Rhea58: I was looking for something EXACTLY like that! We did the "free" walks in Paris. They were amazing and just the right amount of time. I booked the one for Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy for Thursday morning. (Day 2)

2005: Thank you for the link to your previous thread. You are absolutely correct about ellenem's logical listing. It's exactly what I needed.

Ellenem: THANK YOU FOR THIS! It's just what I was hoping to find. I agree with you on the Tenement Museum. I've been on a previous trip and it was wonderful. I think we're going to pass on this trip though and spend some time in the Federal Hall Museum when we're downtown. My husband loves US history, and I think he's enjoy a few of the exhibits there. I've never been, so it's a win/win. I've made a few modifications to the original itinerary. If you don't mind, please take a look at the "new" one and make suggestions for improvement. Thank you. Also, we have scheduled a 2 hour walking tour of Soho, Chinatown, and Little Italy. It was a difficult choice between that and Greenwich Village. Any insight as to which would be more interesting? I chose the first because of the variety of areas, but it's not too late to change.

Revised Itinerary

ARRIVAL DAY, Tues.: Arrive Newark 4:00 pm; get to the city; check into hotel located near Times Square. Head to Rockefeller Center, grab a quick dinner on the way and make the Top for sunset (7:30-ish?). Enjoy the view. While in the area, we'll see Radio City Music Hall (exterior for photo op)and St Patrick's Cathedral (limited with renovations in progress).

Need dinner suggestions. We'll be coming from the 8th Ave. and 51st area.

DAY 1, Wed.:
Ellis Island
Statue of Liberty
Lunch
Downtown area including: Wall Street, Federal Hall National Memorial, and Trinity Church
3:30 ticket(not purchased, can change time)9/11 Memorial/WTC
Then City Hall Park, Foley Square to see Supreme Ct. Bldg, and 1 Police Plaza
Back to hotel and freshen up for dinner OR maybe walk Brooklyn Bridge and have dinner there? Where? Suggestions, but not Grimaldi's. We have one!


DAY 2, Thurs.:
10-12: Walking Tour of Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy - www.freetoursbyfoot.com/new-york-tours/
China Town - Lunch at Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles and wander Chinatown a bit.
Subway to Herald Square – Macy’s and 34th St. shopping
4:00 - Be back at hotel to freshen and change
5:30 - Early Dinner
7:30 - Musical, tickets purchased

If we walk back to the hotel this afternoon, what is the more interesting route to take to get to 51st St.? Ave. of the Americas, 7th or 8th Avenue?

DAY 3, Fri.:
Library and Grand Central Station (See Whispering Gallery!)
Subway to Greenwich Village for exploring and lunch.
Subway to a good starting point for walking 5th Ave. North to Central Park for shopping. (Suggestions for a starting point?)
Bloomingdales, Central Park and Plaza Hotel

DAY 4, Sat.: Morning Departure

My main concern is that the BBridge on Day 1 will be too much in one day. Thoughts on this and if/where to move it? Also, layout on Day 3 has back-tracking, but we want to be in GV for lunch, and I'm not sure there would be enough time to see the library and GCS in the afternoon given the other things on that day. Suggestions on rearranging welcome.

While, it probably makes more sense to do Chinatown and GV on the same day, we want to eat lunch in both places so we need to do them on different days to avoid back-tracking.

Thank you again for your input and help!

When we were there in 2010, we walked the Brooklyn Bridge. Suggestion is to walk from the Brooklyn side towards Manhattan so that you are looking towards the city. Also, we walked it about a third of the way (maybe less?)and figured that we had gotten the effect - we didn't need to walk the entire thing. So we backtracked.

Hopefully, it will be warmer by then. If it is cold, or wet, or windy, I don't think it would be fun at all.

Agreed! The weather has to be right. I've walked it with my daughter and know DH would enjoy it as well if the conditions are right.

Notice no one has mentioned waking the Hi line - you might want to consider that.

What do you hope to find in Greenwich Village? it is a large area with different neighborhoods. Knowing what you hope to see there will help us consider how you would travel back to midtown.

I would tend to spend the morning in the Village and then trael to Grand Central and the Library and work your way north.

DAY 3, Fri.:
Subway to Greenwich Village for exploring and lunch.
Subway to Library and Grand Central
Walk Fifth Ave. north to Central Park for shopping.
Bloomingdales, Central Park and Plaza Hotel

nyt - Would love to walk the Hi Line, but I'm not sure that everything we want to do now will fit. I'm reluctant to add an additional activity to the mix.

Ellenem - In the Village, I'm interested in walking a few of the pretty residential streets - 10th from 5th Ave. to Waverly Pl.; seeing the Huxtable home from the Cosby Show on St. Luke's; and discovering unique food shops and music shops - maybe Bleecker around 6th and 7th Aves.? I've done all of this on different occasions, but I need advice (or a map, but many times advice is better) on the most logical way to meander through.

On your suggested Day 3, after lunch will there be adequate time to do the remaining things? I don't expect to do extensive shopping except maybe in Bloomingdales where I may spend as long as an hour or so, but they're open until 10, so that shouldn't be an issue. I have good shopping where I live, and I don't really want to drag DH through the stores! I'll save that for my next trip with DD. =)

Two places in the Village you may like.

Caffe Reggio on McDougal St. This is the oldest coffee house in the Village - it has been there since 1924. The interior still has that old bohemian atmosphere that the Village was known for, I don't think it has changed since I frequented the place in my HS and college days some 50 years ago. See what a real old time coffee house looks like, there are not many left. I always make it a stop when in NY for a cappuccino, pastry and memories. They also now serve light meals.

McSorley's Old Ale House in the East Village "We were here before you were born" and since Abraham Lincoln, US Grant and Teddy Roosevelt went there, I am sure that is true. Another place with loads of atmosphere and a fine picture opportunity on the outside. Sadly, they no longer make there own ale which was wonderful. Now, just average. Try their cheese plate (with raw onions if you like) and a pint. It is the oldest continuously operating place of its kind in the city.

oops! there = their

Your most welcome Darlenef17.

If you do walk the Highline you might want to get off for a bit
& explore http://www.chelseamarket.com which runs a whole
block 15-16 Streets and find a spot there for lunch or just browse the shops.

Basing - Caffe Reggio is right up my alley! I will definitely be stopping in there. Thanks for the tip!!

Rhea - We probably won't do the High Line, but I'd love to work in a walk through of Chelsea Market. It looks wonderful.

Thank you both for the great suggestions.

We walked the High Line last year, I think. It was nice, but not a "must do." Walking Central Park is both more iconic and interesting. It was not too far from our hotel.

If your husband is interested in architecture then a visit to The Highline would interest him. There's a Frank Gehry across from the Chelsea Piers, just one example.

I think I've more or less gotten our plans worked out. Still working on the most logical way to navigate through Greenwich Village and Central Park, but that will work itself out.

I don't know if I should start a new thread for this or not, but I'm going to try to piggy back on the original.

I'd love suggestions on your favorite place to have dessert after the theater. In the theater/TS area, please!

Thank you.

For your Brooklyn Bridge walk, I'd recommend that you take the subway over to Brooklyn and then walk back. (It will save you time, as compared with walking back and forth, and your walk will then be focused on the Manhattan skyline.) On the Brooklyn side, you could explore the area around Brooklyn Bridge Park (maybe grab a bite to eat) before walking back to Manhattan (or just do a quick trip on subway and then start walking back immediately if you're pressed for time).

frogoutofwater: That's the plan! We're going to subway over to Brooklyn, have a late lunch in DUMBO, and walk back. Do you happen to know if that amazing bakery has reopened? I'd love to get dessert there. I heard that it was closed after Sandy. =( I think the name is Almond Bakery or something very close to that.