September 11 in NYC
 

My husband and I happen to be in Manhattan this September 11. We are wondering if we should see the memorial or see whats happening there on that day, or avoid the place altogether on that day. We have 2 1/2 days in NY and plan to see the MET, Statue of Liberty, Coney Island, eat pizza at the Grand Central, do some inexpensive shopping. We have been in NY before. Any info or suggestions you can give is welcome. Thank you for your help.

You should avoid the area on that day (especially early) because there are always commemoration ceremonies, and much of the area will be closed off and security tight. But by late in the afternoon, you can probably visit if you wish.

There is no way in hay, you will see the places listed in 2 1/2 days. The trip to Coney Island will take up the most of one day. The trip to the Statue will also take up most of the day.

Coney Island is for a third trip to NY.
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There are many types of pizza in NY. There are what we call "slice joints" where you can get an individual slice and a sweet crappy fountain drink and some have tables, others just counters or a stoop next door. And now there are 99 cent pizza spots, which offer a cheap alternative. You can also order a whole pie as well.

There are places where you can individual pie just enough for one person to eat. These are probably the most expensive but the quality of the ingredients are the highest. Our favorite is Motorino and Luzzo's but there are a few others that very, very good.

Then there are sit down pizza places where you can only get a whole pie. Some of the more famous ones are John's, Grimaldi's, and Lombardi's.

Some other excellent pizza
Then there of course there are also sorts of variations on pizza. There is the thin crust, the really thin crust, and the almost non-existent crust.

There are square or Sicilian slices. There are different than the Chicago style because you can actually eat them.

Another place has a special artichoke topping. Other variations include white pizzas, pizza that sold by weight and cut with a knife, which is originally from Rome.

But remember if ask a NY'er to eat at a chain, expect a NY answer, "Get outta here, whaddya nuts?"

I would suggest avoiding the memorial on September 11. In addition to the official ceremonies, the anniversary always seems to attract fringe groups with an agenda.

Where are you planning to eat pizza at Grand Central?

I think that it should be clear that when people say "see the MET", they don't mean see the entire thing, they mean they will see as much of it as they wish and have time for. My advice: get a map of the building as soon as you enter, or on your phone in advance, and decide which sections interest you most and make a beeline for those. As you may know, it's enormous, and if you just wander, you'll waste a lot of time.

As for the Statue, if the OP means they plan to just take the SI ferry and cruise past it, they have plenty of time. Since this would put them in lower Manhattan, this might be best done not on 9/11.

I don't think it's possible to see the whole Met in one day. It's beyond huge, but arguably the best art museum in the US. You can easily spend the day there, of course. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island would also take a minimum of half a day if you start first thing, probably longer.

Agreed the OP would be wise to save Coney Island for another time. Takes a good while to get there and back, and takes several hours to walk the boardwalk, see the aquarium, maybe ride a ride or poke around arcades, have a munch at Nathan's. Probably would take much of the day in total.

Any reason to eat pizza at Grand Central? There are lots of good options for this, though not at GCT that I know of. But GCT is great to see in and of itself.

There is a food court adjacent to GCT called Urbanspace Vanderbilt. I am sure they could have made the name longer if they had the time. There is a Roberta's in there which is originally an upscale pizza place from Brooklyn. I have not tried it, however, to see if it has traveled well.


http://urbanspacenyc.com/urbanspace-vanderbilt/

Thank you so much for your valuable comments and suggestions. Yes, I think we will stay away from the 911 memorial on that day.

@IMDone here, It IS my third trip to NY, and I always skip Coney Island. But I am considering your and the others' comments on how long it would take.

Re: the statue, it would be nice if we could see it and the island up close this time.

About the pizza place, I believe it is called Two Boots. I really like a certain spinach ricotta pizza there. I even like it better than the pizzas in Rome. But I googled it just now and the place has now closed. Good to have your pizza suggestions.

My husband would not like me to take a long time in the museum, as I always do, so it's just a concession on his part. I would like to see Italian masters. @NewbE, yes I will check out the map ahead of time.

Thanks so much, everyone. Blessings.

All the Two Boots are closed? There used to be a few.

http://twoboots.com/location/east-village

Some but not all Two Boots have closed (the outlet in Grand Central was not the only closure). But this closure has less to do with the company than with the management of the Grand Central Food Hall. Many of the original restaurants have closed ... not because the restaurant company is out of business but because Grand Central's management wanted higher-profile restaurants. We also lost the Junior's there. The Shake Shack pushed out a Mexican restaurant that had been there from the beginning.