jorda

I would appreciate suggestions on the following tentative intinerary for an early April trip to NYC. We arrive late Wed., and leave early Sun. am, so we have 3 full days. Day 1- Circle line tour in am; walk the Brooklyn Bridge, then Chinatown ( is it asking too much to be able to stroll through South Street Seaport?). Day 2- Friday: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island first ferry of the morning; Ground Zero (kids want to see it- how much time does it entail?); and finally Museum of Natural History- I've read that it is open at night on Fridays, and we'd like to see the planetarium show. Day 3- Saturday: Intrepid Museum in the am; Empire State Building; Central Park. Lion King Sat. night. We are contemplating purchasing the Citypass- does anyone know if you truly do get to bypass the ticket lines- particularly at the Empire State Building? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks

salgal

Ground Zero does not take that long. There are a few things to read, I believe, but you shouldn't need more than a 1/2 hour ,if that. I think we spent about 15 minutes there. We walked through onthe way to catch the Staten ISland FErry.

bri19sp

The Statue of Liberty is still closed, so if you just want to see her, I would suggest taking the Staten Island Ferry which is free.

At most major attarction there is a seperate line for City Pass, or New york Pass. Though the line that was quoted to us as being 1 hour, took only 15 mins to get through at the ESB.

HowardR

Overall, it's a good itinerary.
bri19sp is correct about the Statue of Liberty being closed. However, do not let that dissuade from going to Ellis Island. It'll be a wonderful experience for the entire family.
There are two shows at the planetarium. If you only have time for one, I would recommend the one about the solar system. (Both shows are good, but the way.) I forget its title, but it's the one narrated by Tom Hanks.
How old are you children? There is lots for them to see at the AMNH. In addition to its permanent exhibit, there is current an excellent one about the ancient civilization of Petra.

mlm59

When visiting the WTC site be sure to go to the church (can't remember the name) that is about a block away. It is a historic building where George Washington worshipped when NY was the capital. The church was used as a command center for the rescue workers after 9/11. The tributes and memorials are very moving.

We had an awful experience at the ESB. We arrived about 8:00 on Friday evening and had no idea the line was so long. We first stood in line for a long time for tickets (couldn't tell how long the line was) and then stood in line a long time again to get on the elevator to the observation deck. It took us at least 2 hrs. While the night view of the city was spectacular, we wouldn't have done this had we known the line was so long. Maybe the lines aren't so long during the day, or maybe Friday night is the worst time to go.

Since the Statue of Liberty is not open, we did not get off at Liberty Island, but greatly enjoyed Ellis Island. Went on a ranger-led tour that explained the history of the island that was very interesting.

We also bought tickets for the 2 day Grey Line tour and was glad we did. It is a great way to see the city - just be sure you sit on the top deck.

sillybalkan

St. Paul's is the curch - it's across the street from the WTC site.

monpetit

As Statue of liberty is closed and effectively Ellis Island is a "must see"
returning from Ellis, you can go to the musuem of the indians not far from the "return pier" of the ferry...
I think your children should apreciate it....
Erik

jorda

Thanks for all of the advice, it's very helpful. We adults wouldn't mind skipping the ESB, but the kids (ages 9-15) want to see it, so if we can avoid lines by using the City Pass, that helps.

I've also read that we should get to the Intrepid Museum first thing in the morning in order to avoid lines at many of the 'hands on' stations. Is this accurate?

If one had to choose between the Circle Line ferry tour and the Grey Line bus tour, which would you advise? Is it convenient to use the Grey Line for transportation from place to place?
Thanks

Austin

Isn't the Circle Line ferry tour only a ride over to Ellis and the Statue of Liberty and back? That's what we did. Took about 45 minutes total.

I've not done the Grey Line but from what I understand, that is a bus tour of the city where you can get on and off at various places.

Two totally differnt things.

Austin

But perhaps there is a Circle Line ferry tour around the island? That maybe what you mean. Then you need to choose if you want to be on the outside looking in or on the inside....

jenifer

The Circle Line may operate a ferry to Ellis Island, but they also offer tours around Manhattan. We did the full circle tour a couple years ago and it was interesting. But I would prefer not to sit inside, and it's probably too cold to sit outside in early April. I think they also offer a 1/2-circle tour.

The bus tour probably shows your more sites, but of course traffic can be an issue. Still, since you can get on and off as you wish, it might be easier to do with kids than the boat.

MWM1

Definitely the Circle Line Ferry. My 3 daughters LOVED chinatown - be sure to check out the fish sellers! And if possible - head to Little Italy for dinner. If its a nice day, grab a hotdog from a street vendor for lunch and find a bench in Central or Battery Park. Times Square and looking up at the MTV TRL studio mught be fun for your 15 year old

bardo

The Brooklyn Bridge walk is great. I suggest you taxi/subway and just walk one-way (Brooklyn toward Manhatten). After strolling through South Street Seaport, go to Jeramy's Ale House for lunch (kids are welcome) - GREat, inexpensive seafood/fries.

Click on "We're Moving"
http://www.jeremysalehouse.com/

Patrick

I'd not recommend the full Circle Line tour around Manhattan, after the lower half, it gets very long and boring. Unless you have the better part of a day to spend, I'd definitely just do the shorter tour, or just to Ellis Island (but only if you can spend the time on the island at the museum, or another alternative is the little commuter boat that goes around the lower end of Manhattan and will let you off at the Brooklyn Ice Cream factory, where you can go to Grimaldi's Pizza and walk back across the bridge. That's a great way to combine the boat trip, walking the bridge, and the pizza and ice cream.

dan_woodlief

I recommend that with a trip of three days, you do either the Ellis Island trip or the Circle Line. We did both but were there for 6 days. The half circle is definitely a better use of time, as it shows you the best stuff. On the Circle Line tour, you can sit where you want. My wife and daughter sat inside out of the cool air last April, while I wandered back and forth from the deck to inside to take photos. If you decide against the City Pass, you can go to the Empire State Building's official site and print your tickets ahead of time. You maintain complete flexibility as to when to use them, and you don't have to stand in line when you go.

cablegirl

Jorda, granted it was October and a chilly evening, but we went on a weekday to the ESB and were able to breeze through the lines (10 minutes total to get to the top). Any way to squeeze that in to the night you get there or Thursday night? They stop admitting people at 11:15pm, so no matter how late you get there Wednesday night, it would be a good way to avoid crowds (and the view is amazing at night!)

As for Ellis Island: this may be an unpopular opinion, but I was unimpressed. Unless they are fascinated by old things for the romance of it, or they have a thorough knowledge of the significance of the Island, I think the kids in your party will be bored and antsy. We went because of family history, but the museum is not restored to be historically accurate. Just my two cents.

Central Park: swing by the Belvedere Castle. It's a tiny, fairy-tale-like castle with a nature center that the kids should like.

Have a fun trip!!!