We will be visiting New York Friday 5/27 through Monday 5/31
We live in Boston and are close enough to come back again so I don't want to run around like a chicken with her head cut off......If you could pick two things per day....what would you do or see?

I'll ask what inevitably will be asked of you: What are your interests? Do you want to spend most of your time outside (parks, wandering through neighborhoods, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, seeing the Statue of Liberty...)? Are you interested in museums, and which ones? Are there certain neighborhoods that interest you? Do you want to see (one or more) Broadway shows? The <ahem> Yankees or Mets?

Give us an idea of what you'd like to do, and we can guide you from there!

If "I" could pick two things to do each day....it would be seeing two Broadway shows -- which is exactly what I will be doing that weekend in NY. As Ggreen says, you have to give us a bit more to go on.

Like - who is "we" - you are planning this trip for a reason - what are the top 10 things on your bucket list - you live in Boston so you do understand public transportation - It is Fleet week if one or both of you are interested in hot young guys in tight white pants - It is also the art show in Greenwich Village - There are tons of off Broadway and off off Broadway shows as well - son no one will plan your trip for you - you haven't invited us along as guests - NYC is about you and not us....

thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc

That's a pretty wide open question, but nonetheless.

Assuming your group doesn't contain children, I would go to the Metropolitan Museum on Friday night for cocktails.

Here's a description.

"Fridays and Saturdays between 4 and 8:30pm, venture uptown to witness the Met’s transformation into a cocktail lounge. The Great Hall Balcony Bar on the second floor is the setting for live classical music and drinks. Try a signature drink like the Apple Martini to enhance this exciting Big Apple experience. The museum closes at 9 so you’ll still have ½ hour to check out one last art exhibit before you have to leave.

(In the summer, the rooftop is the place to go for top-notch cocktails amid the sculpture exhibits with knockout views of Fifth Avenue and Central Park)."

If the whether is nice on Saturday I'd spend the first part of the day in Central Park. Rent a rowboat and enjoy the numerous performers. In the afternoon I'd head down to Soho and meander. For a late lunch I'd try the prix fixe at Novecento on W. Broadway & Broome. (A great deal for $19, weekdays anyway.)

Saturday night I'd either take in a Broadway show or enjoy a nice restaurant and have a few places for cocktails like the Pen Top lounge on my list of places to go.

On Sunday I'd have brunch at one of the numerous places with outdoor seating. I'd probably do the really touristy things after that like Times Square, the Empire State building, walk the Brooklyn Bridge, etc.

Being you're from Boston, I might also suggest a game at Yankee Stadium with a long time planned at the Museum in the Stadium as looking at all 28 World Series Trophies and 40 Pennant Winning teams can take time.

I type and don't look. Obviously meant is the weather is nice. Changed thoughts midstream from a whether you want thought to a if weather is nice statement.

Very Funny......I won't be spending any time at Yankee stadium, thanks for the thought though.....

It will be my husband and I, his brother, wife and their 1 1/2 yr old son. Since I was in NY for a day once before and saw the Empire State Bldg and MOMA I probably won't be going back there...Also I think we will end up splitting up for certain activities since their agenda may be more kid oriented.

I definitely want to see a show, not sure whether to see Phantom, Wicked or Jersey Boys..........I defintely want to go to Central Park, Greenwich Village and Soho- Please let me know if you know of any great cafe's or bookstores and was thinking of visiting Ellis Island- I just started research on our family ancestry........

I basically like atmospheric cafes and restaurants, not really looking for super fancy

Hope that helps
Thanks!
Lisa

Also plan on spending some time at the Met

Thanks Lisa! And I was SO kidding about baseball - Red Sox Nation all the way!!

Ryan has some great suggestions. And SueNYC, you crack me up about Fleet Week! Combining the OP's interest in Greenwich Village with the art show is a great idea. (Is it the Washington Square one? My friend has a booth there every year.)

FYI, the Met is open late on both Friday and Saturday evenings. It's actually not a bad place to bring a toddler, at least for a short while (and since it's pay-what-you-wish, they could do so without feeling like they're breaking the bank). Some of the areas - like the Greek and Roman galleries, the American sculpture galleries, the Japanese garden, the large gallery of the Arms and Armor, the Temple of Dendur - give enough space and big-picture items to keep the little one occupied while the rest of you get some art too.

Combining the Met with time in Central Park is perfect.

Know that getting out to Ellis Island is no small endeavor: If you really want to do it, book a timed ferry ticket in advance to cut down on some of the time it will take in line getting through security and onto the boat. Since you say you just started on the family research and know you'll return to NYC, you might want to save it for a future trip...

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Okay, next question: Where will you be staying? Location makes a difference in helping to shape your weekend.

Knowing you like atmospheric cafes and restaurants, not really looking for super fancy helps a lot. What kind of food will you want to eat? Will you want to go out in the evening for a drink, and if so, what kind of places do you like to go? Irish pub? Swank club? etc.

One of NY great bookstores is the Strand, Broadway and 12th Street.

Another unique bookstore is the Complete Traveler with antique travel books

http://www.ctrarebooks.com/

Rizzolis on 57 Street, beautiful building and a large selection of art books

http://www.rizzoliusa.com/bookstore/

As others have noted, cafes mean different things to different people, so if you are specific maybe we can help.

Thanks GGreen...... My Yankees comment was directed to Ryan! Defintely Red Sox Nation all the way!

I know we definitely want to eat somehwere in Chinatown and probably a good italian restaurant.... how about Middle Eastern?

Cafe's to me mean coffee, pastry, music...not necessarily to sit down and eat....

We are staying at the Affinia Manhattan check in Friday afternoon, check out Tues AM

For Turksih rather than Middle Eastern

Turkish Kitchen

For Chinatown

Jing Fong, Golden unicorn-dim sum

Big Wong's, NY Noodeltown-cheap but good

Joe's Ginger, Joe's Shanghai- soup dumplings

and go Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for store made ice cream

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There is a world of Italian restaurants

Gnocco, Cacio e Peope, Supper, Perbacco, Bar-bone, I Coppi-different regions, different prices

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How do we handle Dinner, especially Memorial Day Weekend...will there be a 1-2 hour wait everywhere or do most places accept reservations - we will have a 1 1/2 yr. old with us so a 2 hour wait is too long to hang out at a bar with him

Starting on Memorial Day weekends many NY'ers head for the hills and the water. During summer weekends the lines for many restaurants that are not in the tourist ares are often smaller than usual.

On shows, you should know Wicked & Jersey Boys regularly sell out so if you want to see one of those, they're rarely discounted and should be bought in advance. Phantom has been playing for so long, it's always discounted. You can chance buying same day tickets at the TKTS booth (for info look on tdf.org/tkts) or you can buy discounted tix in advance on the left column of broadwaybox.com There are loads of new shows just opened or about to open like Sister Act, How to Succeed, Be My Baby, Priscilla Queen of the Desert...

opentable.com is a website from which you can book many but not all restaurants. menupages.com is a good place to do some research on what's around. NYers tend to eat late (dinner at &;30-8 pm) so if you plan to eat early with the baby you should have fewer problems. There's not a lot of decent dining in the immediate area near your hotel. Because it's across from MSG you'll find a lot of pubs and sports bar type places. Ayza is nearby and nice. http://www.menupages.com/restaurants...chocolate-bar/

There's a newish food court called Food Parc attached to the Eventi hotel which is not far from yours that might have some interesting options. http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/foodparc/

You can forward gocitykids.com mommypoppins.com to your bil/sil for ideas.