NYC - Central Park, UES, UWS itinerary - is this too much?
 

I'll be in NYC in August for 7 days. I'm looking at the following itinerary for the Friday, but it may be a bit ambitious. Let me know what you think.

The priorities are the museums, over the Park and photo opps of buildings. I will have a 7 day metro card. Staying at Radio City Apartments on 49th St.

- catch the N, R or W from 49th St & 7th Ave to 59th St & 5th Ave

- photostop at Grand Army Plaza

- Central Park: walk to the Dairy, The Mall, Bethesda Fountain & Terrace, Bow Bridge, Strawberry Fields

- walk from Strawberry Fields to AMNH or catch B or C train 1 stop

- ANHM: Star of India, Dinosaurs, Rose Center, Hayden Planetarium

- go to the Conservatory Garden at 105th St - not sure on best mode of transport

- Museum of the City of New York at 103rd St

- walk down 5th Ave to photostop - St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church at E 97th St

- walk down 5th Ave to photostop - Neue Galerie building at 86th St

- walk down 5th Ave to photostop - Italian Renaissance palazzo building at 81st St

- The Met - open til 9pm

Sounds like an awful lot of walking. Great if you are 20-somethings, but if you are older than that, your feet will give out around the Hayden Planetarium.

Yes, it's ambitious, but doable... You might end up taking a cab, so bring extra cash.

Sounds like a marathon, not a vacation. If you have 7 days, why are you trying to squeeze so much into 1? You will be exhausted, esp. if it's hot. 3 museums in 1 day is 2 more than I can handle. Are you totally skipping the Metropolitan or is that for another day? I think you have 2 days here.

Sorry, I now notice do you have the Met so that's 4 museums in 1 day???? Your brain will be fried. There are some great building views from the roof of the Met so I would get there before dark.

What you have listed will take at least 2 days - and probably 3 unless you're a marathoner. Especially is August it will likely be very hot and humid, you're walking speed will be slowed and you'll want to take lots of stops for hydration.

I would never attempt the Met (2/3 days in itself) and the AMNH is one day. (Also at least a full day to just hit the highlights and perhaps one of the several IMAX movies.) And the Museums of the city of New York can easily be 2/3 hours depending on your interests and what special exhibits they're having.

Divide this into 2 days - one west side and one east - seeing a museum and part of the park on each.

And realize in August warp speed will be totally exhausting.

I have spent a full day with visitors doing exactly half of you itinerary, starting our day at the Conservatory Garden, Museum of the City of New York, and working our way south to the Met. I agree with the east/west split suggested.

And just a note: Even with an unlimited pass it may take more time for you to wait for a train at 72nd St and go 9 blocks than it would to walk it.

Thanks. I would prefer to split it myself, but am running out of days even though I have 7! I'm going through one of those wanting to do everything phases, but know I need to cull some things. While the Met looks really interesting, I don't think I can devote a whole day to it. I've put it on the Friday at this stage knowing it is open til 9pm.

On the Saturday I was thinking of the following: the Cloisters, followed by a visit to the Morris-Jumel Mansion. It happens to be their annual jazz festival from 2-6pm that day, so thought I would stay for some of that, but maybe only about 2 hours. I could then drop in to the Met again on the way back as it is open til 9pm again and I will have free entry from being at the Cloisters. I won't have done much walking that day other than at the Cloisters in the morning.

Still working through the entire itinerary. It's getting hard as I have too much on my "to-do" list. I may consider culling the Liberty Island/Ellis Island trip as it takes so much time. I will be visiting the Tenement Museum.

The Met is the of the finest museums in the world and can easily take a day. The Cloisters which is part of the Met but located in Fort Tryon park will use valuable time by traveling back and forth. It is, however,a peaceful and rich refuge within NYC.

In the Treasury at the Cloisters is the following extraordianry piece which is a testament to craft, devotion, and obsessive behavior
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/...17.190.475.htm

What are you doing the other 6 days ? Rather than to try & complete this marathon/obstacle course, slow down, pick a few & actually enjoy those things, especially the Met. I'd start there & then likely meander around Central Park.

How about this?

- subway to 103rd Street

- Conservatory Garden

- Museum of the City of New York

- walk (for photo opportunities) or bus to the Met, which is open til 9pm.

Speckels--that's exactly what I did with my friends in one day. We also didn't try to see everything in the Met, just a few areas of particular interest.

Ok, I'm assuming you like to walk (which I do):
1)Take the subway to 72nd street
2)Walk from Strawberry fields to the fountain to the Met
3) Visit the Met (Spend 2.5 hours here max - I love art museums but at a certain point you get overloaded)
4) Go to the Neue Gallerie for lunch
5) Walk up 5th avenue, making the stops you suggested up to the Conservatory Garden (or take a cab up there without the stops) OR walk through the park to grand army plaza (I would suggest this)

Skip the AMNH - its not worth it.


If you want to end up at the Met at night I would take the subway up the west side to 86th or so, walk through the park to the Conservatory Garden and walk down 5th making stops where you please. You can hop on the bus when you get tired.

Most of the fun of the park is walking around leisurely, so I wouldn't worry about hitting anything specific, most areas are beautiful. And strolling down 5th avenue is wonderful (depends on the weather of course).