We will be getting to the hotel(Holiday Inn 57th) at approx 3pm on 8/29. What should we do for the rest of that day? We are only a couple of blocks from Central Park so was thinking of just walking and looking, then dinner somewhere and maybe Staten Island Ferry that night? It will be my girls first time in this big city and want it to be fun. Probably go to Times Square on the way back to hotel. Would like to have a decent family level dinner somewhere relaxed that doesn't break the bank on our first night in the city. Anything within walking distance of our hotel/CP/or toward ferry?

Day 2 Breakfast? Take subway to South St Seaport area to go to TKTS booth. Then walk all over whole southern area, Chinatown etc eating as we go then eat dinner early before theater. Want to see Mamma Mia or Mary Poppins. (10 year old) What about dessert afterward anywhere between theatre and hotel? Or buy cheesecake and have in room?

Day 3 Brooklyn - visit friend in AM and have lunch. Afternoon, Botanical garden. Dinner somewhere on brooklyn side? Walk back across Bridge. Could also do Brooklyn TKTS if we didn't get any tickets day 2??

Day 4 Metropolitan Museum - afternoon in case it's hot. What else? Is there anywhere we can get some view without the expensive tickets to ESB or TOR? Our hotel has rooftop pool, view could be ok? Better dinner for last night?

Thanks for always answering my endless questions!!

"Anything within walking distance of our hotel/CP/or toward ferry?"

Hundreds, if not thousands. Without budget or cuisine constraints/preferences, recommendations are not easy.

I would put the Staten Island ferry with your downtown trip unless your purpose is to do it at sundown.

I would put Central Park with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Visiting Greenwich Village and/or SoHO might be nice for the first afternoon/evening.

In Central Park you might do the CP Zoo, and if you join as a family you will get the magazine for the next year and if you come back free admittance to the Zoo (and the Bronx Zoo).

Instead of the Met on day 4 you might do the Museum of Natural History. All kids love that museum, lots of great exhibits including the dinos, very kid friendly.

If you are up for a bit of an adventure, you might head up my way to The Cloisters, take the A train to 191st St and walk up through Ft. Tryon Park to The Cloister, part of the Met and the views up there are breathtaking, you have no idea you are still in NYC.

Also for your visit to CP there is a Victorian Circus right now where the Woolman Rink is located, with rides and games, food just the kind of stuff kids love.

Have a fun time while you are here.

<What about dessert afterward anywhere between theatre and hotel? Or buy cheesecake and have in room?>
This made me laugh because that's exactly what my SO and I have done after a show, get slices at Junior's to take back to the room! It worked for us...
http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/our.../times_square/

I didn't mean to be too vague about our first night dinner. I just think it will be a hectic day getting in from upstate and getting settled. We love pizza, italian and chinese. Burgers would be fine. Also forgot we want to see Grand Central. Want to go to the Met to see all the biblical history items. We could do ferry after the Brooklyn day.

You might want to check out BroadwayBox.com for discount theater tickets. Both of the shows you mentioned should be on sale when you are here.

You can print out the discount coupon beforehand and bring it right to the Box Office to save on "service fees". If you're going to be in the Times Sq. area on your first night, you can purchase your tickets then, and avoid a special trip to the South St. Seaport.

P.S. Mamma Mia is a fun show - much better than the movie - but Mary Poppins is probably more appropriate for a 10 year old.

Mamma Mia tickets discount doesn't start until 9/5. Price would be $70 to $85. What could we expect at TKTS? Also Mary Poppins is offering orchestra and front mezz for $72. What does everyone think?

Also, I know meals are expensive in NYC so I'm not setting any definite budget. Probably one night we might go big but others would prefer to keep it low within reasonable limit. How much for pizza for 4? Or decent but not extravagant Italian?

I think Your arrival day itinerary is good. Take it easy at first, dinner, sights. A good way to start.
Day 2 is good as well.
Might come back to city for dinner on day 3.
Agree museum of nat history better for kids.

I loved Momma Mia movie. Thought play was eh. Agree Mary Poopins better for the little one.

Definitely get discount tickets in advance via broadwaybox.com - let's you pick better seats and make sure everyone can sit together. (Going to the seaport IMHO is a waste of your limited time.)

I think either the Met or Natural History can be wonderful - but not sure what biblical things you are talking about in the Met. Naturally there are a lot of renaissance and earlier paintings with biblical themes - but i wouldn't call it biblical history. For me Nat Hist is much better for kids - with the incredible dinos exhibit, gems and minerals and the wonderful human evolution exhibit.

Nice mid priced Italian not too far from your hotel is the Trattoria Del'Arte - with the giant nose (statue) in the window. Many of the servers are out of work b'way actors and you can sometimes get interesting accent or personas that they are trying out. Kind of loud but fun and good food. Got to menupages,com to find what you are looking for anywhere inn the city - searchable by cuisine and neighborhood - and with actual menus with prices.

The best you will do at the TKTS booth is 50% discount plus the service charge is they have the tickets that weekend, which is a holiday weekend. From the TKTS website: "All locations sell tickets at 50%, 40%, 30% and 20% off full price (plus a $4.00 per ticket service charge, which helps support other TDF services and programs. Additional non-TDF charges may apply). Availability and ticket inventory change throughout the day and at the discretion of individual productions." Perhaps someone else will know what discount is being offered for your shows at TKTS these days.

I prefer to think of my vacation time as being worth money and will weigh discount against wasted time. Do you want to spend your time on two different days of your vacation standing in a line or making a special trip to South Street or Times Square to buy tickets? How much money do you need to save to make this ticket-butying time worthwhile?

"Also, I know meals are expensive in NYC so I'm not setting any definite budget. Probably one night we might go big but others would prefer to keep it low within reasonable limit. How much for pizza for 4? Or decent but not extravagant Italian?"

You are using very subjective terms which makes it difficult for us to offer the best advice. Your idea of "decent" and "not extravagant" may not match ours. Prices vary based on quality, neighborhood, and what the market will bear. If I walk out of my East Village apartment, I can pay $5 for two slices of pizza and a soda at the corner and be totally satisfied. I also enjoy a personal pizza at Motorino and a glass of wine, which would total closer to $30 with tax and tip.

I understand that you don't want to set a budget because you know prices in NYC are high, but give us a hint, such as "At home we would pay $15 for our main course, so in NYC we would be ready to pay $20. For our splurge we are ready to pay $30, but no way would we ever pay $40." So far we now you like Italian food and pizza. Any particular kind of Italian food? Any other food that interests you?

The Metropolitan Museum has a roof garden that would offer you a nice view over Central Park during your visit. Your hotel is somewhat surrounded by other tall buildings, so it might not offer the best view, though it might be fine depending on your interests.

I visited Top of the Rock with my nine-year-old nephew last week and he really loved it. He also loved the off-broadway show, Blue Man Group.

I should spellcheck. "So far we Know you . . ." the most agregious . . .

Is it egregious to spell egregious incorrectly?

First night, I'd hop the subway to Greenwich Village, have pizza at Keste and gelato at Grom, and generally just hang out on Bleecker Street, Washington Square and environs.

Just returned from a week in NY with my 16-year old daughter. Here are my thoughts.
I second the Top of the Rock if the weather is clear. My daughter loved the NBC studio tour before hand (reservation needed) and then a trip up to the roof for unbelievable 360 degree views.
We just saw Peter and the Starcatcher and LOVED it. It's the story of Peter Pan and his lost boys, Wendy, etc. before the familiar Peter Pan story we all know. You may want to consider this show when seeking tickets, too. The theater is small and even the cheaper seats afford good views.
The Met is awesome and the rooftop views are fabulous. Get a free ticket to go into the Cloud City exhibit that is currently there. I also recommend you do the Met and Central Park the same day. It is a lot of walking so be prepared but you can always find a green space to sit and rest while people watching. My daughter and I enjoyed the Met much more than the Museum of Natural History.
SoHo is fun for shopping. Not sure of your budget but there is a Forever 21 which is always affordable.
We saw an Ebay commercial being filmed in SoHo and in Greenwich Village we came upon Blake Lively and a Gossip Girl scene being filmed. My daughter loved both.
The South Street Seaport is a waste of time. There are other tckts booths you can go to.
Definitely walk back into Manhatten across the Brooklyn Bridge. That was great fun.
Wish you the best. Set loose plans and enjoy your time there!

You can get a pizza at John's on 44th Street (excellent unless you want to go to the original on Bleecker Street) and shared salads and drinks or about $60, or slightly more if you want a glass of wine or beer. The pizza, for example, is just $16.50 not including toppings. You can get a great pizza at an even better place for around $26 or $28 dollars.

But that's about as cheap as a real dinner for 4 gets in NYC (i.e, about $15 per person). Dinner at Trattoria del Arte, which nytraveler considers "mid-priced" and which I consider relatively expensive, would cost about $40 per PERSON (they have a minimum of $25 per person). YBut they do make wonderful pizza.

As a mid-priced Italian restaurant, I'd recommend Tony's di Napoli. It's a family-style restaurant, so while most dishes seem expensive, they are large and meant for sharing. You can eat there if you are careful for about $30 per person. My guess is that you will consider that your splurge meal.

Hamburgers at Five Napkin Burger (definitely make a reservation) cost about $12 per person, not including drinks.

In general, I consider $20 per person a fairly inexpensive meal in NYC, so I'm not sure what your price point is. More information and feedback from you would help. Obviously, you can eat fast food much cheaper, and there are plenty of cheaper places on 9th Avenue near your hotel, in the East Village, and in any residential neighborhood.

Aduchamp has a long list of reasonably priced restaurants around Manhattan. Search for that.

There is a Mamma Mia discount currently in effect, which expires on 9/3. The new one starts on 9/5. BroadwayBox works that way - they give offers for limited time periods, then renew them.
But again, Mamma Mia is not really appropriate for a
10 year old so you're probably better off with Mary Poppins.

Puttanesca, on 9th Ave. in the mid 50's is a pleasant, reasonably priced Italian restaurant near your hotel. The food and service have always been very good anytime I've been there. Check out the menu on Opentable.com

We are only a couple of blocks from Central Park so was thinking of just walking and looking

Keep in mind, you will be four blocks - two of which are long avenue blocks - from the very corner of Central Park. You are the same distance to the nearest subway (at Columbus Circle). With kids and taking into consideration factors like pedestrian traffic and stop lights, this is probably a 15 minute walk.

Being at 57th Street close to 9th Avenue, you are at the north end of Hell's Kitchen - and not far from a lot of good inexpensive eateries.
- Vynl would be a fun place for your first dinner (9th Ave betw 50/51), both for the upscale diner menu and the Barbie-themed kitch.
- Renaissance is a good diner not far from you. Georgio's Country Kitchen is better, but also pricier (and Renaissance is fine).
- For a breakfast worth a walk, Amy's Bread (9th Ave betw 46/47) is a must - you'd then be very close to the Times Square subway entrance at 44th/8th Ave.
- Chinese in the area isn't particularly noteworthy, but the Thai is cheap, plentiful and good. There are "chains" local to this neighborhood; look for any Wondee or Yum Yum branch. My favorite is Pam Real Thai, especially the original location on 49th just west of 9th Ave.
- For non-chain burgers, go to cute, tiny Island Burgers & Shakes, also on 9th Ave. A massive list of options to go with your burger, or grilled chicken if you prefer.

The site menupages.com is an excellent resource for restaurant details and user reviews.

// As for the Met, my sister loves medieval and renaissance biblical art and has really enjoyed the collection there. My niece, however, has always been nuts about Egyptology, so a trip through that section culminating in the Temple of Dendur is a must. For my nephew, it's the Japanese courtyard with the real koi in a little pool in the corner. Since the museum has at least a little bit of *everything*, take a look online at the offerings so each of you can get a glimpse of something you like: metmuseum.org

The lower-level cafeteria is a good meal option in the area, as there's not a lot in the immediate vicinity of the museum. (There are smaller cafes scattered about the museum, but without as many kid-friendly options as the main cafeteria.)

If your kids like Alice in Wonderland, be sure to stop at the large sculpture in Central Park a little south of the Met.

// On your Brooklyn day, there are a number of eateries in DUMBO before your walk over the bridge. I'm not a huge fan of Bubby's, but mostly because it's so kid-friendly! Also nearby at the edge of Brooklyn Heights is Noodle Pudding. You'd never guess from the name but this is a good Italian restaurant (though I wouldn't put it in the inexpensive category).

On Water Street in DUMBO, hit up one of the shops in the Jacques Torres empire (chocolaterie, ice cream shop, and/or the patisserie Almondine) for a sweet treat: mrchocolate.com

The Seaport TKTS is so much easier to use than the TS booth. The line is always shorter, and you can get tickets (or not depending on what's available) and then head over to Chinatown and up toward Little Italy then SoHo and The Village.

Or from there you could walk over to the Wall St area, see the memorial to 9/11 and the new buldings and make sure you stop by St. Paul's Chapel which is where the responders slept and ate for weeks after. There are marks in the pews from the heavy boots they wore.

There's also the graveyard around Trinity Church with several well known early Americans, a nice history lesson.

Also from there you could walk over to Century 21 for some shopping (don't try and do it around noon, the crush of people is really bad).

2 good hints, get a good map of the city so you can figure out where you are and what subway to take. Also pick up a Zagat guide on restaurants so whereever you are, there's a good restaurant close by.

To get the kids excited, you might pick up a book on NY and ask what they would like to see, get them involved in the planning, makes it easier to get them onboard with running around.

Hi, Oregonmom,

We did a trip this summer with our kids (16, boy; 14, girl; & 11, boy) to New York and DC. Working on my trip report but I'll try to give a few thoughts for now:

Your first afternoon, you might enjoy going to Grand Central Terminal. It's a beautiful building inside, the largest Apple Store in the world is on the balcony and just a gorgeous setting (a tip from Fodorites). We had already had dinner, so just got a cupcake from the famous Magnolia Bakery. But I think you'd have fun eating dinner there--all the food stands looked really yummy and they were not national chains. (Similar vibe to the Ferry Building in San Francisco.) GCT also has a little shopping.

I'd strongly recommend going to Central Park early in the day, whichever day you choose. We are also from the West Coast and it just doesn't get as hot or humid here; the park was far more enjoyable in morning. I'd pair it with either ANH or the Met.

I know you are going to Brooklyn on the Friday you are there. But given that you mentioned saving money where possible, I thought I'd mention that on Fridays you have several options:
MOMA is free from 4-8 pm, the Morgan Library is free in the evenings as well. And while it is not free, you also can go to the Met until 9 pm (although the Cloisters branch closes earlier).

Travelzoo.com occasionally has great sales on a Broadway show or two, and I saw Mary Poppins twice at least for about $50/ticket. You have to join their newsletter.

I got some good answers on this thread before our trip:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...older-kids.cfm