Cinderella02

I am going to be in the NYC June 28-July 11th. My birthday is the fourth (I'll be 21) and I'm not too new to the city. I'm staying with my bet friend however, he has work everyday from 9-5. This leaves me alone to explore the city. I've seen alot of the "must sees" several times (ie. the big museums, statue, sights) I prefer to stay in Manhattan (I know it well, with the buses and subways without consulting a map) Does anyone have suggestions as to things to do alone? Shopping is only fun for so many days and I know most things you can do with someone you could also do alone, but some things I think are better done in pairs. Any other little gems I may not have heard about?
Thanks!

mclaurie

If you like museums and have done the big ones, what about the smaller ones which are often more fun and certainly more doable in a few hours?? They may also take you to an area of the city you might not have explored. The Frick (upper east side), the Forbes Gallery (lower Fifth ave and free!), the Rubin (Chelsea), the new museum of Contemporary Art (also Chelsea), the Tenement museum (lower east side). Here's a list of most of the museums

http://www.ny.com/museums/all.museums.html

Taking some walking tours is another idea. There are many that are free and others for a fee. Here are a few of the free ones

http://nymetro.com/urban/guides/nyon...lkingtours.htm

BigOnion.com is the co. that does an eating tour of the village that many people like.

The NYwatertaxi.com offers tickets for hop on/off tours. That could be fun and refreshing on a hot day and give you access to Brooklyn. While you said you want to stay in Manhattan, at 21, you will really like Brooklyn which has become very young and vibrant.

A day trip idea is to take a cruise up the Hudson to the Rockefeller Estate, Kykuit. But that may be just on weekends, not sure.

What about taking a class? There are cooking classes you could do.

Here's a visitor's guide from NY Magazine with lots of info. I think probably the best thing is to wander some of the downtown neighborhoods (Chelsea, the village, Nolita, Soho etc.) If you click on neighborhoods at the top of the page on the link I'm giving you , there's lots of info.

http://nymetro.com/visitorsguide/index.htm

Happy Birthday, btw!!!

justme22

i was there last nov. my friend had business so my days were open. I walked to central park and went to museum of nat hist. just walking in the park was great. moma is now open.

i liked going down to battery park on the bus, walking thru soho, chinatown, little italy and then catching the bus back to midtown or a taxi (about 12.00 with tip) (bus 1 or 2 dollars!) ride the ferry back and forth from NJ. there is always the circleline too.

visit the intreped aircraft carrier on the river.

mclaurie

You might want to put in a request for a Big Apple Greeter. These are NYers that volunteer their time to take tourists around. Might make for an interesting half day.

bigapplegreeter.org

nytraveler

Other options:

Museum programs - all the majors and some of the smallers have special gallery talks and programs frequently. You can get much more out of these focussed lecture walks than just wandering on your own.

Do someting cultural many of the programs at Lincoln Center have rehearsals open to the public for a small fee - $5 or so.

Do something active: rent a bike - or a horse - and ride in Central park - or go rowing on the lake. Do one of the tons of active things at Chelsea Piers.

Explore a little further - to the Bronx zoo or Botanical garden - or the aquarium in Coney Island - all easily reached by subway

Cinderella02

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not against venturing out of Manhattan, but we'd planned to do alot of that together. Coney Island and the Aquarium were both on our list. I visited the Bronx zoo last spring as well and had a great time (although it was kinda chilly!)

Thanks on the birthday

I've always wanted to take a cooking class, actually wanted to go to culinary school but the parents didn't agree. I read the post on them that was around earlier, but they seemed to be expensive. Are there less expensive ones? Preferably more baking then cooking...I wanted to be a pastry chef.

tuckerdc

Cinderella: Why not take this as an opportunity to pursue your pastry chef ideas: Here are two possibilities for day classes from the New School. Yes, they're on the weekends, which probably will cut into your time with your friend..but, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

And I would think additional googling would turn up other possibilities, maybe with better timing.

If you're lucky enough to have a dream, you owe it to yourself to follow it, rather than heading down the wrong track (I'm making an assumption here, based on some of what you've said).

http://www.nsu.newschool.edu/culinar...rse.htm#baking

Dessert Classics: Fresh Fruit Pies and Tarts NCLC0814
A 1 session. Sat, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., July 9. $90; materials fee $20 payable at registration.
Register: Non-Credit
Richard M. Glavin

Samples served.
Limited to 12. A celebration of American fruit pies and French fruit tarts. Learn techniques for making a variety of basic doughs, including American pie dough, pate brisee, pate sablee, and pate sucree, as well as classic pastry cream, thickened fruit fillings, and almond cream. Included are fresh strawberry tart, plum frangipane tart, fresh peach pie, banana coconut rum pie, and lemon meringue tartlets. Class meets at The Inn on 23rd, 131 West 23rd Street, New York, NY. (0 credits)

Dessert Classics: Éclairs and Cream Puffs NCLC0813
A 1 session. Sun, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., July 10. $90; materials fee $20 payable at registration.
Register: Non-Credit
Richard M. Glavin

Samples served.
Limited to 12. Heaven just may be a chocolate éclair. Students learn techniques for making, shaping, and filling pate a choux (cream puff dough) and create a world of cream puff delights: classic éclairs with various pastry cream fillings and glazes; profiteroles, small puffs filled with ice cream and doused with warm chocolate sauce; and a Paris Brest, an elegant cream puff cake filled with praline cream. Class meets at the Inn at 23rd, 131 West 23rd St. (0 credits)

Some other NY cooking venues:

http://www.shawguides.com/nycooking/

Cinderella02

thanks so much, it sounds exciting

rine1967

When I travel by myself, I often chose to eat at the bar in restaurants. Usually, people are more willing to talk with you, the bartender may take you under his/her wing, and other people dining by themselves are usually at the bar. I love to go to the Grand Central Oyster bar, Artisanal (share your basket of gougeres, cheese puffs, with a neighbor), Otto Enoteca for a pizza--so many great places! I could people watch all day.
As for things to do:
Backstage tour of the Met Opera
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metope...tage_tour.aspx

Tour the collections of the NY Public Library (if you've never been inside, it's a treat)
http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/tourschedule.cfm

And, on a hot day, there is nothing better than travelling out to the Cloisters; take the A train to 190th, walk through Fort Tryon Park, and spend the afternoon walking through the Cloister museum.
http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_c...ns_cloisters_l