Critique my updated NYC itinerary
 

My husband and I will be traveling to NYC between 12/26-12/30. We will be staying at the Park South Hotel located in the Murray Hill neighborhood. Any feedback on this hotel is appreciated as well.

Here are our plans:

Monday - 12/26
Flight arrives at 9:30 a.m.
Check bags into hotel
Lunch in Chinatown - considering Wo Hop, New Pasteur, or Na Trang.
Spend time exploring Chinatown, Little Italy, and Soho
Dinner at Gramercy Tavern Room
Spend the evening viewing the tree and lights around Rockefeller center

Tuesday - 12/27
Visit World Trade Center Site, Fed. Reserve Bank tour, NYSE
Take Brooklyn Bridge over to Grimaldi's Pizza for lunch
Possibly continue exploring Chinatown/Little Italy
Return to hotel/change
Dinner - not sure where, probabaly somewhere cheap near hotel
Wicked show at 8 p.m.

Wed. - 12/28
Lincoln Center Tour
Central Park
Am. Museum of Nat. History w/space show
Dinner, most likely at Oceana Restaurant (but open to options)
Drinks to follow

Thursday - 12/29
2 hour circle line sightseeing tour
Times square
Rockefeller center
radio city music hall
madison/5th ave.
empire state building
grand central station
Lunch on the go somewhere in here
Avenue Q show in evening

Friday - 12/30
Check out of hotel
This day is open for whatever else we might want to see or missed on the other days
Possible trip to the statue of liberty
or the Met. museum of art
Dinner at Sparks Steakhouse 6 p.m.
Flight leaves at 9:50

If you can give me any feedback on what needs changed or doesn't look right, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!!!

Lacy

I'd think of a back-up plan for the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, in case it's too cold/rainy/snowy. It can be very chilly up there.

Also, you've prob. checked already, but I'd make sure that Gramery Tavern will be open the Mon. after Xmas.

You have a lot of stuff in midtown. Might be nice to visit Greenwich Village, Brooklyn Heights (you'll be at Grimaldi's, after all), or around your hotel, to get a sense of Manhattan's more residential side.

Finally, do you have time to get to the airport for a 9:50 flight if dinner's at 6? Seems as if it could be tight, unless you're leaving directly from the restaurant. If it were me, I'd prob. have a late lunch somewhere instead.

John,

Thanks for the advice. We are most definitely going to be flexible with our plans in case it is raining one day, we can always go to the Museums on those days and save the walking for another one.

Also, thanks for the tip on the dinner reservation. We may just change our dinner reservation to another day or our trip and do as you have suggested. What about eating dinner that night at 5...would that give us time to get from Sparks to our hotel in Murray Hill to pick up our bags and get to the airport (Laguardia)? Any thoughts on this? Thanks!

I enjoyed a stay at the Park South Hotel with friends. The bar has a nice atmosphere and a well priced happy hour, if I recall correctly. However, it was noisy from the street the night I was there. We had a room on a lower floor facing the street and heard people outside yelling at each other. Don't know if it was just that night or a regular thing. I didn't mind so much, but some might.

Sounds like you're in for a great time!

You may be a little rushed on Wed, as the Am. Museum of Nat. History w/space show can be an all day thing, depending on your level of interest.

As I'm sure you've read in other posts, the ESB will be very crowded, especially Xmas week.

Dress warm in layers - you never know what the weather will be like. It could be snowy, windy and in the 20s, or it could be sunny and 50+.

Chinatown is nice for part of one day, but not much after. |-)

Are you going to take a horse carrage ride through central park?

Also would recommend Time Square!

Thanks for all of the advice so far. Glad to hear the rave reviews on our hotel.

We have purchased a city pass, so hopefully this will help out with the lines at the ESB.

I hadn't thought about the carriage ride, but I do think also it would be a nice experience. Thanks for suggesting it.

Keep the thoughts coming!

Also...do you recommend a carriage ride at night or during the day. What might be the most romantic do you think? Or does it matter?