wontan

My husband and I are visiting NYC for the first time in 4 weeks! We are very excited and have appreciated all the help here. We have a few more specific questions... thanks in advance for the advice!

Should we risk not having Broadway tickets and waiting in line at a TKTS booth or should we pay the high price and get tickets now? We don't have our hearts set on any specific show, but we do know we want to see one.

We'll be going to a Yankees game on Sunday at 1pm. Are there any fun bars around there for before or after the game?

Which CircleLine Cruise should we take?
- 3 hour Full Island Tour Cruise
- 2 hour Semi-Circle Cruise
- 2 hour Harbor Lights Evening Cruise

I know a lot of people here don't recommend going to the top of the Empire State Building at all, but it's our first time to NYC and we really want to, so, do we go up during the day or at night?

Is there a great place for any celeb spotting? Not something we necessarily want to go out of our way for, but it'd be fun if we have the time and are in the area.

We are definitely doing a bus tour. Is the 3-Day Super Saver Combo really the best way to go?

Thanks again!

nycgirl1

There are a few bars right around the stadium - Stan's, Billy's, etc. All packed and fun for a beer or two before the game.

After the game, everyone gets on the subway and heads home. Truly.

As for the Circle Line, I think the 3 hour is too long...I'd play it by ear with the weather. The Harbor Lights if my favorite if it's warm out and you'll get a good sunset sky.

Empire State - night. No question.

Celeb sighting - just keep your eyes open, although you probably won't see many (any) in midtown. The Village, Chelsea, Tribeca are better bets.

ameryhm

Here's the skinny on TKTS.

If you are not looking to see a 'hot' (meaning recently opened or just got a Tony or 2) show, it is absolutely worth getting in line as you will save 35-50% off a variety of 'luke to extremly warm' shows.

My wife and I did this back on 03 and got ochestra seating (10 rows off the stage) for Beauty & The Beast and paid $100 total. As you make you way through the line, you wil see a large borad showing all available shows and times for the day you are in line. Allow an hour and bring an umbrella just in case.

On the tour front, I have no opinion but suspect that anything at night will be better.

Rhea58

An FYI re Empire State Bldg tours:
they are now open to 2 a.m.

mclaurie

There's an alternative to the TKTs booth which is buying discount tix in advance using a discount code you get from broadwaybox.com. Many of the same shows that will be at the TKTS booths are also available to purchase in advance by phone (so you can speak to a live person) and online. You can also print out these discounts and bring them to the box office when you arrive and save the transaction fees.

Broadwaybox.com generally has most of the discounts listed, but occasionally, other websites like playbill.com and theatermania.com may have one that's not on broadwaybox, but you have to register (for free) on those other sites to see the codes.

Here's the website for the TKTS booths that give hrs., locations and what's been available recently. tdf.org/tkts
If you decide to get them at the TKTs booth, try to pick an "off" day rather than a weekend.

Most people think the 2 hr. harbor cruise is enough. You decide about day or night.

Whenever you decide to go to ESB, purchase your tix in advance online so you avoid the ticket buying line. YOu'll still have to stand in line for the elevator.

The best place to be sure to see celebs is at a TV show taping or outside the stage door of a show they're playing in. Most are very accomodating about photos etc. when they're working. They're less accomodating when going about their daily lives.

As to the 3 day Super Saver, I assume you mean the pkg deal for the Grayline hop on/off tour. I'm not a fan of the hop on/off buses but many visitors like them. If you buy this pkg. make sure it's for the bus tours and the venues it includes and NOT for the "great" restaurant and store discounts which are not so great and sometimes non-existent. Decide though before buying the ESB tix, b/c I think entry is included. The biggest benefit to the pkg. is I believe it allows you to go to the front of the line at places.

Alternate tours to look at are nypartyshuttle.com and kingofnyc.com

There's also something called the citypass.com which may be a good option for you if you intend on going to the Mus. of Nat. History, MOMA or the Guggenheim. It also allows you to skip lines at these places.

HowardR

mclaurie has said it all! (My compliments!)

wontan

Wonderful info! Thanks so much!

maj

Just a couple of things we found helpful. We just got back and went to the Empire State Bldg. Like said above, definitely get your tickets online. We also got the audio tour tickets online and thought that made the tour for us. It was very interesting and we would not have known what we were looking at without it. There is a number you can call to find out the approximate wait and visibility. We waited about an hour in the line (already had tickets) which is how long they told us it would be. I was in NYC once before (last May) and we went to the Top of the Rock then. In my opinion, some of the views from the Top of the Rock may be better (such as Central Park), but I'm glad we did the ESB this year with the audio tour. On both tours we ended up at dusk, so saw the view both in the day and at night. Although it was beautiful with the lights on, for a first visit I enjoyed it more in the daylight.

Margo_Chester

You might spot a celebrity anywhere - something fun to look at is the "Star Map" on line from the NY Post. Here the link http://www.nypost.com/gossip/gossip.htm scroll down a little and the map icon is on the left click on it to see who was where.

The 2 hour cruise is very enjoyable and informative, but my favorite is the Harbor Lights cruise (weather permitting)

BoniseA

Is Letterman taping now? Is so, after 5pm go hang around the stage door of the Ed Sullivan Theatre. It's in Times Square.

Look in TV Guide first to see who's going to be there. Get up early and go stand outside of the news shows.

By doing this, we've seen James Brown, Diane Sawyer, Tom Cruise, and J-Lo. Before 9/11 we just walked into MTV studios and saw Papa Roach.

asykes1

Hey there -- I would also suggest that you spend some time walking around Soho and the west village. You will love seeing all the funky shops in soho and adorable townhouses in the village. For a really cozy meal, check out "The Place on West 4th."

NeoPatrick

A few years ago we did the Circle line all the way around Manhattan. The hour or more around the north end of the island became boring --really -- and we regretted not just taking the shorter one, as we had done a few years before that.

But then a year or so ago we took the little bright yellow water taxi from the docks at West 44th Street around to Fulton Ferry at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. This is when we ate at Grimaldi's pizza, had ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (right where the water taxi docks) and walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge -- for a wonderful and full day. You can also do the water taxi as a hop on - hop off deal. We liked the water taxi much more than the circle line tours.

www.nywatertaxi.com

Brahmama

Patrick,
Is it the Brooklyn Army Terminal where you land? That is the only schedule that is running at this time and it didn't sound right. Do you happen to know when the spring/summer season begins? wontan and I will be there early/mid May.

NeoPatrick

According to the site I linked, the summer hop on - hop off schedule runs May 1 to October 15. The full schedule with stops is listed there.

djkbooks

I totally agree that the extra hour on Circle Line around the northern end of the island was quite boring (though relaxing on a nice summer day).

Our favorite is the Harbor Lights cruise which leaves in the daylight and returns after dark.

I would recommend visiting the ESB around dinnertime (when it's still light out) and staying until just after dark.

Take McLaurie's advice on Broadway Show tickets with discounts. It's better to have tickets in hand than spend time at TKTS.

Nikki

After growing up in New York and visiting countless times over many years, I took the Circle Line for the first time a couple years ago. I went with a friend who had only been to New York once. We took the full three hour tour, and for me it was a great kick to completely circle Manhattan and see all the bridges and angles of the island from the water.

And my friend (who, full disclosure, is an environmental engineer) was jumping up and down with excitement at the sewage treatment plant. People were staring at her.

So I'm really glad we took the full cruise. Just my opinion.

jamierin

I can't seem to post my own quesion because my screen has been cut off!

So I am going to hijack this post by asking what circle line cruise you would opt for for 2 10 year olds? (with their moms!) The Beast? Or a 1 1/2 hour cruise?

nycgirl1

The Beast isn't a Circle Line cruise - and no one really takes this to see the city. It's more of a thrill ride (so they'd probably enjoy it).

Dohlice

For a bar by Yankee Stadium - go to Stan's. The ferry to BAT is a commuter ferry that only runs weekdays during the rush hour. Nothing to see there! Grimaldi's is pretty bad so I would just get some ice cream for the walk back over the bridge. The Beast would be a lot of fun on a hot day. I like the ESB at night. The view is so beautiful with the lights coming on. Have fun!

NeoPatrick

"Grimaldi's is pretty bad. . ."
Huh? Surely you mean because of its popularity the wait can be pretty bad. It ranks as one of the top pizza places in all of New York in virtually any survey or rating ever done, even getting a 26 for food in Zagat's -- almost unheard of for a "pizza place". In fact that's higher than Mesa Grill or Balthazar's food rating.

On the other hand I realize there's not a restaurant in the world that someone won't consider "bad".