Brains! I need brains!
 

Spouse and I (mid-30s) are going to NYC as first leg of long vacation. Haven't been in 3 years. Below is our itinerary. We love history and food. I’ve got history guides and tours booked, but need other advice (Best lunch spot in Harlem, good boutiques in Brooklyn?) I’ve started my requests with “???” – Thanks in advice.

Sunday, June 14
Afternoon:
Arrive at 1:30 pm
Check into Beacon Hotel – Upper West Side
Grab quick lunch at Shake Shack
Meeting at NY Times 4-6 pm
Evening:
??? Twilight cruise - suggested vendors?
Dinner at Curry Leaf
Grab gelato at GROM near hotel

Monday, June 15
Morning:
Breakfast at Lexington Candy Shop – Upper East Side
Central Park: Bike ride, historical walking tour
Central Park: historical walking tour
Afternoon:
??? Lunch: Best place to order a picnic lunch? Murray’s Cheese, Zabar’s, Fairways?
Shopping all afternoon
Evening:
Dinner at Babbo 8pm – Greenwich Village
??? No plans. Open to suggestions

Tuesday, June 16
Morning:
??? Grab breakfast on way to Midtown East. Ideas?
UN Tour
Afternoon:
Lunch at Delegates Dining Room at 12:30
Greenwich Village historical walking tour (w/ shopping )
Grab a small bite around 5
Evening:
In the Heights at 7 pm
Late dinner at Sevilla
More gelato at GROM!

Wednesday, June 17
Morning:
Grab breakfast on way to AMHN
Hayden Planetarium 10 – 12
Afternoon:
12:30 lunch at Telepan
AMNH 2 – 6
Quick sandwich or slice
Evening:
Gods of Carnage at 8pm
Crif’s at the show

Thursday, June 18
Morning:
Sleep late
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Head over to Brooklyn
Line up at DiFara’s before Noon
Afternoon
Historical walking tour of Greenpoint/Williamsburg
??? Shopping mixed in (Good jewelry and clothes boutiques?)
Early dinner at Peter Lugar
Evening
Continue exploring Brooklyn
Walk back to Manhattan over Brooklyn Bridge
Could it be time for GROM?

Friday, June 19
Morning:
Breakfast on way to Harlem
Walking tour of Harlem
??? Suggestions for lunch?
Afternoon:
Unplanned in case we didn’t get a chance to do anything earlier in the week.
Evening:
Leave at 7:30 pm

There is no such thing as a quick lunch at Shake Shack. Well perhaps at the UWS side one.

Check out design sponge online for a guide to shopping in Brooklyn. It's a year or two old but a good place to start. You can also use the ny magazine's online shopping guide and select which areas you will be in and types of stores that interest you.

One Question for you:

<i>Thursday, June 18
Morning:
Sleep late
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Head over to Brooklyn
Line up at DiFara’s before Noon</i>

Is it a special tour you have booked at the Tenement Museum? When I look on their website, their earliest tour starts at 11am on weekends, and 12 noon on weekdays. Unless you have a private tour booked, I don't see how you can visit the Tenement Museum AND head over to Brooklyn and line up at DiFara (whatever that is) BEFORE noon.

Tuesday morning breakfast: Popover Cafe on Amsterdam ca. 87th. One of my few repeat-musts when I go to NYC. Worth a wait if there is one. Also a lunch possibility if you're still up in that area.

I thought this was ganna be about offal

Hi kwarren--you should receive lots of help here.

Just looking over your Brooklyn day---what walking tour of Greenpoint/Williamsburg are you taking? Just curious for my own benefit.

You probably already realize this but Peter Luger's is far from the Brooklyn Bridge; if you want to eat there and then head to bridge you will want to have a car service number handy. There isn't a convenient subway route between the two.

Bird in Williamsburg on Grand Street is one notable boutique clothing spot. A good place to browse for something special. http://www.shopbird.com/

I have not been here, but New York magazine highlighted a Greenpoint jewelry shop, Old Hollywood, in its "Best of" issue; might be worth checking out:
http://nymag.com/bestofny/shopping/2009/trendy-jewelry/

Do you know Shake Shack on the UWS has gotten bad reviews?
http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/shake-shack-2/

For "twilight cruise" you might consider
sail-nyc.com
Otherwise, I think your options are limited to Circle Line.

After Babbo you can pop into the Bar Next Door at La Lanterna for some jazz.

For breakfast before the UN Tour, Ess-A-Bagel is on your way (3rd & 50 st.)

Babbo has lambs brain

I may need my breakfast more than you do, but I would not cross from the UWS to the EWS for breakfast. There is a lot in the neighborhood of the Beacon Hotel.

I thought this was going to be about the Wizard of Oz.

I feel offally disapointed this thread is neither about brain braised in pinot noir or the red sparkly shoes!

Brain braised in pinot noir- sounds like a friend of mine.

wine braised friends always add a little something to the dinner party!

One suggestion if you are not locked into your hotel. You may want to consider switching to the Excelsior Hotel on W 81st just off of the park. IMO it is a better hotel and it is presently on sale at Hotels.com at $168, a good deal which should be a savings over the Beacon. I just booked it myself. (no, this is not an ad).

Wow! Y'all are quick and informative. Thanks for all the advice. And yes, I'm not much of a breakfast person. If I'm awake before 10, it's a big day.

Katie H: I've compiled several sources from my Greenpoint/Williamsburg tour. My husband's mom is from there, so I've got tons of reading and highlights to hit from her glory days (hopefully the buildings are still around even if the business are not.) Plus am using tour map and content from the Water and Work tour in 2008. The guides I prefer to use (Michelle and James Nevius) will be out of town, so I'm using their book Inside the Apple (at Amazon) to give me walking tour of Brooklyn Heights after dinner. And know to use car service to get me from Lugar's. Or I may just have it take to straight to the hospital from my impending steak-induced heart attack.

YK: Thanks for the heads up on the Lower Tenement Museum. I completely forget to check its opening time. Looks like I might need to juggle things up. I really want to do this.

Basingstoke2: I'll look at Excelsior and see if I can make a switch. My husband is over 6'6" so small NYC hotel rooms make him feel like a bear in a roller skate. Is Excelsior roomy?

Again, thanks to everyone for their brains!

Kwarren - it is hard to go wrong with either the Excelsior or the Beacon. Both are well located and very good values for NY. Although the Excelsior rooms are a good size for NYC, the Beacon's rooms are possibly larger. Both offer roomy suites. I like the Excelsior for its quality to price ratio and that it is across from the Museum of Natural History and subway stop. It all comes down to price and at the price I am paying, it is $42/night less than the Beacon.

Grom and Peter Luger's - my kind of trip!

Cioccolatto Extra Noir - the best if you like your chocolate dark.

Bashingstoke2: Glad to hear good things about Beacon. I booked a one bedroom King Suite for $245 and it turns out to be a no refund price. That is less than the $311 Queen suite price at Excelsior on Hotels.com, but I was a bit worried.

GROM! Developed an addiction in Italy. Thrilled to get it in NYC. Will eat it every day!

Kwarren - sorry if I caused you any worry. I should have said that IMO the Excelsior is the better hotel for the price. $245 for a king suite in a good area of NYC is outstanding.

williamscb13, thanks for design sponge tip. Can't believe I didn't know about this site. It would have been great for my last trip through Australia! But will make great use of this for upcoming visits to DC and Chicago and even for hometown of Austin.