kellbell

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to my trip planning thus far. . . I would love your input on what I've come up with for my sister, mom, gram, and me. I know my Monday schedule is ambitious. . . but hopefully it is doable.

Can't wait to hear your comments and suggestions!

Sunday
Land at LaGuardia at 10:30 am (weather permitting!!)
Wait for Detroit crew to arrive, get bags, grab cab to Ameritania hotel
Arrive to hotel around 11:30 and hope room is ready or store bags
Walk from hotel to brunch at Eatery on 9th at 12:30 pm
3 pm Mary Poppins at New Amsterdam Theatre
6 pm Holiday Light Tour (pick up tickets at Grayline Tour booth; decide which store windows we want to go back and visit in person on Monday and Tuesday am/pm)

8pm Dinner at either Tia Pol (205 10th Ave between 22nd and 23rd in Chelsea; no reservations; open 6-10:30) or Jules Bistro (65 Saint Marks Place between 1st and 2nd in the East Village; 212-477-5560; cash only) or Frank (88 2nd Ave between 5th and 6th in East Village; no reservations, cash only)

Walk around either Chelsea or East Village. . . is this something we should do or should we just head back to our hotel and maybe look around Times Square? Thoughts?

Monday
7 am Rise and Shine
Grab coffee/tea/food at Dean and DeLuca near Rockefeller Center
Get tix for Top of the Rock (if the weather is good)
If there is a wait, go hang with Today Show crowd or check out Saks window
Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Visit the MoMA (waiting to see if this is a group priority. I'd like to go!)
Head to Grand Central Station and then walk 8 blocks south down 5th Ave. to East 34th street to the Empire State Building (just from street level since we plan to do Top of the Rock) (should we go to Union Square Christmas Market from here??)

Head to Battery Park to see Statue of Liberty and then to WTC/Ground Zero (convince group to hit Century 21)

1/2 pm Lunch options: Balthazar in SoHo or Blue Ribbon Bakery in West Village

Shopping/Wandering in Greenwich Village/SoHo/West Village (I have a list of stores I'd like to see, including Humble Construction, Purl fabric shop, H&M, Laila Rowe)

Bookstore/Café/Bar in near Union Square for a break or an afternoon cocktail?

Union Square Christmas Market (or, if we went in early afternoon, things to see do as we head north back toward hotel -- maybe Chrysler Bldg, UN, Bryant Park)

5:30 -6:30 Head back to hotel for a breather

7:00 dinner (TBD. . . ViceVersa at 325 W 51st Street between 8th and 9th Ave at 212-399-9291 or one of the places we didn’t go to on Sunday night)
9:15 Birdland for Jim Caruso’s Cast Party

Tuesday
Breakfast/tea at Bouchon Bakery near Columbus Circle
Central Park walk starting at Dakota/Strawberry Fields (see Wollman Rink and other sites heading East)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (opens at 9:30 am)

Lunch (Upper East Side: Alice’s Tea Cup (west 71st); Sarabeth’s)

Back to hotel by 1:30 to pack
Leave for LaGuardia by 2:15
Flights leave around 4 pm

Margo_Chester

Just a tip re: Dean & Deluca, if you look inside and it's really packed, don't automatically give up, there is a staircase near the back left corner leading to additional seating upstairs.

lizziea06

Alice's Tea Cup is on the UWS, not sure if that was a typo. All your restaurant ideas look great!

wliwl

It seems like you are cutting it close to get to LaGuardia at the end there. Maybe someone else will comment on that...

Monday morning seems really packed...How can you do both MoMA and Statue of Liberty before lunch?

Have a great trip!

HowardR

You're right about your Monday schedule. It's not just ambitious, it's ridiculous! You'll be lucky if you accomplish half of that!

vivi

There is a discount combo ticket for TOTR and MOMA being offered, so if you plan to see both then get this offer (20% off??) available at either box office.

As I just said in a previous post, I was at the TOTR twice this week and there were zero lines, in fact I rode the elevator alone yesterday!

I would skip the Statue of Liberty if I were you, tho it sounds like you may just be planning to view it from afar which is what I would do (I like Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the walk across the bridge...)

Yesterday I sat in Dean and Deluca to watch the Today Show fanfare, I had no trouble getting a seat.

I saw all the holiday windows and thought Macy's was by the best by far!

nytraveler

Overall your schedule is jam packed.

Monday is not possible - you will have to choose either MoMA or Statue of Liberty.

Other days if there is any delay (for instance in plane landing on Sunday) your entire schedule will be off. I would be prepared with alternates if you end up
getting to the city an hour or two later than planned.

And on the day you leave - for a 4 pm flight at LGA I would leave the hotel no later than 1pm. Traffic is VERY busy this time of year and it can easily take more than an hour to the airport. With your timing you will likely be on the security line when your plane takes off.

isabel

I couldn't decide if I should even reply to this - I don't like to be negative. At first I thought your schedule was a joke. So - assuming you are serious - please rethink things. There is just no way you can do what you have planned. And you will be miserable if you try. Cut it about in half and you should be OK. It's just not at all realistic. And by the way, I am known by my family and friends as a bit of a travel tyrant - I regularly walk more than 10 miles a day when I visit any major city and in most people's opinions I do too much. So this advice is not coming from someone who likes to take it slow. Really, you cann't do what you are suggesting. Sorry.

seetheworld

Kellbell, Mary Poppins runs 2 hours and 50 minutes, assuming it starts on time (yes theater can begin a few minutes later). Will you have enough time to get the tickets and board your Holiday Light Tour?

seetheworld

Since you plan on going back to the hotel at 1:30 p.m. to pack, be sure you have already requested (and have been granted) a late check-out.

Remember, the City is PACKED this time of year. Saying it is difficult to make your way through the crowds in an understatement. Be ready to cut something out to avoid disappointment.

vivi

I do agree with the people who are telling you that your itinerary is too ambitious. If you were traveling alone and have a lot of endurance then I'd say it's possible. But for a group of four ladies (including a grandma!) I'd say this is waaaaaay too much to comfortably accomplish. people are going to get crabby real fast, LOL.

kellbell

I knew that I was going to get blasted for Monday. . . Here's the issue -- my mom has never been to NYC before, so we are trying to get as much as possible packed into the day. I am fine with skipping the MoMA, but I felt obligated to put it in there for my gram.

Sunday revolves around seeing MP at 3 pm. We have tickets and I'm PRAYING to the weather gods and all other deities that we don't have any travel delays.

I think everyone who has posted thus far doesn't have any major issues with Sunday, so I'll leave that as-is. Although, we are prepared to ditch the holiday light tour. Maybe we throw that off the agenda and move something up in its place from Monday. For example, we just go have dinner and then wander over to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, see the Saks window and other windows in the vicinity on our own. Maybe in the cab on the way home from dinner we ask to go by the ESB so my mom can "check it off her list"?

Is Monday more doable if we do the following:
Dean and DeLuca
Top of the Rock
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Battery Park to view the Statue of Liberty from afar (we aren't planning to take the ferry -- just to gaze upon her and move on)
Ground Zero/WTC

Isn't that all doable from 8 am - 1 pm?

Lunch/shopping in Greenwich Village/SoHo/West Village. Head back to hotel, change for dinner and Cast Party.

Tuesday I'm really just thinking we would get up, grab coffee/tea, head over to Central Park to meander through a portion of it (weather permitting) and grab lunch.

I didn't realize Alice's Tea Cup is UWS and not UES. . . thanks for the clarification.

And thanks for the words of wisdom about leaving for LaGuardia by 1.

We really just want to make sure my mom sees the major sights while we are here. . . . everyone else has been and we intend to be back. Obviously our itinerary will change based on time, weather, crowds, and exhaustion.

Do you think a jaunt through Central Park on Tuesday am makes sense, or would folks choose something else as a priority to show my mom before we head back? I personally love Central Park and a trip to NYC just wouldn't feel the same without going there.

I know we are going to need the holidays to recouperate from this whirlwind visit!

Thanks for your input. . . . more thoughts and insights would be welcomed!

-Kellie

MikeT

The other thing that can go is Battery Park. You are going from St. Pats to Battery Park, which is a bit of distance by either Subway or taxi. I'd skip it if you are commited to the other stuff.

isabel

Yes I think your revised schedule is more realistic. I see you no longer have Century 21 for Monday, that's a good thing. It's just a big store (think giant Marshalls or TJMaxx) and not worth the crowds. I would never go there with 3 other people, even if it weren't the week before Chirstmas. I can see why your mom wants to at least look at the Statue of Liberty so I would leave Battery Park in. I think you can probably do all you now have on your list by 1pm.

I also agree you should keep Central Park in. The things that take time are things like museums so if you leave those out you can cover a lot of ground. The other things are sit down lunches. How are you with grabbing a hot dog (or sandwich) and eating on the go? In this weather that's a lot harder to do than in nice weather when you can sit on a bench. And you will want a mid-day break. But I suggest you find someplace not crowded and don't worry about how good the food is. Think of it as just fuel to keep you going. If you want a good memorable meal it is going to take you a long time because really decent sit down places will have a wait. Gray's Papaya Hot dogs has the best hot dogs in NY but they don't have any place to sit. There's one in the Village, one on 72nd on the UWS and at least one more (google it for addresses). Much better than the guys on the carts on the corners.

kellbell

Thanks, Isabel. Museums might not be in the cards for us this go round. . . however, if the weather is icky, we might forgo the Central Park walk and choose to visit a museum instead!

I agree on the lunches. . . my mom and gram are the types to eat one big meal a day and that's it. I could see us skipping lunch on Monday and even just going to Rice to Riches or something like that and waiting to eat dinner.

Points all well taken. And if Century 21 is just a large TJMaxx, we can definitely skip that. Not worth the time when there is so much more to do!

I'm sure when I post my trip report, it will read nothing like my proposed itinerary!

KatPen

I am just curious as to why this post (and others) appear on the US forum and not when you select "New York"? Perhaps veteran Fodorites can enlighten me...

sgny

Kellbell- take a deep breath, now breathe out. Repeat three times. Relax. You have such limited time and such an ambitious itinerary you are putting undo stress on yourself.


Focus on strolling through different areas and enjoying as a whole as opposed to having to be at a particular attraction at a certain time. You really only have two days and you could have the time of your life just walking around without ever setting foot into a museum or any particular building.

You are coming to NYC at Christmas time. It really doesn't get any better than that. Keep in mind you have grandma. I think you might be overlooking that a bit.

I don't want to offer to much information because your head might explode but how about a carriage ride through Central Park. The temps here have been pretty good and this would be a great way to see the park with grandma. Plus it's just a great thing in general. Enjoy and relax. NYC and Christmas....... Wow!!!

MikeT

I agree with SGNY. Your trip sound more like a death march than a vacation. The best memories don't come from people looking at the watches thinking "We can't stay here any longer because we have a schedule to keep" but instead from unexpected things you discover, long meals of chatting, just strolling around.

The idea is to be together, to be in the city, and to have fun. Don't worry about seeing everything, even if it is someone's first time. First timers love the experience of NYC and don't want to feel that they have to rush from place to place.

Like packing, once you've picked everything you think you need, it's time to toss out a third of it.

PamSF

I suggest The Red Cat in Chelsea for dinner(and suggest reservations as well). They have a website. We really liked this place on our trip to NYC.

You might consider the 72nd Street traverse as a good way to walk across the park(5th to Central Park West). Stop by the beautiful Bethesda Fountain and gaze.

I recommend a hire car pre-booked for your trip back to the airport. Try Carmel.

NeoPatrick

KatPen, when anyone goes to the US forum, all posts they make will appear in that general forum. There is no such thing as a separate forum for each state. If the person doing the original post, clicked New York when he posted, then if someone is searching strictly for New York and clicks on the search for New York, then yes that post should appear in that specific list as well as in the full list of US topics. But most people come here and simply browse through all the US topics.
Since kellbell's original post does not come up when you click New York, I suspect she did not click New York when she posted the topic.