Single trip to New York in march- help needed
 

Hi,
I am planning my first trip to NYC and I would greatly appreciate any tips and comments!
I am going monday to saturday, staying in "The Library" (Madison Ave.) flying in and out JFK.
That`s what I thought of so far:
(I am interested in history, art, books and fashion (any tips on bookshops and shopping in general?) and am a good walker.)
Monday:
Taking the bus from JFK to Grand Central and checking in: Empire State building.
It will be early evening by then and I was told the view is a sensational first impression of the city. Would love to eat somewhere around there, preferably a nice place for dining alone (but not too posh), depending on the time, maybe even having a stroll around.
Is this a safe idea?
Tuesday:
Taking the bus (M1 I thought this might be a good idea to see a bit) towards Lower Manhattan to see Ellis Island (I want to visit the museum there but would be happy with only passing the Statue of Liberty), the Financial District and Ground Zero before visiting one of the local areas like Greenwich.
Do I need to book tickets beforehand? Any restaurant or diner recommendations?
Wednesday or Thursday (I hope to see a New York Greeter so it depends on that. I hope he/she is picking something off the beaten track):
5th Avenue: Flatiron building, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick`s Cathedral, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman (shopping). Later MoMa.
I would appreciate a nice place for lunch- where a single visitor has plenty to look at and food and atmosphere are great (and not too expensive). Maybe at Bergdorf Goodman?
In the evening show or cinema- I would love to hear any tips on cinemas which are in a safe area and have more flair than the common multiplexes.
Friday:
Metropolitan in the morning and to the Whitney in the evening (or the orther way around as they are both open until 9 that day) What could I do "in between"?
Saturday :
Guided tour at the Public Library and maybe one at Grand Central before picking up my bags at the hotel (just around the corner of my hotel).

Is the New York Greeter a good idea for getting an impression of NYC off the beaten track?
What do you all think of my plans? What is missing on my list and what would you stay away from?

Ellis Island is a great place to visit and be sure to get the audio tour. The headphones give you a real feel for the sounds at Ellis Island and the narration is excellent. Dress warm that day because the ferry ride can be windy.

I think a greeter is fine as long as they aren't charging too much. The double decker bus rides are good and many also include a walking tour. If you are comfortable in a big city, you should be ok without a greeter.

If you plan to take public transportation, check out HopStop.com You enter where you are and where you want to go and the website tells you which bus to take or subway. It also is good because sometimes certain subway stops are closed and the website "knows" that. http://www.hopstop.com/?city=newyork

I spent four months alone in NYC working and I never felt afraid. I would arrive at Penn Station at 11 pm and take the subway to the financial district and never once ran into trouble. My advice is if you feel like something isn't right then just leave the situation. New Yorkers walk fast, almost always are texting or have their ipods attached to their ears but if you stop and ask someone for help or advice on places to go, they'll more than assist. At least, that's been my experience.

Most restaurants in Time Square are expensive and not so great. My favorite place is in Brooklyn; just under the Brooklyn Bridge (Dumbo District). The place is called the Harborview Cafe and it's got a wonderful view of Manhattan. Lunch is nice because the prices are less and the view is at it's best. Make a reservation if you plan to go. It's about a mile walk from the subway station but then you get a feel for Broooklyn, too.

I hope you have a great time....I'm moving to the west coast and will miss NYC!

For Art books
Rizzolis
http://www.rizzoliusa.com/
The Strand

Ursus
http://www.ursusbooks.com/

Then the museum book stores
http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/...-new-york-city

For Indie films
Sunshine on Houston
Angelika
Village East Cinema

A crazy hint. If you say in NYC you want to visit Greenwich, people will think you want to see the tony town in Connecticut. If you say Greenwich Village or the Village, you will see what you want to see.

For fashion, check out F.I.T. and see if they'll have an exhibit and/or bookstore. Also look at the Metropolitan Museum...the Costume Institute is scheduled to reopen in the spring, but I don't remember if it's March or April.

First - NYC is the safest large city in the country and anyplace a tourist would go is perfetctly safe. Second bus is fine to see things from the window but MUCH slower than subway (an hour versus 15 or 20 minutes).


Greeters are free - they're volunteers - but you need to apply far in advance and hope for the best - since there aren;t enough to go around. And you should try to get ferry tickets in advance to avoid a huge line. The same ferry goes first to Liberty Island - but you don;t have to get off - then to Ellis Island. And be ready for the security line - like airline security.

There are multiple places to see movies other than those at the local mall - have a look at TimeOut New York and New York Magazine web sites for your dates. There's usually at least one film festival - often foreign - going on - plus programs at the various universities.

I would do Top of the Rock versus Empire State Building - you can get advance timed tickets - versus waiting on line - and I think the views are better.

And you want Greenwich Village - or "The Village" - Greenwich is an upscale town in CT.

You don't say when you're coming but March 17 is St Patrick's Day - with an enormous parade that ties up the whole city. So - if you're here then be sure to use subway rather than bus or you'll get nowhere.

The Flatiron Building is not near the other 5th Avenue attractions you are planning to visit. It may be that you know this and are just planning on walking a long stretch of 5th Avenue, but the Flatiron Building is at 23rd Street and the other places you mentioned are in the 50s. Figure about 20 blocks to the mile when you are walking on an avenue. (The blocks between avenues are longer.)

I don't know if you've already bought airline tickets, but if not, you may find staying over a Sat. night is much cheaper. The Library hotel is a few blocks walk from Grand Central so if you have a lot of luggage, you may not want to walk from the Grand Central stop. Have a look at the distance on maps.google.com

While the view from ESB is impressive, the experience can be daunting with long lines. It's just not an efficient operation. If you really want to go, definitely buy tickets in advance online to avoid ticket buyers line but you'll still need to wait to go through security and the elevators. Top of the Rock is considered a much nicer and much less crowded option and not really any further from the hotel (maybe a bit closer) and a nicer walk imo. If you plan on going to MOMA, you can buy a combo ticket for TOTR/MOMA for $30 and you don't have to visit them on the same day.

If you still prefer ESB on that first night, while the area is perfectly safe, it's not particularly attractive and there aren't that many nice dining options. It's more fast food, chains and pubs. 32 st. is little Korea if you like Asian food. Two exceptions are Ayza, a wine bar and Artisanal, a nice French bistro which has some good value prix fixe meals as well as a bar where you can eat. Look on menupages.com for details. If you go to Top of the Rock, if it's still skating season you could go to the Rock Center Cafe and watch the skaters.

You should buy tickets for Ellis Island online in advance (again to avoid the long lines). First ferry of the day is the least crowded and by staying on for Ellis Island, you'll have the place to yourself for a while first thing in the morning. statuecruises.com is the website for tickets. It's the same price whether you go to SOL or not. First stop from Manhattan side, SOL, then onto Ellis Island. I agree taking the bus is a great way to see a lot, but it will take a long time and if you want the first ferry, you might be better on the subway to save time.

MOMA is closed on Tuesdays and most of the other museums are closed on Mondays. I love the restaurant at Bergdorf with great people watching but it's very pricey. The BG salad is something like $25. A lot of the fancier restaurants have very good value prix fixe 2 or 3 course lunches during the week for a great way to see these places and sample the food. Nougatine in the Trump International hotel is one and Asiate on the 35th floor of the Time Warner building in the Mandarin Oriental hotel is another. Robert's is a new place on the top of the new Museum of Art & Design (also near Columbus Circle).

Going to the theater in the evening is a great way to spend the night when you're on your own. There are discounts on the left column of broadwaybox.com You can buy tickets using those links in advance or just print out the discounts, bring them with you and take them directly to the theaters when you arrive and save the transaction fees. Getting 1 ticket is pretty easy and you can often get a great one. For movies, there are 2 theaters in midtown that are a bit different, the Paris near the Plaza hotel and the Ziegfield which is known for it's great sound system.

The Met is absolutely huge and I personally can't do 2 museums in the same day. The Frick is much smaller and one of the gems of NYC. Frick.org Near the Met is the Neue Gallery of Viennese art. They have a lovely restaurant Cafe Sabarsky with nice Viennese pastry and food.

Yes people love the Big Apple Greeter program. It's especially good for showing you the ropes of how to use the subway.

Overall, I think your plan is good.

Thank you all so much for replying so fast and also being reassuring about safety!

Thank you Aduchamp and nytraveler about that useful tip about "the Village"- I certainly do not want to end up in Connecticut...
I already looked into the FIT, this is exactly the place I want to see. I also already applied for the Greeter and hope it will happen.
The Flatiron Building is not top of the list so thank you very much for pointing out the distance!

Are my plans a bit heavy on the touristy side?
There are things I absolutely want to do, like going somewhere with a good view (the top of the Rocks sounds like a good alternative, thank you), the Met, Whitney, FIT, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Public Library and some shopping, but apart from that I am very open for other recommendations!

Mclaurie, your tips are splendid- I will look into them right away!

Nice trip report for you to read.
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-wandering.cfm

The rooftop of the Met has a fantastic view, and offers refreshments, as well (if it will be open when you go, I think it is seasonal.)

Depending upon the kinds of art you are interested in, you may want to stop in some galleries for a more "curatorial" visit.

I love the Whitney, but I think you can skip it. If you want to see some really unique museums you should read this article:http://gridskipper.com/archives/entries/061/61899.php. Don't worry about being too touristy, have fun. If you really want to be a true blue tourist take one of those all-day tours of the city. I saw one on Twitter for $10: http://bit.ly/btiFSm.

Thank you all- I am already researching all the fabulous tips!
I will certainly ad the FIT.
As I am from Europe I am looking forward to see some american art, that is the reason for picking the Whitney. JulieSteal, thanks for the tip, I will look up the link to the less known museums.
I am also looking into the Village and Soho just for wandering around and getting a feel for the area.
If the meeting with a Greeter is not happening I hoping to do something out of Manhattan or at least off the beaten track- is there something like a hot tip?
I am thinking of a food on foot tour or a trip to Brooklyn or a trip to Harlem.

There are lots of walking tours and bus tours. This co. does a pizza tour in Brooklyn and also a neighgborhood tour.
http://www.bknypizza.com/

One of several cos. that do Harlem tours. http://www.harlemheritage.com/

Just skimming this,

but regarding cinemas, add Film Forum (Houston Street) and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas on the Upper West Side. To give you a sense for FF, right now it's showing Haneke's "White Ribbon" and "Red Shoes" (which I am planning to see). And there's the perennial Kurosawa retrospective there.

Anthology Film Archives

If you venture out to Brooklyn, BAM.

If you venture out to Queens, American Museum of Moving Image (AMMI). (I hardly read about them these days -- looks like something is happening there?)

Regarding your museum plans, remember that MoMA is free Fridays 4-8 pm. That could also answer your question regarding what to do on Friday. But then there will be lines to take advantage of free admission.

Bookshops: second-hand books at Strand ("miles and miles of books", as they say), St. Mark's Bookstore

For photography books, check out the particularly good bookshops Dashwood on Bond Street and the one at International Center of Photography (ICP)

I am hesitant to mention this, but check out the Gagosian store about four blocks up from Whitney. Larry Gagosian is a famous art dealer and the store deals with limited editions and multiples, posters -- and yes, books!

Other museums: Look up the Tino Sehgal show at Guggenheim and see if that interests you. Also the New Museum on Bowery for contemporary art, including the Sky Room/wrap-around terrace

PS1 and Noguchi Museum in Queens

Lunch recs: The MoMA cafeteria is actually good and recommendable, but I also think that it's gone downhill and not as good as it was. There are four places to eat at MoMA or something. There's a cafe on the 2nd floor, another one on I think the 5th floor, the Bar Room and finally the "Modern" (which has one Michelin star).

Burger Joint at Le Meridien

Le Pain Quotidien (ubiquitous!)

Endless list really -- Just thinking about midtown right now. Near the Whitney, there's the tea shop Ito En and restaurant Kai on the 2nd floor. It's on the pricey side but the cheapest donburi dish starts at $20. In the 70s there's Lady M. Nice cakes and sandwiches.

I've been reading recs for Robert at MAD (Museum of ? Design) and Asiate. Both at Columbus Circle, while the latter is at the Mandarin Hotel.

Have a great trip!

Oh, regarding American art at the Whitney, the big thing right now is the Whitney Biennial. I think they probably still show their permanent collection on the 5th floor.

Given where you are staying, another obvious choice is Morgan Library. I just posted to another thread on lunch spots near Empire State Building.

Quick recap for you --

Restaurant and cafe at Morgan Library
Restaurant at Scandinavia House
Level -1 at Grand Central
Koreatown on 32nd between 5th and Broadway

Well - Harlem is in Manhattan - above the upper east and west sides but below upper Manhattan - if tat makes any sense.

there is a lot to see if Brooklyn - by subway - check out the Museum.

Walking tours IMHO are more interesting - but if the weather is bad might not be that pleasant (be prepared for March to still be cold - snow is possible although not likely).

Can you be more specific about the type of American art? Paintings, decorative arts, textiles, eras, etc? The American Wing at the Met is undergoing extensive renovations. Half of the period rooms are closed (though the ones that are open are terrific) and most of their paintings have been either stored or moved to the study rooms (which, oddly, make the paintings much easier to view and study, but harder to identify as a "must see" as they are all lined up behind glass in supermarket-type aisles.) They do have a new gallery that showcases pottery and jewelry.

Anyway, I have always been unimpressed by the Strand's inventory of American dec arts. I highly recommend the Met's bookstore and Rizzoli, instead. Both have sale sections; I picked up a jewel of a book at the Met last month for half off.