Heading into the city for a day of fun second weekend in December. Two adults, two young teens; have done Empire State Building and Rockettes Xmas show on previous trip. Train will arrive Penn Station around 10:30 am. Planning on going directly to Met Museum of Art by TAXI. Would like to see the building an an exhibit or two - just a quick visit. Planning on exiting to Central Park for a buggy ride and then grabbing a slice of NY pizza. Then, we'd all Taxi to Sony Tech Lab, where the guys have a reservation, and the ladies will shop nearby. Then we'll all Taxi over to Soho for some window shopping and an early dinner at either Blue Ribbon or the Cub Room. Taxi back to Penn Station, train leaving around 8m.
Is it doable? Any suggestions? Anybody been to either restaurant?
Can we subsitute Subway for Taxi easily at any point? We're "country bumpkins" and have a fear of getting permanently lost underground! Just kidding, but have absolutely no idea how to approach subway travel in NYC.

Doable? Anything is doable but consider how much time you will have for each activity. You won't get to the Met much before 11 AM. Assume time constraints allow for a one hour visit. Now noontime or maybe a bit later. Next on the agenda is a buggy ride. You will have to go to 59th and 5th to find a buggy. Carriage ride is 30 minutes so with Travel time to 59th and buggy ride you are now at around 1:15. I am certain there is a pizza place within a few blocks of where you boarded the carriage (trip will end at same place). Seeking out the pizza place and having a slice will bring you to at least 2pm. Next is Sony which can be walked to from the pizza place. If the Sony reservation is 2pm you will have to move quickly to get there on time. If earlier something will have to give. If later than 2pm you could spend more time at the Met. The rest of the day will probably not be as rushed. Using taxis is probably be the best way to go.

Certainly doable. You will want to stick with taxis since the subway lines are not convenient to either the east side of the park (have to walk over to 3rd for the 4/5/6) or Soho (N/R Prince Street Station). Your only other option would be buses, so in the end the taxis will save you time.

Thank you both for the good tips. I am actually relieved to hear Alana recommend taxis - I don't feel as "guilty!" And S, I'm thrilled Sony is so close to the carriage ride. The reservation is at 2m, so I think we'll be pretty good for time. Do you have a pizza joint in mind that's nearby, or do we just look for a vendor?
Maybe we'll try to get the earlier train to allow for more time at the museum, but getting two teens out of the hotel bed before 8:am and off for an hour-plus train ride will be tricky!
And feedback on the Soho restaurants for dinner?

Unless you can get to the city earlier, I'd eliminate the short visit to the Met. You'll be lucky to get there by 11. And, leaving the museum at noon really rushes you for your carriage ride and lunch in order to make the 2 p.m. Sony appointment. As much as I love the Met, I'm not sure that you'll actually see enough to warrant all the effort!

Go straight to the Met. My advice and many of you won't like this: SKIP the buggy ride. Tourists don't realize the deplorable conditions these horses live in. It's freezing in the winter and the horses just sit without blankets. In the summer you can see their poor heads drooping from thirst. The ASPCA has been trying to enact laws to provide better working conditions for the horses. New Yorkers don't take the rides because many are aware of the cruelty although the owners will swear up and down they take good care of them. Horse drawn carriages should also not be subjected to being in busy congested New York City traffic. All the noise scares the hell out of them. Read part of this:

Mary Tyler Moore fights for New York City horses
NEW YORK -- Lovebirds may delight in those carriage rides around New York's Central Park, but there's nothing romantic about the way the horses pulling them are treated, actress Mary Tyler Moore and an animal advocacy group say.

Moore, who is helping promote legislation aimed at protecting the horses, said she last rode a city horse-drawn carriage for the 1982 movie "Six Weeks."

"If I had known what these horses were going through, I would have balked. I would not have participated in that," she said.

Moore has teamed up with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to back a proposed new law that would limit the carriages to Central Park, establish departure hours and require blankets in freezing weather.

ASPCA President Larry Hawk said current law allows the horses to work and live in "deplorable" conditions.

I would agree with skipping the buggy ride. Dec. is NOT the time you want to do this, and it may be real lousy weather. Better off using the time for the museum or getting to the next stop.

Sounds like you have a nice day planned. If possible, get those kids up and moving (I know, easier said than done!) they can sleep another day . . I too would skip the buggy (sorry) You will be up at the Met (81st Streey) and will have to get to the buggy (59th) and then you will have to wait a little for the carriage; sounds like you might be a bit rushed. Check the Met's website or call then directly - they offer free 45 minute (?) highlight tours. I'm not sure what the schedule is for the tours but if you know in advance if this is an option it would be a good way to get a general overview of this fantastic museum. Have a wonderful time.

Don't feel guilty about not using the subways! As stated above, for your route they are not that convenient and you don't want to spend your only day in the city trying to figure out the trains. You are smart to put your family in a cab to get them around - this will save you a lot of time. Have fun!

I know you are going to have a GREAT time here in the city, but since it is the holiday season AND a weekend, the traffic will be very bad. So plan on spending a bit more time in traffic than you think.

Ok, since you are comming into Penn Station, how about the Museum of Natural History instead of the Met, it is right up on the West Side, and easy to get to on the B or C subway line out of Penn Station. I would bet the kids would love the Planetarium.

I think I would forget trying to get to SOHO, again traffic will be bad, how about window shopping on the West Side on say Broadway, and have lunch there, so many restaurtans.

From there take a taxi to the Sony and after window shop on 5th Ave, head down to see the "Tree" at Rock Center, stop for some hot chocolate or a snack in the area.

My best suggestion would be to try and tackle only one area of town and not try running up and downtown, with all the visitors and shoppers, the city will be very busy and that means really bad traffic, so don't make yourselves crazy by spending lots of time in a taxi.

IF you decide to do the Met, stay on the East side of town, and ask the taxi driver to go up the West Side and take the 79th St park crossing.

The city will be all decked out so enjoy and have a wonderful holiday season.

tweedy

Thanks everyone, for the good advice!
I'll try to get an orientation tour of the Met, and reconsider the buggy ride and dinner in Soho.