Holes in my NYC itinerary
 

My husband, 13yr old daughter and I will be spending Spring Break in NYC (4/7-4/14). I've planned a vague itinerary for us, but there are holes on some days that I'm looking for suggestions to fill. We plan to use the subway often, love art, architecture (husband's profession) and finding unique little finds--bookstores, shops, cafes, etc. We cover a great deal of territory on vacation, but always make time to stop everyday to soak up a neighborhood or people watch. That said, do you have any suggestions for the holes in my itinerary outline?

Saturday -- arrival 12:45 JFK, check into Affinia Dumont; survey the neighborhood for restaurants, breakfast goodies, etc. Early dinner at ?? Pirate Queen at 8:00

Sunday--Big Apple Tour (today or Monday--flip itineray) Central Park; Guggenheim

Monday--MOMA; Times Square; Top of Rock; St. Patrick's; Bloomingdale's

Tuesday--Ellis Island; lunch in lower Manhattan ??; Wall Street; Trinity Church; Chinatown; Dinner??

Wednesday--Met; lunch ??; Cloisters; dinner?

Thursday--Tenement Museum; ????; Dinner Roberto Passon; 7:00 Hairspray

Friday--Brooklyn Bridge; Grimaldi's and Ice Cream; ???; Natural History in evening

Suggestions?

ShariB -- need another daughter ? Just kidding ;)
For dinner, what about Buddakan on 9th Ave and 16th? You'll both enjoy the people watching in that area and the food is great fun for sampling -- order a bunch of appetizers. That would fit into your Tues dinner as you're already downtown.
You didn't mention doing a gallery crawl in West Chelsea, you might really enjoy that. Edgier art, great people watching.

Suggestions
Sat. dinner at West Bank Cafe or Chez Josephine
Sun. What's Big Apple Tour?
Wed. lunch at the Met or Cafe Sabarsky
Thurs. after Tenement museum, explore Lower East Side and Noho/Soho

Thanks for your suggestions. West Chelsea is an area I hadn't considered. McLaurie, we've signed up to do a tour with Big Apple Greeters. Haven't received confirmation yet. We'll do that either Sunday or Monday morning. We're not into organized tours, but thought a one-on-one with a local might be interesting.

A Broadway show. Tickets are quite handy and very affordable (not to say cheap) these days. Start at Broadwaybox.com

Big Apple Greeters are a great idea. Have you left the area their choice or did you select one? I think your itin. has suitable "holes" to adapt for your greeter. I'll just mention a few other thoughts. While you may not be into group tours, given your interest in architecture, there are some walking tours (some free) that might interest you.
>Your hotel is not far from Grand Central Terminal, an awesome building. There is a free tour of the building and the area on Fris. at 12:30 and also on Weds. Here's a self guided tour
http://grandcentralterminal.com/page...F-B0B398869C92

>Here's a page from NY Magazine with other free walking tours. You should double check accuracy
http://nymag.com/guides/cheap/walkingtours/

>I might consider going to the Guggenheim on a weekday rather than a Sunday for smaller crowds.

You might want to consider getting the citypass.com if you're interested in a Circle Line Cruise or going to the Empire State building. The pass includes 3 of the museums you're already planning to visit--MOMA, the Guggenheim and the Mus. of Natural History. Depending on what kind of ticket you'd planned at the Mus. of Nat. History, the City Pass would also give you a Circle Line cruise and entrance to the Empire State building basically for free AND you'd get to skip lines.

There's a new building downtown that your husband might like to see--the new Frank Gehry in Chelsea
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/200...16crsk_skyline

The staircase in the Longchamps store in Soho is fun
http://www.iht.com/slideshows/2006/0...lede29.jpg.php

You should definitely check out Grand Central Station. Your architect husband might like the Whispering Wall. It’s downstairs by the food court. Walk past Zocalo (on your left) and it’s in front of the Oyster Bar.

The "whispering gallery" on the dining concourse near the Oyster Bar is the stuff of city lore: Sweet nothings whispered on one side will travel along the vaulted ceiling into the ear of a partner on the other side.


What kind of food were you looking for in the Wall Street area?

On Tuesday, Southstreet seaport could be add, with a lunch at the Bridge cafe(they have a website).Try to be early in the morning for Ellis Island.
In Lower Manhattan, the museum of the indians is usually a nice stop.
On Thursday, as you are in LES, try Katz delicatessen...
Beware that Tenement museum is on appointment.
On Friday, there are a lot of good adress in UWS, near museum of natural history : Isabella is a casual italian, on Columbus and 80th, not expensive, but across the street, The Ocean Grill is really nice for seafood.
Other nice adress : PJ Clarkes("old fashion tavern in UES"), Oyster bar in Grand Central.
The expositions at the FIT(fashion institute museum) are always intersting, even for the "husband"...
On Sunday, if you are flexible on your plan, an option could be UWS in the morning, and then after a lunch in UWS, take the subway to Harlem for the
parlor entertainment :
www.parlorentertainment.com : it's jazz
in an appartment, from 3pm to 6pm..
really typical and the neighborough is interesting to visit : old mansion,
old streets...
Finally,at the bluenote(www.bluenote.org), during the week, Ravi Coltrane- at the iridium jazz club,
www.iridiumjazzclub.com, Pat Martino;
at birdland(www.birdlandjazz.com) the
John Abercombrie quartet.
At BB King club, on the 11th and 13th,
Buddy Guy...
Good week,
Erik.
PS : thru April the 22nd, Bebe Neuwirth
perform as Velma Kelly in Chicago...
Don't miss her...

A mistake : parlorentertainment begins at 4 p.m.
And if your daughter , like mines, is
a "burger's fanatic", try the Jackson hole and the UES location at 232
east 64th street is I think their first adress...
Erik

Had fun reading your itinerary. Thought of a couple things. The Central Park Conservancy web site gives info regarding boat and bike rentals in central park if that is something that interests you and while at the Met there is a great rooftop cafe - no tables, but you can get a glass of wine or ice cream or something basic and enjoy the view and some roof top art work. (Not sure if it is open yet for the season) Nice place for a pit stop!

I always recommend the tour of Lincoln Center which covers NY Ballet/Opera/Carnegie Hall, etc...a wonderful cluster of gorgeous and grand halls. The tour is about an hour+ and well worth it.

Is Chicago appropriate for the teen daughter?

Great suggestions from everyone. You'll also want to fit Little Italy in somewhere. Perhaps Tuesday after Chinatown.

Since you love little bookstores, shops, etc. you will also want to wander the West Village a bit. East Village too if you have time.

If shopping appeals to you, make sure to include SoHo. Your daughter will definitely like it!

For "Chicago", some days, the news on TV could be much more inappropriate than
a musical...
Tremendous music, superb choregraphy...
Don't miss it...
Erik.

Pick up a copy of the guidebook, ACCESS New York. It has wonderful information regarding the architecture of buildings. Organized by neighborhoods, your husband will find it enjoyable as you walk around. Also great for finding places to eat -- again, laid out street by street in each neighborhood, the book is a super self tour guide.

monpetit--you are so right!

Thank you all so much for your suggestions! We did purchase City Pass booklets, and our Big Apple Greeter called and confirmed that we have a guide for Easter Sunday morning. I can fill in more of the holes after we see where she takes us. We indicated that our interests were eclectic/ethnic neighborhoods, art and architecture. We're really excited since this is my daughter's first visit, my first since childhood and my husband's first in several years. Did I mention that I'm a teacher and there are only 6 DAYS left until Spring Break?!!! I can't wait! :)

Don't forget to save time for some of DUMBO's art galleries...

Hi ShariB

Search for my name to find the 10-day itinerary and trip report from last September. We did lots of "off-the-beaten" track stuff and had a fabulous time.

One think we didn't get to (it was closed because of rain) and regretted was the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. It sounds great and would probably be fun for all of you.

This is the blurb I found online for it:
39th St between 9th and 10th Avenue
The Annex / Hell's Kitchen Flea Market brings together the antiques and fine old things of The Annex - America’s most famous outdoor urban flea market, formerly located in Chelsea - with the antiques, designer clothing and accessories of Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, all in one location. For nearly thirty years, designers, tourists, artists, bargain hunters, celebrities, and local residents flocked to The Annex to browse amidst hidden treasures, attic-finds, furniture, and more. The new Annex / Hell’s Kitchen market consists of up to 170 vendors, in the heart of a blossoming neighborhood near Times Square, rich in history and offering.

If you are in lower manhattan at lunch time..two favorites of mine- one is a real "hole in the wall" Indian food place (name unknown) across from the Strand on Fulton street. Go up the steps to the balcony and its in the middle. The Strand itself is worth a stop as is the entire J and R set of stores on Park Row nearby where you will love the CD and movie selection or your daughter would)I also love but its pricier- Smorgas chef on Stone Street-great swedish food and very historic block. And when you are in Grand Central don't miss Ciao Bella- better gelato than anywhere in Italy- and beleive me, I have done my research and TRIED to find better gelato. Blood orange, hazelnut and grapefruit are recurring favorites.