I think there's going to be a big time thing--everything will take about 1/3 longer. Which is fine. But you're talking about a 3-taxi operation, for example. (taxi will take 4, maybe one more if it's a tiny tot)

Day 3 - Tea and sympathy is on Greenwich Street. If you are going with all 11 people, you will never get in. There is always a line to wait because it only has about 6 tables in the place. You should expect to wait at least 1/2 hour for a table.

Thanks for your replies! No we will not be a party of 11 traipsing about Manhattan -- Yikes! It's 4 adults and a child for everything but the Tea.

I'm taking the advice for Day 4. We'll have lunch at the Met and pop by Serendipity for a late night dessert that evening.

I do have a problem with what to do with the party of 11 after Tea at the Plaza. All or most of us will stay together and it turns out the guest of honor can't stand the Cooper Hewit! Any ideas on relatively inexpensive or free places to hang out with a crowd (including 2 kids) between 6 and 8pm on a Tuesday night midtown east or upper east side? I'll pose this question in a new post as well.

Thanks very much for your advice!

http://www.newyorkled.com/

VAL-
look this site over, it is full of NY things to do!Good luck!

Val, honestly I'd cut the schedule in half. Your group is going to be exhausted as you have too much packed into each day.

agreed, tea and sympathy is wonderful, but not for a large party. you could call them and see if they will reserve an area for you because you have such a large group. the space is super tiny.