NYC: What to do- first time visitor with 3 teenagers.
 

We are visiting NYC Memorial Day weekend and don't know where to start. Interests are mainly sightseeing, history, food (not too expensive). Not into Broadway or shows but are interested in possible tour ideas.
Thanks

Take the 2 hour Circle Line boat tour of lower Manhattan and hte harbor - also good views of the Statue of Liberty.

There are a million interesting walking tours if you search for them - on a ton of different topics - from architecture to all types of foods.

Cannot reco too strongly against tour buses - which are very expensive, spend a huge amount of time sitting in traffic - and really show you very little of the city (many streets they can;t drive on). Much better to pick out what YOU want to see and just go do it.

It wold help to know what the interests of you and your kids are. And I would set them to decide what sights they want to see - search online and in the Let's Go Student guides and the Thorn Tree section of the Lonely PLanet web site.

And do get a good street map and a good subway map immediately so you can start to orient yourself.

With more info people can give you specifics to meet any interests.

Definitely look at:

Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
NY Historical Society
The Met (way more than an art museum: arms & armor, egyptian department and Temple of Dendur, costume collection - check out the web site)
Top of the Rock
Staten Island Ferry across the harbor (free)

Tenement Museum, with lunch at Katz' Deli

If there's an exhibit that interests you, the Museum of the City of New York

Columbia and NYU (the latter of which is smack dab in the middle if Greenwich Village, where you should visit anyway)

Central Park

A hot dog at Grey's Papaya

Pizza at any of the many great pizza places in NY (John's, Motorino, Keste, Lombardi's - so many choices)

Grimaldi's pizza on Coney Island aint back in biz yet, but strangely, the small pizzeria on Stillwell is, and the new Gyro and Baskin Robbins is open too.

I suggest to stay away from the many 99c pizza places, and go for the real deal 2slices+soda = $5.

Also, I've always hated the food at the many street fairs and feasts, no matter which hood or culture. All badly cooked, bland, over-priced, etc.

There's no reason to venture all the way to Coney Island for pizza. If you go to the Village, you'll be knee deep in good pizza; if you go to the Met, there's an excellent hole-in-the-wall pizza joint at 83rd and Lex.

This has no meaning: "food (not too expensive)" - what price is "too expensive"?

There are allegedly a couple of major league baseball teams in the area. One is the greatest franchise in North American sports history, the other plays in Queens. There are minor league affiliates of each in the city, too, but their season begins in June, I think.

There are at least three major sports arenas in the area that may have concerts. Finding something to do is really fish + shotgun + barrel.

For an overview tour, the most popular are the Grayline hop on/off but they're expensive and time consuming. An alternative is freetoursbyfoot.com which asks that you tip the guide and for the overview tour, uses the subway and walking to get around. They also have shorter tours or specific areas. They also do some food tours as do foodsofny.com, noshwalks.com. There's a self-guided food tour of the lower east side from Chowhound.com from a poster RGR that's quite popular. Links and a review here http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/631648

I think 2 hrs. Is probably overkill for teens for a cruise. Have a look at goldstar.com and see if any of the cruises are discounted for that weekend.

The annual art show in Greenwich Village is popular and always fun (around Washington Square Park). The area is filled with NYU students and the restaurants and stores that service them. Try cafewha.com one evening (eat elsewhere) or maybe National Comedy theater.

Check the calendar on timeoutny.com

PS the Tenement Museum on the lower east side is hugely popular and fulfills the history request. Book in advance as it gets filled.

mark

If your teenagers are like most, I'd skip many of the museums listed above. Teens live in the present not in the past-- but the following contain several historic sights:

Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and go to Grimaldis for pizza right near the waterfront; if they like art go to Brooklyn Museum or MOMA; spend a day in SoHo, around NYU and in the Village; take the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty; go to top of the Rock; go to Abercrombie & Fitch on Fifth; walk the High Line then go thru Meatpacking District & Chelsea Market; go to Central Park, go to the Apple store; NY Public Library. See what running at Museum of City of NY before trekking up there. Eats: Meatballs Inc and Shake Shack (many locations).

Evolution (store on Spring Street)
Forbidden Planet (store on lower Broadway0

Dim Sum-Jing Fing or Godlen Unicorn there are others where you order from passing carts and Chinatown and Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Right near Chinatown are the courthouses seen on a thousand TV shows and movies and the Brooklyn Bridge

Lombardi's -original pizza parlor

Staten Island Ferry at night

View of Manhattan from the Brooklyn side

Big Gay Ice Cream

Central Park

Washington Square Park is great for people watching.

I don't second the "Grimaldi's" thing in Brooklyn. Why waste time waiting on line for a pizza? The area is fantastic with a fabulous waterfront park. Other restaurants in the park and under the Brooklyn Bridge itself that are nicer. Get to Jacques Torres for chocolate delights. You'll think you died and went to heaven. http://www.mrchocolate.com/news/about/locations/dumbo/

Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge is a must IMO. I'm a native NYer and I love doing it.

Grimaldi's is over rated and as noted above there are many that are better. I offered Lombardi's but my favorite is Motorino and around the corner is Luzzo's where you will not find any tourists.

Would second IMDonehere's and aliced's recommendations but would also suggest skipping Grimaldi's in favor of Lombardi's or Motorino. If the weather is nice, there should be lots of little places to snack in Brooklyn Bridge Park on the Brooklyn side of the bridge (or you can hit up Jacques Torres in DUMBO for some iced hot chocolate). Jane's Carousel is also fun if you're in that neighborhood.

Also suggest Kid Robot on Prince St. and Yellow Rat Bastard (I know, but the kids love it) on B'way during the shopping tour in Soho.

I defer to the recommendations to skip Grimaldis, that was quite a few years ago, and there are newer & better spots...

Are these teens boys or girls?

9/11 Memorial.

Regarding meals, as BigRuss says - what does "not too expensive" equate to, in your budget? Including wine/cocktails for the adults if you are so inclined? The beauty of NYC is that you can find truly excellent food at any price point - you can also be overcharged for touristy crap at any price point. If you can share some more specific parameters on budget and food likes/dislikes the folks here can and will be super helpful.

For walking around and shopping w/teens, check out the High Line/Meatpacking District area, and Soho/the West Village.

Um, I think the OP went to NYC last year.