mldsc

I would love any feedback / suggestions on the itinerary below. Here is some background:

I am going to bring my 63 year-old Mom to NYC for a very short visit on our way to a family wedding. We will be there on a Friday/Saturday in mid-May. I have been to NYC once and will likely go again in the future. However, this is my mom's first trip and will likely be the only time she gets to NYC (she is from the West Coast and my dad is not a traveler). I want to be realistic and not cram in a whole bunch of stuff and she says she would rather take her time with a few major sights. She is more interested in history and sightseeing (as opposed to shopping and food). I have a few things mapped out already, but am looking to fill in a few spots. Is there anything not on my list that she "must see" on her visit? Thanks for any suggestions.

Itinerary:

Friday: We land at LGA around 10:30am, so I am assuming it will be at least noon before we get into the city and settled at our hotel (currently planning to stay at a hotel in midtown near central park).

Early Afternoon - ??
Mid afternoon (2:00 or 4:30) – Circle Line harbor cruise
Evening – Empire State Building

Saturday:
Morning
Option 1: Breakfast at Balthazar and Lower East Side Tenement Museum
OR
Option 2: Breakfast ?? and American Museum of Natural History

Afternoon- ??

We need leave the city by late afternoon

Some other possibilities I have considered:
Brooklyn Bridge
Central Park
Highline Park
Times Square (she wants to see it, but we don't need to spend any time there)

bachslunch

Friday early afternoon might be spent at the Frick Museum, which is very nice but not large. Or this could be a good time to see Times Square.

Did you try to get tickets ahead of time for the ESB? The wait there can be lengthy even with such a pre-purchase and interminable without one. Better yet, you can get a good view with less wait at Top of the Rock in Rockefeller Center.

Would also recommend making tour reservations in advance if you want to visit the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, as they sometimes sell out.

And if you opt for the American Museum of Natural History, note that it's huge and can very easily take up a full day (or even several days depending on how thorough you are). Both this and the LESTM are great places to visit.

SueNYC

I would second Top of the Rock for the views of Central Park and the Empire State Building and the films about the history of Rock Center if you do indeed have a wait there.

Museum of the City of New York has NYC History. Check with your Mom re Natural History vs the Met.

jubilada

The tenement museum is much more New York-y than the natural history, and more doable, IMO.

Aduchamp1

I would also skip the Circle line on such a short trip.

If you go to the library and get an AIA guide to NYC, you will see many historic buildings and areas to consider.

nytraveler

Skip the Circle line and do Top of the Rock - advance tickets, not waiting, when the ESB can be hours.

Depending on what type of museums she likes I would head to either the Met or MoMA. The Met is open Fri and Sat nights until 9 pm - so you have some extra sightseeing time then. The Frick is great and small/easily doable - but is really not world class as the others are. The Tenement Museum is also fascinating - if she's interested in NYC history - but again I would do the Met or MoMA first.

The walk over the Brooklyn Bridge is lengthy and not reco'd when you have so little time.

You can have a quick look at Central Park when visiting the Met or Nat'l History. I would go to the web site of the Central Park Conservancy to determine what sights you might want to see.

She can see times Square in about 15 minutes (preferably form the windows of a cab).

abram

I would also skip the Circle Line.
If she's interested in history, I second the recommendation of the Tenement Museum--and we also liked Ellis Island.
NYC has many ethnic communities, and quite a few of them have museums, if she's intersted in that sort of thing.
Many years ago, the UN was one of my favorite places.
What has she said about what she'd like to see?

mldsc

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had given her a list of ideas and the Circle Line cruise was her first choice - I think she like the idea of a guided tour. Other than the time investment, are there reasons not to do this (in other words, as far as long guided tours go, is this a good one?).

I like the suggestion of Top of the Rock instead of ESB. Having been to ESB before, I wasn't looking forward to the line.

I have her checking out the museum websites and she is going to let me know which one seems most interesting to her. I'll pass on your comments / suggestions as well.

Any suggestions for other things to see? Thanks.

ellenem

If the Circle Line is her first choice, then do it. I don't think the Circle line is necessarily a bad idea, as long as you stick to one of the shorter cruises. Since you're not planning to visit the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, it will give her a relatively close-up view of both, as well as pass under the Brooklyn Bridge and give iconic view of the cityscape. Check for times--you might choose a later cruise at sunset and try to fit another option in the afternoon.

Choosing Top of the Rock means you will have much less of a commitment of time.

If she's a history fan, then the Tenement Museum would be a great choice. You might also check what exhibit is at the 42nd Street Library during your visit. The building is worth a visit on its own and Grand Central Station might make a nice stop since it's nearby. This would give you the opportunity to explore a bit more of midtown closer to your hotel on your departure afternoon. Choosing between hitting the streets versus hitting the museums will depend on her interests--and the weather.

Rhea58

Agree w/Ellen. I took out-of-town vistors on a 2-hr. Circle Line cruise (sitting on top deck) which they thoroughly enjoyed. The boat slows down for photo ops @ Ellis Island and the Statue Liberty.
Weather should be great in May for this & your mom qualifies for a sr. ticket.
Skip the Empire State Bldg. Lines are horrendous; do the
Top of Rock instead.

mldsc

Would you recommend Top of the Rock during the daytime or at night?

mclaurie

Instead of the Circle Line, consider nywaterway.com which covers the same territory in 90 mins. (in a nicer, faster boat) as the Circle Line does in 2 hrs. The other idea is to do a dinner cruise like bateauxnewyork.com for the first night. Very memorable and kills 2 birds...

I'd head to Central Park when you arrive and walk toward the Boat House for lunch. It will give you an overview of the park, a lovely lunch (either informal at the cafe or nicer on the lake). From there you can easily go to the Frick museum.

For Sat., Balthazar doesn't do a full breakfast early on Sat. morning, only during the week. It's also not that close to the Tenement Museum. I'd go to Katz's deli for breakfast and then the Tenement Museum.

sf7307

>>

Or do the Tenement Museum followed by Katz' for lunch. Or both.

nytraveler

Do Top of the Rock around dusk - soyou can see the city both in daylight and lit up at night.