4 Days in NYC...... Suggestions Appreciated
 

Hi All.......

I'll be in NYC for four days with a friend (both our first time) and wanted to get some input/info/advice on exploring the city. I'm leaning toward touring the city via foot as opposed to the subway. I'll me staying in the Time Square area at a hotel that I've just recently been reading about as having quite a reputation (Sheraton New York Towers - I will say though that I took down Mr. Oneill's email just in case I run into any troubles such as the poster this morning wrote about). Obviously, the Empire State Building, MOMA, all the glorious shopping venues are on my list of things to do but I wanted to know if there are others that maybe I've not thought about.

I've looking into taking one of the double-decker bus tours but with a price of around $70 I wanted to know if any others have enjoyed this type of site-seeing tour and/or if it's worth the money? Is there another way to see the city besides atop a bus? I'm always been one to just take off on foot with a GOOD map but someone had suggested this as an option.

Also, are there any just FAB restaurants, diners or an eatery that are a must while I'm here? Looking for places that all too pricey.....lord knows that pricey places are everywhere in NYC.

This is a spur of the moment trip with a friend that normally never wants to travel (who I've been trying to go a big-city trip for years)and I want to enjoy the experience in NYC as well as her.

Thanx in advance for any advice/input!

IMHO, your best buy is the Gray Line All-Loops tour, $49 (minus discounts like AAA, AARP, etc.), not their $71 version. It's a great way to get your bearings, see architectural stuff you wouldn't notice walking at ground level, plenty of people-watching, and all-day hop-on-hop-off for two full days.

TIP: Try to ride on top, you'll see so much more, but if there aren't seats available when you board, get on anyway because something will probably open up at the next stop and of course those already on board get first dibs.

Caution: The quality of the tour guides varies tremendously, as does the accuracy/consistency of the info they disseminate.

Don't bother with MOMA which is temporarily housed in Queens. Instead, make sure you have the Metropolitan Museum on your list.
And, not meaning to sound sarcastic, but there are literally hundreds (thousands, perhaps) of restaurants in the city that are "must visits." Give us some hints as to price and type(s) of food.

The purpose of the subway in New York is to move people from Point "A" to Point "B"... not to sightsee. As a touring vehicle, it can help get you from the foot of Manhattan (where you can take the ferry to Staten Island and back and get a great view of the Statue of Liberty in the process) to Midtown, but a good pair of walking shoes is a visitor's best friend.

The Sheraton New York is simply a very large (1500 rooms, I think) and poorly managed hotel. If this trip is spur of the moment, see what hotels.com and quikbook have to offer, and look for a smaller property. There's no magic to staying in the Times Square area versus, say, something east of 5th Avenue. Times Square is just one area you'll want to see out of many, so don't limit your options.

Seeing New York in four days requires mapping out an itinerary, and a good guide book is essential (our host produces an excellent one). As to places to eat, the best values are generally going to be found in Greenwich Village and along dining alleys such as Columbus Avenue on the upper west side. Again, a guidebook will list the good "perennials"; I'd check the New York Times on-line dining guide's "$25 and Under" for of-the-moment eateries that are in your price range.

My parents recently visited NYC for the first time and loved the double decker Grey Line tour. I believe they booked for three days including a night time tour and felt as if they could not have seen more in the city. They used their AAA card for quite a discount. They loved their guides and found everyone with the company to be very friendly. I love a little Italian restaurant named Pietrasantra (I posted the address and phone number recently on this board) - it is about three blocks from Times Square, inexpensive and just amazing food. In fact the last time we were in NYC, we ate at one of the pricier Italian restaurants - it was three times as expensive and not nearly as good. I also happen to love Ruby Foo's Chineese/Japaneese in Times Square - some people might find it a bit cheesy, but I love the food and energy of the place. If you like sushi, they have some very creative sushi rolls with great sauces, etc. Have a great time!

Personnally, I'd forget the tour, get yourself a good guidebook and hoof it. We've walked from Battery Park to Central Park in a day and see more than we'd ever see in a blur on a bus. Since it sounds like you are a walker that would be my opinion.

Thanx for the discounted info on the bus tour. I called and my AAA membership is still valid...yeah!

Howard - thanx for the heads-up about the MOMA....I appreciate it. As for restaurants.... prices around $40 or below for entree. Types of food anything really (except seafood).

Neal... Yeah my subway reference did sound like I was thinking I could use it to site-see which would be sorta hard since it's underground and I must say that my professors in undergrad (I'm a log and trans major) would have taken my statement about the on-foot as opposed to the subway method and put me in my place about that mode of transportation. What I meant to state was that my friend has these 'spots' to go and see throughout the city that the subway would be fabulous for but I'd rather like you stated use my walking shoes (which will be my best friend). Also, I've looked into another hotel but my package deal through hotwire won't allow me to switch - oh well I'll survive. Also, thank for the on-line dining guide info, I've checked it out and it a wonderful resource that I'm sure we'll be able to use.

Again thanx for the replies.......

You might start your planning with Fodor's own destination guide for NYC, which you can access from the home page.

I just wanted to thank you all again for all the replies and suggestions.

Touring the city by foot is the best way to go unless you have specific destinations that are far apart and limited time. Also, your subway pass is good for city buses too, so that's also an inexpensive way to travel AND see the city.

After you get to the Sheraton, stop by the visitors information center across the street where you can pick up maps and brochures and a metrocard and ask for advice. The bus tour is also right outside if you want to hop on.

Definitely check out the Met, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and the usual suspects. Avoid the long lines at the Empire State Building by either going after 9PM or buying your ticket online and printing it out beforehand.

But the way to see great neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and SoHo is by walking through them and stopping off at boutiques and having a great cup of coffee and dessert and taking in the sights and sounds. Check out chowhound.com for eating suggestions. Enjoy!

Also agree with doing the Greyline for a first time visitor. You can go back and see what you would like to spend more time on.

Metropolitan Museum of Art can be overwhelming but is a must do. The Frick is also impressive but much much smaller.

Get downtown. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. Take the Staten Island Ferry at night for priceless views of the Statue of Liberty, Financial District, and the Brooklyn Bridge lit up. See Trinity Church, light a candle and say a prayer at St. Pauls.

Have a kosher Jewish lunch at Second Avenue Deli.

Shop for inexpensive trendy clothes at H&M (knock your socks off clothes and prices).

Go to the Rainbow Room for drinks to have a view of NYC few get to see.

Another indispensable source for restaurant ideas:
www.chowhound.com

There are so many great restaurants, at every price point. Post your question on Chowhound, including types of cuisine, neighborhoods, etc, and you're bound to get a bunch of great suggestions.

My favorite museums (other than the Metropolitan Museum of Art) are the Frick Collection (down the street from the Met) and the Tenement Museum on the lower east side.

If you like to read, the Strand Bookstore is awesome. It's on 6th and Broadway and it's huge.

Karen S - not to nitpick - but the Strand is on Broadway at 12th Street - the north east corner.

Modern girl - walking is the BEST way to see NYC (IMHO) - pick a neighborhood - say downtown financial, or Greenwich Village, or Lower East side, or Museum Mile/Upper East Side or Midtown and do a search here for suggestions. You really can't go wrong - most people have great advice. Then post some more specific qustions - price range and cuisines for restaurants/types of merchandise for shopping/genres of art or music venues. and keep in mind - you can't see/do it all - you can always come back . . .

I've visited NY 3 times in the last two years and have another trip planned for this May. You're going to LOVE it! Walking is a great way to get around but don't count out the Circle Line tours for the upper and lower parts of the city - especially for your first time there. A friend and I really hoofed it one trip and ended up wishing we had spent less time getting from place to place and more taking in each area of the city. Take the subway once just for the experience and then the hop on, hop off busses or cabs are great for at least a day or two. Very informative - I agree, some tour guides are better than others but they all point out info you may miss in the guide books. Be sure to give yourself some time to relax in the park or at a cafe to enjoy people watching. It's really easy to get caught into a whirlwind of trying to see so much that you actually miss alot of the flavor of the city. My best advice is - plan to go again and often - that's how it's worked out for me. : ) I'm also going to post an inquiry regarding the New York Greeters - sounds interesting. A local takes you on a 2 to 4 hour tour of non-touristy New York.

Oh, just about forgot. I didn't find NY eating to be pricey at all. I'm sure if you make reservations at some of the top restaurants that would be the case but I've always been way too busy to want to take the time to do anything more than to stop for a casual meal. I've had some amazing sandwiches, etc to take as a picnic lunch to the park and it's always fun to sit at an outdoor cafe to grab a casual meal and do some people watching.

Four days is not a lot of time but should allow you to see quite a bit. For me the experiences you will remember the most and which are all but essential to get a feel for NYC (Manhattan at least) are: walk the Brooklyn Bridge (do it from the Brooklyn side - I would choose either sunset or early to mid morning for special light - it is easy to do and only takes about 20-40 minutes depending on how much you stop); see the Statue of Liberty (I would take the Staten Island Ferry to save time); go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (choose about 3 major sections and then see other highlights such as the American Wing Courtyard); walk through Central Park; visit Times Square and the Theater District at night; spend half a day walking through Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, and Greenwich Village - this walk follows beautifully from a morning walk across the bridge to Manhattan; stroll through at least part of the Financial District to see Wall Street, maybe the WTC site, and all the skyscrapers; the Empire State Building at dusk - buy your tickets ahead of time online to save time in line; Rockefeller Center; St. Patrick's Cathedral; and a broadway show or other performance.

I think Janette made a good point about the tours. I have considered them on two occasions and haven't done them yet. I do wish I had taken one when my family went along on the first trip. They are probably a good idea for upper and lower Manhattan if you want to take in more sights in the time you have because you won't likely get to many of these otherwise (eg., Harlem, Morningside Heights, Upper West Side).

Try to eat at Katz's Deli or Second Ave. Deli and of course have some pizza. Second Ave is only slightly less atmospheric but seems to have better service. John's Pizzeria is great and has a large location not far west of Times Square. If you go to Second Ave Deli, stop by tiny Pommes Frites right up the street for yummy Belgian fries with a large selection of sauces (huge portions) - 123 2nd Ave.

As far as shopping goes, try to focus on particular items or sections of stores (eg., purses or shoes) because some of the famous places such as Macy's, Bloomies, and Saks are absolutely huge and can eat up lots of sightseeing time. You will probably enjoy stopping in a few stores in SoHo. Daffy's is a good place to find bargains. There are also several great music stores, including Virgin on Times Square.

The Grey Line tour is really great! We were there late last summer and really enjoyed sitting on top and seeing all the sights. The only caveat I would give is to consider that it is much colder now and sitting outside may or may not be something you want to do.
If you are up near the Metropolitan you also might think about seeing the Guggenheim. We were just there in Dec. and saw a really cool exhibit by James Rosenquist---one of the founders of "pop art". Besides great art, the museum itself is quite a neat place.

I definately agree with Dan's suggestions. As a natve New Yorker, I may just follow his tour myself! Definately stop by Chinatown (try a Dim Sum luncheon)and Little Italy. Don't forget to stop in Grand Central station. It's been rennovated and it simply beautiful. There are some restaurants there too. The TIX booth in Times Square has last minute ticket specials to many of the Broadway shows. The lines are long and you may not get the exact show you want to see (forget about getting tickets there for the Producers- but who knows: you may get lucky) but there is enough of a choice of great shows to choose from. Lunch at Saks is fun. Ask for a window seat overlooking Rockefeller Center. St. Patrick's Cathedral is beautiful. Tea at the Plaza is expensive but worth the experience. Have a wonderful time.

Following is a list breaking down the city into sections and things to see in ea\ch section. Did this some years back so it is possible some of the places may no longer exist.

The geological boundaries, for the most part, are my own creation . The d ividing line between the east and west sides is 5th Avenue.

Financial District - south of Chambers Street, river to river
1. City Hall
2. South Street Seaport (on the East River)
3. Battery Park - ferry to Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
4. Staten Island ferry - free ride
5. Ground Zero
6. World Financial Center -Winter Garden
7. Stock Exchange (20 Broad St.)
8. Museum of the American Indian (1 Bowling Green)
9. Museum of Jewish Heritage (near Battery Park, Wagner Park)
10. Castle Clinton National Monument. (Battery Park)
11. Brooklyn Bridge
12. Fraunces Tavern Museum (54 Pearl St.)
13. Vietnam Veterans Memorial (near 55 Water St.)

Lower East Side - Houston Street to Chambers Street
1. Little Italy
2. Chinatown
3. Lower East Side Tenement Museum (90 Orchard St.)
4. Orchard Street historic shopping district (Visitor Center, 261 Broome St.)

Soho and Tribeca - Houston to Chambers - west side (SoHo - south of Houston; Tribeca - triangle below Canal St.)
1. Guggenheim Museum (SoHo) - 575 Broadway
2. Pace Wildenstein Gallery (142 Greene St.)
3. Museum of African Art (593 Broadway)
4. New Museum of Contemporary Art. (583 Broadway)
5. Plenty of art galleries, restaurants and shopping

Greenwich Village - 14th Street to Houston St., west side
1. NY University
2. Washington Square Park
3. Washington Mews (just north of the Park)
4. Coffee houses, shopping and lots of restaurants

East Village - 14th to Houston, east side
1. Joseph Papp Public Theater 425 Lafayette St.)
2. Little India (restaurants 6th St. between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
3. Little Ukraine - a small neighborhood that is home to many Ukrainians - 6th to 12th Streets
4. 2nd Ave Deli (considered by many to be best deli in NYC - 156 2nd Ave - 10th Street)
5. Ukrainian Museum (203 2nd Ave.)

Lower Midtown - Below 40 St Street to 14th Street - West Side
1. Macy?s (34th St between 7th and Broadway)
2. Empire State Building (34th St and 5th)
3. Garment district (40th to 34th)
4. Flower district (27th, 28th, 29th Streets - between 6th and 7th Avenues)
5. Madison Square garden (31st to 33rd Streets and 7th Ave.)
6. Chelsea Piers (sports complex on Hudson River and 23rd St)
7. Chelsea Art Galleries ( most galleries feature modern art - between 18th and 27th Streets)
8. Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology (27th St. and 7th Ave)
Lower Midtown - below 40 Street to 14th Street - East Side
1. Morgan Library (36th St and Madison Ave.)
2. Scandinavia House (37th St. and Park Ave.)

Midtown - 40th to 59th Streets - west side
1. Theater district
2. NY Public Library (42nd St and 5th)
3. Bryant Park (40th to 42nd Streets on 6th Ave.)
4. Rockefeller Center (47th to 52nd Streets)
5. Museum of Modern Art (53rd St. west of 5th)
6. Radio City Music Hall (49th St. and 6th Ave)
7. Diamond Row (47th St.)
8. Carnegie Hall (57th St. and 7th Ave)
9. TKTS - theater discount ticket booth (47th St. and Broadway)
10. Museum of Radio and Television (52nd St west of 5th)
11. Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum (46th and Hudson River)
12. American Craft Museum (53rd St.)
13. Madame Tussaud?s Wax Museum (42nd St.between Broadway and 8th Ave.)
14. Nasdaq Marketsite (tours - 43rd St. and Broadway)
15. Carnegie Deli (55th and 7th Ave.)

Midtown - 40th to 59th - east side
1. United Nations (43rd to 47th Streets, 1st Ave)
2. Chrysler Building (42nd St and Lexington Ave)
3. Grand Central Terminal (42nd St. between Lexington and Vanderbilt Avenues)
4. St. Patrick?s Cathedral (50th St and 5th)
5. Bloomingdales (59th St and Lexington)
6. FAO Schwarz (toy store - 59th St. and 5th)
7. Atrium shops at Trump Tower (56th, 57th Streets on 5th)
8. Sony Wonder Technology Lab (55th St and Madison Ave..)
9.. Roosevelt Island tram (60th St. and 1st Ave.)

Central Park - covers area 59th Street (Central Park South) to 110th St. (Central Park North) and from 5th Avenue to Central Park West.
1. Belvedere Castle (near 79th St)
2 Wollman Skating rink (near 65th St.)
3. The Boathouse (near 72nd St.)
4. Central Park Zoo (near 64th St.)
5. Conservatory Garden (105th St)
6. Carousel (mid park near 65th)
7. The Dairy (mid park at 65th St.
8. Carriage ride (can find carriages along Central Park South from 5th Ave. to Central Park West)

Upper West Side - 59th to 110th - west side of Central Park
1. Lincoln Center (62nd to 65th Streets and Broadway)
2. Children?s Museum (83rd St east of Broadway)
3. Natural History Museum and Rose Center ( 77th to 81st Streets on Central Park West)
4. Museum of American Folk Art (66th St. and Columbus Ave.)
5. Cathedral of St. John the Divine (112th Street and Amsterdam Ave)
6. New York Historical Society (77th St. and Central Park West)

Upper East Side - 59th to 110th - east side of Central Park
1. China Institute (65th St.)
2. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (91st St)
3. El Museo del Barrio (104th St.)
4. Metropolitan Museum of Art (82st St.)
5. Museum of City of NY (103rd St.)
6. Jewish Museum (92nd St.)
7. Solomon Guggenheim Museum (89th St.)
8. Whitney Museum of American Art (75th St)
9.. Frick Collection (70th St.)
10. National Academy of Design (89th St.)
(All the museums are either on 5th Avenue or just off 5th Avenue)

Harlem - 110th to 145th Streets - west side
1. 125th Street shopping district
2. Studio Museum in Harlem (125th St.)
3. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515 Lenox Ave - 135th St.. )
4. Apollo Theater (125th St. near Broadway)
5. Grant?s Tomb (122nd St and Riverside Drive)

Other Boroughs
1. Bronx Zoo
2. NY Botanical Garden (Bronx)
3. Brooklyn Botanical Garden
4. Cloisters (northern end of Manhattan, Ft. Tryon Park)
6. NY Aquarium (Coney Island, Brooklyn)
5. Prospect Park Zoo (Brooklyn)
6. Staten Island Zoo
7. Wave Hill (Bronx) - Gardens
8. Brooklyn Museum

Don't take a bus tour!!! Walkig through the city and experiencing it for yourself is much more fun and a bit more of a raw view of the city. As for restaurants, you must check out Po. It is a fabulous find in lower Manhattan that does a six course menu for $40. (Italian) I can get you the address if you want. Have fun!