NYC Itinerary - 48 Short Hours
 

My husband & I will be arriving at LGA at 11am on Friday, June 3 & cruising out of Manhattan on Sunday, June 5. That leaves us roughly 48 hours to spend in NYC. I haven't decided on a hotel yet, but I have a general idea of what I want to do/see, just hoping it is doable. I really appreciate your comments/feedback.

Friday: Check In/Leave bags at hotel. Visit Little Italy, SoHo, & Greenwich Village. I am guessing that we would be able to start our day by 1:30 - 2pm. We are window/sidewalk shoppers. At the end of the day, I was hoping to end up at a nice bar/restaurant in the Greenwich area to end our day. Suggestions? Also, do you think we could throw in China Town (or at least a part of it) at the beginning of the day and work our way to Greenwich?

Saturday: Get an early start and visit Financial Disctrict, Battery Park & WTC. There is a WTC that starts at noon & lasts 2 hours. I would like to do this if time allows. If not, at least pay my respects to the WTC. Then I would like hit the High Line. The rest of my day is flexible but I would like to end up at the Top of the Rock Observatory by 8pm so we can enjoy the views before and after sunset.

Attractions that are of interest: St Patrick's Cathedral, Times Square, Central Park, Hell's Kitchen area ... views of the Flatiron & Chrysler buildings (will I be able to see these from Top of Rock or High Line?). Since we have limited time, we weren't planning to visit any museums or shows during this stay. This will give us reason to return to NYC!

We also will have a couple hours Sunday morning. Any tips, suggestions on how to make the most of our stay is greatly welcomed!

Looks great to me

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Great Value.. Central Park nice for Chillaxing Sun AM for me

Happy Hunting,

A couple of notes. Do NOT refer to Greenwich - it's called either Greenwich Village or "the Village" - Greenwich is a very upscale town in CT. Little Italy is practically gone - perhaps 3 or 4 blocks of mediocre restaurants - although China Town is thriving.

The financial district on Sat will be closed and quite empty - busy only during the week - although you can still see the WTC site (now primarily a construction zone). If you really want to see this do it on Friday afternoon - although not sure what you're looking for. Battery Park City is primarily a residential area -- with not that much to see/do,

The high line isn;t really very high and you can;t see much from it - and th eplaces you're talking about are all a considerable distance away - either in the cneter or estern part of the island. From the high line you can see a couple of blocks - that's it.

You can see a lot from Top of the Rock - probably Chrysler Building - but I think Flatiron is way too short (there are a tons of high rises in the way.)

Not sure if you will have time to do much on Sunday - when do you actually have to be on board the boat - and have you allowed time to get back to your hotel and pick up your bags to get there.

NYTraveler, since you are familiar with NYC, do you have any other suggestions? If it were you and you had 2 days to spend in NYC, what would you do?

The only things for sure we want to do/see are:

1. Little Italy (what's left), SoHo, Greenwich Village area;
2. Top of the Rock at sunset which will be approx 8:30pm.

As I mentioned, I would like to do the WTC tour, but it is 2 hours. My husband is an architectural engineer so I know he would enjoy looking at some of the buildings (Flatiron, Chrysler, etc)

We are not foodies, shoppers, or museum-types, especially given we only have 2 days. We do enjoy the theatre, but again, with such limited time, I don't think we can fit it in. I sure would like to see Wicked though :) There is also a late night Comedy Show I would consider but I'm afraid I will be spent by the end of the day.

We just want to stroll the streets, eat some good pizza (I grew up in Pittsburgh so I want to see if NYC really has better pizza ;), window shop & experience some of the historal sites of NYC.

I live in Dallas and we have an overload of fancy malls and stores...I just don't want to do that during our time in New York.

As for Sunday morning, we will need to be checked out of the hotel by 11am so we would have a short time to at least grab a cup of coffee and stroll the streets for an hour or 2.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Actually everything you want to do on your first day is walkable, and you can start in lower Manhattan and work your way up. Start at Battery Park and see the Globe and eternal flame from the WTC. From there walk up Broadway see WTC site, and stop at ST. Paul's Chapel to see the collection of pictues from 9/11.

From there you can walk up through the City Hall Park and up Park Place through the Court Buildings, through Chinatown (find Mott St) for some great food like Peking Duck House, then up Mulburry St which is Little Italy for coffee and desert.

From there it's through SOHO (find Spring and Prince STs) and on to The Village (find St. Mark's Place in the east village or W 4th in the West Village) lots of shopping and restaurants in the area.

From there hop on the subway up to Top of the Rock.

Day 2 you can spend seeing midtown and might even have a little time to stop at the Museum of Modern Art or up to the Met for a few hours.

You might pick up a Zagat guide, so you have a reerence for great food whereever you end up and a guide book of NYC and a map to make the most of your time here.

Enjoy.

Tour buses are a controversial subject on the forum. Many NYers think they're a waste of time but given your short visit and the desire to see as much as possible (and the fact that it's a weekend)I'd seriously consider doing a kingofnyc.com gems tour on Sat. morning.
http://marvelousmanhattantours.com/t...ts_routes.html

I don't know what 2 hr. WTC walking tour there is but if you want a tour, this 1 hr 15 min. one is the one to take and I'd do it on Friday when you arrive so you get to see the area while business is going on. http://www.tributewtc.org/walktours/index.php The financial district on a Sat. is pretty dead.

There are 3 different street fairs going on that weekend which will affect traffic around them. http://www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html

Little Italy is a few short blocks of touristy restaurants trying to drag tourists in to eat ordinary to bad red sauce Italian food. Walk through it in 5 mins. Imo, the only reason to go to Chinatown is you intend on eating there or plan on taking a walking tours. At least look for some self guided walking tours online so you know what you're looking at.

I think Chinatown is interesting for the stores and the frenetic enrgy, especially if it is a market day. It is the area that abuts Little Italy.

As noted the Fincancial District is deserted on weekends and there is really little to see at the Trade Center.

You will be able to see the Chrysler Building from Top of the Rock but the Flatiron building only has 22 floors and is best seen from the Broadway/Fifth Avenue confluence.

There are scores of unique stores in New York including Pearl River on Broadway just north of Canal Street.

Restaurants in the West Village include Spotted Pig, Corner Bistro for a good cheap burger and a bar atmosphere, Blue Ribbon Bakery (a full restaurant where they bake there own bread), and Home and Le Gigot on Cormelia Street.

Thank you all your insight. Actually, what intrigues me about the Chinatown area is the rich history of the area, not so much what it has become. I just want to walk the streets.

I might have to breakdown and do a tour, maybe private. This might be the most efficient way to see all the major sites. Then I'd have a day to spend doing "whatever".

I was thinking of spending a couple hours Sunday morning at Central Park. My husband & I walk about 2 miles every day so I thought this might be a good plan. Thoughts?

Adding to travelbuff's walking itinerary after seeing the WTC site, you can pop over to the World Financial Center, it's the large complex on the Hudson side of the site. Go through the building check out the yachts in the basin there then go north and voila you are in Battery Park City!

It adds a little bit of walking to your journey as City Hall Park is on the other side of the island, but if you want to catch everything down there you should do it all at once. Then you can walk back up through Chinatown and SoHo.

If you are industrious and study the subway and plot everything out, you can see lots and lots in two days. And perhaps even fit in a museum.

You might want to look into the Tenement Museum, They only offer guided tours, but it's a real interesting look at how immigrants used to live in the city.

Thoughts on Central Park? Yes, absolutely. There'll be lots of other people there on a nice Sun. morning. If you like gardens, head to the Conservatory Garden on Fifth ave. & 104 st.

If you're interested in the history of the area now occupied by Chinatown, you might want to read "Five Points" by Tyler Anbinder. This is Jacob Riis territory, and of course the locale of "Gangs of New York." At 65 Mott you will see the first purpose-built tenement in the city. You'll probably find it very interesting.

If you're going to take a walk in Central Park on Sunday morning (I assume you board the ship somewhere on the west side in the), I'd suggest staying in a hotel on the Upper West Side or, second choice, midtown west -- that way, you can easily leave your bags, go for breakfast/walk, back to your hotel to pick up your bags, catch a cab to the ship.

The Tenement Museum tour is outstanding -- and only an hour. Best to make advance reservations. You can then eat at Katz' Deli, a NY institution, which is only a couple of blocks away.

Meant to say "on the west side in the 50s".

Agree that you can do your downtown walking on Friday afternoon and evening.

I can't imagine coming to NYC without seeing the Met (but I'm a Museum and church and castle person). I would do this on Saturday along with part of Central Park (check the conservancy web site to see what areas you want to see or what yours you might want to take.

Also you might consider a rid on the free Staten island ferry which runs every 15 minutes 24/7 - which will give you a fairly close-up view of the Statue of Liberty and a great view of the city skyline on the way back.

If you husband is interested in architecture perhaps he wants to pick out 8 or 10 really important buildings and then just do a quick self-guided walking/subway tour.

It's not that I am not particularly a museum person, it's just that I feel with only two days, I just can't do a museum justice and still see the other sites I want to see. I am definitely a church & old building/streets person so I want to see as muchof that as possible.

I like the idea of having my husband pick out the buildings he wants to see and then we can plan our itinerary accordingly.

I am definitely looking at the Tenement Museum. My maternal grandfather came to the US from Ireland and paternal grandparents from Czechoslovakia. I really want to spend some time in areas relating to these 2 heritages in particular which is why my initial thought was the Little Italy/Greenwich Village area. Oh, and my husband is into all those ganster/mafia movies so I thought he'd enjoy some of those sites as well.

I also thought I read that the Clinton area has a strong Irish history, but I need to do some more research.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I am kicking myself for not ever visiting NYC! I know NYC has so much to offer. I just have to squeeze in as much as I can in my 2 short days.

Since I am cruising out of the harbor, I am thinking we should get a good view of the Statue of Liberty and skyline (from the west). So, I can leave the Statue of Liberty out of my 2 day itinerary.

Lots of good ideas here. I would suggest a subway ride to Brooklyn and walking back over towards Manhattan at dusk, watching the lights come on is beautiful. my husband and I like to walk and window shop as you do, so we often just get on a subway, and get off at random stops, walk around the block and get back on and repeat. We have found some off the beaten track shops and restaurants this way as well as just get a better feel about the richness and diversity of NYC. It is amazing to this Southern girl how different each area of the city is! rest assured that no matter where you stay, your husband will be happy with the architecture!

Just as example of how Little Italy has changed, John Gotti's "social club" is now a women's boutique. The tragically hip from the north and the expansion of Chiantown from the south has left very little of Little Italy.

For the best of Little Italy try Di Palo's for their cheeses and different types of posciutto. Store.

http://www.google.com/maps/place?cid...r=New+York,+NY

For Italian pastries Veniero's in the East Village. In business since 1894. Table service or take out.

For home made pasta-Raffetto's. They have been in business 1906. They cut the pasta on a machine obsolete 50 years ago.
Store.

For store made mozzarella-Joe's on Sullivan Steet (stores do not get smaller) they have only been doing for 85 years or Russo's.

Faicco's on Bleecker-makes their own sausage, great rice balls. butcher shop

Also tell your husband to go to the try look at the AIA (American Institute of Architects)Guide to New York. It is a tome and to heavy to carry. It is a no-nonsense over view of every important building in New York whether it be residential, commerical, or municipal. Xerox the pages you need and take them with you.

It is expensive, so see if the library has a copy.

There is a VERY popular John's pizza on Bleeker St. Maybe stop by there at an off time. There are often lines.

If you want drinks and some apps in the Village, I'd suggest The 8th Wine Cellar. It's tiny so get there right at 5 for a happy hour that's awesome. Then walk to the COmedy Cellar on MacDougal. Make reservations for the earliest show (8:00 Fri or 7:30 on Saturday) It's the BEST comedy show in NYC, IMHO.

A couple of thoughts to add onto everyone else's good suggestions:

- Since you're interested in the history of the Lower East Side, look into the walking tours given by the Tenement Museum.
- Another company that gives really good walking tours is Big Onion. As a long-time NYer without much (former) interest/experience in the financial district, I found their tour of the area really eye-opening. From what I understand, all their guides are history majors (ours was a PhD candidate).
- I'm not sure what a 2-hour tour of the WTC would entail - maybe that amount of time includes going to the "visitors center"? The WTC site itself is as you know a construction site, blocked off to passerby - which makes the surrounding sidewalks even more crowded than usual. However, IMO it's very moving to go to St. Pauls, as is the juxtaposition of that church's Revolutionary War-era gravestones (some cracked and repaired from 9/11) with the red cranes and massive girth of the construction behind it.
- FYI, there is now a string of shiny new parks and pedestrian paths all the way up the west side of Manhattan, from the tip at Battery Park up to the George Washington Bridge. What williamscb13 recommended is part of that.
- The Met Museum is always "pay what you wish" - so if you're up in the area, don't deny yourselves a quick peek inside if you're so inclined. Every summer there is an installation on the roof (check their website in the spring to see what will be there); the roof also affords a decent aerial view of the park and a bar serving drinks. The Met is open into the evening on Fridays and Saturdays.
- FWIW, mall-type stores have rather overtaken many areas of the city. But that's not to say there aren't unique shops to visit! When you're downtown, Pearl River is sort of a Chinese department store. And I even recommend popping into Bloomingdale's SoHo: it's such a different take on Bloomie's (and there's a good bathroom in the lower level! LOL).
- Midtown: If you get a chance, go into the lobby of the Chrysler Building - it's at least as spectacular as the exterior! It's near to Grand Central Terminal, which is worth a look inside as well. In the GC lower level, the Dining Concourse offers take-away kiosks of a number of NYC restaurants, including Junior's famous cheesecake. A few blocks from there is leafy Bryant Park behind the main branch of the NY Public Library - bring your lunch and people watch!
- I live in - and always promote! - Brooklyn. That said, it may be too much to include on this trip. However, even if you don't start on the Brooklyn side, you can always venture partway from City Hall Park on the Manhattan side. (Keep in mind that the bridge gets reeaaallly crowded in good weather(!), especially as the day wears on.) Just a few blocks south of there, Frank Gehry's towering residential skyscraper is nearing completion.
- Just like the Village is never called "Greenwich", Clinton is almost never referred to by its official name - we all call it Hell's Kitchen. ;) The book on which the movie Sleepers is based takes place there.
- You will get a great view of the Statue of Liberty from the cruise ship. I've seen them pass between Liberty and Governor's Islands as the sun is beginning to set behind the Lady. The museum on Ellis Island is worth putting on your list for a future visit, but the ferry out there and back will take too much of your time this time around. Look for the island and its historic buildings adjacent to Liberty Island, just after you pass the statue.

Well depending on when they came that might not be the area for you to visit.

I have ancestors from Ireland - and they lived on 103rd St - and those from Czechooslovakia lived in Yorkville - an area of people from Germany and various parts of central europe - in the 80s on the far east side.

Not to say that immigrants from those countries did not end up on the lower east side - but there were a lot of other places for them to go. (Brownstone and railroad flat buildings were built as far up as the 90's and 100's in the 1880s and 1890s.)

My Czech grandparents who arrived in NYC about 1905 both settled in Yorkville as nytraveler describes. Their older siblings who came in the late 1880s lived in what is now the East Village. Since I now live in the East Village, it is an odd 100-year circle.

There are a number of places better pizza than John's among them Keste

I completely understand your choice to save the Met and other museums for another, longer stay. We, too, love to walk in a city, see its architecture, parks, window shop, etc.

Your plan sounds wonderful to me. If you want a restaurant in the Village, I know of one, but I need to look up its name.

Here are my notes on restaurants from our visit in Oct 2006:

"Our first dinner was excellent: at Palma, 28 Cornelia Street, 212 691 2223, www.PalmaNYC.com. (I think we were still in Greenwich?) A friend who lives in Greenwich recommended it. We were able to get a table, because it was early that evening. It's a very low-key elegant place, in a contemporary and minimalist style-- if that makes sense. We had a very nice dinner there.

On Sunday, in the early evening, we enjoyed an appetizer and wine at the Knickerbocker Bar and Grill, 33 University Place, at 9th and University, 212 228 8490. We would have stayed for dinner, as the menu looked great and the atmosphere was cozy, but we weren't hungry yet. Very nice place.

Another Fodorite gave me the very good advice to look for little restaurants in the Time Square area, by walking a few blocks west from the Marriott there. It was great advice, as there are restaurants in every doorway, and each looked great. We chose Danny's Grand Sea Palace, www.dannysgsp.com, at 346-348 West 46th Street, 212 265 8130. It was pretty good, not great, but fine."

NYTraveler & Ellenem - I know for certain my grandparents did not settle in that area, however, it makes my great interest in these 2 heritages none the less. When I go to Ireland to visit, I will not just visit the town in which my grandfather's family resided, rather I plan to visit many other areas as well. Hope this makes sense, but I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks for all the great ideas! Brooklyn/Brooklyn bridge - wow! That would be fantastic. After speaking last night to a friend who just returned from NYC, I am almost considering skipping the financial center and the WTC memorial on this trip. From an architectural standpoint, my husband said that the Guggeheim Museum would be one of his points of interest, but that is far away from anything else I was planning to do. I'll have to ponder that. From a museum perspective, this doesn't appear to have the best reviews.

Well, back to the drawing board. You all are such a tremendous help!

The Guggenheim is really close to the Met Museum (on museum mile). From a museum/curatorial perspective, its worthiness completely depends on which temporary exhibition is on display. <i>From an architectural perspective</i>, it's worth it to go up there and walk inside the lobby (no fee for doing so) to see the inside of the spiral. And since you expressed an interest in walking through Central Park, it can be easily combined with that - just make sure you go at a time when the museum has opened its doors! (Depending on how much time you have, you could take transit up there and then walk back to midtown.)

If you want to see a tiny slice of Brooklyn, you might follow JADSJBD's recommendation: ideally, you could take the subway to Brooklyn Heights to see a bit of "brownstone Brookyn" and the promenade, walk towards the waterfront and get a bite to eat while admiring the views of Manhattan from Empire State/Fulton Ferry State Park, then walk over the bridge. In addition to famous Grimaldi's (where the line is always way too long), you could try a nice meal at Superfine, Asian fusion at Rice, bagels at La Bagel Delight, or grab take away from some of the markets like Forage or even Bridge Deli. Jacques Torres chocolate for ice cream and not-to-miss chocolate treats for your walk back! Once back on the Manhattan side, you'll be on the edge of the financial district - only about 3 blocks to St. Pauls and one more to the edge of the WTC site.

Or, if you turn right on Centre Street, and again in Worth, you'll find yourself at the base of Chinatown.

Ok, how about something like this:

Friday: My plane arrives at LGA @ 11am so I figure it will be around 2 that will will officially begin our day. We are staying at the Comfort Inn @ 129 W 46th St. I know it isn't fancy but we do not plan to be in our room much at all!

So, start at 2 & do a quick stop at the library, Chrysler building then up to St Patrick's Cathedral. We then would want to head north. We want to the Guggenheim (outside only) & the Met museum. We also want to spend some time in the Upper West side of town & just get lost in the streets. Maybe see the Dakota building and & some of the places where You've Got Mail was filmed, unless there are other locations you would recommend. We could just end our evening there & head back to our hotel.

On Saturday: Get up early & head to Brooklyn. Walk the bridge back. See St Paul's. Go to the Tenement Museum then hit Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo then the Village.

Sunday: Early bike ride through Central Park.

If we have time on one of the evenings we might try to go to the Rockefeller Center since it appears to be very close to our hotel & is open late.

Is the above too much? Thanks for all your help!!

Knowing your hotel location helps a lot! :)

Friday, this would be less zig-zagging:
1) St. Pats first - you'll walk thru Rock Center to get there - then down to the NYPL, and across to Chrysler Building.
2) Cross the street into Grand Central and take the subway uptown to the Gugg and the Met. (If you're going to see the outside of the Gugg, you really should just step inside! It will only take a minute.)
3) Walk across Central Park to the UWS for your wandering.

Oh, and as for places to get a snack, either look for the kiosks in Bryant Park behind the library, or choose from the many offerings inside Grand Central (both on the dining concourse and elsewhere). Once you get to the UES, there's pretty slim pickings in the vicinity of the museums...

<<<Once you get to the UES, there's pretty slim pickings in the vicinity of the museums...>>>

True! (but there's a Pio Pio on 1st Avenue in the 90s :-) )

A Pio Pio up there? And so close to the Guggenheim?? Ooh, I'm in heaven ~ thanks sf7307!!

1st Ave. is "so close to the Guggenheim"??? Not in my book.

mkm99, I meant to say before that IMO your plan sounds like a good one!

Here's a bit of info on the area immediately around your hotel (I used to work 1 block away):

- On 46th Street, one block east of the Comfort Inn is considered Little Brasil, with a number of Brazilian restaurants. Two blocks west of the Comfort Inn (also on 46th Street) is considered Restaurant Row. This is where PeaceOut mentioned a restaurant. The nice thing is that there are lots to choose from; however, IMO you can find better food along 9th Ave in Hell's Kitchen (everything from Thai to burgers).

- For coffee in the morning, there is a Starbucks just west of 6th Ave on 47th Street, where there is a passageway that cuts through from 46th Street. Walk a few steps farther though and go to the Financier patisserie in the similar passageway between 47th and 48th Streets. Also on that block of 47th between 6th & Times Square, you'll find a good greasy-spoon diner and a decent deli grocery.

- If you have the opportunity, detour a bit for your breakfast to Amy's Bread on 9th Ave between 46th & 47th Streets. Really yummy baked goods, breads, sandwiches, cupcakes... (even if the staff always seems a bit out of it!).

mclaurie, when it's Pio Pio, yes :)

(Besides, it's all relative - I inevitably go to Lex or 3rd up there to eat, so "only" two more {avenue} blocks is "close" LOL.)

On day 2, I am thinking about doing the WTC & SoHo/Village in the morning/afternoon then heading to Brooklyn for the late afternoon/evening. I am thinking I would really want to be strolling the Brooklyn Promenade after dark then head back to Manhattan. Thoughts?

What would be the easiest/best way to get from the Greenwich Village area to Brooklyn? Thanks for your help!

Just saw where you're staying, and 2-3 doors West of you is Havana Central, a Cuban restaurant that usually has a band, and great mojitos! There are several in the city, but this one reminds me of Ricky's place in I Love Lucy shows. Just a thought since it's right outside your door!

To be honest, I'm not so sure about doing the Promenade after dark. (Being a long-time NYer, I mostly tend to avoid park areas after dark, unless for some kind of group activity. I never thought about it before, but I guess I put the Promenade into the "park" category!) It's quite nice at sunset though, and there are plenty of good restaurants for an early dinner in DUMBO, if that appeals.

My best advice re: the subway is to use hopstop.com. It's a great resource for NYC public transit, taking into account scheduled construction, traffic, etc. when you plug in specific dates/times. (Of course, there's probably not construction data this far out, but go ahead and play around with it.)

Generally speaking, the 2/3 will get you to Brooklyn Heights; the A/C will take you to the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge (between Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO); the F will take you to DUMBO. All of these areas are the first or second stop in Brooklyn for each of these lines. In Manhattan - again very generally speaking - the A/C runs along 8th Ave; the 2/3 along 7th Ave; the F along 6th Ave.

Thanks ggreen for your words of caution. I didn't even think about that. Maybe we should stick with the oringal plan of going to Brooklyn first, then head to WTC/SoHo/Village area. Otherwise, it might be after dark when we are leaving Brooklyn & I don't want to be pressured with time. Maybe we'll have a chance to grab a mojito at Havana Central before heading back to our hotel ;)

I'm doing some research to decide what all we want to see while in Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO. I'm sure I will have a few more questions.

We're completed committed now ... just bought our plane tickets this morning!

You all are so helpful. I cannot thank you enough!! If you ever plan a trip to East Texas, I'll return the favor ;)