traveler2005

I am visiting NYC this fall with a group of 6 friends. We will arrive on a Thursday and some will leave on Monday. Others will leave on Wednesday. We are putting together a list of things that we would like to do and see when we are there. Glancing at our list, I think that some of the things could be grouped so that it might be more doable than it looks at first glance.

Am. Museum of Nat'l History
Broadway Musical
Brooklyn Bridge
Central Park
Empire State Building
FAO Schwarz
“Good Morning America” type shows
5th Ave.
Ground Zero
Guggenheim Museum
Lincoln Center
NY Public Library
Rockefeller Center
Statue of Liberty
6th Ave. Flea Market (Saturdays)
Tiffany's
Times Square
Union Station

tour ideas:
Walking tour - realnewyorktours.com
NBC tour
Movie tour – www.screentours.com.
Central Park walking tour

Can someone give me advice on what we could group together? We know that this might be too much to do in one trip, but it's our starting point.

Any suggestions or comments are welcome.

bachslunch

Several good things to do on your list. Your best bet for doing groupings that make sense would be to dig up a guidebook map for the city and see what's near each other.

Frommer's website has such maps from their books online.

travelbuff

Sounds like you are going to have a very busy weekend. First thing I'd recommend is that you get a book or two on NYC so you have some ideas of where things are located and decide what is on your priority list and secondary list.

You are right that alot of the tourist sites are pretty close to each other, within walking distance like the ESB and the Public library. Also lots of shopping inbetween in that area.

Also use this site as a good research tool, NYC has been tagged over and over and over, so there is already lots of good info here.

If you want to see a particular show one of the more popular, get tickets in advance from ticketmaster.com. The really popular shows will NOT have discount tickets. If you just want to see a great show and get discounted tickets try the TKTS.org website just before you get here, so you can see what shows are available for discounted tickets. The TKTS booth at the South St. Seaport will also save you ALOT of time, go down, get the tickets (almost no lines there and it opens at 10am) and then head up to Chinatown for Dim Sum.

Most the Museums you mentioned are on the upper east side and several are within walking distance liket the Guggenheim and the Met. That area of the city on 5th Ave is often referred to as Museum Mile or Museum Row. Check the Met website so you have some ideas of what you want to see, as seeing the whole museum will take weeks if not months.

Hope this helps and have a great time while you are here.

HappyTrvlr

I would include The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMa for sure.Do "Top of the Rock" if you do the NBC Studio Tour as it's in the same building.
I only go to the Museum of Natural History when I have kids along.
DimSum in Chinatown.

mclaurie

Am Mus. of Nat. Hist. /Central Park
but if you're interested in art, the Met is a MUST and more important than the Guggenheim. Met & Guggenheim are not far from each other on the east side of the park while AMNH is on the west side of the park.

NY Public Library/Today Show/Fifth Ave/Rockefeller Center/Top of the Rock/FAO Schwarz/Tiffany's/Morning Show

Good Morning American/Times Square/Broadway Musical

Statue of Liberty/Ground Zero

6th ave flea market (not what it once was)/Empire State

We don't have a Union station. Perhaps you mean Grand Central Station?

You might want to consider an overview tour like kingofnyc.com

Aduchamp1

A couple of suggestions

Agree that not everyone has to do everything with everybody. This includes restaurants and rest periods

Decide how to split the money. There is always one person who drinks more than the others and orders every course on the menu.

I assume you mean Union Square not Union Station, since NY does not have one. That should be visited on Friday and Staurday when the farmner's market is in full swing.

Otherwise try to avoid the most popular places on the weekend.

azzure

Here is your list, with areas/a few suggestions added:

Am. Museum of Nat'l History - Upper West Side
Broadway Musical - Midtown west
Brooklyn Bridge - Downtown
Central Park - Uptown
Empire State Building - Midtown
FAO Schwarz - Midtown
“Good Morning America” type shows - depends. The Today show crowd is in Rockefeller Plaza - midtown.
5th Ave. - A long, long street. Shopping mostly mid-town.
Ground Zero - downtown
Guggenheim Museum - midtown
Lincoln Center - upper west side
NY Public Library - midtown
Rockefeller Center - midtown
Statue of Liberty - downtown
6th Ave. Flea Market (Saturdays)- not sure where this is
Tiffany's - midtown (but close to Central Park)
Times Square - midtown west
Union Station - I'm sure you mean Grand Central - midtown.

Hope this helps with your initial grouping of sites. One more opinion -- unless someone is a huge SNL fan, the NBC tour is not that interesting.

travelbuff

I forgot to mention that the flea markets on 6th are gone, replaced by shinning condo and large apartment buildings. There are still 2 operating off 6th, "The Garage" W 24th between 6th and 7th, 2 large floors of a garage, alot of vendors but not alot of bargins anymore. The other is off 6th in a parking lot at 25th, again, lots of "stuff".

THere's also one in Chelsea, I think off Columbus at a public school, on 76th, some really good vendors there.

And of course every weekend from April to November we have STREET FAIRS, on Saturday and Sunday somewhere in Manhattan, check the www.clearviewfestival.com website for location and Mardi Gras Festivals (not sure of the website) for details.

portiaperu

Two of my favorites:

The Frick Collection
http://www.frick.org/

The Cloisters (The Met)
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/the_cloisters


Enjoy your visit!

portiaperu

Here are two of my favorites:

The Frick Collection
http://www.frick.org/
midtown

The Cloisters
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/the_cloisters
uptown

Enjoy your visit!


R @ Edgartown, MA
http://www.freewebs.com/katamadelight

portiaperu

OOPS, my apologies for duplicate comments!

nytraveler

You have enough places listed to last a week. And while grouping things together will save time - you still can;t do the Met (which is a MUST SEE) in an hour - or any of the other major museums. (Suggest you go to the websites and decide which parts of the museums you want to see - you can do a couple of departments in a 2/3 hour visit - and may want to divide into groups based on your favorites.)

I would swap Top of the Rock for the ESB, which will save you hours in waiting time.

For the Statue of Liberty you need to buy ferry and statue tickets at least several weeks in advance. And assuming you do the Ellis island Immigration Museum (same ferry) they will take a minimum of 6 hours. If you are willing to do a fairly near view of the statue (versus actually visiting Liberty island and climbing - IF you can get tickets) you can take the free Staten Island ferry - and also have a great view of the Manhattan skyline on the way back. the ferry runs every 15 or 20 minutes 24/7. (The statue is a great sight - but not sure if it's worth so much time if you only have a weekend.)

nytraveler

Sorry - the NBC tour gets mixed reviews at best and IMHO isn;t worth your very limited time.

For a show go to broadwaybox.com now to see which shows you can get discounts for and use the code to go to the regular online seller. Will give you a better choice of seats and you won;t have to waste time here standing online at TKTS.

ellenem

Arranged in relatively geographic order from south to north:
-
Statue of Liberty
Brooklyn Bridge
World Trade Center site (Ground Zero is an awful term to use)
-
Fifth Ave. (begins in Greenwich Village just south of 8th St and extends 100 blocks to Harlem)
-
Union Square, near 14th St (if that's what you meant)
-
6th Ave. Flea Market (in the west 20s)
-
Empire State Building (Fifth Ave at 34th)
NY Public Library (Fifth Ave at 42nd)
Grand Central Station (Park Ave at 42nd) (if that's what you meant)
Times Square (7th Ave bet 42nd and 47th)
Broadway Musical (Times Square)
ABC: Good Morning America (Times Square)
Rockefeller Center (Fifth Ave at 50th)
NBC: Today Show (Rockefeller Center)
Tiffany's (Fifth Ave at 57th)
FAO Schwarz (Fifth Ave at 58th)
CBS: Morning Show (Next to FAO)
-
Central Park (begins at 59th between Fifth and Eighth Avenues-extends north for 2.5 miles to 110th)
Guggenheim Museum (Fifth Ave at 89th-east of Central Park)
Lincoln Center (west of Central Park near 66th)
Am. Museum of Nat'l History (west of Central Park near 79th)
-
As you can see, many of your sights of interest are along Fifth Avenue. The section of Fifth Avenue most visitors care to see extends from 34th to 59th streets—the main shopping area. Many museums are located north of 59th along a residential section of the avenue.

As others have said, get a map and plot these points. then make your plan.

While the Guggenheim Museum may be an interesting architectural sight, it's collection is limited and the main exhibition area features changing exhibits. Before I paid the pricey entrance fee, I would check its website to verify the particular modern art on display was some I cared to see.

traveler2005

Oh wow - you guys are the best. Thanks for all the tips and advice.

I think I should put up a spotting map and mark everything.

Thanks for the tips on where things are and other things we might not have thought of. Also the tips on Broadway tickets.

mclaurie

You can buy discounted tickets to some shows in advance. Broadwaybox.com in the left column is one place. YOu'll also find them on playbill.com if you register for free. 6 together might be tough. You should consider splitting up to see if seats are better. Do you know what show(s) you want to see?

traveler2005

We haven't discussed shows yet. I got some ideas from watching the Emmys and thought I might later search the threads here. I wouldn't care if we all sat together. I suppose we might end up picking different shows.

emd3

Why is "Ground Zero" an awful term to use, ellenem? I really am curious about that.

Fodors uses it in their online review...

http://www.fodors.com/world/north-am...ew-459085.html

nytraveler

Locals don't use it - since many of us either lost someone or have a friend or neighbor (or more than 1) who lost someone. Ground zero makes it sound like part of some war game or something. Much better to say WTC site.

And just because the Fodor's book says it - that doesn't mean its right.

nytraveler

Just realize that you didn't mention a hotel - as in the area you will be staying in. If you don;;t have one yet that's the first thing I would work on - since you're headed into high season and prices will only rise as you get closer.