Thanks all for all the help. I feel that I know so much considering that I had only initially planned to take the double decker bus tour and take it from there. We did it in London way back and that was pretty okay with me then but I guess with a toddler in tow it's best to be prepared.

A few more queries though...
1. I know a deli is a must. Katz appears to be the most popular but seems out of our way. I know Carnegie and Stage(?) are tourist traps but others have given positive recommendations. But my search of this site revealed rude waitresses etc esp. at Carnegie's. Is this really the case most of the time? I'd rather not spoil any meals by getting furious at the waiters.

2. My search had likewise revealed that the double decker bus times are inconsistent. We can take the water taxi but to limited areas only. How much are cab fares like for instance from Times Square to UN Plaza? TS to Wall Street? TS to the MET/Greenwich/Lower East Side? And TS to JFK? Not sure if we should do the super shuttle or just take a cab.

3. Can I take the carriage ride from Tavern on the Green or do I take it to go there?

4. Which church - St. Patrick's or John the Divine?

5. Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular - any age restrictions and is this a MUST?

Thanks again in advance everyone!

We usually only take cabs for distances greater than 20 blocks, but the fares aren't bad -- usually we end up paying about $8-12 including tips for 3-4 passengers.

1. Delis-Most of the famous delis have wait staff that have been there forever so they can be old & crotchety-part of the experience. Also, since delis are part of the NY tourist experience, wait staff can get frustrated with indecisive tourists (not excusing-just explaining). I think the best deli experience for you might be at an off hour when it's not so busy-especially with a baby. Have a late lunch at 2 or early lunch at 11. Or early dinner at 5. Any of the famous ones have good food & huge portions-they're just expensive. Another good deli is the 2nd Ave at 2nd & 10th st.

2. Transport I too read the trip report about the bus. I can tell you that you would not spend near the $75x2 price for cabs in 2 days but you give up guide info & entry to certain places. If it were me, I'd do the downtown loop & not hop on/off but sit & listen & watch.

Cab fares depend on the traffic because there's a meter running. For TS to UN it might be $6-8. You could also take a cross town bus on 42nd st going east & get out at the last stop & walk a few blocks. TS to Wall St would be much more (look at a map). It's far-maybe $15 + tip (15-20%). The M4 bus will take you to 83rd & Madison-a short walk to the MET museum. I think this bus also goes to St John the Divine. A cab might be $7-8 to the Met from TS. The MET doesn't allow strollers on SUNDAY. Cab TO JFK about $40 + toll & tip (again depends on traffic-would be more in rush hour, less very early) There's a flat fare of $35 FROM JFK to city but not going back.

Here's a website for bus routes.
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/bus/sc...nh/m004cur.pdf

3. Carriages There are often carriages parked outside TOG but not always. If you want to do the ride after eating & there are none there, TOG may be able to get you one. Or, they're always parked along Central Park South & near the Plaza Hotel, but if you get one there, it's too short a ride to just go to TOG directly from there. Maybe do a little tour of the park & then have them take you to TOG.

4. I've never been to St John. It's all the way uptown. If you're just looking to see one, St Patrick's is right across from Rockefeller Center for more convenience.

5. The Radio City Spec IS spectacular. Don't know about age. Check their website.

A good deli that may be more convenient for you is Sarge's on 3rd Avenue between 36th & 37th. Unlike Carnegie & Stage, and even 2nd Avenue for that matter, it's prices aren't pumped up because it's not a tourist destination.

Thanks again everyone.

I am really having second thoughts about the double decker bus. However, the one I've chosen is the all loops tour valid for 2 days with a New York pass valid for 2 days as well. It's USD99 per pax with a night tour as well. It gives us access to the ff tours: Canegie; Madison; Rockefeller; NBC; Empire State; wax museum; united nations; radio city hall; and a circle line cruise among many others. Those are mostly what we are interested in. So it is really the pass that makes it look like a steal to me. As for the tour bus, these are the stops that we want to make: Macy's; Empire State; Greenwich; Soho; Chinatown; Lower East Side; UN; Rockefeller; Waldorf-Astoria; and St. John. With the value of the pass alone for 2 days, the bus tour would add up to only USD30 per pax for 2 days. Would it be cheaper to take the cab for 2 days i.e. will we spend USD60 visiting those stops via a cab?

Mclaurie, thanks. I will take you up on your suggestion. St Patrick's it is then for our anniv and just visit St. John's via the bus tour if ever we do end up taking it. And the Radio City Music Hall unfortunately does not list any age restrictions or price points for various age groups - which is why I asked here.

Thanks again all.

You will be hard-pressed to cram all that agenda into 2 days!

I have bought Gray Line's 2-day all-loops tour ticket (i.e., uptown loop, downtown loop, and night tour), and got a lot out of it, would definitely recommend it. IIRC, it cost about $45 with a AAA discount. Not sure what you mean by, "the double decker bus times are inconsistent," as they run irregularly but frequently. You can see things from the upper deck that you can't see from a cab or regular bus, which is a great advantage in a city full of interesting architecture.

mclaurie's advice about buses was good -- if you're not covered by the hop-on-hop-off bus, the regular buses are great. But a map is essential, it makes everything clear.

Attractions passes like the New York Pass are so individual -- each buyer has to cost-out what they want to do, to determine whether it's a good buy. Hope you have a great time!

We frequently spend long weekends in NYC and love the double decker bus loops - but ONLY when the weather is quite nice. In the nice weather, the commentary is enjoyable, the scenery is fantastic, and you can lean back against your seat and really enjoy looking up at the tall buildings.

I've never really paid much attention to the double deckers in the wintertime. I'm guessing the upper decks are covered. Perhaps someone else knows? If they're not covered, it is likely to be much to cold to enjoy sitting up there. If they're covered, the scenery will be obstructed, so you may as well use the city buses.

Note, also, that there's a very narrow circular sort of staircase to the upper deck, a bit awkward with a toddler.

You can easily take a city bus, for example, to St. John the Devine.

There's a fantastic bus map (pdf) you can download, crop, print, and fold to carry in your pocket at the NYC Transit website. You can plan routes to your destinations and back in advance. It's a good idea, though, to pick up a free full bus map when you arrive in NYC at any subway station.

Again, in the nicer weather, the double deckers are a fabulous means of seeing the city and the neighborhoods, but I would not recommend them in the winter. They're an expensive way of getting around. They go only one direction, so you must plan your hopping off in order of stops. Because of the traffic, they are often much farther apart than the 20 minutes or whatever promised, then three in a row come along...And, the day buses stop around 5PM.

It would be more economical to just taxi to all your destinations.

If you have the urge to go to Katz - do it!

zizz,


I was in The City this past weekend and had lunch at Katz's. I highly recommend it. Their sandwiches are excellent. If you are kind of in a hurry, just go straight to the counter and order your food and sit at one of the tables in the middle of the restaurant. It you want table service then sit at one of the tables along the wall.

Definitely do the Grayline Double Decker Bus Tour. It's a great way to get a nice overview of The City. The guides typically do an excellent job of entertaining you and explaining the different points of interest. Another advantage of doing the Grayline Tour is that you can buy tickets for the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island tour at the same time, saving you from having to stand in ticket lines at those venues. The buses come about every 15 minutes.

Which Church? I'd say St. Patricks. It's very impressive.

Sorry, I don't have any information about the carriage ride or the Radio City Music Hall Spectacular.

Have a gret time in The City.

I think any rudeness from waitstaff, as mentioned before, is caused by indecisive folks who let the waitress tsand there while going "Hmmm, what shall I order?" and slowly reading the menu. If you're not ready to order, say so--the lunchtime rush is hugely important for these businesses and the wait staff could be taking more orders and serving them up while you decide.

That's been my experience, anyway, as I nearly died of embarrassment when a group of out-of-town friends took forever to decide what to eat (but wouldn't let the waiter go) during the lunchtime rush in a Midtown diner on St. Patrick's Day.

I second Katz's as my deli of choice. It's a little out of the way, but think of it this way, if you get there by bus or cab you get to see parts of the city that you wouldn't have seen otherwise.

As for the churches, St. Patricks is convenient and beautiful. Save St. John for next time.

See the Radio Show if you can. I LOVE it!

Be aware that you have two choices at Katz's. As you enter someone will give you a ticket and you can go up the long counter, place your order, they mark it on your ticket, and then you carry your food to the table. After we did this and sat, I realized that you can also go over to the long left side of the restaurant and be seated for waiter service. I didn't see any rude treatment from the servers while I was there, but I did witness a waiter and a waitress almost enter a knock-down, drag-out fight about who was supposed to handle one table.