nolefan1

Hi All,

We (24yr old son, 16 yr old daughter, I'm 48) will be tagging along with husband on a business trip 6/19~6/22. We will be staying at the W hotel on Park Ave. DH will be tied up in meetings pretty much all day on the 20th. What do you suggest doing...sightseeing, restaurants (not over-the-top)while dad is busy?

Also any suggestions on sights to see would be appreciated and restaurants in the area that are not too fancy/extravagant. The last time I was in the "Apple" was in 1989, so I need some help...I know it has changed. We are not mass transit savvy. I have been to Paris once and found their system easier than NY (since I was there in the 80's) Help!!

nytraveler

Well - a lot depends on your interests.

At a minimum the basics are:

Top of the Rock - better than the Empire State Building since you can get advance timed tickets - and see Rock Center and St Pat's at the same time

The Met - you can do this with Central Park

MoMA if you're interested in modern art

Museum of Natural History - with IMAX movies if that is your bent

Definitely do a boat ride - even if only the free Staten Island ferry (or one of the Circle line cruises)

Check out Broadwaybox.com for advance discount theater tickets.

For restaurants - what cuisine do you like - since New York has dozens of great ones and hundreds of good ones

Definitely spend one evening like a New Yorker - go to one of the residential areas (upper west side, or Village or lower east side) have dinner in an outdoor cafe, people watch and window (or real) shop - many stores are open late - some until midnight.

If you tell us about any special interests people can reco sights to match.

Saira

I would recommend walking and exploring different parts of the City. The UN, Midtown, Fifth Avenue, parts of Central Park (you can walk across the Park in the 72nd area), you can walk by Lincoln Center, Times Square. I love living in New York City and just walking all over and taking it all in - how alive it is, how amazing the architecture is, and the feel of the City and the differnt neighborhoods. Union Square, the Village, SOHO, every place has a different feel. Or you can see museums while dad is busy, and explore the areas around the museums.

nolefan1

Sorry, I was too vague. We like any kind of food...not chains. We love art...I majored in art history in college.

What is "Top of the Rock?" I went to Rockefellar center when we where there in the 80's. Loved St. Pat's. Will take the family. What about restaurants in the neighborhood?

Boat ride sounds great...which one?

Aduchamp1

If you like art also consider Frick, Cooper-Hewiit, Guggenheieim, Folk Art Museum and the new museum on the Bowery of Comtemporary Art.

nolefan1

Any restaurant suggestions in the area? We will get breakfast at the hotel.

My family will eat anything.

ellenem

Top of the Rock is the year-old observation deck on top of 30 Rockefeller Center, the tall building that overlooks the skating rink and houses NBC studios among other things. Unlike the Empire State Building, there are few if any lines and only one elevator (ESB has ticket lines plus two lengthy, mandatory elevator lines--painful!) And best of all, from TOTR, 68-70 floors high, you have a great view of the ESB, Central Park, and the rest of the Metro-NY area.

Get used to the subway system. If you can do Paris, you can do NYC. If your W hotel is the one on Park Avenue SOUTH, you are right at the excellent Union Square subway station where a number of very useful subway lines meet. With 3 or 4 people, taxis might cost the same as subways, but at certain times of day or across long distances the subway can be much quicker.

nolefan1

Thanks ellenm...very helpful on the subway info and "the rock"

Aduchamp1

By the way the W is on Park Avenue South. This is not someone being nit picky. Park Avenue starts at 34th Street. Park Avenue South used to be 4th Avenue until the real estate people changed the name. The W is on the corner of East 17th Street.

Do not eat have breakfast at the hotel, you will pay dearly. There are a number of choices. There was string on the restaurants in the area recently.

Briefly-

City Bakery on 18th off Fifth is fabulous palce for breakfast. Also nearby is Pan Quintoden (sic) in the first floor of ABC carpet. Ess-a-Bagel is on First and 21 and is probably the best bagel place in the city, thus the world. And Then there is Clinton St. Bakery which gets incredibly crowded on weekends and makes outstanding scone and biscuits among other things.

gard

Hi

My wife and I went to NYC in December last year and I have posted this trip report with pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/NYC_travelogue_2007.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there to start with We also went there in 2004 and here is that trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/new_york_city_trip_report.htm .
I have also made this interactive Google map that shows the location of some of the attractions: http://gardkarlsen.com/NYC_google_map.htm . Note that you can click on the markers for more info. Have a great trip.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

nolefan1

thanks everyone for your help. Great ideas! Are there any street markets in NY that might be interesting?

Aduchamp1

Right across the street from your W in Union Square is considered the best greenmarket in the City. I always forget the days but I certain they are there on Fridays and Saturdays.

ellenem

Not "markets' per se, here is a site that lists street fairs. These fairs move from neighborhood to neighborhood each weekend and often feature the same booths. Many people enjoy walking the fairs on streets that are cosed to traffic.

http://www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html

ellenem

By the way, looks like the Gramercy Park Fair will take place quite near your hotel on Sunday, June 22.

Cinart

Your kids would probably love to explore the cool downtown areas--Noho, East Village,Chinatown and Willamsburg, Brooklyn. Get a copy of NY Magazine or Timeout NY to see what's going on in those neighborhoods. Keep checking to see what events are free. The concierge in your hotel will help you navigate by train or bus. Or, check out http://www.hopstop.com/ which will tell you the best way to get from one neighborhood to the next.

farrermog

Haven't been to NYC in nearly 30 years, but the 2004 edition of the City Walks: New York; 50 Adventures on Foot deck of cards set which I've just been given has clear maps and brief commentaries of short walks for almost all of the neighborhoods mentioned. The card for Walk 19 - Union Square to Madison Square is headed 'Spend a Saturday the way New Yorkers do' and notes, among other things, that as well as Saturday the farmers' market also operates Monday, Wednesday, Friday and that 'Union' refers to the 1831 'union' of the old Bowery Road with Broadway.

BeckyNYC

Nolefan1,

I recommend the Rock Center Cafe, located right by the skating rink inside Rockefellar Center.

Also, if you go into Mardi Gras Productions, Inc., you will find the NYC street fair guide. The street fairs have a lot of good food, reasonably priced, and you can sightsee, eat and shop all at the same time.

ekscrunchy

I do not recommend that you eat at any cafe in Rockefeller Center! And I doubt if there is skating in June.

There is a Whole Foods near your hotel, on 14th Street. If all else fails (and I hope you will do much better than this) you can eat a light meal or breakfast in their second floor cafe. The Union Square Greenmarket is on Mondays Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays, although the ongoing construction has made it less pleasant than usual to stroll around... You can buy some snacks for your room.

For restaurants near your hotel, a couple of places that might suit are:

Boqueria 53 West 19th Street Spanish food; relaxed and bustling; excellent food; no reservations

Casa Mono 52 Irving Place..one of my favorites in the city. Spanish. Thrilling food.

Rather than go on and on I would like to know more about the foods you like...there are MANY good restaurants in the area and others within an easy walk.

City Bakery and Pan Quotidien are good for breakfast, as mentioned above.

Let me know if you need suggestions for Chinatown..

nolefan1

Yes please ekscrunchy...we would love Chinatown suggestions. Wow great suggestions and advise from the always helpful fodorites. Can't wait to get to the "Big Apple" again!

Anyone else with market and neighborhood help we welcome. My family are foodies and love to experience all sorts of new cuisine.

Aduchamp1

Besides what ekscrunchy will provide

Big Wong-(yes that is the name)- spicy chow fun, roasted duck and spare ribs. very inexpensive

Jing Fong-dim sum with few concessions to American tastes

Golden Unicorn-dim sum

Joe's Ginger, Joe's Shanghai-wonderful soup noodles and rice cakes. Rice cakes are nothing like the coasters people eat who are on a diet. They are made from rice flour and cut into small discs and smooth and extremely tasty. Soup noodles are noodles where frozen soup is put into a dumpling and then when cooked melts. It is eaten by putting the noodle into the Chinese soup spoon. From there you either use the chopsticks or fork and to eat it. The soup runs into the soup.

Wherever you wat finish at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory where they make their own. My favorite is almond cookie.