I'm leaving for NYC on Wednesday, and I'm coming back to Chicago on Tuesday. I created a (fairly) detailed itinerary, and I was hoping to see if anyone had suggestions or critiques. I'm 23, and this will be my first trip to NYC. I'm more interested in art, museums, and sight-seeing over dining and partying. I'm staying about two blocks west of Times Square.

Thanks in advance to any suggestions!

Wednesday, July 16

• St. John the Divine: 1:00-3:00
• Columbia University: 3:00-4:00
• Central Park (north to south): 4:00-7:00
• Empire State Building: 7:35-

Thursday, July 17:

• Statue of Liberty: 9:30-12:30
• Battery Park: 1:00-2:00
• Wall Street, Trinity Church, World Trade Center Site, St. Paul’s Chapel: 2:00-5:00
• Bodies Exhibition: 5:00-7:30
• South Street Seaport: 7:30-9:00

Friday, July 18

• Metropolitan Museum of Art: 9:30-1:00
• Central Park Zoo: 1:30-3:30
• St. Patrick’s: 4:00-5:00
• Rockefeller Observation: 5:00-6:00
• Dinner/sights:6:00-7:30
• Rockefeller Observation: 7:30-9:00

Saturday, July 19

• The Cloisters: 9:30-12:00
• Grace Church: 1:30-2:30
• Frick Collection: 3:00-5:00
• Dinner/sights: 5:00-7:00
• Roosevelt Island: 7:00-9:00


Sunday, July 20

• Brooklyn Bridge guided walk: 9:00-11:00
• Brooklyn Museum: 12:00-1:30
• Prospect Park: 2:00-3:00
• Brooklyn Botanical Garden: 3:00-5:00
• Dinner/sights: 5:00-7:00
• Brooklyn Heights promenade: 7:30-9:00

Monday, July 21

• American Museum of Natural History: 10:00-2:00
• Guggenheim Museum: 2:30-4:00
• OPEN

Tuesday, July 22

• Empire State Building: 8:00-10:00
• St. John the Divine guided tour: 11:00-12:00
• Neighborhood walks (TBD): 12:00-4:00
• LEAVING: 4:00

Some of your times seem to leave a lot of extra time -- but I guess that's better than not enough time.

For example, while I didn't see the Bodies exhibit (didn't care to), I sure got the impression that a half hour or so would be more than ample -- not 2 and a half hours.

And I'm not even sure what you'd do for the 3 hours allotted to the World Trade Center Site, Wall Street, etc., unless you're going to spend an hour or two shopping at 20th Century.

I'm also curious why you'd go to St. John the Divine and then go back for a guided tour (or is that a service you're attending the first time)? And why do the Empire State Building twice? And are you saying you're doing the Top of the Rock twice, or do you mean something else by Rockefeller observation?

How about the Tenement Museum and tour -- I'd think that would be a must from what you have offered?

a few more random thoughts:

Thursday : South Street Seaport: 7:30-9:00--there's nothing to see there. It is mostly a mall (not a very good one) and is on the verge of being torn doen and replaced. Go for dinner elsewhere!

Saturday:Roosevelt Island: 7:00-9:00 Again, nothing to see. Wer you just planning on taking the tram there and back for the view? You have other view opportunities, so this wouldn't add anything.

A couple of ideas and suggestions:
Many museums have evening hours certain days, and often the admission is free or very reduced. Museums are often calmer in the evenings. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has sculpture on the roof, and some lovely views

Try to see show--Broadway or Off Broadway. There are many ways to get discounted tickets

Yeah, I guess I did allow for a lot of extra time. Some of this has to do with keeping the itinerary brief--I didn't list everything I want to see, for example, only the "highlights." I'm also interested in photography, so I can kill a lot of time trying to create interesting shots. That explains the multiple visits to places like the Empire State Building, for example. I've also built in breakfasts/lunches/rests into most of the times, too. And of course some of it has to do with sheer ignorance---I thought I really could kill 2+ hours at the Bodies Exhibition!

So it goes. Thanks for the words!

nyer---I read that both South Street and Roosevelt Island have great views, and as I mentioned in a post just following yours, I'm interested in taking some quality pictures. If you have recommendations for great views, I'd be interested!

You didn't allocate any time for lunch & dinner! HORROR! To me, EATING in NYC is just as important as seeing the sights!

No MoMA?
or Morgan Library?
or Whitney Museum?
or Neue Galerie?

Haha, I'm sorry I've upset you so much yk. I'm traveling on a budget, but if you have some NYC favorites I'd be glad to hear about them. I will say that I'm looking forward to eating a lot of carbs---I'm also training for the Chicago Marathon.

...not sure how the whole running thing is going to work out for me in NYC, though.

Anyway, I don't know how I missed the MoMA or the Morgan Library. I'm going to have to work those in somewhere...

And don't forget the New Museum on Bowery either, if you're into contemporary art.

Time Out has a section on NYC Cheap Eats.

I don't have a favorite, but I find the East Village to be full of cheap, ethnic restaurants.

OTOH, there are plenty of tourist traps that serve mediocre food. So it's best to have a list of cheap eats restaurants in hand than just try your luck at a random restaurant. You can eat very well for not much IF you do your research ahead of time.

You don;t ned to see south St Seaport or Roosevelt Island.

It will take yulonger than that to do the Statue of Liberty (and you MUST get ferry and Statue tickets in advance) and you should definitely add the Ellis Island Immigration Museum which is brilliant.

Agree you have left no time for eating or just relaxing. The number of nights you're here you should spend at least two just wandering different residential area (upper west side of Village or east Village) and window - or regular shop (many stores are open late) and have a nice relaxed dinner at a human hour (8 pm?) in sidewalk cafes.

Also don't see an shows on your list. You shuold see at lest a couple in a week. Go to broadwaybox.com to get advance discount tickets.

Agree - why St John the Divine twice - and no St Pat's? Where's Rock Center? And MoMA?

I would also do the Staten Island ferry for a great view of the skyline for free.

For sure go to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
http://www.tenement.org/ You might want to get tickets in advance; otherwise, plan something to do in the area, because you might have to wait for a hour or more.

As far as training for the marathon, check out http://www.nyrr.org/ and look under resources/training for good places to run in Manhattan. One of the most fun things I've done in NYC was a 5-mile Fun Run on a Sunday in Central Park. Check out their calendar--there might be one when you're there. You see a lot of Central Park and get you running in, too.

I agree that you should see at least a couple of plays or musicals while you're there.

Another fun thing is to rent a bike and ride on the bike path that goes around Manhattan, especially the part by the West Side Highway. Here's a bike map--check it out.http://www.nycbikemaps.com/

Also, get a Zagat guide and/or check out some of the previous Fodor's NYC restaurant-related postings and figure out some places to eat rather than just taking pot luck.

As a matter of fact we once did spend well over an hour at the nautical museum by the South Street Seaport -- I'm not sure what it's called. So if you're really museum people, it could be kind of interesting -- many seafaring stuff as it relates to old New York.

Neo, I don't often disagree with you but my daughte has been to the Bodies exhibit several times and could stay all day. I on the other hand have no desire to see it. What I am trying to say that if that kind of thing has an interest to you - you could stay all day.

You asked for a critique, so here's mine. Keep everything on your list, and add to and delete from it in accordance with what everyone else has said. But ditch the clock!! You'll never keep to it anyway, and it will just make you crazy.