mykidsmom99

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!

qwovadis

Looks great to me

usually review www.betterbidding.com winner hotel bids for NYC

pick up a great midtown 4 star from $120 or so

like Hyatt Hilton or Mellineum bidding Priceline

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

Happy Hunting,

nytraveler

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.

mykidsmom99

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!

travelbuff

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.

mclaurie

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.

Aduchamp1

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.

mykidsmom99

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?

williamscb13

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.

mclaurie

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.

Fra_Diavolo

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.

sf7307

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.

sf7307

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

nytraveler

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.

mykidsmom99

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.

JADSJBD

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!

Aduchamp1

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

Aduchamp1

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.

Austin

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.

ggreen

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.