ideas for 3rd time in NYC
 

Just thought I'd ask if anyone has any ideas of unique, fun, off-the-beaten path things to do and see in NYC. Since I've been there before, I've seen the big major attractions(statue of liberty, empire state building, rockerfeller center, etc;) I am a huge theatre buff so I plan to take in a few shows. I have ben to the met museum of art and enjoyed it very much. Any other museums of note?? I know MOMA and natural history and guggenheim, but didnt know if these were worth the time. My hubby will also be with me. Any ideas appreciated. Happy Holidays!

Check out the Fricke Museum. Also the Jewish Heratige Museum. Great places. Have you spent any time in the Financial District? Wonderful architecture and churches.

The new Museum of Sex has stirred a good deal of controversy. It's been featured in all the major media. It's supposed to be a legitimate museum.<BR>(You asked for off the beaten path).

The Tenement Museum on the lower east side is great - www.tenement.org

Stay in the West Village or SoHo, and skip the tourist mayhem of midtown is my first suggestion. You've gotten great suggestions of museums here---I definitely second the Tenement Museum. Go out to Ellis Island if you haven't. Pick up Time Out Ny when you get here and see what walking tours, exhibits, and other special events interest you. Or just find a cafe that looks pleasing, and enjoy the newspaper and the people-watching for a while. <BR><BR>Alternatively---venture out of Manhattan. Brooklyn, Queens, etc all remain to be explored.<BR>Have fun!

Jodie:<BR><BR>Just got back yesterday from 4 days in NYC and had a ball.<BR><BR>We like to walk even if it's cold. Probably the most fun thing we did was take a cab to Ground 0 and start walking North. You can go right up W. Broadway through Soho (great shopping, galleries, food, etc.) A few detours and you're through the Village, etc... Took us about 8 hours to work our way back to mid-town but we ate, drank, shopped along the way.<BR><BR>The Producers was excellent. Never laughed harder. Really enjoyed a restaurant called Dos Campanos on 26th and Park Ave. South. Extrememly good authentic mexi-food.<BR><BR>Hope you have fun.

Pretty sure the restaurant referred to above is Dos Caminos, in case you're looking it up.

Some other good museums are the Cooper Hewitt (I think it's a design museum with a sociological twist - eg. an exhibition of mid-20th century household appliances and the advertising that depicted the role of women), the Pierpont Morgan (if you like books and book-related art - when I was there a few years ago I saw the miniature paintings created by the Bronte family). The Public Library on 5th also has good exhibitions. Off the beaten path, you could go visit the Cloisters (although it might be rather cold this time of year).

Jodie, <BR>Some places to consider: <BR>NY Botanical Gardens, Carengie Hall, Ellis Island Museum, Forbes Magazine Galleries (they got an amazing collection of Faberge Eggs), Guggenheim, Whitney, New York Public Library (they always have a cool exhibit), National Museum of the American Indian, Cooper-Hewitt (Design Museum). You might also consider: Central Park, Chrysler Building, Gracie Mansion (they do reserved tours), The NY Stock Exchange is open to visitors, St. Patrick's Cathedral. If you're looking for &quot;off-the-beaten-track&quot; types of things you might consider going to a TV Show Taping (Letterman, Saturday Night Live, etc.). Walking tours are great -- NYC has a lot -- on almost any interest (culinary, architecture, neighborhoods -- Chinatown, Little Italy, Soho, Harlem). Have fun -- no matter what you and your husband like to do -- you'll be able to find it in New York.

I highly recommend (and second) the Frick collection and the Cloisters. I took a train up the Hudson to Tarrytown area too--nice views and other areas to explore not to far out of town. <BR><BR>Also explored Brooklyn Heights are a little--others probably know the streets and train stops for the area--I can't recall, but enjoyed the view from there back to the city. <BR><BR>Try a trip to Grand and Essex for delicious and different doughnuts at the Doughnut Plant. I love to people watch in Central Park.

Some more: Visit Bronx Zoo or NY Aquarium. Both can be done in a day.<BR><BR>Rent a bicycle. Really a very neat way to see the city (and fun too if you are careful). Good riding along the rivers.

We just went to the Cloisters and it wasn't too cold. It was very beautiful with the new fallen snow and not at all crowded. Someone on this site recommended the New Leaf Restaurant (thanks) in the park nearby, it was terrific. My favorite day of our trip. If you go get the headset, it has great musical accompaniment.

It's funny no one's mentioned the Whitney Museum of American Art (Madison in the 70s). It's one of the most important museums in the city. In addition to their standing collection of American art (one of the best in the country), they also have regular exhibits by some of the most important American artists working today. (It's free after 6PM on Thursdays.)<BR><BR>My not so well known suggestions: The Asia Society, which sponsors exhibits, lectures and has a film series. Neue Gallerie on Fifth Ave. &amp; 86th Street, if you like early 20th Century Austrian and German art (Klimt, Schiele, etc.). And the Dia Center for the Arts where you'll catch the latest installation pieces from some of the world's leading artists (it's in West Chelsea). Make sure you go to the roof, where there are interesting views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. If you go to Dia, there are lots of other galleries in the neighborhood.<BR><BR>Finally, go to www.galleryguide.org and check out some of the gallery shows. Their free. Just about everything's on view, from the latest, cutting edge work to the classics. Gallery hopping makes a fun afternoon. There are four gallery districts now: Soho, West Chelsea, 57th Street and the Upper East Side (mostly the 70s between Fifth and Madison Aves.).

I love the Museum of Natural History, and it's right on Central Park so easy to combine the two. Also the New Rose Center (Planetarium) is very cool....no Pluto though :)

A second vote for the Cloisters. Take the M104 uptown through Harlem, stops right at the Cloisters. Put some Gregorian chants on your headphones and take a stroll through the Middle Ages. The views are great. The architecture humbling. It was brought stone by stone from European monasteries and churches. The bus ride uptown will give you a view of NY you'd never see otherwise. I believe the 104 runs uptown along Madison Ave., but check it out. Hopefully, the weather will be warmer by the time you visit.

The 104 runs up Broadway but it stops around 125th st.<BR><BR>For the Cloisters you want the M4 which runs up Madison until 110th st then crosses west to go up Riverside Drive.

On about my tenth weekend trip to the city, I brought a girlfriend who had never been. I decided we should try the Circle Line because I had heard many raves about how visual and informative their 3-hr cruise was. I was beyond impressed. There just aren't words to describe how amazing and fascinating the city looks from this boat. And I have told my husband that the next time we go to New York (this spring), he is going on the cruise also. <BR><BR>Another suggestion for returning visitors is to find out what Broadway &amp; off-Broadway shows will be opening shortly before your visit. Try playbill.com for starters. I got great seats to Hairspray the day before the official opening, and now they are next to impossible to get. You still have to do some advance planning, but it sure is fun now to hear people rave about this show that I saw months ago.<BR><BR>Also, on my last trip, the ice had just opened at Rockefeller Plaza. So, we went ice skating. Definitely one of the most *touristy* things I've done in New York, but also one of the most fun. <BR><BR>Finally, I'll agree with the previous posters that walking the city is the best. I am a shopper, so for me, the whole city is fair game. We try to find out if any street fairs are being held while we're there. Also, we enjoy the GreenFlea in the Upper West Side (I believe there is another somewhere), as well as some outdoor flea markets in Chelsea. <BR><BR>I hope these suggestions are helpful - at the very least, maybe they've given you some ideas to work with....