NYC itinerary 5 days
 

Going to NYC 9/10 - 9/15 for a 20th Wedding Anniversary. First Time in NYC!

Arrival Thursday 9/10 @ 2:00 pm so only 1/2 day this day and leaving early on 9/15. Need suggestions on how to see this long list:

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, SoHo,
Brooklyn Bridge
Central Park
St. Patrick's Cathedral
9/11 Memorial and Museum (not on 9/11 please)
High Line Park
Chelsea Market
Broadway Show
Metropolitan Museum (optional)

Will stay at the Ritz Carlton By Central Park -

Please suggest itinerary per day, transportation mode (Hop On Hop Of Buss, Uber, Subway, Cab) and restaurants in the area.

Put St. Pat's with Rock Center, Grand Central, and Times Square. That is either a morning or afternoon.

You can combine High Line, Chelsea Market and Soho.

I do not like Uber and the HOHO for different reasons. The subway is very easy and cheaper to use from where you are staying and where you are going.

Book your Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island tickets right away, as they can sell out quickly - especially if you want to go up into the pedestal or the crown.

Lee Ann

It may already be too late to get tickets to the SoL crown. For tickets to the pedestal and Ellis Island - buy them TODAY from the National Park Service web site or you may be completely shut out. Allow 5 to 6 hours for this - including waiting on the security line for the ferry (airline type security and get there an hour before the time on your ferry tickets).

As for transport - use feet as much as possible so you can get a real feeling for the city. For longer distances use the subway, which goes almost everywhere. The HoHo bus is a very expensive, slow (sits in traffic jams all day) and inconvenient (only runs every 30 minutes and often full when it arrives so you may wait an hour) waste of your limited time. There are also many places it cannot go (Central Park, many residential areas). If you prefer bus to subway take the regular city bus which runs every few minutes.

For restaurants tell us what cuisines you like/dislike and what your budget is - specific $ amount and if that is entree or the whole meal with wine, tax and tip. There are many dozens of great places. Also be sure to have a couple of meals at sidewalk cafes (there are hundreds) so you can people watch in interesting areas.

And the Met is a must see - IMHO the greatest cultural institution in the western hemisphere. Go to the web site in advance and pick the few departments you want to see so you can maximize your time there (it would take a couple of days to see the whole thing).

For a broadway show you should get tickets now. If you want to see a hit go to the official ticket seller and order tickets to get the best selection of seats and prices. If you want one of the older shows go to broadwaybox.com to see which shows are offering discounts for your dates. Then take the discount code and order tickets now. You can get tickets at a discount at TKTS in Times Square - but it means standing on long lines and often fewer options for seats.

For Central Park go to the web site of the Central Park Conservancy. It has a complete map with all of the foot paths (almost all of the park is feet only) and decide which sights you want to see. Don;t miss Strawberry Fields. Also check into ranger walks which might interest you.

In 4.5 days you should be able to do everything on the list - plus explore some interesting neighborhoods in the evenings. Many have stores that stay open late (some until 11 or 12) as well as lots of sidewalk cafes. Take advantage of the unique things the city has to offer.

You have 2-1/2 days of sightseeing, so divide the attractions up as you please. You have the time to see everything on the list and more if you like busy days.

Forget HOHO buses. They'll just slow you down as you sit in traffic and roast. Buy a one-week Metro card even though you won't be in the city for a week and use it a lot. Make sure you're uptown on the 11th. Buy some Broadway tickets in advance (at a discount) to avoid having to stand in the TKTS line. It's your anniversary, so you might want to splurge on something really great like the King and I or the Book of Mormon. See two shows if you want, perhaps a play and a musical.

Your only difficulty will be the Statue of Liberty. As others have said, the Crown tickets may already be gone, and that's a particularly time-consuming trip, but it's worth it to see Ellis Island. The exhibits in the museum there have recently reopened.

With a short time, I'd actually skip the Metropolitan Museum since it's option for you. Instead, go the Frick, where you can see a small museum's worth of masterpieces in 2 hours with an included audio commentary. This might be a nice thing to do on the morning of the 11th.

And have some great meals. Your hotel is close to some excellent restaurants, including Marea, which is just down the street. There's also a Le Pain Quotidien near your hotel; it's a great place for breakfast.

Doug, how did you come up with 2-1/2 days? I count 4 full days plus day of arrival and day of departure.

Yes - they really have 4.5 days unless their plane is really late.

I meant they have enough activities to fill 2-1/2 days of time, giving them a little breathing room to adjust their schedules and see more if they choose. I wasn't commenting on the amount of time they have in the city to do sightseeing.

Agree about the Frick. We combined seeing the Frick with lunch at the Boathouse in Central Park.

If you have time, definitely walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Great vistas and great walking around Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO (Down Under the Brooklyn Manhattan Overpass) area. Really, DO IT!

Day 1: Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, The Statue of Liberty National Monument, Bronx Zoo and Comedy Cellar.

Day 2: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, St, Patrick’s Cathedral and the Times Square.

Day 3: Grant’s Tomb, Grand Army Plaza, Wall Street and Washington Square Arch.

Day 4: High Line, SOHO, Chelsea Market and Broadway Show.

Day 5: On the fifth day you can even head to the Coney Island or if you wish to cover the attractions left in the list you have mentioned.

I would suggest you to go through
http://www.justorbit.com/north-ameri...8/things_todo/ for all the information regarding things to do in the city.

Ridhima0099

You're kidding right?

Day One is simply an insane itinerary, if not impossible.

Day Three is also like a scavenger hunt.

Ridhima0099 -

Obviously you have never been to New York - or even seen a map.

Not only are you calling many things by the wrong name and listing places hardly any one would every go (Grant's Tomb????) but your itinerary has them bouncing around like a pong pong ball - never mind that Day 1 is at least 2 complete days of stuff. (SoL takes at least 5 or 6 hours and is located on islands in the harbor and the Bronx Zoo - which is at least an hour away on the subway - takes most of the day to see much of anything. And is not a major sight for an anniversary couple rather than a family with several kids.

OP, please ignore the above - it's not doable - even if for some weird reason you wanted to go to all of these places.

My trip report is old, but click on my name to see my NYC trip report to get some ideas for pacing yourself.

While visiting the High Line why not check out the new Whitney museum? It is located at the main entrance to the High Line in the meatpacking district.
Check out the web site to make sure the museum appeals to you. Also, while in this area there are many art galleries that I love to just walk in and out of and view unique art.
Good luck and enjoy our city!

I just want to THANK YOU ALL for taking the time to give me some great advice! I can't wait to visit NYC!

Please review this itinerary and let me know if it makes sense. Also, please answer questions listed on each day. Thank you,
9/10 Thursday - Arrival @ Hotel Ritz Carlton - Central Park around 3:30 pm

Walk along 5th Avenue and visit: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, NY Public Library, Empire State, Have dinner @ ???, Times Square after dinner

9/11 Friday - Central Park and lunch at Boathouse, Metropolitan Museum, Dinner @ ?? Broadway Show

9/12 Sat - Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island - 9:00 AM Ferry,
Question: Had Hart Tour - sounds interesting but it says 3 hours and don't know if this time is just for the tour or includes visit for the Statue and Ellis Island Museum. How much time do I need for each attraction? Don't care for the crown. Planing to buy tickets in advance.
9/11 Memorial and Museum and Brookling Bridge

Anniversary Dinner some place nice? Steak and wine but open to any suggestions. Please advise if we need reservations in advance.

9/13 Sunday - High Line, Chelsea Market, what else? Soho?

9/14 Monday - No idea what to do this day? Any neighborhoods? I would like to eat one day at Little Italy

Now please feel free to comment! Thank you!

For your anniversary dinner you need to provide a specific budget in $ and if that is for the entree or the whole meal.

Decent steaks are not cheap - and are you really sure you want a steakhouse (totally unromantic) for an anniversary dinner versus the plethora of other options in NYC?

Tickets for the SoL sell out far in advance - it may well be too late for your dates. The crown is definitely sold out and the base may be as well. Typically seeing the Sol/Ellis Island and the various ferries takes 5 to 6 hours. Be sure to arrive at least 45 minutes before our ferry time, since there is airline type security and lines to get on the ferry can be long even with tickets.

Thank you NY Traveler! Budget for dinner $250-300 no it doesn't have to be steaks.

Any suggestions for the last day?

If you like zoos then I would still recommend The Bronx Zoo. One of the best, even on an anniversary.

Little Italy ain't what it used to be. Mostly tourists. Try Chinatown right next to it.

I think your itinerary sounds good, but I also believe that you are probably out of luck with the special tours of the Statue of Liberty. They are most likely sold out already. Even morning ferry tickets may be hard to get this close to your travel dates. There's another thread here about a guided tour that includes a trip to the Statue. If you can't get a good time in the morning, I'd look into that. Normally, I would say it's an unneeded expense, but when you have limited time, paying is sometimes the best way to get what you want.

Buy your Broadway tickets now if you care about the play you see. Even if you don't, I'd avoid the TKTS line if you can. There are a lot of discounts available to plays that you can buy tickets for in advance. Or pay full price. But buy those tickets this week. Weekends almost always sell out for popular plays.

Similarly, most restaurants allow reservations about 30 days out, but some allow them farther. You always need a reservation in NYC at a nice restaurant for dinner, especially on weekends if the restaurant accepts them, and for popular restaurants if you don't make them 30 days in advance you'll be eating at 5 or 11, if at all. I make reservations everywhere I go from Thursday through Saturday, even little neighborhood restaurants, though sometimes only on the afternoon I want to eat there.

If steak is what you want, then almost every restaurant in NYC will offer it in some way or another. Contrary to nytraveler's advice, there are some very nice, elegant steakhouses and nicer restaurants that serve a good steak. BLT Steak, Charlie Palmer Steakhouse, and Porter House at the Time-Warner Center are pretty elegant, and most upscale restaurants have a steak on the menu. But what nytraveler says about costs is very important to keep in mind. A good steak in NYC costs about $40, and it comes with nothing. Nada. No salad, no sides, nothing. Those typically cost $10 to $15 each extra. There are plenty of mid-range restaurants that are much cheaper. All French bistros, for example, will have a steak frites on the menu and will usually come with sides, but good meat is expensive, and you should not expect to pay less than $30 for a good steak.

Please don't eat in Little Italy unless you want to go to Parm. It's expensive and hard to get a table, but good. Most other restaurants are less than mediocre. There is excellent Italian food in NYC, just not in Little Italy. For the red sauce experience, go to Tony's di Napoli (and make reservations at least a week in advance).

SoHo makes sense in combination with the Highline, especially if you want to do some expensive designer shopping. If not, then walk north rather than south, and end your trip at Chelsea Market, and then move on to a different neighborhood.

>>There's another thread here about a guided tour that includes a trip to the Statue. If you can't get a good time in the morning, I'd look into that. Normally, I would say it's an unneeded expense, but when you have limited time, paying is sometimes the best way to get what you want.<<

That is my thread, and this is exactly why we chose that option. Going on our own, we wouldn't have been able to get on the ferry until 11:00, which didn't leave us enough time to see anything and still make our flight home.

If you're interested, here is the thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-thumbs-up.cfm

Lee Ann

Thanks, Lee Ann. I had read that and couldn't remember who the author was. I always forget about the guided tours, mostly because I don't like them, but they can be a godsend when you're visiting a particularly busy spot. I did something similar at the Vatican Museum. As expensive as all get-out, but worth it in the end because my first experience in the Sistine Chapel was quite ruined by the crowds.

"restaurants if you don't make them 30 days in advance you'll be eating at 5 or 11 if at all". Say what?