NYC Jan. 19-21--help?!?!
 

1st time trip to NYC for 2 40ish moms (without kids!!). Recommendations for itinerary and what to do/not to do this time of year, broadway shows, etc. FYI, arrive LGA 8:30 a.m. Fri., depart Sun. 2:30 p.m. Staying in Time Square.

Thank you!!

Hi mtrafica, congratulations on your upcoming visit to NYC.

Have you read Fodor's destination guide on NYC yet? It might help you familiarize yourself with your options and determine what's most appealing.

Truthfully, there are so many varied things to do in the big apple that we need to know more what you have in mind and then can help you better.

Good luck!

For discount show tickets go to Brodwaybox.com now. They have codes for shows that are discounting and you take those to the ticket site - to get better seats (and waste less time) than waiting until you get here and stand on line at TKTS. Or - if you really WANT to see one of the hits - see if you can find anything available (VERY unlikely on a weekend).

For first timers I reco going to the Met (go to web site in advance to pick a few departments - the entire meuseum would take 2/3 days), the Ellis Island Immigration Museum (and ferry to see SOL) and MoMA (if you like modern art).

Stroll Fifth Avenue and explore at least one real neighborhood - upper west side, chelsea, the village - to see where locals shop and eat. (Times Square is ghastly - loud, garish, frantic with teen tour groups - and NYCers avoid it exept for the theater).

If you tell us of your interests people can make specific recos.

Well, since it's our 1st time we'll want to see some tourist attractions(although weather may play a part is our decisions):
-statue of liberty
-empire state bldg and/or top of rock
-world trade ctr. site
-Metro. Musuem.
-St. Pat's
-Broadway show (???--I've heard Grey Gardens is good--any other suggestions?)
-SHOPPING (no kids, no husbands--a given!)

Any restaurant recommendations (friend doesn't eat meat, nor does she like sushi)?

We were also thinking about trying for SNL tix. I know, I know!?!

We'd love any suggestions!

Grey Gardens is excellent.
Check out SeasonofSavings.com for discounts o 17 Broadway shows as well as for the Top of the Rock.
With just a little over the equivalent of two days, you really have to plan your time wisely.....and probably have to priorize what you want to see.
For example, in the interest of saving time, I'd recommend the Top of the Rock over the top of the Empire State Building. The latter is much less crowded and the wait is is minimal to non-existant.
If you decide to go to the Metropolitan Museum (and I think you should), I would recommend getting there on Saturday morning when it opens at 9:30...much less crowded and, thus, easier to move around.

I read somewhere that the Met has a highlights tour--recommend?

Yes, it is a good tour. Before deciding on it, however, the question would be: Are there any specific types of art, schools of art, etc., that really interest you? The Met has many, many marvelous collections, and you might prefer to spend all your time in these areas of the museum. Based on the shortness of your visit, I would assume that you'll probably only spend 2-3 hours there.

Just curious - what are your expectations for a Broadway show? Christine Ebersol is good in Grey Gardens, but its not a typical Broadway musical production. Its a rather eccentric story. No chorus line or snappy customs, etc. Below is the link to an in-depth review. Since its your first trip to NY, just wondering if this is the best choice.

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/grey4071.htm

While Grey Gardens is hardly to everyone's liking, the above-cited review is far from the typical critiques of the show, which got mostly favorable reviews. Hell, Christine Ebersole's performance alone is more than worth the time and money spent.
Still, TC does have a point since the this is the OP's first NY visit and Grey Gardens would seem to be a strange choice for her first experience.
So, OP, tell us what you interests are and we'll recommend a "more appropriate" show.

What do you recommend TC? Something fun and on the "girl-night out" side.

"fraid I disagree w/Howard re Grey Gardens altho the staging & Ebersole's ability to wind scarves
is excellent.
The Apple Tree, however, was very
enjoyable. Go to: www.theatermania.com
for 35%-off tickets if you wish to
see this musical. If you are still in NYC on 1/21 the 7:30 performance
is a Buy 1, Get 1.

Rhea, we do agree that Grey Gardens should not the be the choice for someone's first Broadway experience.
For that situation, I'd recommend something big and splashy, like, say, Phantom of the Opera!

PS: I don't think The Apple Tree should be the choice for a person's first Broadway experience either.

Two 40ish women? Fun show? Mama Mia if you haven't seen it yet.

Mama Mia was definitely my first thought for a broadway show with lots of great girl fun!

Thanks everyone for all of the info.

Regarding the Broadway shows, big, splashy and "girly" sounds great--but we've both already seen Mamma Mia and Phantom a couple of times (of course, not in NYC). Wicked? Hairspray? Chorus Line?

I think you'll like Hairspray. It is a lot of fun.

Your best chance for tickets at this late date is Hairspray (which is great fun, by the way). And, there are discount tickets available. Check these three sites:
www.broadwaybox.com
www.playbill.com
SeasonofSavings.com
The other two shows are sold out. And weekends are especially difficult.
My suggestion would be to print out a hard copy of the discount offer and take it to the box office as soon as you get to the city. That'll save you the carrying charges which you'd pay when ordering by phone or online.

It's so hard to rec a broadway show b/c everyone has their own take on them - while I enjoyed Wicked, it would not be my first choice for a show with other girlfriends and in the age bracket mentioned (I am early 50's and have done some shows during girlfriend weekends in the city over the years) - if you really want to come out on a 'high' with memorable music, etc - in the vein of a Mama Mia experience - I would vote for Hairspray over Wicked, or Spamalot if you want to laugh a lot - and it ends on such a high upbeat note too - but you have to enjoy sight gags and silliness -

another good site with lots of info and links for theater tix is the frugal theater goer web site:

http://home.nyc.rr.com/frugaltheatergoe/

I agree with NYtraveler that I would definitely visit the MET for a few hours, and go online and get familiar with the museum so perhaps you can chart out what you want to see most before arriving - then walk thru Central Park if weather permits, you can look at the park and attractions online and see if any appeal to you, but I love walking down towards Fifth and especially by the fortress and through Literary Walk -

two good sites are
centralpark.com
and centralparknyc.org

the first has a great map and you might see what would interest you or not. There is also some walking guide for 'movies shot in central park' if that interests your group

Then when you hit Fifth, you can walk the area of fifth, madison, etc and see some great stores to shop in that area -

I would also rec going down to Soho, we love doing that when we are with a group of gals who love to shop - and eat ! We always find some interesting earrings, scarves, shawls, funky accessories on our walks through there - if you do a search online for Soho shopping, there are many sites with maps and info

You might want to print out a general map of nyc or get a guide book as suggested, and even take a pre look at the subway if you would use that - we find it easy to navigate and a quick way to get back and forth from the times sq area to soho, or if you decide to go down to the east village or west village for dinner if you don't want to take taxis.

For restaurants, you can also look at menupages.com and opentable.com and view menus to see if it fits the bill for food choices and prices - and even make your reservations online before coming if you want to do that.

Not knowing your price ranges, but restaurants my girlfriends and I have enjoyed in a group are
China Grill, Trattoria dell'arte, Marseilles, Osteria al Doge and Roberto Passon. From a great rec from another fodor, we just had a wonderful brunch at Brasserie 8 1/2 -

We also enjoy the breakfast at Maison on 54th and Broadway with fresh beignets and delicious breakfast options -it is also open 24 hours for late night snacking - it is part of this group of restaurants, and we have eaten at several and not been disappointed for breakfast or late night
http://www.tourdefrancenyc.com/

Aside from shows, in the evening Top of the Rock, which I would also as I think Howard suggested, choose over Empire State Bldng if I had to choose one - and perhaps a comedy club if you are loooking for something one night,, which has always brought a few laughs when we're in a group

If you don't end up fitting in the time for Ellis Island, the tenement museum on the lower east side is a wonderful alternative - they ahve a short 25 minute film on immigration and great one hour tours of a tenement building on Orchard St - we recently enjoyed the Confino Living History tour,, and then we walked easily from there to Soho for shopping and lunch. It gives you a great feel for that time in history without taking so much time out of your day b/c I feel to do Ellis correctly, you need to leave a fair amount of time - but that depends on what personally is more important to you when you make narrow down your choices.
tenement.org

If you plug things like "soho, shopping, nyc" into the search bar here , you will see lots of threads on ideas of where to shop - here is one with some grat links to stores and marketplaces:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34889784

I definitely agree with going to at least one other neighborhood and not staying in times square any more than you have to - whether you choose soho, nolita area or east or west village - and if you go to the west village, don't walk by Magnolia's Bakery- at least eat one cupcake from there ! or bring a box back to your room for later :)

First trip to NY...first Broadway show...??? I agree, something big and splashy and a lot of fun. Those that come to mind, that you might be able to get tickets for are:

Hairspray (very funny)

Les Miz (great, but serious)

Spamalot (hysterically funny slapstick)

The Color Purple (did you read the book or see the movie? - like a condensed version of the movie with music)

The Drowsy Chaperone (very funny, I've seen it twice)

I don't think you can get tickets for Wicked or (dare I say) The Lion King. Both are amazing costumes, sets and showmanship. I think Chorus Line is sold out as well. Although if you want to see these, you can try for tickets at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Here you will pay twice face value for house seats (center orchestra right down front), with the "second half" of the ticket price as a donation to the AIDS Foundation. Better seats and a better cause than buying from ticket brokers.

http://broadwaycares.stores.yahoo.net/caretix.html