The Sheraton Times Square is on 7th Avenue and 52nd Street..right on a subway line and walking distance to theaters and other places. Its been renovated from what I read, but ask for a room on a high floor, to avoid hearing street noise. Also, as in most NYC hotels the rooms will be small. Be as you will not spend a lot of time in the room that is ok. I would expect that each of the grandmothers will have 2 grandchildren with them in the room. its manageable.

November in NYC can be cold. or at least colder than what you are used to. so come prepared.

the Majestic Deli at 50th and 7th is pretty decent. I often have eggs here for lunch before a matinee on a Sunday.
it has sandwiches too. locals and tourists eat here and there is seating upstairs and downstairs.

Magnolia Bakery .. cupcakes of course..right near Radio City

Top of the Rock.. you can go in the later part of the day and see the lights come on all over the city. and there is a concourse level in the building with a variety of places to eat, and open seating too. and there is a ladies room that is generally clean and its safe to use.

look for discount tickets to Radio City Christmas show.. try broadwaybox.com or playbill.com for discount info. also for show info for a broadway play..

Uniqlo is on 5th and 53st. it has clothing and accessories at pretty reasonable prices and is fashionable.. take a look at the website and see if it appeals to the girls.


public transit .. subway and buses are easy to take and may be better than a taxi for 6 people, and a whole lot faster

maxima and mclaurie - many thanks. Have booked Wicked and the Rockettes through playbill.com and all set. Have noted all shops, restaurants and sights.

mclaurie - you are so right about the girls not being as interested in Museum of Natural History. We will do the others.

I've looked at reviews for Carmel and Dial7 car services and they are pretty dismal. Anyone have others to recommend?

Thanks to all....you make this so much easier!

If you are going to a matinee of Wicked, I would suggest Ellen's Stardust Diner for lunch. http://www.ellensstardustdiner.com/ Strictly American food; it's nothing fancy but it's filling and not expensive. The best part, though, is their "theme", which is Broadway singers, and all of the wait staff are hoping to "make it big" in the theater and they all sing during your meal. It's like a kid-friendly cabaret of only Broadway show songs. With a shiny disco ball spinning from the ceiling. It's quite loud, so be prepared. And it is 2 blocks from the Wicked theater.

I took my soon-to-be 12-year-old niece there before we saw Wicked in September and she even said, "this is cool" which I assume to be the greatest complement from a preteen. ...

We LOVED the Beacon Hotel. Five women, shared a 2 bdrm/2 bath suite, with kitchen, eating area and living room. It is rather newly renovated and is very nice. In June a couple of years ago, it was just $550, but I'm sure it's much more now, especially near Thanksgiving.

You need to call the Beacon, to reserve the 2 bdrm/2bath.

Forgot to say: The Beacon room where we stayed had one large King bedroom, one large bedroom with two double beds, and a queen sofa sleeper in the living area. Worked great for 5 women, so long as two don't mind sharing a king bed. Both bathrooms were marble and very nice. One larger than the other. Both with shower/tubs.

Beacon is available on those dates at $331 plus taxes for a one-bedroom unit which has two double beds plus a sofa bed in the living room section. I'd book it while you continue to look around as it is cancellable/changeable. www.beaconhotel.com

You'll love everything about the neighborhood and the express subway is a quick walk down broadway, just remember to budget in your subway fares for five persons.

We got the Sheraton a few years ago using Priceline when it was being renovated. Huge business class hotel in good location with large rooms by NYC standards. All rooms must be renovated by now; we got a higher floor renovated room with nice view.

The past several visits we’ve (wife and I) been staying at the Comfort Inn on W 44th. Rooms are small, but very clean and includes nice continental breakfast. Great location steps from many restaurants on 9th and 10th Avenues, Times Square, and Theatre district. We eat at Marseille at the corner of 44th and 9th each visit, good food, service, and reasonable. For the dates you are in town they have two double bed rooms for $212.00 (advance purchase). http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-new_york-new_york-NY464

MOMA (museum of modern art) will have an exhibit of Matisse cutouts, you will need timed tickets for that.

Metropolitan Museum of Art is open 7 days a week. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free. There are suggested admission prices for children over 12 and for seniors and adults. However, please be aware that it is suggested and while you must pay something, the amount is up to you. If you go be selective as the collections are vast and world class. Check the website to see the permanent collections and special exhibits.

ice skating in the Wollman Rink in Central Park starts in November. skates can be rented and the rink is larger and a lot less expensive than the one at Rockefeller Center.

The Central Park Conservancy runs tours in the park. Many are free,

The Tenement Museum is great for adults and kids. There are a variety of tours to choose from. you can get tickets online for that or at the museum. the website lets you see how many tickets are available for each tour.

Thanks so much for all of the advice. You have helped me immensely. Am researching all of your suggestions.

We use Dial7 all the time without a problem. Another car service I use is Allstate.

Are you flying into JFK or LaGuardia? The line for taxis at JFK can be long…. with 6 people
you'll need two cabs. I've always been pleased with service from Dial 7. Perhaps you could check with them to see if they have a vehicle that could accommodate all 6 of you at once.
Might be cheaper than two taxis.

I'm not certain but the Xmas tree may be up at the Met Museum by the time of your visit.

Hi Grandma - we are flying into JFK. Actually, we were hoping to hire a small limo to take us to the hotel. The grands would just love that..

We will certainly go to the Met and if the tree is up that will be a bonus....Thanks

http://www.reservationcounter.com/hotel/new-york/

This is also a place where you can try your luck to find a nice hotel in the Big Apple but the problem is that the hotels in NYC are sooooo much expensive. Try to search something outside Manhattan as it is the most expensive.

As for the sightseeing I would recommend you find a tour around the city. There pretty good family tours out there so I recommend that a lot.

For the limousine service try http://nyclimousine.com/
They have a lot of choice at good prices

For hotels call the Beacon and the various Affinia - they all have suites with various configurations and are located centrally enough for it to be easy to get anywhere. All are well-regarded and moderately priced. But it is important to call since not everything is on the web sites.

If you want a real limo (for 6 people you can;t use a regular sedan) be sure to specify that or you are likely to get a large SUV. And expect to pay a premium price for a real limo.

I reco highly that you do NOT do a bus tour. This time of year you will find yourself spending a LOT of time sitting in traffic at a very high price. Much better to just go see what you want - using feet for shorter distances - NYC is a walking city - and subway for longer ones.