Help with NYC Itinerary
 

I'm traveling to NYC the first part of February with two other women. We are staying three nights at the Washington Square Hotel.

Sunday - Arrive in afternoon. Dinner reservations at Lupa.

Monday - MOMA, lunch, 5th Avenue shopping, afternoon tea? No dinner reservations yet. I would perhaps like to try Momofuku Ssam, Suba--not sure. Looking for something not Italian and not terribly expensive ($50 - $75 pp range).

Tuesday day - Shopping in Village/Soho. What are the best streets for fun shopping? I don't want to buy anything specific, and will probably mostly window shop. I don't want to go to chain stores I can go to anywhere else.

Tuesday eve - Tickets to Spring Awakening at 7 p.m. I was thinking of eating beforehand at Hell's Kitchen (Mexican fushion). It was recommended on chowhound.com, although I haven't heard anybody on here talk about it. I was thinking of making reservations for dessert for after the theater at Joe Allen's or Blue Ribbon. Or someplace else that would be fun for people-watching and dessert. Open to any suggestions.

Wednesday day - More shopping. Or another museum--perhaps the Frick or the Whitney. Or maybe take subway to Brooklyn, eat at Grimaldi's and walk back across bridge. That would have to be mid-day, because my flight out is at 7 p.m. from JFK.

I'm not planning every last detail, because I don't want to show up with everybody's itinerary planned for them--but I like to get good ideas.

It sounds like you have a great trip planned.
For Monday dinner, you might try Dos Caminos on Park or SoHo, or Sushi Samba in the West Village. Son Cubana is a lot of fun in the meatpacking district with great Mojitos and amazing atmosphere. These should fit into your price range.

SoHo shopping is Spring & Prince St, W. Broadway, and all of the streets off of them in the vicinity. Just wander. Bleeker St. is good in the W. Village and be sure to stop by Magnolia Bakery if you go there for their famous cupcakes.

Tues. evening I say try Blue Ribbon over Joe Allen though you may have to wait a little while.

Grimaldi's and a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge are a MUST!!

Have fun and hope this helped!

I was just there. My friend and I took one of the food tours that have been recommended on here (foodsofny.com) and we had a BLAST. We did the Greenwich Village tour, which lasts about 3 hours, and combines area history with snacks at local places. Plus it gives you some ideas for dinner.

In SoHo, you can just wander like JES said. Plenty of boutiques and a few higher-end designer stores. We had Sunday brunch at Balthazar on Spring St, which was fun. Loud, but great people watching. I think they have a breakfast menu also during the week.

For Mexican fusion close to theatres, I highly recommend Toloache. It's yummy...you can also make a reservation on www.opentable.com

Monday Lunch--try the Tea Box in the basement of Takashimaya--

Sorry--it's on 5th Avenue and will be very convenient to what you're planning to accomplish. Food is lovely and delicate and while not a "traditional" afternoon tea experience, it's really a wonderful place.

I just returned from a great trip to NYC, an annual with some friends: we shopped, (union sq are this time not soho/prince/etc b/c we've done that before)
but there are many threads on here of great shopping places if you plug into the search this forum bar things like "NYC shopping" " or Soho shopping, etc

We also did the Foodsofnyc tour in the village and LOVED it - and some after theater spots that were fun -

Here is the link to my trip report from this year with where we ate, pre and post theater, links, about the tour, etc


http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35099570

and the link from my nyc report in 07

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34888754


But BEST of ALL - this is the ultimate, NeoPatricks month in Manhattan - if you end up looking at either of my above trip reports, you will see many recs, always perfect, from him too !

have fun !

oops sorry, one of those links, while being a nyc report, is not the weekend I thought - this is one that has some good recs and a different tour (Tenement House)

The new MOMA restaurant (the modern) is great too -
if not the restaurant overlooking the garden, even the more casual bar area -

I know it is not a tea place near 5th, and it is not in either of by above reports, but recently my girlfriend and I started in the Nolita/Soho area shopping and worked our way out of there and to Union Square / Flatiron area by late afternoon and had tea at this place which was great fun - there are specific times for 5 course high tea and you do need a rezzie -
3 or 5 pm on weekends and i am not sure about weekdays but I am sure it is on their website.

Lady Mendl's - 56 Irving Place

www.ladymendls.com

I didn't have any coffee today and it shows - I forgot to give the link to that other report above......

maybe not such a good idea to give up coffee for a resolution ?

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34925087

Thanks for the great ideas. I am definitely going to look into the Foods of NY tour.

RE -your question about Hell's Kitchen restaurant on 9th Ave. It's been years since I've eaten there, but it was and hopefully still is a very good restaurant. I had been turned on to it by a friend who is a very serious foodie.