NYC in Late Dec
 

I'll be in NYC with my mother and 18 yr old daughter - arriving Noonish 12/26 and leaving around 9 PM on 12/30. Don't want to make huge plans on day of arrival in case of delays, so I'd like to make that day pretty unplanned. Have tickets for Spamalot one evening and would like to find some for Wicked, but no luck so far.

My daughter was in NYC once in June a couple of years ago and she's been to Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, carriage ride in Central Park, and tour of the city on the hop on/hop off bus.

She wants to see the tree at Rockefeller Center and go ice-skating, of course, but I'm trying to decide what other options would be good. I've never been to Top of the Rock, so I'm not sure if that is more of an adult thing or if it would be fine for all of us. She's also seen the Rockettes' Christmas show elsewhere.

I'm considering the following for restaurant adventures: Mesa Grill, The Spotted Pig, Becco, Casa Mono, Lomardi's - just based on things I've read on this site and Trip Advisor. Just started my research, so forgive me if I haven't done my due diligence with searching this site.

P.S. We've been to the famous delis too.

Well - if your daughter is 18 she IS an adult - not a child. Can't think why NOT to do Top of the Rock - even for kids as young as 6 or 7 - never mind a young adult woman.

Without knowing your - or her interests it's hard to make specific recos.

You'll definitely want to walk up Fifth Ave from 39th to 57th to see all the store windows, as well as Rock Center and St Pat's. Also suggest that you do the Met (include the antique neapolitan tree and creche - and check the web site to see which other departments you might like to view).

We always do the Nutcracker - but you may have enough things in the evening.

If you haven;t been there Ellis Island Immigration Museum is brilliant.

And, then there's always shopping - from midtown department stores to trendy downtown boutiques - with everything on sale. Just be ready for the mobs.

Hey Deb15July,

I was in NYC last weekend and we dined at Becco...if you look up my recent trip report you can read my write up about it.
The food was quite good to be honest however, we were served our anti pasti as a group as opposed as individually because our waiter suggested it was a good idea, however we were 8 people and barely received enough food for two people. And something I didn't mention in my last post that left a bad taste in my mouth was the fact that when the waiter asked us if we would be ordering wine, we all refused as our group had been at a wedding the night before and we were all "wined" out, so when we simply ordered water, and not bottled water he made some kind of sarcastic remark about us wanting to order "Jersey Water".

The food was good however....but I honestly don't think I would return...and just a side note, both of the washrooms (men and women) broke the night we were there...and there was a huge mess in the men's room which was quite disgusting according to the men in our party.

Enjoy NYC its so much fun!

Layla %%-

I go every year in this timeframe. Just be prepared for HUGE crowds, everywhere. If you consider Ellis Island, plan on spending most of the day. The security lines for the boat can extend into hours.

Top of the Rock is great. But I do give an edge to a late night look out of the Empire State Building- just spectacular at Christmas.

The Radio City Christmas Show, is nothing like any road show. Still might be worth a look. I have always been able to get the same day half price tickets.

It is going to be very tough getting Wicked tickets, if they come up- grab them. :)

BudgetQueen,
I saw the Radio City Christmas show in NYC many years ago with my mother and two sisters. I didn't find it to be much different from the show we saw in Atlanta a couple of years ago.

I think on this trip I would rather not repeat that show as there are so many options to choose from.

Another good broadway show alternative is Avenue Q. Not sure if they're hard to get right now, but it's a fun one if your sense of humor isn't too conservative.

Another alternative for ice skating in the middle of the city - Bryant Park or Central Park.

Deb, I think you'll have fun if you can deal with the huge crowds. It's good you're arriving after Christmas, but the city will still be quite busy. The weather is likely to be cold, so I'm not sure you're going to want to brave the ferry to Ellis Island or the Top of the Rock, but perhaps.

Second Avenue Deli is supposed to reopen on east 33rd Street (near 3rd Ave) this fall, so that might also be a possibility for food.

In years past, skating in Bryant Park was free (you pay dearly for Rockefeller Center); you just had to pay to rent skates.

Make your dinner reservations by Thanksgiving at the most popular places, and reserve for almost every night you plan to eat at a restaurant that accepts them.

Wicked is always full price, but you should be able to get tickets if you are willing to pay. Otherwise, there are many good choices; if it's still around, Xanadu is great. Also Spring Awakening. Even the Lion King. Young Frankenstein will be playing by then, and it's likely to be a hit.

As far as restaurants go, I don't think Spotted Pig is for you. It's no reservations and huge waits for a trendy (but good) restaurant. I like Becco, but it's really crowded and not always a pleasant dining experience.

Vice Versa, nearby, is much more tranquil and not much more expensive for the prix-fixe ($35 for 3 courses to Becco's 2 and with decent-priced wines by the glass).

Avoid Times Square if possible because the crowds are so unpleasant because they are massive.

Becco is okay if you want cheap ($21.95) and good but it isn't fantastic. There are too many other good Italian restaurants (Trattoria d'ell Art) close by.

The bar at the Mandarian Oriental is fantastic but make a reservation for a bar table.

The Rockettes Christmas show is a whole other experience seeing it at Radio City. It just has a special vibe.

I was at the Mesa Grill a few weeks ago and did not like it at all. It has definitely gone downhill and I won't eat there again. I have some friends that had the same experience recently. Rock Center is beautiful but do be prepared to wait a very long time to get on the ice. Christmas is pretty in New York even if it is crowded and cold. Have you been to St. Patrick's Cathedral?

ALso check menupages.com for restaurant comments and they also have menus.

I agree with Dohlice about Mesa Grill.

What about ice skating at Wollman rink? It is just in the southern end of Central park and you are down in a pocket surrounded by all these trees and then you look out and there are all these tall buildings around you. very, very neat.

The Rock Center rink is tiny and crowded and people are staring. Good for about 10 minutes of fun for an expensive price and hassle.

You may also be able to skate for free at Bryant Park. Assuming there will be an ice skating rink there again this year. Behind the main New York Public library.

The view of Central Park South from Wollman Rink is stunning!

I love skating at Wollman Rink -- it's much more beautiful and intimate than the rink at Rock Center. Google it - it's been used in many TV shows and movies (the last scene in Serendipity, with John Cusack, takes place there).

Don't miss the Angel Tree at The Met ora tour of the Christmas windows at Macy's, Sak's etc. All the decor will be up until after New Year's.

NYTraveler,
We will plan to do the Met this trip as we did not visit on my daughter's first trip. Window shopping is a given. We went to Ellis Island on our last trip. Also attended Mass at St. Pat's, although we went to the Sat. Vigil Mass and it seemed so strange to be in that big cathedral and there was no singing. And...she is certainly not a child, but I'm not really sure what the Top of the Rock is. It looks like maybe it's a bar/restaurant at the top of a bldg at Rock Center?

BudgetQueen,
I've been in the Big Apple at Christmas, so I know what you mean about the crowds. Actually this trip was kind of my daughter's idea, so no whining will be allowed. Still hoping something will work out for Wicked.

Doug,
You aren't the only one that is not wild about Becco, so I'll have to do some more research. I saw that Young Frankenstein is opening soon, and I think I would love it. One of my favorite movies, so it might be hard for me to not be let down by the play since so many of the actors in the movie are no longer with us! Just not sure my mother would enjoy it.

Dohlice and MFNYC,
I guess maybe I should rethink Mesa Grill too.

Don't know if we can skip the rink at Rock Center as that is one of my daughter's dreams. We'll see. Will also plan to visit the Met since my daughter has never been and I haven't been in many years and never at Christmas. Thanks for all the advice and please keep the ideas coming.

Top of the Rock is the roof of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the NBC building in Rockefeller Center. It's just an observation point, not a restaurant or bar (well, it might have a snackbar up there ... I'm not sure). The advantage of this over the Empire State Building is much much less time waiting in line and a view of the Empire State Building.

Agree with much of what's been written so far. There are many better Italian places than Becco. Do you know about the website menupages.com that has reviews etc.?

Young Frankenstein is supposedly selling out so if you want tix, hop to it! If you really want Wicked tix, try looking at the sold out shows section on broadwaybox.com and also check with www.applause-tickets.com Both of these often have seats for over face value but less than premium price.

Skating in Central Park at the Wollman Rink is, imo, much much nicer than at Rock. Ctr. The rink is a lot bigger, it's less like you're in a fishbowl with everyone watching.

I assume you will check out the Xmas windows. Don't miss Barney's (Madison & 61 st) and Bergdorf's (Fifth & 59th). Lord & Taylor (Fifth & 38-39) is the traditional moving characters and lines are long so go late. It's a lot easier to see the windows at night when the stores are closed.

A good resource item that I have used is <i>New York Holiday Guide, The Best Places to Eat, Drink, Shop and Celebrate</i> by Charles Suisman &amp; Carol Molesworth - authors of Manhattan User's Guide. A few copies still available on Amazon. You might find it helpful for ideas.

http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Holid...271&amp;sr=8-7

mclaurie, when do the windows first go up at Lord &amp; Taylor, etc.? and when does the Rock Center tree go up? (I'm a born &amp; raised NY'er, but I've been away soooo long)

Thankksgiving is early this year - and so is the tree lighting - Nov 27 or 28 I think versus usually Dec 2 or 3. Stores will have all Xmas stuff up by Thanksgiving.

Thanks NYT. I was there last year in early December and saw the trees (Time Warner too), but we'll be there Thanksgiving this year, returning home on Sunday. Guess I'll see the windows (a family tradition when I was a child -- the windows, the Nutcracker and lunch in the city) but not the trees this year.

MFNYC and mclaurie,

I just started checking out the Menu Pages and it will give me some great options. But...with that many restaurants to wade through, I'll be looking to you Fodorites to help me make some decisions.