New York City first-timer requests itinerary advice.
 

Hi travel buddies! I am soon on my way to NYC for the first time, traveling with my husband. We live in Oregon and are going to Boston for a few days and then on to NYC. So excited! I would love any suggestions and advice you may have on my itinerary as follows:
May 3rd, Fri: Arrive in NYC by Acela train (2:45), check in Hotel Iroquois, Manhatten, Book of Mormon show @ 8:00. View Times Square.
May 4th, Sat: Sept. 11 Memorial, Tribute Center, 120 Liberty St., then Central Park, Tavern on the Green for lunch?
May 5th, Sun: Frick Collection Museum , Tour Rockefeller Center , Top of the Rock.
May 6th , Mon: Walk across Brooklyn Bridge, ride Staten Island Ferry
May 7th, Tues: Real NY Tours, Big Apple Tour (6 hr. walking tour).
May 8th, Wed: Open Day, Jersey Boys show at 7:00 pm
May 9th, Thur: The Cloisters Museum (9:30 am – 5:15pm), Tryon Park
May 10th , Fri: The MET art museum (closed Mon.,9:30am to 9:00pm), NYC Ballet
May 11th, Sat: Catch flight home from JFK Airport, leave in evening.
Does this seem reasonable? Any other suggestions of things to see/do? We are so disappointed not to go to Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty but it is going to be closed for a while yet according the website! Thank you all so much in advance for any input!
Happy Travels!!!

On May 4th Saturday - Tavern on the Green is closed . Rather than rushing uptown to visit Central Park I would consider the Tribeca Open Artists Studio tour AKA TOAST
toastartwalk.com

Having just returned from a tour guide's tour of the Brooklyn Museum (note there is an interesting replica of the SOL in the parking lot of the Brooklyn Museum ) and a stroll with friends in the Botanic Gardens next door, I would suggest that for Wednesday.

On Thursday I would consider doing both the Cloisters and the Met since your admission to 1 will get you in to the other on the same day (A train to Cloisters in morning and use the M4 to get back to the met or better yet do them both on Friday because the Met is open late. Instead of SOL and Ellis consider the African Burial Ground, the Tenement Museum and the Museum of the American Indian.

Have a great time whatever you do.

thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc

I disagree with some of SueNYC's comments.

"Rather than rushing uptown to visit Central Park I would consider the Tribeca Open Artists Studio tour AKA TOAST
toastartwalk.com"

TOAST may be interesting to some, but how does it substitute for Central Park? And with a whole day, what's the big deal about "rushing uptown" to get from Lower Manhtattan to Central Park? It's a 15-20 minutes subway ride.


"Consider doing both the Cloisters and the Met since your admission to 1 will get you in to the other on the same day "

It's unnecessary to do these on the same day just to save money. You can pay what you wish to both, so if you're trying to save, just decide what you want to spend and divide it in half.

BTW, Tavern on the Green is permanently closed. It may read as if it's only closed on Sat Mat 4th.

There are many restaurants near CP and the Boathouse in the park, if you're interested. Tell us more about your likes and interests and budget. The actual dollar amount helps most, not just staying "moderately priced"

If you want to dine in Central Park check out The Boathouse. And, that's a great program
at NYCB.... do you have tickets already?

Wow, quick reply, thank you SueNYC! :0) I will definitely check out the tour and other suggestions. It is so hard to choose what to do in NYC, so many options! I was separating The Cloisters and MET as I Love art and was worried I would be too rushed to do them both in one day. Will re-think this, that would also give me more time for including one of the other options; the African Burial Ground sounds pretty interesting. I just discovered this site and it is such an awesome resource, thanks again for your help!

Group Staten Is ferry with 9/11 Memorial as they are near each other.

Well, I guess I need to wait a while before responding, so happy to get all your input! My son is in NYC on business and has one day to spend with us (Sat.) before flying home. He wanted to see the Memorial and Central Park that day. Glad to know it is do-able. I will most definitely check out the Boathouse, sounds great. Do you need reservations at most restaurants in NYC? Yes, we have tickets to the two plays and the ballet - boy were they spendy, but I'm sure it'll be worth it! Been saving a while for that. :0) Thanks again for the advice, really appreciated!

Nothing wrong with Central Park on Saturday and on Sunday and Monday -- toast is there all 3 days but you will be in the neighborhood on Saturday

The Cloisters and Met could take 2 days -- but I would add the Hispanic Society, the Alexander Hamilton House and the Museum of the City of NY to your Cloisters day.

I hope it's OK to ask one other question on here, not sure if that should be a different thread or not. Any recommendations for vegetarian restaurants? I am guessing that in a big city like NYC there will be many vegetarian options on the menus. Also, if anyone recommends early dinner places in the theater district that would be great. I am busily reading all the trip reports and perusing other's questions for information as well. Can't get anything done once I get on here and start reading, so much good info! Thank you, thank you fellow travelers!!! :0)

I love museums and have the benefit of living in NYC so my time is not that valuable, but Cloister, Met, Hispanic, A. Hamilton house, and Museum of CNY in one day. Wow! I cannot believe anyone could do all that and not collapse...I am exhausted just reading it.

I love the Cloisters but it is a tiny fraction of the Met. You probably could see what interests you in a morning. When you go to the Met check out the free guided tours. We enjoyed ours and it helped us navigate through the museum and make sense of the experience.

Elainee -- that's if she's going to split it into 2 days -- I confess I know one of the owners but E&E Grillhouse is right across from Book of Mormon and the food is great, the place is a nice find in the theatre district and they can and do do vegetarian (I know the vegetarian owner) -- also like Tolouche on 50th st

Vegetarian: Blossom, 187 9th Ave, between 21st and 22nd Streets, West Chelsea.
I have found most restaurants are able to accommodate a vegetarian or have large salads on their menus.

You should make reservations for dinner at all but the most casual places if you want to eat at a particular time. Of course, there are some restaurants you simply can't get into without one a month in advance. For lunch, you only need reservations at top spots.

SueNYC already mentioned the Tenement Museum, but I really want to emphasize it--it's fascinating and I recommend it at every opportunity. It would be great on Wednesday which is your "open" day. You could also see Chinatown and Little Italy that day--DD and I did that on our trip last May and it made for a very full but interesting day.

www.tenement.org

Another suggestion is a food tour; we did their original tour, Greenwich Village, and really enjoyed it; I look forward to trying some of their other tours on future trips.

http://www.foodsofny.com/

Have fun!

<<<SueNYC already mentioned the Tenement Museum, but I really want to emphasize it--it's fascinating and I recommend it at every opportunity.>>>

I could not agree more!

Hi everyone, Great help and advice! I have noted the restaurants and will try them out. Loved the info on reservations also, thank you! Sounds like the Tenement Museum needs to go on the list as well. I do want to find some time to go shopping as I have been told NYC is the shopping capital of the US! :0) I think we will see Chinatown and Little Italy on our walking tour on Tuesday. I can already tell I will need to return to see even a fraction of things to do in this great city! I always try to leave some open time in case we don't make it to certain places due to timing, weather, etc. or just really want to return to a place we've seen. Thanks again!

You didn't mention walking the High Line Trail -- it is fabulous. http://www.thehighline.org/ It starts at W 30th and 10th St, and goes down to Gansevoor St in the delightful West Village. Get off there, have a piece of fabulous NYC pizza at Joe's Pizza and a cupcake at Molly's and stroll around the west village.

A nice place for lunch near Central Park is Rue 57. Don't know what they have that's vegetarian, but I'm sure their menu is online.

May 4th, Sat: Sept. 11 Memorial, Tribute Center, 120 Liberty St., then Central Park, Tavern on the Green for lunch?
===

TotG is temporarily closed. It will re-open after renovations. BTW, say it wasnt, would you really expect to get in with all the celebs, and Regis, and you being from Oregon?! I mean no one from Oregon ever gets into anywhere.

Try Sardi's or Patsy's, if you get bounced there is a 99c pizza place, and White Castle nearby.

Some of the most popular restaurants will let you in if you get there Early. We ate at Babbo last month without a reservation at 6:30 on a Saturday night. I wouldn't recommend this approach if you have your heart set on a specific restaurant, but it's a possibility at times. Just don't expect the best table in the house!

Do you know about www.menupages.com? This website organizes restaurants by city, cuisine, meal, location, price. It's a great resource for finding restaurants and you can cross reference reviews with yelp.com for a pretty good overview.

i was going to suggest the Highline also but see that wliwl has already mentioned it. DH, DD and I loved this walk, it will be fantastic if it is a nice day.

I always enjoy the Hudson River Park walk.

Agree that the Highline is quite cool and so unique!

Sardi's is a lot of fun and you should be able to get reservations early in the evening.

Thanks again everyone, the Highline looks really great! Hope we can fit that in also! @POMAH, very funny! :0) Will check out Sardi's as well as the menupages website. Great advice! I have heard that the east coast is much dressier and more formal than out here in the west; curious to see if that is true. We were also thinking of taking a tour of Rockefeller Center, anyone done that and how was it? Have a great weekend fellow travelers! :0)

Everyone wears black in NYC to hide the dirt. ; ) Hardly anyone dresses up anymore but we do when we're out on a 'big' Saturday night, which means black trousers and jacket or suit for him/simple LBD for me. Otherwise it's our 'good' jeans and collared shirt and sports jacket for my husband.

It's ok to miss Sardi's; its time has come and gone.

Just some randon ideas:

I was in the city the other day to see ONCE, (discounted at Times Square TKTS, wonderful, fantastic music and voices.) Had an enjoyable lunch sitting outside at tables on street there. A small casual vegetarian place on 8th and 43rd or 44th serving hummus, falafel etc looked good, i alreay had lunch but a departing patron told me the food was pretty good.

Free tours of Grand Central station.
Check out this site for free tours also:
http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-york-tours/
Another vote for Tenement Museum.
MUST walk Central Park, Shakespeare's Garden my favorite area.

Sardi's is a dinosaur - hasn't been popular since the early 60s. Not sure of your age group - sorry haven;t read the whole thread - but also you are too - find someplace a LOT trendier.

One major difference I noticed is that many people on the west coast wear shorts all the time. Naturally people in NYC do too - but for actually doing something in the park (biking, tennis) or just running around the neighborhood doing errands. To go to the theater or out to dinner - most men wear big boy clothes (long pants and a shirt with a collar) and women something nicer than jeans and giant white clown sneakers. Not dress up - but at least business casual. And yes, people wear a lot of black. Not to avoid dirt - but because is is generally flattering, stylish and a little more sophisticated. Bright pastels are NOT popular. But wear whatever colors you choose - I would never get new clothes for a trip unless some special event was involved.

Sardi's is not old fashioned. It's packed every time I pass by.
Check out Pier17/Fulton st. The fancy street restaurants might still be closed, but not inside.

Sardi's is packed with other tourists, it's true.

Black. Is. Black. And very practical...

Ooh, fun! You'll have no problem getting vegetarian food at pretty much any restaurant, but if you're in the East Village/Lower East Side (say, for the Tenement Museum), try to get a reservation at Dirt Candy. It's teeny tiny but spectacular.

Thanks again, I have copied all the suggestions to my notes for the trip. KRNS, I loved the free tours by foot site, going to try and take one or two of those! Also, EmilyPost, loved the menupages site, had not found that one before. As for the dress code, interesting to read your thoughts on here. The only place I am a bit concerned about is the ballet. Hopefully dressy black slacks and fancy top/jacket will work. My age group is active 50ish - the new middle age you know! :0)Will have to do a trip report when I get back, love reading those on here and want to pay it forward. :0)

As someone who's been attending NYCB for over 40 years do not worry about what to wear!
Anything goes there. I used to try to dissuade my husband from wearing a tie. So then, he
would look around the theatre and count ties. There were some but not many.

Dressy black slacks and your fancy top will work just fine at NYCB.

Um - why is 50s the new middle age. Wasn't it always middle age - from 50 to 70 or so?

IMHO seniors is form 70 to about 85 and older than that is elders.

Black pants and a nice top is fine for practically anything in NYC _ except possibly the best seats on the opening night of the opera - or a society event/benefit that requires formal wear.

My DH is a law firm partner and on a couple of committees - so we have to do 6 or 7 black tie events a year - but I still don't go the ball gown route - think it makes most women look like a faux Marie Antoinette. I stick to less foofy evening wear. And yes, it's almost always black. And I have a black velvet evening cape that is an antique - that I wear whenever it's cold weather. (I won't wear furs - and IMHO anything else with evening wear is too tacky - even if temps are in the 20's.)

What do you plan to do for all that time in Central Park? I would cut back on time there and add on for other sites.

The Morgan Library and Museum is lovely:
http://www.themorgan.org

Welcome, DoxyLover77! I like your itinerary and think the suggestions are sensible. Subway will get you north and south pretty quickly. Bus or cab will give you more view!

Sardi's may be old hat, but my husband and I made reservations for after a show and enjoyed it immensely. Don't know about their vegetarian fare, but Ellen's Starlight Diner (51st and Broadway) was great fun with singing wait staff. We were/are easily amused so do suit yourselves first!

We stayed a week but had to return twice to work down the list of things we really wanted to visit and still haven't seen them all.

Have a great time and please do a trip report.

Again, you'll have missed nothing if you miss a meal at Sardi's.

I love a LBD for almost everything at night in NYC.

Another fan here of the food tours mentioned by musicfan. We loved the Greenwich Village food tour and went on the Chelsea/Meatpacking District tour the next time we went back. This included a walk on the High Line.

Bought tickets for the Top of the Rock well in advance.

I thought that the two + hours spent at the MOMA was time truly well spent - loved it!!!

You may be interested in the Metropolitan Museum's current exhibit "Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity". I was at the Art Institute (in Chicago) recently and was disappointed to find out that Caillebotte's "Rainy Day" was not in it's usual spot - but you'll find it at the Met's Impressionism exhibit.

Two other places to check out if you have time: Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library.

And yes, wear black :-) and have fun!!!

there's really no need to buy TOTR tix in advance. We take everyone who comes to visit us up to the top and just buy tickets when we want to go. There's really no wait at all to get to the top, unlike the ESB lines that sometimes snake around forever.