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mtolar5 May 24th, 2015 01:33 PM

Itinerary help for a 3-night stay in NYC?
 
Just wanted to share our agenda and ask if this looks like a reasonable itinerary? Also have some questions throughout. I think I'm close but may be missing some important things and/or may have some things out of order. We are a family of 5 - mom, dad, and 3 sons ages 19, 18, and 12. We will be spending 3 nights in DC before arriving in NYC next Saturday via Amtrak. Any answers to my questions, suggestions or tips would be so appreciated. Thanks so much!!

Saturday 30th
Arrive Penn Station mid-afternoon. Buy 5 subway tickets and put about $20 on each card?? Is this best option??
Check-in hotel and grab an early dinner in Times Square.
Take in the lights, shopping, entertainment for a couple of hours.
Evening: STOMP!

Sunday 31st
Breakfast at hotel. Leave at 7:15am for Brooklyn Tabernacle for 9:00 worship service
11:00am - lunch in Brooklyn??
Either subway back to NYC OR. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge?
Take subway to lower Manhatten and ride Staten Island Ferry to see Statue of Liberty
9/11 Memorial and Museum
Next at sunset, either the NEWLY OPENED One World Trade Center observatory ($32/pp for 15 minutes). OR. Top of the Rock ($30/pp for not sure if limited time). WHICH???
Dinner?

Monday 1st
Central Park
MET
Lunch - maybe John's Pizza??
Chinatown
Dinner in Little Italy??
Last night - Times Square

Tuesday - head to airport

I think we are going to depend on the Subway to get us everywhere. Please help me make sure we get that correct. Everywhere I've read says to not do the HOHO busses anymore due to wasted time in traffic? I hope that's the correct decision. Again, any advice is welcome. Thanks again!

SusieQQ May 24th, 2015 01:59 PM

My suggestions:

Saturday: A couple hours in Times Square is way too much. What entertainment there are you talking about? Dinner out side of Times Square.

Monday: Italian dinner not in Little Italy. What are you going to do for a whole evening in Times Square?

ellenem May 24th, 2015 02:36 PM

For Saturday, STOMP is at a theater in the East Village. Rather than have dinner in Times Square,the East Village offers a multitude of dining choices of possibly better quality at definitely better prices. Have dinner in the East village before STOMP and dessert in the East Village after STOMP. The East Village is a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood that might be of real interest to your sons, including interesting shopping and sights.

You don't all HAVE to have separate MetroCards for subway and bus use. Up to four people can share one card, though this would require adding more money to one card. It's up to you. For example, you might buy four cards and just add more money to one of the parent's cards and share it with the youngest son.

abram May 24th, 2015 02:37 PM

There is no need to buy 5 metro cards; since you are planning on using a pay-per-ride card, you only need two, as four people can ride on one card.
You are planning on seeing both Central Park and the Met in one morning? That doesn't seem doable.
Why do you have TS on your itinerary twice?
I may be wrong, but I thought Stomp playa at the Orpheum Theater in the East Village; eating in TS wouldn't make sense when there are so many restaurants nearer to the theater.
Little Italy ain't what it used to be--is there a reason you want to eat there?

IMDonehere May 24th, 2015 03:33 PM

As noted above:

There are scores of dining options in the East Village that will be cheaper and more interesting than Times Square.

There are limited selections in Little Italy.

For standard fare in a hurried atmospehre in Chinatown-Big WOng-very cheap

For dim sum-Jing Fong, Golden Unicorn, Nom Wah, go duringthe week. Also inexpensive.

Try Joe's Shanghai or Joe's Ginger for soup dumplings and rice cakes.

And wherever you eat Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

nytraveler May 24th, 2015 04:12 PM

To me Monday is a big issue. Can't see how it's possible the see Central Park (do you know how big it is? what are you planning on seeing there?) and the Met before lunch.

For info on the park go to the web site of the Central Park Conservancy. Has a detailed walkers map and info on the various sights and also the group walks with park rangers.

Also suggest you go to the web site of the Met to figure out which one or two things you will wants to see, since to see the whole thing would take a couple of days. You may want to break into groups here if you are interested in different collections. For instance your sons may well not be interested in the Costume Institute (a very popular exhibit) and parents may not be that interested in arms & armor. All may be interested in the impressionists and the egyptian department and the Temple of Dendur. But do make sure everyone has a look at the options.

TravelinFeet May 24th, 2015 06:14 PM

Personally I LOVE hanging in TS so if you want to hang around and see the lights and people (watch your wallets tho!)ignore the nay sayers and go for it! But where is your hotel?

I second the idea of staying in the Village before and after Stomp. You could take in some great jazz afterwards, though the children's ages could be a problem as many places require age 21.

You absolutely MUST have real Jewish Deli while in NYC. Ask people at the church where to go, or look for men in tall black hats -- there will be no milk products in such a place, but the pastrami and corned beef and knockwurst will be to die for. Or you can spend a fortune a head to be abused by mean waiters and also get JEwish deli to die for at the infamous Carnegie Deli. Or is it near the Lower East Side?

If the timing works out, and you are dressed appropriately, a step back in time for tea at the Plaza, around 4, is wonderful. Personally I love a carriage ride around the park. Others hate it.

BB is tooooooo long to walk. Your kids wouldn't like you.

If you allow enough time for the SOL you probably won't make sunset anywhere... Oh, you're riding BY it, not going TO it. Are you sure?

Where are you from? Can you get all kinds of ethnic food? Or is there something that would be new and different? Perhaps get a Zagats?

No Empire State Building?

You certainly can see PART of Central Park via carriage ride and then the MET. Allow money for the gift shop tho lol.

No MFA?

An old NYC classic French restaurant, apparently recently remodeled is the Brasserie, mid-town. Reservations mandatory. I just looked online and they have a prefixe dinner for $35 pp -- can't beat that! I loved it as a child.

If you don't live somewhere you can get real French pastry then try to have some in NYC. Ditto cannoli!

Now I've made myself hungry lol.

Hope that helps!

TF

IMDonehere May 24th, 2015 06:52 PM

Carnegie Deli is closed.

Fra_Diavolo May 24th, 2015 07:21 PM

"BB is too long to walk" --

You must not be from around here.

"No MFA?"

What is MFA?

Even if Carnegie Deli were open, it is simply not in the same class as Katz's or 2nd Avenue. Also pricier.

HappyTrvlr May 24th, 2015 07:26 PM

The Brooklyn Bridge is not too long a walk for your kids. Kids love walking across it!
MFA?? Poster TravlinFeet ,what is that?
Katz's Deli is where you want to go or Second Avenue for a good NY Jewish deli.

mtolar5 May 24th, 2015 07:59 PM

Thanks everyone. Very helpful so far! We are from North Louisiana and our hotel is near the Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City. That was the best we could find for us... And we don't think we'll mind the 10 minute train ride to midtown.

I think the fascination with TS is seeing all the lights and all the people. When you aren't from the city, seeing all that is pretty exciting. Lol

We definitely will plan to eat in the East Village near the Stomp theater. Thank you!
And thank you for telling me that Little Italy isn't what it used to be. Duly noted.

As we are from the South...LOL... We have never even tried corned beef or pastrami. We are boring "turkey and ham" folks and those foods would be new experiences for us!

MET - we want to just see part of it for the experience... Our boys need to appreciate the rich culture of art, but we will have worn them out with museums quite a bit before this day (we will be in DC for 3 days prior). So I don't expect we will be there a long time.

Central Park - I think we just wanted to see only a small part of it.

Two questions not answered yet:
1- what is your opinion on which building to go up in for the iconic view... The Empire State Building? Top of the Rock? Or the newly opened (on the 29th) Trade Center?

2- can we manage all this sight seeing with this plan on our own? Or would it be wiser to pay and ride a HOHO bus?

ellenem May 24th, 2015 08:38 PM

I prefer Top of the Rock for a shorter line and better views, including Central Park and the Empire State Building--great group photo opportunity for your family with the Empire State in the background.

We understand why you are intrigued with Times Square. We just believe you don't need two trips.

You do not need the HoHo bus to implement your plan. You will travel much more effectively with MetroCards and the subway.

nytraveler May 25th, 2015 03:43 AM

Top of the Rock is best - you can reserve tickets so there is no wait (can be hours at ESB) plus you have better views - or up and midtown - including great views of Central Park and the ESB.

HoHo buses are a huge waste of time and money. They are very expensive, don;t run very often - only every 30 minutes - and often a bus will be full when it pulls in and you will have to wait another 30 minutes - and they spend a LOT of time just sitting in traffic. (Not sure exactly where you are from but you probably do not have traffic within the meaning of the act. I once had a cab driver in Portland - on way to airport - apologize about traffic and I had been surprised at how few cars there were - looked like traffic at 3 am to me.)

Transit should be feet as much as possible supplemented by subway for longer distances (run every 5 mins or so) or even city buses for shorter ones (also in traffic but at least much cheaper and come every couple of minutes).

In Time Square be sure to ignore the characters (cartoon or superhero costumes) who offer to take pictures with you - they charge too much and there are often disagreements and even scuffles over pricing. You can also look for the naked cowboy who plays there often - but he's not really naked - wearing jockey shorts.

Agree I don;t get the attraction of TS - but since I've been seeing it my whole life - how exciting are some bright neon signs?

SueNYC May 25th, 2015 06:03 AM

On Sat - see above - eat before and after Stomp in the East Village.

On Sunday, eat lunch at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn Bridge Park before walking back over the bridge.

You can use your MetroCards for public buses and subways.

On Monday get to the Met at opening time and pay what you feel like paying. Monday night is actually Taste of Times Square which is really fun if done right. AND you can do a nice piece of Central Park beforehand. One of the guests on the tour below is an interesting woman from Scotland who works off shore on an oil rig. It will be her last evening in NYC too.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/expl...tral-park.html

TDudette May 25th, 2015 07:36 AM

When mtolar5 is in Brooklyn, how much further on subway would it be for Coney Island? A Nathan's hot dog for lunch?

Have a super time and please report back. Off to see your DC thread.

IMDonehere May 25th, 2015 07:50 AM

Coney Island is at the very southern part of Brooklyn. From Brooklyn Heights depending on the subway line, delays, and repairs, about 45 minutes.

TDudette May 25th, 2015 09:45 AM

Thanks, IMDonehere. DH and I subway'ed from Columbus circle but my notes didn't say how long it took. We enjoyed the Aquarium there.

IMDonehere May 25th, 2015 09:55 AM

The aquarium was horribly disrupted by Hurricane Sandy but is open once again. Even though it has been in different locations, it is the longest continuously operated aquarium in the United States

And it is believed that when Hurricane Sandy destroyed Nathan's, it was the first time it was closed in its history since 1916.

Nathan Handwerker was also a clever businessman. When he opened Nathan's, people thought franks were not healthy. It was about ten years after Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, a very graphic non-fiction account of the meat industry. Nathan dressed men in doctor's outfits and handed out free samples.

I went to school with one his grand daughters and the entire family was gracious.

People who come from that area of Brooklyn have a fierce loyalty to Nathan's in Coney Island but not necessarily to the corporate interests that took it over.

ElendilPickle May 25th, 2015 10:42 AM

>>As we are from the South...LOL... We have never even tried corned beef or pastrami. We are boring "turkey and ham" folks and those foods would be new experiences for us!<<

In that case, go to one of the delis recommended elsewhere in this thread. We had lunch at 2nd Avenue Deli, thanks to IMDoneHere's recommendation, and it was excellent. The sandwiches are huge, so you might be able to split one between two of you.

>>MET - we want to just see part of it for the experience... Our boys need to appreciate the rich culture of art, but we will have worn them out with museums quite a bit before this day (we will be in DC for 3 days prior). So I don't expect we will be there a long time.<<

When we went there last year, we only had about 90 minutes to see anything, so we concentrated on the Impressionists and the northern Renaissance painters. Take some time to narrow down your options.

Lee Ann

doug_stallings May 26th, 2015 05:07 AM

I tend to agree with everyone that your Central Park day is too ambitious. But just figure out what is really important to you, and see what you can. The Metropolitan Museum is on Central Park, and that's a lovely part of the park, albeit extraordinarily busy. If you just want to "see" the park, duck in for a bit and walk downtown as far as you care to. Problem solved.

I actually think your Brooklyn day is going to be the most challenging. You have a LOT on your agenda. Just getting to the Brooklyn Tabernacle may take more than an hour ... quite a bit more if any of the convenient subway lines isn't working, which is often the case on weekends. You may want to look into the G train. It will bypass Manhattan and may be convenient for you from LIC, but it's slow and doesn't run often. But still potentially faster than other lines.

I can't recommend the new observatory at the World Trade Center since I haven't been. Other editors here have done the preview and thought it was great. But you need to be realistic. That's going to be a 2-hour plus investment of time given the expected lines, and it will be really crowded. I visited the old WTC observatory and found it on all levels to be the worst of all the big buildings in NYC. On most days you couldn't even see Central Park. But it's great if you want to see NJ and Brooklyn.

If you want to do a dusk trip, I'd actually do the Staten Island Ferry then. It's magical as night falls to see the city looming ahead of you and see the Statue of Liberty lit up. Just realize that sunset is about 8:30, so you'll be having dinner at 10. If that's cool with you, go for it. A more practical choice would be Top of the Rock, which gives you a more iconic view of the city and close proximity to restaurants right after. For me the Empire State Building is not worthwhile any more because of the lines, but perhaps the new WTC observatory will help there. But my god, $32!!!!


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