I'm hoping those who know New York City can help critique our itinerary. This is for one of the 3 full days we'll be in NYC next weekend (Friday to Sunday). Note: we will be purchasing a subway pass, so anything we were planning on doing on foot can be done by subway.

Morning: Subway over to Brooklyn, walk back over Brooklyn Bridge, explore Tribeca/Soho on foot, head over to Little Italy for lunch.

Afternoon: walk around Little Italy/Chinatown a bit, then take subway to downtown, go to Ground Zero, Wall Street and generally explore, heading to Staten Island Ferry. Take ferry to Staten Island and back (would this fall into rush hour?). Head back to hotel.

Is this a realistic itinerary? Would we be better off starting with something else or doing any of the plans at another time?

Thanks a lot for your help!

It's realistic but I might do it slightly differently. I'd start at the south and work north. I'd start with the afternoon plan in the morning, starting with the Staten Island ferry and from there to Ground Zero, Wall St. up through Tribeca. YOu might plan your trip to Brooklyn to coincide with lunch and eat at Grimaldi's or someplace in Brooklyn Heights. Then walk back over the bridge to work off your lunch. Little Italy is just 2 blocks and is missable for lunch.

I'm guessing this is for Friday? The reason I mention that is because there is some scheduled subway maintenacne that is affecting downtown trains on the weekends.

It hadn't necessarily been for Friday, but if there is maintenance on the trains, I guess it would have to be. Thanks for mentioning it!

Anyone else?

When you walk over the bridge into Brooklyn, does it leave you near Grimaldi's? The last time I walked over I was meeting someone near there and I ended up really far away from it. It was during the blackout though and I might have been walking on the roadway. I just mention it because in case you do plan to have lunch there I wouldn't want you to to end up too far away. Make sure you know exactly where you'll be getting on and off. I don't care for Grimaldi's but there is a nice ice cream place there that is right under the bridge with a wonderful view of the skyline.

If you end up short on time you can also just do it from the Manhattan side. Go half way out and come back. Then you might even have the option of doing it around sunset. I love Brooklyn and your idea is a good one because the view is much better. I'd just hate for you to miss the bridge entirely. It's amazing.

The ferry at rush hour shouldn't be a problem. The boats are enormous and they run about every 15 min. And at rush hour most people will want to sit and you'll most likely want to stand. You'll have to get off in SI and get back on, just so you know.

On weekends you can get to the City Hall area, but service south of their varies depsineding on the line, etc. The MTA website lists service advisories: http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/subsrvnweekend.htm

What about buses, if the subway isn't going to work?

I would just walk that even if the train were running.

I would skip Staten Island completely!! There is absolutely nothing to see there! (I still have family there so trust me on this one!) You probabaly will need a vacation after this eventful day! Have a good time

Do not skip the Staten Island Ferry! It has the very best view of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and Lower Manhattan/Financial District! Do try and ride it at dusk so you can watch the sun set and the city light up!

The very best view of Manhattan.

Subway to Brooklyn, walk back, explore City Hall, Wall Street (NYSE, Federal Building, Trinity Church), World Trade Center site, Walk down to Battery Park(pat the Bull on the way), Castle Clinton, ride the Staten Island Ferry.

Then do the Tribeca/SOHO area.

Wow, thanks for all the answers! Keep 'em coming!

bebe0711 - we want to take the Staten Island ferry for the view of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty, not to go to Staten Island. Given that it's free, it's a better deal than the Statue of Liberty ferry.

Dohlice - we don't want to have lunch in Brooklyn, but at Lombardi's in Little Italy, which is why we want to do our itinerary this way. My hubby is afraid that if we do all of Lower Manhattan (including the ferry) in the morning, it would be veyr late by the time we get back and we'd be starving.

We thought of making the following changes to our original itinerary (my hubby thought it would be too much to do the ferry and the bridge in the morning):

Morning: Take subway to downtown, go to Ground Zero, Wall Street and generally explore, heading to Staten Island Ferry. Take ferry to Staten Island and back. Head up to Little Italy for lunch (subway).

Afternoon: Explore Little Italy/Chinatown, subway over to Brooklyn, walk back over Brooklyn Bridge, then either walk some in Tribeca/Soho or head back to hotel.

Does this sound more doable?

Yes, it is definitely do-able.

It does sound like a more relaxed pace and it will keep you off the bridge at high noon. (HOT) But when will you shop at Century 21? And when will you eat that knish off the hot dog cart? : )

Thanks GoTravel and Dohlice. I already have enough shopping planned in Manhattan for hubby's liking, and hubby plans to raid any hot dog cart he sees (we don't have them here in Montreal!)

Oops! Walk the Brooklyn Bridge before you go to Little Italy and Chinatown. It does not make sense to back track.

Is it really backtracking? We won't be able to do the Financial District, the ferry and the bridge before lunch, or shall I say, our lunch time. Actually, it's exactly what we want to avoid. We want to see the sights, but at a leisurely enough pace so we can actually sit down for a meal when we're hungry. My hubby and I agree that this would be the best way to plan the day.

My eyes have been opened by reading all of these messages. I am 62 years old and live 15 miles north of NYC. I would not go into the city on a bet..I find nothing that would interest me including the heat,dirt, etc. But it makes my heart feel good that people would leave other areas (some very beautiful) to come to NY. Good luck to all of you.

Margie

Wow, Margie. How lucky you must be to live in a place with neither heat NOR dirt. Where, pray tell, is this ever-temperate, shiny, spotless paradise?

Margie, how sad that you could not find one thing in NYC to interest you.

Pavfec, what about doing Tribeca, Little Italy, Chinatown first then do downtown after lunch?

Save the Staten Island Ferry for dusk. You'll be rewarded with the very best view of Manhattan. Trust me.