Help On Final Plans For New York Trip
 

I am working on a final plan for a much anticipated first trip to New York city during the week after Christmas. Staying at the Omni Berkshire Place Hotel(Travel Package which was a gift my husband received) Family travel; l4yr old son. I have gotten books, maps, ordered material, Internet searched, and read other post frequently. This is what I have come up with. Any help New Yorkers could give would be much appreciated since your city can be quite OVERWHELMING; especially for a first timer. <BR>Day 1: <BR>Arrive Hotel around 12 or l. <BR>Walk around Rockefeller Center <BR>to Times Square <BR>Purchase tickets to Grey Line Night on Town tour(Booth located in Times Square) <BR>This tour includes Times Square, Greenwich Village, Top of Twin Towers, Statten Island Ferry Ride with view of Statue of Liberty, and Dinner in Chinatown(Any opinions on dinner in China town???) <BR>Thought this would give us a feel for the lay out of the city and kinda of exciting for our first night(6 hour tour) <BR>Day 2 <BR>Sony Building <BR>NBC Studio Tour?? <BR>Grand Central Terminal <BR>Lunch?? <BR>Buy tickets at discount booth?? <BR>Pre-Theater Dinner?? <BR>Broadway Play <BR>Day 3 <BR>Museum of Natural History <BR>Central Park-Carriage Ride <BR>FAO Swartz Toy Store <BR>Walk back down 5th or Maddison to Hotel <BR>Afternoon(Late) show at Radio City Music Hall <BR>Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center <BR>Empire State Building <BR>Day 4 <BR>Flight leaves around 4:30p.m. <BR>Anything left undone will try to sqeeze in before we have to leave for Airport <BR>The questions I have for you are: Is this really a doable schedule?? <BR>Also, we want this trip to be memorable so we would like to have some meals that can only be had in New York. These are some of the choice I have made for sure: Tavern on the Green and Carnagie Deli.Also considering maybe having Breakfast at The Plaza on Day 3 since we will be in that area??? Any suggestions on how to fit them in the above schedule, and any other neat restaraunts that I don't know of that would fit would be appreciated. <BR>Also, how is it waiting to buy tickets for the Broadway play, tours, and other shows after arriving???Thanks a bunch!!

Susan, instead of waiting outside in a long line for theatre tickets, go to the World Trade Center and pick them up. Not as many visitors know about that booth and as it is indoors it's alot nicer than standing out in the cold. The booth opens at 11am I think, but get there a little earlier. There are a few new shows up and during the week it is easier to get tickets than say over the weekend. By that I mean you should have a choice of a few shows to see. <BR> <BR>Your trip sounds fun to me, and will keep you busy. <BR> <BR>Have fun while you are here.

disjointed thoughts on your intinerary. let the weather dictate much of your daily schedule. it's ok to have a tentative schedule, but if it's raining or snowing go to the museum of natural history or the metropolitan museum of art. try to get tics now for lion king on broadway - probably the best on broadway. if you are thinking of breakfast at the plaza, think of brunch on sunday there. go on the early side and go hungry. if you go around 12 you will probably have to wait half an hour, even with reservations. skip the morning scedule on day 2. think of new york as one village next to another, with different ethnic makeup, businesses, architecture. pick one (greenwich village, soho, tribeca, etc.) get a good walking guide and walk around and get to know it. nyc is a walking city. i prefer second avenue deli to carnegie (pastrami or corned beef on rye with mustard, taste of chopped liver). if you like chinese food, dinner in chinatown is fine. i'd skip the show at radio city. if it's really cold it will be even colder on the ferry - be prepared. have much fun.

Several random thoughts: <BR>1. Day 2's schedule is weak! Why the Sony Building? Getting half-priced tickets will not take the entire afternoon! Perhaps a better schedule might be touring Grand Central and NBC, following by a trip to the half-priced ticket booth at the World Trade Center. Take a subway to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spend the afternoon there! If you decided to go to the half-price ticket booth in Times Square, then just eat lunch first and then go there. That one opens at 3, but it's wise to get in line around 2-2:15. <BR>2. If you want to get show tickets in advance, check out the playbill website (www.playbill.com), where you can get some bargains. Join its club--it's free and it's NOT a gimmick. By the way, forget about The Lion King at this late date. You won't get tickets. <BR>3. Get tickets in advance for the planetarium show at the American Museum of Natural History. <BR>4. As for restaurants, give an idea of type of food and price. <BR>5. I'll disagree about the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. If you've never seen it, especially if you've never been to the theater, go. It's worth the time.

Thanks guys, <BR>Here's a little more info. <BR>The Sony Building is for our 14yr old son. Probably won't ride the subway(Safety issue for us small town people) <BR>Budgetted for taxi rides though. <BR>Willing to walk; this is why I need a little help with order of schedule; don't want to wander randomly. <BR>Dining: Price Range: 2-3 exspensive; want to make it memorable(ex. Tavern on the Green) the rest just some neat New York only places(Carnagie Deli) <BR>Should reservations be made in advance??I am willing to buy show tickets in advance if this will save time and cause less stress.

Followup responses: <BR>1. Don't be afraid of the subways, especially in the daytime. <BR>2. As for walking, it's a great activity in NYC. To give you an idea on distances, 20 north-south blocks equal one mile. <BR>3. You'll certainly have less stress if you order theater tickets in advance. (You can do this with any special deals on the aforementioned Playbill website.) <BR>4. Do you want theater suggestions and/or phone numbers for tickets for specific shows?

Susan: <BR>Why are you coming to NYC if you are so afriad of the subway? <BR>The subways are probably safer than the neighborhood you live in. <BR> <BR>Anyone who fears a transportation system that Millons of people use without incident, yet would drive a car that is hundreds of times more dangerous and deadly, really has some serious issues to deal with, other than deciding which show to go to or which restaurant to eat in. <BR>

I consider myself a world traveler. I have traveled subways without any working knowledge of the local language in Tokyo, Stockholm, Paris, Madrid, Prague, Budapest, Rome, Berlin, and Vienna to name a few as well as London. I have never gotten lost in any of them, but in 10 or 12 attempts to use the New York subway I have almost always gotten lost or at least had to go back and get further instructions as to which train to board, which platform to go to, or any of a myriad of other questions, often with only rude replies or no attempts at helping me. It is the most complicated and unclear of any subway system in the world to my knowledge. In addition it is probably the dirtiest and most user unfriendly of any system I've ever seen. It may work fine for the millions of people who are used to using it every day, but it is difficult for those of us who are not used to it.

Patrick, I totally disagree. Having left NYC today, I can tell you that the most important thing to remember in using the NYC subway is to ASK FOR HELP when needed. People are more than willing to answer your questions, if only you dare to ask. I was so impressed that my husband stooped so low as to ask for directions before we got on the subway. Only once did we goof up. Even the New Yorkers ON the subway helped us. The subways are well lit, well used, i.e. you're never alone with the boogie man, and they get you where you want to go fast and cheap. I can only imagine that people who get lost on the NYC subway think they know it all, and not living in NYC, they can't.

Okay, here are a couple of ideas. Even if your son wants to go to the Sony bldg., I don't think it'll take up a lot of your time. Not that you don't have plenty to do, but some alternate activities to consider are the Metropolitan Museum (if you, or your 14 y.o., aren't very into art museums, remember that they have excellent Egyptian, antiquities, and arms and armor collections that are a lot of fun) and the United Nations, which has free tours. Follow Howard's advice and book the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History in advance; you likely won't be able to get them he day you go. If you're trying to cut out unnecessary time spent during your short stay, it'll be worth it to get theater tickets in advance (wouldn't you rather be seeing more sights than standing in line?). "Kiss Me Kate" is an excellent revival and a show that your 14 y.o. would probably enjoy a lot (lots of humor). As for transportation, I wouldn't worry too much about taking the subway or, especially, the bus, from which you can see the city. If you want to preview information, check out www.mta.nyc.ny.us. In Grand Central Terminal, there is a New York City Transit shop and gallery that you might find interesting even if you stick to cabs and walking. If you are seafood eaters, consider making the Oyster Bar at Grad Central one of your "only in New York" stops; excellent food and lots of history. Or just try the dining concourse at Grand Central for your lunch; it's like a food court, with many choices, but all the restaurants are outposts of real Manhattan places, not chains. For dinner in Chinatown, you can't go wrong with New York Noodle Town; salt-and-pepper anything (seafood) is a sure bet, but it's all good and not expensive. For your pre-theater dinner, Becco is a popular, good, affordable Italian, but you should make reservations ahead. If you want to go ice skating, but find the Rock Center rink really crowded (it's quite small), try Wollman Rink in Central Park, which is larger (and less expensive). You should feel perfectly safe walking around all the areas in your itinerary, including at night.

I agree about the Wollman Rink--much better than the Rockefeller Rink, especially if you're really interested in skating (Rockefeller is about the size of a two car garage!) Plus it's expensive & the lines are LONG... <BR> <BR>Some other thoughts--Empire State is interesting architecturally (the lobby is cool, even for kids), but the actual view/ride is anticlimactic--it's tough to ask kids to wait in lines over and over for days without them getting cranky. For my money, the WTC is better and much, much faster... <BR> <BR>Some other thoughts--only in NYC-type things... Chinatown is a blast to walk around, and so is Little Italy... when we were kids, we had a blast bartering for all kinds of cheap stuff in stores in Chinatown. <BR> <BR>Another really fun (and cheap) thing to do--ride the ferry to Staten Island and back. It takes well under an hour round trip, gives you a great view of the Statue of Liberty, and I believe it's now free (it used to be 50 cents RT). <BR> <BR>Something different from standing in line...

I guess what I really need to know is do I plan every detail: <BR>l. purchase all show and tour tickets in advance which locks one into certain times. <BR>2. Make restaurant resevations in advance which again locks one into a time. <BR>OR: Can I just wait until we get there and take a chance on some things being not available?? <BR>Maybe a little of both?? <BR>If both, what are the things that should be done in advance; and what should we just wait on??? <BR>Hopes this clears up on what I really need help with. Really just want to have a good, fun vacation in New York!! <BR>Thanks for all of the above good advice!! <BR>

Hi Susan, <BR>Having returned from NYC last night, I have a recent tourist's perspective on some of the questions you are asking. First, your itinerary makes me a little nervous. What we learned this weekend was that things don't always work out the way you planned. We had a full afternoon planned for our first day, but then sat at the airport for three hours and lost most of the day. We waited in line for over an hour to see the World Trade Center and therefore had no time for lunch before our Music Man matinee. We had planned to return to our room before dinner, but the play went longer than we thought and we had to quickly catch a cab for our early dinner reservation. All this is to say that making hard and fast plans ahead of time can, in some cases, backfire. What I would suggest is that you make a list of your real priorities and then pre-book accordingly. For us, it was very important to get a reservation at our favorite restaurant, Union Square Cafe, so we booked that a month ahead. Our whole trip was planned around seeing Music Man, so I bought those tickets way ahead. Everything else just fit into place around these two reservations. Personally, I prefer exploring the city on foot rather than taking a group tour, but in December, it might be cool and you might prefer being in a warm bus. We had our kids with us and had to allow some "down time" for them because they were so tired from all the walking we did. You can't go too far wrong in NYC. There's something to do around every corner. Good luck. <BR>Nano

Nano has given you some good advice. <BR>As far as booking things in advance, a few guidelines: <BR>1. If there is a particular show that you want to see, then by all means, buy tickets ahead of time. If not, then wait and try your luck at one of the half-price booths or bring the hard copy of offers from the Playbill website that you can take to the box office (and thus avoid waiting in line). <BR>2. For dinner reservations, again, it depends on the restaurant. For places like the Union Square Cafe or Gramercy Tavern, you must make them a month in advance. However, if you don't have a particular choice, you can probably wait until you get here to make reservations, especially for mid-week dinners. <BR>3. For tours, don't bother until you get here. <BR>4. If you're planning to go to the planetarium show at the American Museum of Natural History, definitely book your tickets in advance. (I believe you can order them thru the museum's website--www.amnh.org.)

Susan, please do not be afraid of the subways. I am the most paranoid person, and I have been to NY 6 times in the last few months (hubby works their alot) and I take the subway by myself! Eveyone is helpful if you need to ask, and there are maps everywhere that are very easy to follow. I am more scared of the cab drivers! The most I have ever stood in line for either TKS location is an hour. You will pay half price and all seats are good in NY theatres (they are relatively small theatres) Spend $8 on Zagats guide (any bookstore)and you will have info on almost every good restraunt in NY, best purchase I ever made. Have fun!

Susan: Just a suggestion: I have eaten both dinner and lunch at <BR>Tavern on the Green, and I much prefer to eat lunch there. Dinner was not that great for the price, but I thought that their lunch (pre-fixed menu) was wonderful and for New York, not expensive. You will need reservations for lunch, also. It is neat to see it lit up at night. Enjoy!

Susan <BR>One thing springs to mind. We are visting NYC in two weeks time and I have prebooked as much as possible, including booking tickets for the empire state building on-line - esbnyc.com. Saves waiting in line for up to an hour just to pay. I tried to make restaurant reservations two weeks ago for our trip and the majority of restaurants were full - definitely plan ahead. Would also suggest you consider a helicopter tour of Manhattan - check out libertyhelicopters.com and heliny.com. <BR>Enjoy your holiday!

Hi Susan: <BR>Just my thoughts on using the subway...By all means use it! Forget about cabs. You are at the mercy of bumper to bumper gridlocked traffic especially around the Holidays in Manhattan. <BR>The MTA has a web site www.mta.nyc.ny.us <BR>I would not use any other mode of transportation! It can be complicated for a first time user but ask someone for help! We can be very accomodating. Go to Grand Central Terminal (if not not just to look at the tranformation)There is a Vistors Center next to the StationMasters Booth. You can buy MetroCards and get subway and bus maps there. There are a few MetroCards to choose from though$4 Unlimited one day FunPass is probably your best bet. Good for on and off all subways and buses all day, <BR>If you take the buses without a MetroCard you will need $1.50 in cash for each ride for each of you so keep that in mind. You can buy MetroCards on line at www.metrocard.citysearch.com <BR>There is a Visitors Center in Times Square on Broadway between 46 & 47 Street and THE NYC Official Visitor center on 7th Avenue and 53 Street. At this one you can get free brochures, maps and discount coupons. You can get MetroCards at any one of the Visitor Centers. 1-800-NYCVISIT or www.nycvisit.com. Good luck--Welcome to NYC. Have Fun!!! <BR>

Hi Susan, <BR> <BR>I just got back from a week in NYC. By using the 1/2 price ticket booth, we were able to get great tickets to six Broadway plays while we were there. The longest we ever had to wait was 30 minutes and that was over Thanksgiving week. In terms of Broadway plays that your son might enjoy, I would recommend Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate or Saturday Night Fever. While I loved Contact, I don't think it would appeal to a 14 year old. We had lunch at Tavern on the Green on Friday and secured our reservations just the day before. We had lunch there and enjoyed the beautiful decorations. The suggestion about the Staten Island ferry is a good idea...we took it over, saw the Statue and back in downtown in an hour. No need for advance tickets and it's free. And the 1/2 price ticket booth at the World Trade Center is within walking distance of the ferry terminal. In terms of the subways and buses...you'll be totally safe. We went to the Rockette's show on Thanksgiving Day. It was a mass of people and was a hassle getting in and out. The music hall is a great site to see. The show was cute, but is more geared to younger children, though I did hear some teenagers leaving that enjoyed it as well. Enjoy a great holiday visit!

Hi Susan - <BR>I quickly scanned the post so it may have been mentioned but - the Guggenheim on 5th Ave is an incredible piece of architecture - the art collection is okay, but the interior space is one of the most important 20th century spaces ever created - phenomenal. I agree with a majority of the posters - the subways really are safe and the easiest, quickest way to get around - sitting in a cab stuck in traffic is extremely aggravating. Check out the Fodor restaurant reviews - they mention a lot of restaurant I've eaten at and would recommend. Have a great time - there's nothing else in the world like NYC.

I really appreciate all of the great advice I have been getting from this post. I picked up my travel package from our travel agent yesterday and she suggested one of two places for a pre-theater dinner; Halcyon or Sardi's. Any opinions on either of these?? Also, I have seen pics. of our hotel on the net but does anyone have any personal experience with the Omni Berkshire Place?? Location, rooms, staff, etc. Again, thanks so much. I am trying to get everything about our trip settled before the Christmas rush-rush sets in. <BR>

You can do better than Sardi's. It is not known for quality food! YOu can definitely do better. <BR>I don't know about Halcyon's food, but I know it's not cheap! <BR>How about passing along some food preferences and price guidelines, so we can make suggestions? <BR>

susan-you've gotten great advice so i hope you don't mind one more opinionated new yorker. please, please ride the subway. it is so much faster than above ground travel and it is truly safe during the day and even into the evening. get hold of the subway map and a metrocard and use the money you budgeted for the taxi on a nicer dinner. my 15 year old son loves chinatown both for the junky trinket shops and the food. noodletown is a favorite. 2 other suggestions are joe's shanghai and vietnam. i think they are both on pell street and vietnam is a tiny restaurant down a flight of stairs. skip the carnegei deli, it is way overpriced, 2nd avenue deli is expensive also, but the food is far superior. its also close to st. marks place, a throwback to hippe days that your son might enjoy, but you may find intimidating. <BR> there is a magazine called time out (also on line) that has great listings for ethnic restaurants if you're looking for other kinds of cuisines. <BR>if you get stuck on a long line, remember that another great experience is close by. so, if you get stuck on line at the world trade center, just walk over to battery park city and window shop in the palm court or walk along the new waterfront park. you can also walk to the staten island ferry, the south street seaport or even walk across the brooklyn bridge which is a beautiful work of engineering and has unbelieveable views of manhattan, staten island and brooklyn. <BR> the same is true for the metropolitan museum. the museum of the city of new york, the guggenheim and the museum of the barrio are within walking distance if the met is too crowded. <BR>i agree with other fodorites who suggested advanced purchasing wherever you can. <BR>if your son is interested in movies or television (i'm guessing from SONY) there are two great museums 1-the museum of television and radio and 2-the american museum of the moving image. the tv museum is on 52nd street off fifth avenue but the museum of the moving image is in queens. both have web sites for you to investigate further. <BR>two more favorites of mine-1-if you go to the 2nd avenue deli, there is a great italian bakery on the corner of 11th street and 1st avenue (one block east and one block north) its called veniero's. <BR>2-in grand central terminal (which definately has a great food court) there is a market located just inside at lexington avenue and 43rd street. you can find great chocolates, breads, muffins,spices, etc. i used to work a block away and passed through every day. the bread and chocolate are divine! have a wonderful trip. phyllis

This New Yorker says, yes take the subway instead of taxiing everywhere. You'll waste your whole vacation sitting in traffic! We're really nice people (smile) and remember most of us moved here from other places too. Looks like you've got great plans and I can't agree enough about making reservations for as much as you can. Christmas season is prime tourist time. <BR> <BR>Love Veniero's!!!

There is a reason that Sardi's and Halcyon are recommended on those ticket sales brochures and other tourist devices. No one goes there except tourists who book due to this advertising. There are thousands of better restaurants to choose from. However, I must admit I like to slip into Sardi's for a drink at the upstairs bar before a show--they mix a good dry robroy or martini.

susan- <BR>just after i posted my long answer i saw your new note about restaurants in the theatre district. Don't bother with Sardi's, it is so over rated, tired, expensive yuck! i don't know much about Halcyon, but here are some suggestions: expensive-Judson Grill, le Bernadin, le Cote Basque (one of my most favorite) Molyvos (extraordinary greek food) <BR> not as expensive (everything in midtown is more than usually expensive)-Cafe Un, Deux, Trois; Carmines (family-style italian-- tons of good food) and a friend of mine swears by Virgil's BBQ. enjoy! phyllis

I've eaten at Virgil's and I like it but you have to really be a meat eater (ribs, barbecued chicken, pulled pork, etc)- not the best place for salad eaters or vegetarians. Loved Judson Grill, and yes it is expensive, but use all that money you would have used on taxis and put it towards dinner :) Plus midtown is expensive, period, so you might as well eat a GOOD, expensive meal at Judson Grill or Trattoria Dell Arte (good Italian) instead of a BAD, expensive meal at Sardi's.

Can someone give me an opinion on Becco? We are going to NYC next week and have tickets for Kiss Me Kate. Becco is very close to that theater. Thanks.

Judi, if you do asearch on this forum, you'll find lots of Becco fans. It's a very good pre-theater choice and has well-priced prix-fixe options, including an all-you-want past special with three daily pasta choices for around $22.

Thanks for the advice on not going to the above mentioned restaurants. I knew I could count on New Yorkers to give me a real opinion; rather than a travel agents view. <BR>Could somebody please give me an opinion on the hotel we are staying at. This package was a gift; so I'm pretty much locked in, but it would be nice to know what to expect. <BR>As for pricing on a pre-theater dinner; expensive is fine since we probably are going to be able to save some bucks by taking the subway system (I have just about been convinced by the nice, positive post from some other travelers and New York people)

Don't know about the hotel you staying at - but my suggestions for meals around the Times Square / Theater District: Esca, 402 W. 43rd Street, 212.564.7272 - excellent Italian seafood; Hell's Kitchen, 679 Nineth Avenue, 212.977.1588 - contemporary Mexican. Also, a 7-day Metrocard, which allows you unlimited rides and transfers on both the subway and buses, cost only $17 - that's how much you would probably spend on one cab ride from midtown to Wall Street or the Village.

Judi, I'm one of the Becco fans. The $22 pasta special that Caitlin mentioned is one of the theater district's true dinner bargains--all you can eat of the three pasta dishes offered. (They change nighly.) Becco also has an excellent wine list. Make reservations NOW! 212-397-7597. It fills up fast and may already be too late! P.S.: You're seeing an excellent show. <BR>Susan, there are tons of good restaurants in the theater district and its surroundings. What type of food do you prefer? <BR>

Caitlin and Howard, thanks for the replies. And Caitlin, you are right; I should have done a search. I will call right now!