My husband and I are flying into NYC this Friday for a quick weekend to attend a family wedding on Saturday. As we didn’t think we’d be able to attend due to work commitments, we haven’t done much planning. We arrive at LaGuardia from Florida around 1:30pm and will be staying at Guest Quarters Hotel on West 45th between 5th and 6th Avenues. (Has anyone ever heard of it?) For that evening, I’m going to try booking tickets to All Shook Up in advance. (Playbill showed $50 discount tickets.) We don't have time to wait at TKTS. These are some of the questions I have:

Should we take a taxi to our hotel or arrange for a car service like Carmel Limo?

We’d like a casual inexpensive (under $100 for 2) Italian pre-theatre dinner, somewhere fairly close to our hotel or the theatre. Since it may be tough getting reservations at the last minute, we could even arrive for a 5-6pm seating. We tried narrowing it down to Italian, though we’d be open to other suggestions.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, we plan to meet relatives (also staying at the same hotel) for coffee and bagels. On MenuPages.com, I found Bagelfeller, Times Square Hot Bagels, and Roy Bagel listed. Would you recommend any of those, or have suggestions for other places?

After breakfast, we thought we would wander around and maybe take the Staten Island ferry. Where exactly does it leave from? We have to be back at the hotel by 3pm to get ready for the wedding, so we won’t have a lot of time that day.

On Sunday, we thought we could check out some more sights. My husband mentioned Ground Zero. Maybe even a museum. We really are open to any suggestions.

Our flight leaves at 5:30pm. Should we take a taxi to LaGuardia or arrange for a car service like Carmel Limo?

Thanks in advance to all the Fodorites for all your help!

Good for you making this impromptu trip! They are always filled with adventure!!!
Haven't eaten there but check out Carmine's...www.carminesnyc.com, and Becco www.becconyc.com.
Of course the Staten Island ferry is free, but I love taking friends on the Yellow Water Taxi to Brooklyn, eat pizza at Grimaldis, and pick up chocolates at Jaques Torres, and then walk the Brooklyn Bridge back into the city.

After seeing people fleeing the city during 9/11 and then the blackout, there is something wonderful about making that journey back. Although that said my first brooklyn bridge walk was out of the city, in respect to those newyorkers we witnessed fleeing the world trade center.

In Brooklyn or Manhattan side you can easily pick up a train back to your neighborhood to get ready for the evening festivities.

Have fun! And check out some of Central Park on an early morning stroll perhaps.

Your hotel is very centrally located, so it should be pretty easy to get around, you can walk to the Theatre District from there. There are alot of restaurants right in the area, and you might look at a few on restaurant row, which is just a few blocks from your hotel, I think it's 47th between 8th and 9th Ave.

I can recommend Cafe 1,2,3 which is on 43rd between 6th and Broadway, good food and great deserts. Frenchish/American food.

From where you are staying you can walk to 42nd and Broadway and take the #1 train to South Ferry which is where the Staten Island Ferry docks. The ferry on the weekend is not as frequent so figure you may wait a few minutes, but the ride is beautiful and goes right by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

After you get off the ferry, walk up through Battery Park and you will find the centerpiece of the WTC, the globe, it survived the buildings collapse and is on display there. People still leave flowers and notes and there is an eternal flame. IF you walk up Broadway from there, to the Merrill Lynch Building, it's about 5 blocks or so, to your left is the WTC site. As you walk up Broadway you will pass the Customs House, Trinity Church and Wall St.

When you get to "ground zero", cross the street and take the B or D train back up to 42nd St. and you are a couple of blocks away from your hotel.

You shouldn't have a problem getting a taxi into the city, and on Sunday getting a taxi back will be a little less expensive than a service car.

On Sunday you might want to do either MoMa or the Met Museum, or take a walk around Central Park, and enjoy the nice weather we are having.

There are so many places in the city for a nice breakfast/brunch, so check Zagat's guide for suggestions.

Have a great time while you are here.

Definitely take a taxi from LGA to your hotel - and on a summer Sunday afternoon you should be fine taking a cab back. Just be sure to leave your self plenty of time on Sunday - since there's a Yankees/Mets game at Shea (near LGA).

You get the Staten Island Ferry at South Ferry (southern tip of the island) - during the day on the weekend they run every 20 minutes or so. I would go to the MTS website and download the interactive subway map now to plan your trips (you can get a printed one once you arrive).

Also - I agree to see the WTC site when you do the ferry - as long as you are downtown.

For Sunday you may want to consider opening times when considering where to go (the Met opens at 9:30 but MOMA not til 10:30 - and there may be a line for tickets then). To save time I would go to the websites of the museums in which you're interested in to pick out some departments in advance - and see if there are any special exhibits you want to do.

And don;t forget to leave some time for just walking/exploring.

Have a great time.

So much great advice! Thanks for all your responses. Once again, Fodorites to my rescue. I'll post after our return.

I think your hotel is the Club Quarters on west 45 st. Read the good reviews here

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html

There is a Guest Quarters but it's downtown.

Just take a taxi to the hotel.

There are lots of Italian restaurants in the theater district of varying types and quality. Carmine's is really a place for a large group. Portions are huge and 2 won't be able to finish 1 entree and 1 starter IMO. Trattoria Trecolori is a good inexpensive place on west 44 st. that would be ideal for you.

If you want something a bit more upscale, Orso and Lattanzi, both on restaurant row (46 st b/w 8th-9th aves) are very good Italian. Becco on the same street is known for their $21.95 all you can eat pasta dinner. Barbetta (also Italian) is a very pretty, formal looking restaurant with an outdoor patio on the same street. They have a pre theater menu which makes it more affordable.

As wantsomesun explains, Ground Zero is not far from the Staten Island ferry dock so you can do both on the same trip. There are a lot of other places downtown that might interest you-Soho for shopping, brunch, the South Street Seaport, the village. In your shoes I think I'd save the Staten Island ferry or the water taxi for Sunday so you could spend more time downtown. The ferry is also not far from Battery Park City which is a lovely place to hang out on a nice day and have a meal or a drink outside along the water.

Perhaps go to the museum on Saturday (MOMA on 53 st is walkable from your hotel. The Metropolitan on Fifth & 81 st is a bus or cab ride or walk through the park).

If the weather report is good for Sat. but not Sunday and you want to see the Statue on Sat., you could take a Circle Line cruise on Sat. and avoid having to subway downtown. The Circle Line leaves from 42 st & 12 ave (take the crosstown bus at 42 st going west to the end). They have a 2 hr semi circle at 11:30 or a 75 minute option. Look here

http://www.circleline42.com/index.ihtml?page=schedule

The NYwatertaxi.com that gyppielou mentions has a stop at west 44 st & the Hudson and that's another quick option avoiding the subway ride but check the schedule. I think the first boat doesn't leave til almost noon.

As for a bagel place, I don't know the places you mention (which doesn't mean they're not good). There's a very good if unglamorous looking coffee shop on 44 st bw/ 5th-6th ave (closer to 6th) called the Red Flame. I've never had a bagel there but their coffee, eggs etc. are good. There's a serve yourself kind of place for coffee and pastry/bagels at the corner of 6th & 45 st as I recall. There's a very large serve yourself place with lots of seating on 42 st b/w 5th & Madison (on the south side of the street). I think it's called 42 eatery. I've heard Pershing Square on 42 st & Park ave. near Grand Central is good for breakfast. Hope that helps. Hope the wedding is great and you have good weather.

We are just back from NY. I would agree completely with Becco as a good, pre-theater choice. We had a lovely dinner there last week. It is cozy and the food was very good and reasonably priced. Its not high gourmet, but then that wasn't what we were looking for pre-show.

Another good pre-show choice is West Bank Cafe, 407 W. 42nd (on the corner of 9th Ave.) Here you could need a reservation (212-695-6909) - although we were able to walk in at 6pm on a week-night and be seated.

We took the subway to The American Indian Museum on the southern tip of Manhattan one day and really enjoyed the display of beadwork, baskets and drawings. It is right on the water. From there we had an easy walk up Broadway to Trinity Church and then on to Ground Zero.

The Met has a great exhibit of Coco Chanel clothing right now along with all the other glorious things. I walked there from 55th Street hotel along Central Park, which is beautiful with tulips and blooming trees right now.

A taxi to and from LGA will work fine. No need for a car.

You're probably out of luck at this late date getting into most decent restaurants in the theater district. You might be able to get a 5 pm. seating. Whatever you decide, call NOW!
Virgil's BBQ on West 44th, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, and Cafe Un,Deux Trois are possibilities for early seating.
The Restaurant Row that wantsomesun write about is on West 46th, not 47th. However, most--if not all--of the good ones on that block are probably booked already.

I was able to get a 6 p.m. reservation at Trattoria Trecolori!

Good for you! Have a wonderful adventure!

Have fun!