kcourtney

My husband and I are taking our teenage sons (16 and 18) to New York on March 26-31. We have been several times, but it will be their first trip. For a hotel we have chosen the Helmsley Middletowne. Plan on doing MOMA, the Met, Circle Line tour, maybe Ellis Island and Ground Zero, plus lots of just walking around in the Village, Soho, Little Italy,the West Side, etc. We plan to attend Easter sevices at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
I need a suggestion for a place for brunch or lunch on Easter Sunday , and ideas on what plays they might enjoy. Also, some reasonable restaurants (they have HUGE appetites), local delis, the best pozza, etc.
Also, any ideas on other things two teenage boys (fairly conservative types) might enjoy. Possible visits to other boroughs -- what about Rucker Park?

wliwl

My main suggestion is to buy a Zagat guide to restaurants. (You can buy them on Amazon or at their web site or at a book store.) Make reservations ahead for a few nights (especially Easter!) and then you can easily wing it the rest of the time if you bring the guide with you. You won't have a bad meal if you follow its suggestions!

By the way, the last time I stayed at a Helmsley it was really bad. I used to stay at the Middletown years ago, and it was pretty sad then. I don't know if it's been upgraded since. At the NY Helmsley I suspect they have some decent rooms and some really bad rooms. Last time I was there I got two really bad rooms and complained when I got home and they refunded me for my entire stay!

My teenage boys love Broadway shows. I say add one if you can afford it. There is a walking/eating tour of Greenwich Village we are going to go on next time we're in NYC. I know they'd like that too.

QC

Rucker Park is on 155th Street and 8th Avenue, that's still in Manhattan. If there is a scheduled event, that might be an interesting afternoon.

It's a public playground, but there may be a scheduled event. I would google "Rucker Park" to check. Not a lot of visitor amenities in that neighborhood, but if you go west to Broadway there are several museums (including the hispanic Society of America) and plenty of cheap restaurants. Selection will be mostly Dominican, with some Mexican places. It may be a little too adventurous for your kids, this is not tourist Manhattan.

atilla

2 teenage boys would love the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum.

http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/

HowardR

The activities you list should certainly be of interest to your teenagers, especially the Met, MOMA and Ellis Island.
As for theater, since you say your sons are "conservative types," I'm not sure what to recommend. Usually, where older teenagers are involved, Rent is usually at or near the top of the list. However, if they are too conservative, it might not be to their liking! Other shows for the age group would include The Producers, Hairspray, Avenue Q and Chicago. But, again, the question, "How conservative?
As for dining, the Bryant Park Grill and Cafe (in back of the NY Public Library) would be a good choice for Easter Sunday brunch. Before making other recommendations, the usual questions: What types of food and how much do you want to spend?
One bit of advice: Definitely make reservations for the 26th and 27th.

Rachel

My teens loved the Intrepid and shopping on Canal Street. They also love eating in Chinatown and Little Italy. If there's no Yankees game (and there won't be in March, their ideal day in NYC-shop Canal Street, get dinner in Chinatown, follwed by dessert in Little Italy. They also love the street vendors all over-hot dogs, pretzels, etc. Also, your sons may like ESPN Restaurant in Times Square, as well as strolling around Times Square. The third floor (of ESPN) is an arcade where they can play games (you pay for them) while waiting for a table. My kids also liked going to the stock exchange on Wall Street, although they really hustle you through (oldest is a business major in college so its of special interest to him)

msjuice624

What about the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden. You can take the metro north train (at Grand Central) and its a fairly quick ride (The Garden has its own stop on the line). The Bronx Zoo is one of the most amazing zoos in the nation, and the surrounding area is a more authentic version of Little Italy, than the one downtown. This is a Bronx location, but the zoo is really REALLY worth the trip up from Manhattan.

mclaurie

You should consider getting a City Pass. (citypass.com) It would include MOMA, a Circle Line Tour, the ESB and the Intrepid PLUS the Guggenheim and the Museum of Natural History. You should check the prices of what you were planning with the cost of the pass but I think it would be worth it for you.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Blue Man Group or Cookin', both off Broadway shows popular with teens. There may even be discounts available for Cookin'. Check Broadwaybox.com and/or playbill.com (register for free for discounts).

Grimaldi's in Brooklyn has some of the best pizza in NYC. If you took the NYwatertaxi.com to their Brooklyn stop, Grimaldi's is a block away. Then you could walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge, an experience many say is the highlight of their trip.

John's pizzeria is another top place. There's one on west 44st and another in the village.

I've not been to Rucker Park but if they're interested in basketball, there's a basketball court in the village on 6th ave. & 3rd st. that's usually got a great game and is an interesting area anyway. Washington Square Park is normally filled with NYU students roller blading etc.

nonnagirl

The best place to bring hungry teenage boys to eat (I've got 3) is Carmine's. There's one in the theatre district and one on the upper west side.

Huge portions of great Italian food. Can't be beat.