Help Please - NYC Questions and Plans
 

Thanking you in advance because I know you'll come to my rescue! Love you guys!! =)

Background: 4th Trip to NYC with DD, so we’ve seen a LOT of the tourist sights. We are revisiting favorites and seeing new things. Last trip with her was 2009, and she was 18. We’d like to include a wine bar, a rooftop bar, and cocktails, which we couldn’t do when she was younger.

Here’s the rough itinerary, but I feel like it’s not quite right. With the shows and our hotel location, it seems like a lot of our eating and Happy Hour time will be in the TS/Theater District, which I’m not thrilled about. Is there any way to get around this with 3 nights and 2 shows?

I’ve not bought theater tickets, so I’m flexible on everything except the Frick Collection since Sun. (11 to 1) is the pay as you wish day. We can do Sat/Sun theater instead of Sat/Mon if that would work better, but no matinees as we want our days free.

We’ve been to Florence, Paris, Rome and seen a lot of medieval religious art, so in the interest of doing the other “Must Dos,” I’d be willing to pass on the Cloisters to do more in the city if necessary.

For curious minds, the hotel(s) are mixed as I’m using a combination of points and Be Our Guest Certificates, and because of some of the restrictions, this is the only thing that worked.

Must Dos:
2 shows
Frick Collection
Cloisters
911 Memorial
Library
Shopping
Eataly (either one)
Highline
Central Park
Nice, upscale dinner
Nice View Experience – Rooftop bar, or rooftop restaurant
Nice Cocktail Bar - Think Champagne Bar or Rose Club @ Plaza, but the Plaza isn't convenient to our location. No bourbon heavy bars, we’re vodka/gin girls.
Wine Bar - I’ve found some great looking wine bars in the city, but have no idea how to fit a rooftop bar, a vodka bar, and a wine bar into our days.

Specifically, I need:
1. Recommendations on itinerary adjustments to have more time for 5th Ave. shopping and library listed under Tuesday, and to optimize our eating and happy hours.
2. Monday tweeking - Not happy with current plan because we’re backtracking to Village if we start the Highline at Chelsea Market – maybe have lunch elsewhere and dessert at CM? Suggestions?
3. Recommendations for Rooftop Bars/Restaurants; a good wine bar; a good cocktail – vodka and gin preferred over bourbons.
4. Lunch recommendation for Sunday after the Frick Collection
5. Recent reviews of Chicago have been very mixed with very negative comments on the theater itself. Any opinions on the better choice between it and Miss Saigon?
6. Dinner recommendations for theater nights. Food in the theater district always seems mediocre. Need some tips on where to eat or if it’s possible to eat elsewhere and still make a show. We love wine bars and small bites/tapas, so it doesn’t have to be a traditional meal. We could do a cocktail bar with small bites one on night and a wine bar the next. Need suggestions if we go this route.

Friday: Arrive @ LGA 10:45pm; check into Double Tree Times Square

Saturday:
10:00AM – Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial, Staten Island Ferry (maybe); Lunch at Downtown Eataly; Chinatown; Soho (Time for anything else, maybe some of Tuesday?)
5:00 – Back to hotel
6:30 – Dinner, maybe a wine bar with small bites/tapas
8:00 – Aladdin
11:00 – Drinks or coffee/dessert after show, suggestions?

Sunday:
9:00 – Mass at St. Malachy’s, The Actors' Chapel, 239 West 49th St. (Between 8th and Broadway)
10:30 – Check into Hilton Times Square and store luggage
11:15 – Frick (Grab a quick bite on the way to hold us until lunch)
1:30 – Lunch – WHERE? Not the Boathouse; reservations not taken on Sun. and I don’t want to wait
3:00 - Central Park
6:30 - Rooftop bar for a drink OR rooftop restaurant for drinks and dinner – WHERE?
8:00 – Dinner, if we had drinks only – WHERE? The non-theater night will be our “Nice dinner” night. Recommendations?

*Other Mass Options:
Sat. 5:00 Vigil @ St. Malacy’s or St. Patrick’s 10:15 Sun.

Monday:
10:00 – Cloisters
1:30 – Chelsea Market for lunch; Highline, Washington Park, Village
5:00 – Hotel to freshen up
5:30 – Cocktail @ Russian Vodka Room
6:30 – Dinner, where?
8:00 – Miss Saigon or Chicago

Tuesday:
10:00 – 5th Ave.; Shopping; Library
12:30 – Lunch at Bryant Park Cafe
2:00 – Back to hotel by to get luggage and get to LGA for 5:00pm flight.

Forgot to add: We'll be there mid-May, but not Mother's Day weekend.

You don't say when you're going (unless I missed that) and the weather may have some impact on the things you've got planned. For example, I had lunch with my sisters at the Bryant Park Cafe on a beautiful day in August. We sat out on the patio and I'm not even sure what the inside looks like. Also, you say 'Central Park' but it's huge. I think you have to be more specific about that and once again, there's the weather to think about.

Below is my trip report of the above-mentioned long weekend I had with my sisters and nieces. It was pretty much perfect for us. Maybe you'll get some ideas from it. Also, as far as restaurants with a nice view go, my SO and I really loved Robert which is on top of the Museum of Arts and Design at Columbus Circle. We had a table at the window with a beautiful view of Columbus Circle and Central Park. Here's the link:
http://robertnyc.com/

For a different skyline view, take a look at the River Cafe:
http://rivercafe.com/

Here's my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...end-in-nyc.cfm

OK, got your timing now.

Thank you for those suggestions. Robert looks amazing and just what I was trying to find! Regarding Central Park, I've got that covered. We go every time we're in NYC. Just needing help on a few of the other things. Great trip report. My daughter was about your niece's age the first time we were there!

I'm glad you like the look of Robert, darlene, and here are a few other suggestions for you.

If any of you is a cigar smoker or at least doesn't mind the smell of a good cigar, the Carnegie Club can be fun. We walked in one Saturday night years ago and found ourselves walking in on an 18-piece tuxedoed swing band. I understand they usually have a good Sinatra tribute guy there often. Friends have said he's great. Here's the link and there are other nice lounges on that same link:

http://www.hospitalityholdings.com/#..._carnegie_club

Re plays, we saw Beautiful in NY last summer and loved it.

The restaurant the cousins took us to was Tao Uptown and just the other day I was watching a rerun of Sex and the City and there it was!

http://taorestaurant.com/

And here's another trip report of the July long weekend we spent in NY with friends:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

Perfect trip report! This is exactly the kind of trip we're looking to take - laid back and relaxing. Hope you don't mind a couple of questions.

If we go to the Cloisters, how long to allow, including transportation there and back?

Do you remember where you were finding the funky shops in WV and Greenwich Village? I've meandered through there before after going for John's Pizza and didn't find the charm that so many speak of. I was truly meandering though (no map or guide) and ended up on many residential streets, which were very pretty, and on streets that looked like any other busy street in NYC, but I didn't find the funky vibe and charm I was hoping for.

Tao Uptown was on my list of possibles! Thanks for confirming that it's a good choice. I'd like Carnegie Club and my dad would have LOVED it. DD likely would not, but thank you for telling me about it. Sounds like a nice place to go with the right people!

the original owners of grimaldi's sold it and they opened juliana's right next door. go there instead. both will have lines.

we just got back from a nyc visit with kids. they love central park and be sure to explore both west and east side. chinatown was alot of fun too.

becco is good but is $25 pp for ayce pasta. your kids might be too young for that.

st pats is a must.

Plambers, I know my original post was LONG and probably hard to get through, but I don't have young children. My DD is 26. Looking for good wine bars, cocktail lounges, itinerary help, and show opinions. But thank you for replying!

For drinking you can do well in the Times Square area. For vodka, the Russian Vodka Room on west 52nd Street, which is near Flute Champagne bar on west 54th. These are both north of Times Square. To be honest, Hell's Kitchen, which is within walking distance of Times Square, has a lot of good bars and restaurants. There's also a rooftop bar at the Dream Hotel on west 55th, but the Roof at Park South is wonderful, albeit outside. Top of the Strand and 230 Fifth are both very popular.

If you want to go further afield, I recently had drinks and food at Daddy-O in the West Village (on Bedford Street, near Varick). They have one of the widest selections of gins I've seen and do flights as well as have good cocktails. The food is also good, albeit expensive (a burger for $19, but a good burger). They also have a huge selection of mezcal and tequila (as does La Biblioteca in Zengo on 3rd Ave/40th Street).

For shows, I'd strongly consider a Sunday matinee. All the best shows have them, while you're limited to a handful of touristy spectaculars on Monday nights, the night almost all shows are dark. But that's your choice. The Frick will be particularly busy during the "pay as you wish" hours, to its detriment, in my opinion.

I think you'll find almost no funky shops in Greenwich Village any longer. It's all moved on to Brooklyn. That's where you'll find the interesting little shops (and to some degree the East Village and Lower East Side).

It takes about 30 minutes to get up to the Cloisters from midtown, on a combo of subway and bus, longer if you walk the last leg. This is definitely worth doing, but it's a trek.

I'm not nearly as optimistic about Tao if you are looking for good food. It's loud and mediocre at best. It's not a place I'd go for my splurge meal, but then I'm not a tourist in NYC. Maybe for drinks, though. Depending on what kind of food you like, Sunday is a good night for Maialino, and the Gramercy Park Hotel is not far from 230 Fifth.

We were just wandering around the West Village before going to the theatre on Barrow Street and we were off the main streets. When I say 'funky shops' I don't mean trendy things -- just odds and ends of things that would have never made it into a tourist or shopping guide. The only one I remember was a store that sold cowboy-style hats, boots, belts, etc. Oh, and a bagel holes place. And a hat store.

Re Tao, I'm not a foodie and will happily eat just about any Asian food, so I won't disagree with doug about that. We didn't choose to go there but my cousin's son was the manager at the time (since moved to Las Vegas, I think) so it was a bit of a special visit. It's big but I don't remember it being particularly more loud than any other large restaurant. We were a table of 10 so we probably contributed to whatever noise was there. I thought it was fun and certainly pretty but it may not be everybody's cup of tea.

I would not recommend Tao, but my opinion is based only on what I've read; I've never been to any of them.


I had dinner in this very small theatre district not long ago and had a good meal; if you like interesting, creative food I would check it out.

The food has Korean influence but is not standard Korean fare, as can be found in KoreaTown, a few blocks further southeast.

There are pork and beef sliders on the menu, as well as fish, meat, and noodle and rice dishes.

The three dishes that I sampled were excellent: The Tofu with Ginger Scallion Dressing is one of the house signature dishes and it was among the best tofu dishes I've ever eaten. The soup, a puree of squash with savory mochi dumplings floating within, was superb. The Bo Ssam, squares of pork belly to wrap with scallions and radish in a thin cucumber pancake, was also excellent.

I recommend this restaurant before or after theatre. Note that many dishes carry some heat from spices; there are a few non-spicy options but if you hate spices, you might want to choose a different locale. Certainly make a reservation if dining before a show since the restaurant has only 36 seats.

DANJI is on West 52nd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues.

http://www.danjinyc.com/menu.html




Here is another place you might not know about; some of the eateries have changed since I wrote this:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...y-theaters.cfm

Sunday after The Frick, you might try The East Pole, or Amali:


http://www.theeastpolenyc.com/food-menu/brunch



http://amalinyc.com/brunch


If you want to try one of the newest stars in the city right now, and do not mind walking a few blocks, Flora Bar would be great. You need to book ahead for this, and I would do so for the others as well. Same owners as Estela, on Houston Street, which is a favorite of mine:

http://www.florabarnyc.com/#menus



In the theatre district or very near, you could try Oceana for upscale seafood.They have a theatre menu:

https://www.oceanarestaurant.com/menus/theatre-menu/

Bookmarking

Times Square and theatre district has some Brazilian places nearby to eat and drink, some small plates. I think we went to Samba Kitchen to meet a large group of friends and I recall it being decent.

Wonderful suggestions! Thanks so much to everyone for your input.

Doug, thank you for the recommendation of the Flute Champagne Bar. I've added it to our itinerary!!! Didn't have to add the Russian Vodka Room. DH and I discovered it in our 2014 trip, and you can see it was included this year on Monday! Loved it. We likely won't do a Sunday matinee because we love the city too much to waste an afternoon indoors. That said, if it's raining, we'll likely get last minute tickets just to have something to do. We're from Houston, so we get a lot of great performing arts and we have amazing food. I love NYC for the energy and the vibe you feel while there. It's like no other place! So, if you were choosing between Chicago and Miss Saigon, which would you pick? They are both showing on Monday. Or would you skip them both as "touristy spectaculars?" Also, where would you go for a splurge meal?

After reading several comments regarding WV and GV, I've decided to delete those from this trip. Sounds like I've seen what there is to see and DD lives in an eclectic/funky part of Houston, so she has that fix right where she's at. This will give us more time to do the other things on the list. I'll be keeping the Cloisters instead!

Also taking Tao off the table.

Will post final itinerary for opinions soon!

Still need:
1. Chicago or Miss Saigon or neither
2. Wine bar with tapas, preferably Italian or French
3. Splurge dinner (Not Per Se, Momofuko, or Eleven Madison Park). I'm looking to spend in the $300 range. We love Italian, Mediterranean, Sushi, Steak, and Continental.

Thanks to all!!

Splurge dinner: Two Italians that I like and go to fairly often are Marea and Babbo. Babbo is not as pricey as Marea.

http://www.marea-nyc.com/

http://www.babbonyc.com/


Steak you could try Bowery Meat Company, among many options:

http://www.bowerymeatcompany.com/

Also good, French (I know you didi not mention French but these are excellent and splurge worthy)

http://lafayetteny.com/

Fabulous new French; must book a month ahead:

http://www.lecoucou.com/





Best to describe what kind of atmosphere you want. Are you ok with a large restaurant or do you want small and cozy? Is it more about the atmosphere or the food?

Of the two, definitely Miss Saigon. It's a brand-new production, so you'll be seeing it shortly after opening with all the principals, and I've heard good things. I'm going to see it myself, probably before you come, so I'll let you know, but I think you're going to have to buy tickets in advance for that. There are discounts available now, but I'm not sure how far out they go.

Chicago is strictly for tourists. I still love the show itself, but the production is growing tired after 12-plus years and relies a lot on stunt casting. If you want to see Chicago, wait and buy half-price tickets at TKTS or at the box office with a coupon. No need to ever buy them in advance, and you can leave that decision until the last minute.

However, I have another suggestion. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will have Monday shows at 7pm. I think that's going to be good and may be worth your consideration. But you'd need to commit sooner rather than later. Discounted tickets for regular performances went on sale this past Monday. I already have my tickets for May, and they are going fast.

If you a fancy and elegant dinner, then I'd suggest Marea, but it's known for seafood, so if fish isn't your thing, then other restaurants are probably better. But it's also within walking distance of your hotel, though it may be a stretch to get dinner there for $300 if you drink wine at all.

Nougatine at Jean-Georges might be a better choice. It's really good and not nearly as expensive as its sister restaurant.

But most of the top restaurants would exceed $300, sadly. One other option might be to go to a mid-priced restaurant that has really good food and then splurge on a great wine. I really like ViceVersa. No one would ever consider it among NYC's top restaurants, but it's Italian, has consistently good food (great pastas), and it's elegant enough to know you're out for a nice meal but not a break-the-bank meal. There are many restaurants in the same price range (normally, dinner for well under $200 with a bottle of wine). And if you had a cocktail or a really nice bottle of wine, you'd be well under your max and very satisfied.

None of the restaurants I mentioned will exceed $300 if one is judicious about ordering wine. Nougatine is ok but I would not go there for a "splurge dinner." It can also be very noisy. Food is well below the level of the main dining room.

We go (two of us) to Babbo often and never pay more than $150 for two with a half carafe of wine. But we do not often get dessert/coffee.

Craft is another good idea, with excellent pastas, and steak. Again, if you stick to two glasses each you can come out well within your budget. I ate there in December and did so myself, with lots of dishes. Many of the side dishes are served family style.

You guys are amazing! It's been a hectic day, so I've not had time to look at the suggestions, but it's great to have them!

I'd be willing to go up to $400 for the splurge, but no more than that. It might be hard to believe with all the talk about finding cocktails and wine bars, but we're not big drinkers. At dinner we'd either have a cocktail and a glass of wine or we'd have a bottle of wine, but not a drink and a bottle.

Doug, so happy to have your input on Chicago. I was afraid of that having read the RECENT reviews. As I mentioned, we're from Houston. We have a lot of really great performing arts come through here, so I think I'll wait to see Chicago here - I'm sure it will be back eventually. Hamilton will be here in 2018, so we've elected to pass on it while in NYC. Charlie sounds good, but we're already committed to Aladdin, and we're not wanting two "light" musicals. I think Aladdin and Miss Saigon will be perfect, so I just purchased tickets for both. One thing off of the list!!!

ekscrunchy, I don't want anything loud. Atmosphere is definitely important, but so is the food. I want both: good, quiet, elegant atmosphere and great food and under $400, preferably closer to $300. This will be our opportunity to have some really great quality M/D time. :)

Once I have a moment to look at the restaurant recommendations, I will comment more specifically.

Thanks again for all the thoughtful suggestions.

You can eat at many really good restaurants in NYC for $400, but you have to be very judicious in ordering wine and drinks because it's hard to find a bottle under $80 or a cocktail or glass of wine for under $20. Food alone at a lot of these expensive prix-fixe restaurants runs $130 to $150. Food alone can be $100 to $150. Marea is the cheapest at $102, Le Bernardin and Del Posto among the most expensive at $150.

It's significantly cheaper to dine at a restaurant that does not have a prix-fixe, but most of the top restaurants do. Le Cirque offers a regular a la carte menu, and you can eat there for $100 for food; the prix-fixe raises the price to $125.

Babbo, however, is not my favorite on any level (and talk about loud), but it has its devotees, and I understand why because Mario Batali's menu is very inviting. Somehow I just don't like it, but I've only eaten there once. I would choose Maialino over Babbo, but it's not really elegant or fancy.

And Babbo is not fancy, but the upstairs dining room has a subtle elegance. (Be sure to request a table there, not on the main level, with is much louder and more cramped) But you may see diners in "nice" jeans. For us it is more of a neighborhood place even if we do not live in the neighborhood, if that makes any sense.

You can get a la carte at Marea. We often do that, ordering just an appetizer/pasta each, followed by one of the whole fishes to share. The spigolo, turbot, and the Dover sole are off the charts good, and I am not a huge fish lover.
(These are not always on the menu). But I'm not sure if you would call it elegant..what do you think, Doug? It is certainly upscale and sophisticated.

Another name to put on your list is Gabriel Kreuther, within walk of the hotel.
I see this is a strong contender for you; GK as the chef at The Modern Dining Room, which is another for you to consider, although the prices have risen quite a bit since they put in the no tipping policy. And GK would probably just fit the $400 budget but not the $300.


https://media-cdn.getbento.com/accou...2001.20.17.pdf


Honestly, rather than pay those prices, I would urge you to consider Le CouCou (I mentioned it above) which is a stunning restaurant with great food, where you can get in for the $300 limit. As I said, since one of us does not drink, and we usually skip dessert, we pay much less for a dinner there. ( Most of these restaurants will give you some type of sweet after dinner if you do not order dessert.) We've taken friends to Le CouCou twice and they were wowed. The chef is well known from his restaurants in Paris, even though he is American. Again, like most of the places mentioned, you need to book 28 days ahead, or close to it, to get a table at a popular time. You must order the quenelle de brochet!

http://starr-restaurant.com/lecoucou...LCC_dinner.pdf


Not to overwhelm you, but a classic, long-standing NYC restaurant in the Village that often gets overlooked in the quest for the newest and the hottest, is gotham Bar and Grill, which I would call pretty elegant and which has a lovely, broad menu:

https://gothambarandgrill.com/menus/

Just a quick reply to let you know I've not abandoned the thread. I've had a chance to look at ALL the suggestions and do a little additional research on my own.

As of now, Marea, Del Posto, and Estiatorio Milos are on my short list. We love grilled octopus and seafood, and these stood out. DP and EM didn't make any of your lists. Any thoughts? I'm really looking for a great Greek or Italian experience, and if it's not elegant/fancy, that's okay too. I've changed the criteria to quiet with great food. It's all about having a great meal in a soothing environment. If it's upscale that's great, but a place where jeans are welcome is fine too!

Nothing is cast in stone yet, so still open to suggestions. We're really not French food people for the most part. I've never acquired a taste for duck, cheeks, foie gras,tongue,sweetbreads, etc., though not from lack of trying! That said,I do love a great tartare. =)

Thanks so much for your input!

Neither - Go see Come From Away. Previews start in Feb, it opens in March. I saw it in DC and it was fabulous. Just saying - see something NEW.

A Guide Named Sue

Glad to here the show was great - my son and DIL have tix (they live in DC but it was sold out there by the time they heard about it)

We saw Come From Away here in Toronto and loved it.

Too late. We have the tickets to Aladdin and Miss Saigon. Will have to catch Come From Away elsewhere, but thanks for the suggestion!

Did you mention wanting Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian cuisine?

http://sushisamba.com/location/new-york/nyc-7/location

About 6 years ago, Fodorites helped me choose Sushi Samba in the West Village, to host a 21st birthday party for DD and about 8 girlfriends.

The dinner party was on their rooftop in late May, and was a huge success. I arranged it long distance, and wasn't there, so it was a leap of faith. They delivered even more than promised.

A young vibe your daughter might like.

Maybe Doug knows of it?

Sushi Samba is popular, but there are much better sushi places in town for a serious sushi lover. I like Yasuda but there are many others, newer than that. Yasuda would be walking distance from your hotel; be warned that here, and at the other top sushi places, you can be finished with dinner in just over an hour if you sit at the bar.
The courses come one after another and there is no lingering. You could even do this before a show if you are ok with walking from there to the theatre. For us it is close to the theatre but for people not from here it might seem like a long walk, so check that out.

http://www.sushiyasuda.com/information.html



http://ny.eater.com/maps/best-sushi-nyc (note that the first is closing or has closed)




I have never been to Milos. It is a branch of a Canadian Greek restaurant that is known for fabulous fish and very high prices. A friend from the Bay area who is a chef loved her dinner there. If I want whole fish I get it at Marea, but I'm guessing you would have a great meal at Milos. Like at Marea, they price the whole fish by weight, so ask if you are concerned with the budget.

Del Posto is very solid, very expensive. I have been only once and that was a long time ago. They have a great deal for lunch, I believe. Keep it on your rotation.

taber - Sushi Samba looks like a fun place, and yes, we love Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian, altohough, I'm not sure I'd want them together. I'd definitely try SS at some point, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for on the nice dinner night.

eks - Thanks for the input on the restaurants I listed. I think I have three solid choices and will stop looking. Regarding the sushi, we absolutely LOVE sushi, but we have some amazing sushi in Houston, and Nobu is coming later this year, so we're going for something we can't get at home for the nice dinner. I do like the idea of sushi before one of the shows, and SY looks great!

When DD and I were there in 2009, we ate at a hidden gem in the East Village called Kanoyama. Sat at the bar and had a 9 or 10 course omakase. It was fresh, fresh, fresh, and fabulous. Just went to see if it was still there. It is and has since earned a one star Michelin rating. Very reasonable prices if I remember correctly, but even back then, we needed reservations.

http://www.kanoyama.com/

darlene, I was thinking you'd like the rooftop bar/restaurant at Sushi Samba.

taber - Thank you for the clarification! Just looked at it, and I think she would like it if we're in the area. Bonus: they renovated it in 2015, so it's may be even better than you remember! We likely won't make it there unless we go on Sunday, though. It's a bit out of the way for pre or post theater. =( Even so, it's worthwhile to know about it!

Glad to help. Le CouCou does not feature those unusual dishes--take a look at the menu and see. but you have so many options, at this point it is more about narrowing down...in any case, let us know where you choose!

Oh dear..I just took another look at the Le CouCou menu and they do indeed, serve some of the things that you do not like. But rest assured, if you do decide to go there there are many more mainstream items on the menu. My partner is very squeamish (no shrimp, no raw items, no offal, etc etc) and he loved it as well. It is a gorgeous space so stick your head in if you happen to walk past even if you do not go to eat there.

Since you enjoy the Frick Collection you would probably also like the Morgan Library. It's a small, lovely place to visit. So are the much ignored National Academy and the New York Historical Society.

Thank you EVERYONE for so many great suggestions! After going back and forth with DD, we've come up with a plan and a few tweeks to the original. Please take a look and offer opinions on whether this looks logical and doable.

Underhill - thank you for the recommendation of the Morgan Library. It's right up our alley and we are both looking very forward to visiting there!

Looking for the following recommendations:

1. Pre-show dinner, not greek, italian, or seafood. Somewhere with small bites/tapas would be great too.

2. Rooftop bar recommendations. We've got it narrowed down to these: St. Cloud; Top of the Strand (Closed until late May?);Sky Terrace; Bar 65 – At Rockefeller Plaza; and Bar 54 at the Hyatt.

Here is the new itinerary:

Friday: Arrive @ LGA 10:45pm; check into Double Tree Times Square

Saturday:
10:00 – Mid-town Exploring – Macy’s, GCS, Library, etc.
12:30 – Lunch at Bryant Park Café/Grill
1:30 – Walk up 5th Ave. for light shopping
3:30 - Frick Collection
5:30 – Hotel
6:30 – Dinner at Trattoria Trecolori
8:00 – Aladdin
11:00 – After Dinner Drinks at Flute Champagne Bar

Sunday:
10:00 – Mass
11:30 – Check into Hilton Times Square and store luggage; have lunch
1:00 – Cloisters
4:00 – Central Park
5:30 – Hotel
7:00 – Cocktail at Russian Vodka Room
8:00 – Dinner at Avra Estiatoria

Monday:
10:00 – Wall St., 911 Memorial, Battery Park
11:30 - Downtown Eataly
1:30 - Chinatown
3:00 - Chelsea Market and Highline
4:45 – Hotel to freshen up
6:30 – Dinner, where?
8:00 – Miss Saigon
11:00 – After dinner drinks/small bites, Rooftop bar, which one?

Tuesday:
10:30 – Morgan Library (1-2 hrs.)
12:30 – Lunch, shopping/strolling

I forgot to include in the above:

Our flight on Tuesday leaves at 5:00.

I was planning to go back to the hotel to pick up luggage by 2:00.

I have TSA Precheck and DD has global entry, so we usually don't need the full two hours before flight time. Also, we're not checking bags.

Do you think 2:00 is too early? How are the crowds at LGA that time of day, and about how long does it take to get to the airport by taxi?

I've not used LaGuardia since 2007, and don't remember it very well.

Thanks!

Your daughter having global entry will probably make her eligible for pre-check, but it won't help if she doesn't get pre-check. Most people with global entry do but you never know.

She has both. Any suggestions on time to allow?

I would probably leave around 2pm. It might well take a half an hour just to get through midtown to the tunnel or bridge. And there is often traffic to get into LaG.

The actual time is traffic dependent; you can listen to the traffic reports and decide on the afternoon of departure. There will almost surely be taxis outside the hotel, I would guess. But again, I'd plan on 2pm or shortly after, just to be safe. You will have to be out of the hotel before then in any case, right?