Making most of one full day in NYC
 

I arrive in two weeks at 7am for one full weekday and night at the Waldorf and have all day free to explore. I must leave the next morning. Any suggestions for a good itinerary? The Yankees are out of town and tickets for Hairspray seem sold out. Theatre is not an absolute. A great dinner is a must - something fun and ethnic, even outdoors maybe? Or with good strolling after? I'm from LA where there is plenty of shopping so FAO/Macy's etc aren't on the list.

I have never spent time in NYC except at the airport.

Thanks.

Walk.

From the Waldorf, west to Fifth Avenue, up Fifth to the Plaza, east to Madison Avnue, north on Madison for at least 20 blocks, east again to Central Park, south through the park while staying close to Fifth Avenue, back to the Plaza.

West over to Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Broadway.

South on Broadway to Times Square, and keep gpoing down to Soho, Greenwich Village, Chelsea.

Cab to South Street Seaport, boat cruise to see the lower Manhatten harbor, statue of liberty, Ellis Island, back to South Street Seaport.

"Ethnic" is a fairly broad term, as far a food is concerned. Bosnia? Chinese? Portugese?

If it was me, I'd head back to the hotel and have a steak at Smith & Wollensky's, right behind the Waldorf.

BAK

If you're thinking of seeing a Broadway show, sign up at Playbill, Theatermania, Broadwaybox, etc. for nearly the same discounts you'll find at TKTS once you arrive. To me, it's better to secure the best seats at the best prices, on your particular date/times, and not waste precious time in the TKTS line...

Then, Hop on the Grayline "Downtown" loop. Ride the entire route, hopping off at anyplace appealing. SoHo or the Village, for example, for exploring, and/or lunch.

The opportunities for a "great dinner" are infinite, with regard to "fun" and "ethnic", so you'll have to be more specific.

Actually, if "stolling about" is a priority, best bet is the Promenade in/on Brooklyn, where there are also any number of "great dinner" possibilities nearby.

Renee
Circle Line Cruise...great views of the city !!!!

Take a Grayline Double Decker bus tour of the City. It's a hop on hop off tour and is a great way to get an overview of the City. I also would recommend taking the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island tour. I would not recommend getting of thwe boat at the Statue as is has been closed since 9/11. Do spend some time on Ellis Island, its a fascinating place.

http://graylinenewyork.com/

I agree about the Grayline - it's a great way to see the city in record time. And you'll love wandering around downtown - the Village, Soho, Nolita, Chinatown. That (to me) is the heart of New York.

As for dinner, there's so much. If you want to sit outside and be someplace "fun" try Da Silvano (Italian) on 6th Ave. and Bleecker in the Village. It's a great spot for solo dining, very lively, amazing people watching. More good food and good vibes (for lunch?) can be had at either Pearl or Mary's Fish Camp, both in the Village. They are both oyster/lobster roll kind of places. Low key but excellent. Then you can stroll over to Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker and get a cupcake.

Following up on the Brooklyn idea, you could always stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge (one of my favorite NYC things) in the early evening and grab a drink at the River Cafe around sunset. The views are AMAZING. Then head back over the bridge for dinner in Chinatown.

For just one day I would skip a play. Take the Greyline tour and hit one museum. I would suggest the Frick because it can easily be done in under two hours.