emsmom

I will be in NYC for one week with my 16 year old daughter. Neither of us has ever been to NY. She took AP Art History last year and really wants to see some museums. We also would like to visit Ellis Island (my grandfather came through there.)
We have heard that there is a Bastille Day Celebration on July 13 and want to see that.

Also the sights...
Carnegie Hall
NY Philharmonic concert in the park
Central Park
Times Square
Brooklyn Bridge
Rockefeller Center
Strand Bookstore

We are staying at the Excelsior on West 81st Street. Can someone help me to group our wishes by area? We love to walk, but I would like to see things in the same area on the same day!!!
Are we missing any must sees? Should we take a bus tour or walking tour or just do it on our own?
Thanks so much! We are very excited.

maryanntex

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/murakami/
I really enjoyed this exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. It closes July 13. You could take the subway to the Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are next to it, and worth seeing if you have some extra time) and then walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge. You'd need to take the subway to get closer to the bridge's entrance since the museum is quite a way from the bridge.

Also really, really good is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. You go on a guided tour to see it. There are a variety of tours--all good, I'm sure--check them out here: http://www.tenement.org/ Be sure to reserve tickets in advance, or be preppared to kill some time in that area in case you have to wait. It's not far from the Manhattan entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Also, for sure plan to see something on Broadway. You can search this forum for suggestions, or check out the reviews on www.nytimes.com.

nytraveler

Do not bother with a bus tour - they're a waste of time. You're much better off seeing what you actually want- on foot where possible - or using subway for longer distances. (You should each get a one-week Metrocard - good for both subways and regular city buses - both of which run about every 5 minutes - except late at night).

You hotel is in a great area - mid/upscale residential with tons of great inexpensive/moderate restaurants and a few minutes walk from Central Park and many of the great Museums (Museum of Natural Hist and NY Historical Society on the west side and on the east (walk across or take the 79th St crosstown bus) to see the Met - and up and downtown the Frick the Museum of the City of NY, the Whitney etc.

Times Square is fine for a quick look and to see a show -otherwise avoid it.

You will want to see

Top of the Rock (better than Empire State - timed tickets and no waiting)
Rockefeller Center/St Pat's
Staten Island ferry (free) for a view of the Statue of Liberty
Get advance tickets for the ferry to SOl and Ellis Island - or the lines are huge, don;t get off at SOL (you can;t see much anyway - but go on to Ellis Island Museum which is brilliant).

For show tickets go to broadwaybox.com now - and see which shows have discount tickets you can buy in advance - to avoid standing on lines while here.

Not aware of Bastille Day celebration - but there's so much going on there may well be. Go to the website of New York Magazine - and you can search several hundred special events by category and date.

The are you're in has some basic shopping - Filene's basement and branches of some mid and upscale stores. If you want trendy shopping or gallery hopping head downtown to SoHo, Chelsea, the Village and the East Village.

nytraveler

Oh- and about the Philharmonic in the Park - don;t know what night it is this year - but unless the weather is truly horrid you will get the best part of a million people there - so go early with a blanket and a picnic if you want to be within viewing distance.

Aduchamp1

Bastille Day is July 14. Les Halles on John Street has a celebrtation in front of the restaurant for example. Look at Time Out NY, they have extensive listings of free and pay events.

To avoid the chaos at the Met Museum there is less used entrance at ground level just to the left of the steps on Fifth Avenue.

The Met and MOMA will have the examplars your daughter is seeking.

mclaurie

Your hotel is directly across from the Mus. of Natural History and the Rose Center of Science. You might like to have a look since you're so close. They are open late on Fris.

You might want to consider taking a special tour of Ellis Island. We've heard this one is very good.
http://www.ellisislandtours.com/
If you don't do that, you should at least buy your ferry tickets online in advance to avoid that line. It's the same ferry as for the Statue of Liberty but you don't have to get off the boat at the Statue (first stop from the NYC side) if you don't want to.

I think the only way to see the inside of Carnegie hall is to attend a concert there or take a tour. http://www.carnegiehall.org/textSite...art_tours.html

While it would be easy for many of us to help you group things on your list together, it would be more useful for you to get a map (or use one from online like maps.google.com) and do it yourself so you get an idea of what's near what.

There is no way you can see everything in a week, but to I would say exploring some of the downtown neighborhoods (Greenwich Village, Soho, the lower east side) are often some of the most popular things for tourists. I don't agree the bus tours are a waste. I think it gives a good overview of what's where. onboardtours.com gives a 3 hr. city lights tour that's good. I also think it's fun to see the city from the water for a totally different perspective. The waterfalls are a new thing. nywatertaxi.com does one of the waterfall tours. I think they're most interesting at night when lit.
http://www.nywatertaxi.com/waterfalls/

NeoPatrick

While I have never done one in New York, I honestly feel that for someone like you and your daughter with her first trip to NYC, you can't beat an initial open air upper deck bus tour which will give an impressive overview of the city. Sure, you'll want to go back to some of those places, but the list of "must sees" are mostly covered at leisure without the complications of getting from point A to point B, and the views from the top of the bus are better than those you'll have from walking on the street. Meanwhile you'll see a lot more getting from one attraction to the next than you will in the subway or even riding a regular bus. You'll have also "seen" more in that hour and a half or two hours than you could possibly see trying to do it on your own.

abram

When I am travelling to a new city for several days, I get a map of the city, and mark everything I want to see on the map. That way, it often becomes obvious what things I want to see together.

Then I google each museum or sight and make sure I don't plan to go there on a day when they're closed, or don't miss some special event or price by going a day early or late.

j_999_9

a. You're pretty close to the Guggenheim, so you'll probably want to go there, especially if daughter is interested in art.
b. I can't remember what it's called, but there's a discount card for many NY attractions that might be worth your looking into. I think the card is $150, but it's a deal if you plan on visiting the sites covered by the card.
c. Familiarize yourself with the bus and subway system. Yes, I love walking, too, but you can save a lot of time (and cab fare) with a Metro card.

nyer

For the Philharmonic concert in the park, you couldn't be in a better location--just a block from the entrance to the park.

The Philharmonic concerts are definitely popular, but no way are there a million people (though if you've never been to a really big outdoor concert, it may seem like it! )
Seriously, they 'only' get something like 100,000. (only the big rock concerts like Paul Simon get a million)

If you're interested in the general experience rather than sitting upfront with the best views and perfect sound, you can even come 15 minutes in advance and hear fine from a park bench nearby, or just put down a picnic blanket.

Most people come an hour or 2 in advance, but it is for the elaborate picnicing (wine and candles included) that typifies these concerts. The music is secondary to many people, so there's lots of talking going on throughout the performances.

To group your other locations: Central park--covered

Carnegie Hall (57th 7th avenue) then Times Square (47th-42nd 7th avenue/ Broadway)

OR Carnegie Hall and Rockefeller Center (48-50th and 5th avenue)

Strand (12th and Broadway) is not really near other locations you mention, but close to Union Square and Greenwich Village).

Brooklyn Bridge-not near any other places on your list.

Both of the above , though, are only a couple of subway stops from midtown (Times Square or Rockefeller Center locations)

mp

If your daughter is onto history, beside the Ellis Island tour (which is great) and the Tenement Museum (double great) she might really like the NY Historical Society, which right now has 2 really good exhibits -Lafayette in America and Plague in Gotham - Cholera in NYC.
https://www.nyhistory.org

If she is into political history there is a new, fabulous collection of presidential campaign memorabilia at the Museum of the City of New York.
http://www.mcny.org/

nytraveler

Sorry - I just don;t get those outdoor bus rides. (I was suckered into one in London because it was part of a package and got off at the first stop.) I want to see inside things and enjoy them - not have someone wave and say Buckinghan Palance is to your left? Really? I never would have known!

It always amazes me when I see the tour buses in my neighborhood - since I can't imagine what they're looking at - unless it's me and my neighbors going to the dry cleaners or the drug store. But - there they all sit - on top of the bus - snapping away at god knows what. As for the view from the top - they stopped allowing buses on several residential streets in the Village since residents complained people were looking in their windows.

Unless walking is an issue for you I suggest you do that as much as posible - and go inside everything. If the distance is longer, take the subway. But avoid those ridiculous buses.

emsmom

Thank you to everyone for the responses. I got some great ideas. I got a NYC street map from AAA and bought a Streetwise map. I am using tour guide books from the library and marking the AAA map to combine sights into different days.
We love to walk and I think the subway and our feet will do the trick for us. We leave in 2 days and can't wait!!! My daughter just got an AP Art History score of 5 and I will have her as my museum tour guide. Thanks again to all...

mp

Sorry- my bad I didn't read that she was an ART history major - if so she may very well want to see the Frick's special installation of their 3 Vermeers - incredible to see them together. Here's the site:

http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/vermeer/index.htm