MaloBalo

Aloha to all of you,

as we - meaning my better half and I (both in our late twenties) - are planning a four week trip to the east coast of the US, I'd love to hear some suggestions regarding our itinerary. Basically, we'll kick off with five nice days in NYC, next heading towards Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC, taking a day-trip over to the Niagara Falls before we spend about two and a half more weeks in Florida. As covering all of the stuff in one big topic would be messy, I'd rather go bit by bit and start with NYC:

NYC is obviously the easiest to gather information on (I've been there once before). We'll have five full days to enjoy the big apple. As we arrive on a Saturday, we highly tend towards doing the typical touristic sights not before Monday. It should save us some time at least. Also, we'll be a bit more flexible as to the weather conditions that way.

Day 1:
Brooklyn Bike Tour
China Town/Little Italy or SoHo
Chelsea Market
High Line
with some possible shopping inbetween
Times Square

Day 2:
The MeT
Central Park
RFC

Day 3:
Statue of Liberty
OneWTC (hopefully it'd be open by then)
9/11 Memorial
Union Square
Flat Iron

Day 4:
Statan Island Ferry round trip
Greenwich
Grand Central
Broadway show

Day 5:
ESB
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Central Park
Harlem/Bronx/Cloisters

I'd love to hear comments and suggestions regarding our itinerary. Also, I'd like your take on only walking by/or skipping the Chrysler building, Washington Square, the Public Library.

I know people say either RFC or ESB, however, both feature different views and seem great for a first time visitor.

As to day one and China Town vs Little Italy vs Soho: That's definately a part, I'd need help on. Basically it should only suit as some kind of connection between Brooklyn and Chelsea/High Line. If anybody suggested anything different, I'd surely reconsider.

Day five would require the same treatment with regard to Harlem/Bronx/Cloisters. I've heard good stuff about either. Any recommendations?

Last but not least, I plan on having a night's view of the city from Brooklyn, not yet knowing where we'll be staying at. If any of your New Yorker's could point out a good connection towards the end of a specific day, that would really be appreciated.

vjpblovesitaly

From where do yo uplan to take the "day trip" to Niagara Falls?

MaloBalo

We've already found suitable flights from DC to Buffalo and then to Orlando.

sf7307

>>

I wouldn't skip any of those. The Chrysler Building is (IMO) the most beautiful building in NY, if not the world, Washington Square Park is just a lot of fun, especially on a summer night (have dinner in Greenwich Village, then walk around the park), and the main reading room at the Public Library is something to be seen (although admittedly, I hadn't seen it in 40 years until last May). You can do all these things when you're "in the neighborhood". Visit Bryant Park when you visit the library. Check out the Chrysler Building when you're doing the top of the rock or the ESB. Again, visit Greenwich Village for dinner and take in the vibe.

nyer

"RFC" will throw people off. I assume you mean "Top of the Rock" (sometimes TOTR) in Rockefeller Center . Most people here recommend TOTR

OneWTC (hopefully it'd be open by then)
The office builing is not finished for occupancy and the Museum is a couple years away still. The 9/11 memorial on your list is open.

"As we arrive on a Saturday, we highly tend towards doing the typical touristic sights not before Monday"
Not sure of your days of the week but the Met Museum is closed most Mondays.

Harlem/Bronx/Cloisters
Harlem is a historic neighborhood--good to walk around, eat etc.
The Bronx is a borough with over a million people. The main things to see are the zoo, The Botanical Gardens, and the italian neigborhood around Arthur Avenue (better than Manhattan's Little Italy). But outside these specific locations, it's not advisable to just wander around. Ask for directions from place to place.
Cloisters, if it interest you is beautiful.

I also wondered about Niagara Falls. We know it's a popular attraction for visitors from outside the US , but it is not really a daytrip from any of the places you plan to visit. Are you thinking of an expensive tour that flies you there, shows you the scenerey for a couple hours and then flies back?

MaloBalo

sf7307 - cheers for the quick response. Skipping the Chrysler was rather meant as not entering. We'll of course enjoy its magnificence. Washington Square Park seems to connect quite good with day one, so that's great as well. As to Bryant Park and Library, how much time would you recommend to take into consideration for not rushing things?

nyer - yeah, TOTR obviously. Thank you for all the usefull information. MeT is scheduled for Sunday, that is.

As to the Niagara Falls, we found "kind of cheap" flights from DC and to Orlando, which is 200€ for the two of us in total. If we had great waterfalls in Europe, I'd probably consider skipping the falls, but that's just not the case.

nytraveler

The Bronx is one of the five boroughs (counties) making up NYC. It has more than a million people and is primarily residential. While some areas are quite pleasant there are others were you do NOT want to be walking the street. Also, major sights (zoo, yankee stadium, botanical garden)are not near each other and can be complicated to get from one to another - so you need to pick carefully.

The Cloisters are in upper Manhattan.

Also you do not want to go to "Greenwich" which is a very upscale town in CT. You want either Greenwich Village or "the Village".

And Sunday is the busiest day at the Met - I would do any other.

Not sure if the SoL will be open or not when you get here - landing was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy.

For Library the reading room is gorgeous - but can be seen in a brief visit. But there are often other very interesting exhibits that can tke an hour or more.

Not sure how to do Niagara Falls as a day trip from anywhere - and you really need to go to the Canadian side to see much - so be sure your visas are multiple entry. Canadian side is sort of honky tonk - while the NY side is more of a depressed area.

MaloBalo

Hey nytraveler, I appreciate your input.

It seems I definately need to gather more information about the Bronx and figure out if any of the interesting stuff is worth a trip in combination of what we've planned so far.

I thought about Greenwich Village, thanks for the correction.

As to the MeT, I can only imagine, but which area isn't busy on a Sunday in NYC?

I've read about the SoL, it's supposed to reopen July 4th, so I hope all things work out properly.

It seems I had the Library figured out a bit wrong. I'll make sure to check that out, too, thx!!

As to the Niagara Falls, we found suitable flights departing from DC in the morning, having the full day in Buffalo, of course, going for the Canadian side to have the best experience, and then leave for Orlando the next morning. Flights from DC are kind of cheap with 50EUR/p.p. It seems I had a typo in my first answer, since the transfer to Orlando is roundabout 100EUR/p.p..

Anything else you guys would declare as either must see or definately worth a try, which is maybe not as much of a common place in NYC?

vjpblovesitaly

Is there a reason you keep capitalizing the T in Met? You are talking about the Metropolitan Museum of Art, correct?

"As to the Niagara Falls, we found suitable flights departing from DC in the morning"

BWI, DCA, or IAD?

MaloBalo

In particular to abbreviate Metropolitan Museum of Art, correct.

The flights depart from DCA.

sf7307

>>

Good, because I don't think you CAN enter unless you work there

MaloBalo

sf7307 thanks for claryfing.

BigAleinstein

Sounds like first day should be called Marathon Monday. That is a lot to cram into one day.

And I would eliminate the visit to The Statue of Liberty and see it as you pass on the Staten Island Ferry. Right side out, left side back. The Statue of Liberty is extremely time consuming and I am not sure worth the visit.

And if you are going to the Top Of The Rock you need not go to Empire State Building.

MaloBalo

BigAleinstein
>> Sounds like first day should be called Marathon Monday. That is a lot to cram into one day.

Hi there! The bike tour is set for approximately three to four hours depending on how fast we really want to be. As to China Town, we've seen somewhat of an equivalent in London. So this is rather going to be a quick one in either China Town or Little Italy depending on where we'd plan to have lunch. Recommendations are heartily welcome. We might even have lunch in Brooklyn before returning the bikes. Luckily enough, it'll be Saturday so I hope to get around the masses here and there.

>> And I would eliminate the visit to The Statue of Liberty...

Ok, that is definately one of the options that needs some weighing up.

>>
And if you are going to the Top Of The Rock you need not go to Empire State Building.

I was actually hoping to get some feedback as to timing, schedule on whether our plans are realistic at all. Thus your comment is really interesting with regard to not doing the same thing twice and enjoying other stuff instead. Actually, I am among those who prefer Top Of the Rock over the Empire State Building. On the other hand my girlfriend has never been to NYC before and she might simply want to have a great look down on Manhattan. I will definately reconsider, so thanks a lot for your remark!

BigAleinstein

The NYC Chinatown is huge. It expanded greatly after 1999 when the Chinese government took over Hong Kong. Canal Street will be teeming with people at just about any hour. It is much more than a tourist attraction where people live, work, and shop for daily necessities, especially food.

Little Italy abuts Chinatown to the north and it is a shell of what what was. There are now a few good restaurants there where just a few years ago almost all were dedicated to tourists. There are more hipster shops now than Italian stores.

sf7307

>>

and that's why you should do TOTR instead of the ESB, so she can SEE the Empire State Building!

MaloBalo

BigAleinstein, great piece of information, thx. We'll probably just take it in as it goes. We'll return the bikes on Grand St./Lewis St. and just walk towards Canal Street then. Is there any particular bar or restaurant you'd recommend to grab lunch, have a soup or enjoy good pasta?

BigAleinstein

In Little Italy there is a place called Parm, that is usually hard to get into. No reservations.

http://parmnyc.com/

In Chinatown Joe's Shanghai or Joe's Ginger and for dim sum Nom Wah. Hard to find if you do not know Chinatown and almost as good as Monterey Park.

http://nomwah.com/

panecott

You might want to put your SI Ferry trip on the same day you will be in the WTC area, since it's just a few blocks away.

If you choose not to stop at Liberty Island, you might still want to visit Ellis Island, with its immigration museum, which is very interesting.

You can get great views of the Chrysler Bldg. from the ESB, and sf is right, you will not be able to enter the lobby of the Chrysler Bldg.

If you go to the Cloisters - which I recommend if you like Medieval Art and tapestries, and for spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Palisades - go on the same day you visit the Met, b/c it is part of the Met and you won't have to pay another entry fee.

panecott

P.S. Just note that most museums are closed on Mondays, unless it's a holiday Monday, in which case they're open.