Off the Beaten Path - NYC
 

I just came back from a three day weekend in New York city. I've been there many times and this time decided to visit some of the less popular(or visited) sites as well as a few popular ones and thought I'd share with everyone.
Day 1
Grants Tomb up in Harlem
The national park service is usually excellent but the ranger in this one didn't even bother raising her head. There are a few civil war artifacts and a few displays on the life of Grant. Quiet and not much there but great view of the river even on a bitterly cold day. Free!
Gray Line Heritage Tour
Cute little trolley tour showing the major sites of the city. I've never done something like this and found myself enjoying it. If you buy it online it's only $11.00 and is worth that but I wouldn't pay the $25.00 walk up fee. Interesting tidbits and you're able to hop on and off and use the ticket for 24 hours. Lasts a little over an hour.
NYPD Museum
Nice little quiet museum tucked away down at south end of Manhattan. Has old police weapons, handcuffs, old police cruiser and motorcycles and more. Free!
Federal Hall
Everyone should go there once if only to see if you're too old to climb the front steps! Few original pieces from Washington's Inauguaration but the rest is scattered items not original. Free!
Day 2
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
Nice recreation of birthplace and nice national park service tour. Two separate areas of exhibits on TR's life which are nice. $3.00 entrance fee and worth it.
Fraunces Tavern
Lunch there for the ambience...very expensive. $4.00 for the museum of colonial artifacts and a short video upstairs. I'm not sure I'd recommend this one to anyone but was something different.
National Museum of American Indian
Small exhibit as the primary museum is in Washington, D.C. Shows Canadian Northwestern Indian artifacts. Free!
Trinity Church
Beautiful old church with a history involving the Astor's of New York, etc. Free!
Ground Zero/St Pauls Church
What can you say about a site/church of this emotional magnitude. St Pauls has done a nice job of maintaining the dignity while showing stories, artifacts, badges, etc. from 9/11.
Day 3
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Excellent museum and guided tour of about 45 mins length about families in tenements and a walk through of a tenement as it was in 1935. Bit pricier of a museum at $17.00 but this place is excellent..this is my second time back here and it just keeps getting better.
Roosevelt Island
Not sure other than the bizarre history of the place why I decided to head over here. There are a few ruins and a small lighthouse but mostly apartment buildings. I wouldn't recommend it but I'm glad to have had my curiosity satisfied.

So once again NYC provided a great time and weekend. Because most of these places aren't the main tourist attractions as well as the time of the year there were no lines anywhere which was nice. Hope you all enjoy the report!

yes, I enjoyed it, and some great ideas, and lots of free attractions to boot.

carol222

Thanks for sharing - great information.

Sandy

Nice report. Glad you got to see some of the less frequented tourist attractions.
I've lived here my whole life and have never been to Teddy Roosevelt's birthplace! I'm going to make it my business to go now.

Thanks for the info carol.

I'm going to NYC for my first time soon, if I have time I'd like to see something a little different.

In my research for this trip I stumbled upon this little web site and found it very entertaining.

newyorkcitywalk.com

excellent suggestions and I may just try them myself - thanks for a new view of the city

So, who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

So, who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

A professional grant writer.

forgottenny.com may be of interest. The guy does tours now and then.

Apologies ... there's a hyphen before ny.

www.forgotten-ny.com

Thanks for posting carol; did you take the tram to Roosevelt Island? I still haven't done that; but was thinking to on my parent's next visit.

Glad to hear you like the Tenement Museum; I've heard so many good things about that too but have never gone mostly because it requires a little planning and I'm more of a spontaneous museum go-er. Glad to hear that it's a worthy stop.

Have you been to P.S. one? I recommend that museum for folks trying to get off the beaten path.

carol -- will check some of them out on my next visit!

I did the tram to Roosevelt Island and the best part is the view from the island looking across the river to Manhattan. I heard there was a mental asylum on the island at one time, hence the name Loony Bin Island.

Would like to add another free trip, the roundtrip Staten Island Ferry at the south end of Manhattan, you can have a clear view of the Statue of Liberty.

Thanks TwoFatFeet, I may never get to any of those places, this trip but it was interesting all the same.

Katie - We did take the tram over to Roosevelt and that was different and fun. I have not been to P.S.1 yet - this trip I was trying to stay mostly in Manhattan other than deciding to finally check out Roosevelt Island and I believe P.S.1 is in Queens? Shanghainese - I agree, the Staten Island Ferry is one of my perpetual favorites but I decided this trip to pass it up because of the wind chills being in the teens. You're right though - a great free view of the Statue of Liberty and more!

What is P.S. 1 - an old school?

I've been to Roosevelt Island because my aunt lived there. Honestly, no reason to visit unless you're visiting someone.

It was a school at one time but it's now a contemporary art museum with ties to Midtown's MOMA.

Check it out: http://www.ps1.org/ps1_site/index.php

It's not terribly inconvenient to get to either; just a block or two off of a 7 train stop.

just fyi - tenement museum is much better in cooler weather. there is no air conditioning in any of the buildings they take you into--in the summer it is brutal.

<i>in the summer it is brutal.
</i>

Which of course will give you an idea what the residents lived with :), (and add to the weather a stove, iron, etc. )

Hi, carol222!

Am glad to hear you liked the Police Museum.

When you next visit New York, perhaps you might also enjoy the Fire Museum.

Thanks John..sounds like a good idea for next time. I also forgot to mention that we went to the National Park Service African Burial Ground on Broadway. We jumped onto a high school tour that was there and found it very interesting but somewhat limited as far as exhibits and artifacts. Again...Free!