Trip to Broadway
 

We are planning a 4 night stay in NYC in late August, mainly to attend two Broadway shows (Memphis, Billy Elliott). We have reserved a hotel in Secaucus, NJ, which gives us direct access to midtown Manhattan using NJ Transit bus #320.

At the same time we are doing some research in order to visit other NYC sites. For example we definitel y want to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. While we are in lower Manhattan we might visit Ground Zero. Is this feasible to do this in one day? How much time should we allow for these two sites (without going up the Statue)? After one of the evening performances we will be taking in the Times Square area. We would also like to visit some of the museums i.e. MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. How long should we allow for a quick overall visit?

Any further suggestions on places to see and visit would be appreciated.

Staying in Secaucus is a REALLY bad idea. The bus stops after a certain time at night so you would end up taking a cab from Manhattan which will run you about $75 one way.

You can find a hotel for just about the same price as your hotel in NJ if you do some looking on some of the discount hotel sites.

The Secaucus hotels are out in kind of the boonies, so to get anywhere you have to have a car. Also the bus from there in rush hour traffic in the morning will take more than an hour to get into the city and if traffic is bad alot longer than an hour.

If you use the search feature of this site and look up posts on NYC you will find a treasure trove of info.

You need to research your transit options carefully. Many of the buses to/fro NJ are for commuters and run very rarely - or at all, late at night - making getting back to Secaucus after a show very difficult. If you end up having to take a cab - you could easily put that money to a hotel in the City - and not waste all that time getting to and fro.

I strongly suggest you explore options in the city (try travelzoo.com and other discount sites). If you don;t stay in the city you are better off in Long Island City - which is only 20 minutes by subway - which unlike the buses - runs 24/7.

To see the Statue of Liberty you need to get ferry tickets from the park service in advance. Try for the first ferry of the day to avoid the longest lines. In any case you need to allow for security getting n the ferry (park service recos allowing 45 minutes). If yo ar ejust making a quick stop on Liberty island versus climbing the Statue - you can then grab the next ferry to Ellis Island Immigration Museum (which is brilliant). to do the trip without climbing the statue you should allow about 5 hours - and you can do something else that afternoon.

For the Tenement Museum you ned to get tickets in advance for a spcifically times tour - which are fairly brief - so allow a couple of hours. You can n
spend days in the Met and Natural History - and most of a day in MoMA. So before you go to any of them check out the web sites - so you can pick the 2 or 3 departments you can see in a couple of hours.

Thank you for your helpful comments and information, especially about the Statue of Liberty and the comments regarding some of the museums.

By staying in Secaucus, NJ, we might encounter some traffic delays in rush hour traffic in the morning, but according to the NJTransit schedule for bus 320, there will be a bus every 10-20 min. which is available accross our hotel, leading directly to PABT near Times Square. As far as returning back late at night after the shows, the last bus leaves NYC at 1 a.m. We called NJTransit and they confirmed this schedule so hopefully there won't be any problems going back to our hotel. On top of it all, the fare for us seniors is a big $1.80

If your plan is to visit friends or family in NJ then Secaucus would be a good option, and you would need to have a car.

If you are staying in NJ and visiting NYC, then staying in Secaucus is a BAD IDEA. Here are some examples;
It's hot and you are tired and just want to relax for few minutes or you have toured all day and are seeing a broadway show, and want a shower and change before the show, all those would mean going back to NJ to your hotel.

If you were staying in Manhattan, it would mean a quick subway or bus ride back to your hotel.

You CAN find deals in Manhattan if you look around, and trust us when we say if you want to visit the city, stay HERE, you will be spending so much time traveling back and forth, it's not worth it, and you really won't be saving anything. Alot of your visit you will just be seeing traffic.

The bus is not all that convenient from NJ into the city and standing outside in the heat waiting for the bus is not fun either. Also every 10 to 20 minutes will likely mean during rush hour, the time is longer off hours. And if you miss the last bus that's an $80 cab ride back to your hotel, and even that might be a problem, the cabs in the city are not required to go to NJ and even if the driver says yes, he may not know where your hotel is located.

They're staying in Secaucus, so I think it's a little counter-productive to try to convince them to stay in Manhattan, even if it's a bad idea to stay there (as I agree). Some people just can't afford to stay elsewhere. However, a hotel in Long Island City Queens would put you near several NYC subway lines and a $20 cab ride from Manhattan instead of an $80 ride, and it might very well cost the same amount of money in August. It's almost always a better idea to stay within NYC than in NJ for most folks. And unless you are flying into EWR, you're going to pay a huge fare just to get to Secaucus from one of the NYC airports (though my guess is that you are flying into EWR or driving). Just sayin'.

The trip into Manhattan can actually take an hour or more on a bad traffic day, so just keep that in mind (yes, even from Secaucus). The worst day for traffic is Friday in the summer.

The most logistically difficult day for you is going to be the day you go to the Statue of Liberty. Like others, I'd strongly urge (beg you even) to get a ferry reservation as early in the day as possible. It's brutally hot in August, even on the water, and you want to get out there as early as possible. The entire excursion takes about 5 or 6 hours, and the most fruitful part of the trip is the Ellis Island museum.

Ground Zero? Meh. I know it's meaningful for a lot of people, but it is a construction site, and unless you like to see structural steel, it really has nothing more to offer. If you really must go, then go to see St. Paul's or Trinity church. At least they carry some history. Federal Hall is nearby and it's free.

You need to book a tour at the Tenement Museum in advance. Again, this needs to be done as early in the morning as possible. Afterward, perhaps have lunch at the Essex Street Market; there's a good diner-style restaurant there. Or if you want something a bit nicer, Freeman's Alley or one of the great restaurants in nearby Chinatown.

To be honest, I'd skip the Guggenheim Museum. It's the worst major museum in all of NYC. Walk in and take a gander at the lobby for free; then walk away. The Frick is a different story; the best small museum you can see in Manhattan. The Neue Galerie is also wonderful, albeit specialized (and has a truly excellent cafe); it's near the Met. A couple of museums is enough, really. So either MOMA or the Met, depending on your taste, and another small museum.

@ Doug -
<i>You need to book a tour at the Tenement Museum in advance. Again, this needs to be done as early in the morning as possible.</i>

Most of the tours don't start until 11 am or later. Why is "early" recommended - heat? crowded?

Thank~

I beg to differ with all the New York naysayers. Barring some extraordinarily catastrophic traffic nightmare, the #320 bus trip, using the bus-only lane through the Lincoln Tunnel directly to the Port Authority bus terminal, takes all of a half-hour, even in the morning rush hour. The published schedule (have any of you even bothered to look at it?) takes normal rush hour traffic into account.

For the late-night return trip, the 320 runs every 15 minutes until 11:20, then every 20 minutes until midnight, then every 30 minutes until 1:00, with the trip taking 17 to 21 minutes. These frequencies and trip durations are, I imagine, not that much different from the subway headways and trip times to, say, Queens at those hours.

To jet29, I'd suggest you call NJTransit again to inquire about the particulars of purchasing tickets. The schedule's ticketing information is oriented toward park-and-ride commuters, so it may not apply to you.

I would also consider the NJ Transit train from Secaucus, as that runs frequently as well. I'm not sure of the logistics of getting there from your hotel, but it will expand your options.

For example, if you take the train from Secaucus to Hoboken, that will put you in easy distance to Downtown Manhattan via the Path train.

To me the biggest problem with not staying in the city, is not being able to easily go back to the the hotel, for a mid-afternoon break, after a long day of sight-seeing, with evening activities to follow.

The NJ Transit train to Secaucus Junction may or may not be closet to the OP's hotel, but it's about 4 or 5 times more expensive, so I don't know if it's a viable option. But I do like the train over the bus. I still prefer the subway or PATH over both.

I agree with everyone about staying in NYC if you can. Maybe you can tell us your budget and we can help you out. August is a great time to get lower room rates in NYC. Last August, I used Priceline and got the 4* Sheraton Towers in Midtown for $117 a night plus tax. 3* or 3.5* hotels would be less.

Besides the time spent to travel back and forth, I think the most important thing is having a place to go back and rest as MFNYC mentioned. I have tons of energy and can keeping going in NYC for hours but even I can't imagine not having a place to rest and change clothes before I go to the theater and dinner. Even if you leave mid-morning from Secaucus and don't return home until after a show and looking around Times Square that could end up being a 14-15 hour day with no place for downtime.

Last August when we were in NYC, it was very warm and humid. After walking for hours and spending time waiting for subways, my daughters and I were literally wet with sweat. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts and still hot. Even though people don't dress up that much for theatre, there is no way I'd wear shorts to the theater and also we all desperately needed a shower before heading out again.

Again, let us know your budget and maybe we can help find you something more convenient.

Thank you all for your helpful comments and opinions. The decision to stay in Secaucus was made jointly, with another couple we are travelling with by car. Our plan is to park the car at the hotel and not use it for the duration of our stay. The other couple had previously stayed in New Jersey while visiting NYC and found it not much of a problem.

The hotel we found includes free parking and breakfast for $130, which is more or less within the budget. We did look extensively prior to booking this hotel but couldn't find anything approaching these ammenities in NYC for the price. Never the less we are open to all suggestions from Fodorites since we can cancel our reservation at any time, without a penalty. As mentioned previously, we carefully analyzed the published NJTransit schedule for route 320 before booking. A big advantage is the bus stop accross the street. We also called NJTransit who confirmed that the schedule is realistic within a few minutes, one way or the other i.e. reserved lanes, special route, etc. etc.

As pointed out by you all, it's an inconvenience not being able to travel back and forth to refresh and change clothes easily but we'll try to manage this situation.

In as far as pre-booking for Ellis Island and the Statue ferry, we would appreciate getting the exact site to proceed.

We still have more than a month before our trip to Broadway so nothing is engraved in stone other than our pre-reservation for the two shows already booked. We are still in the planning stages with our friends as to what to do and what to see for our three days. We are open to suggestions from everyone.

If you want to see the Statue of Liberty, then you really need to engrave a time in stone asap (as in about 3 weeks ago), or you may find yourself out of luck. Make your reservations at www.statuecruises.com and do it as soon as you can. Nothing else is nearly so urgent since you already have hotel reservations and play tickets.

I'll throw one more suggestion out there.
If you are coming on a weekend, you might actually bring that car into the city one of those days. On a weekday--don't even think about it, but on a summer weekend, there are places in town where you can easily park.

We returned last week from our Broadway extravaganza having stayed 4 nights in Secaucus, NJ, in the La Quinta Meadowlands Inn and Suites.
The hotel is comprised of suites with one section used for living room/TV and a desk with all the PC/WiFi connections provided. The bedroom had king sized bed with a second TV. In between the two sections there is a small fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. It also had a decent-sized bathroom and ample storage space. BTW the A/C is slightly on the noisy side. Overall, the room was very clean and well-maintained.
Free parking is definitely not a problem. The hotel has quite a large lobby with two PC’s for guest’s use including printers (there is a 15-minute limit on usage). A 24-hour coffee pot is always available for guests in the lobby. There is a pool but having not used it, we can’t comment. The free breakfast in the morning is in a large dining area and is well-supplied: juice, pancakes, waffles, toast, eggs, sausages, French toast, fruit, cereal, Chinese soup & rice etc.
One of the main advantages of staying in this hotel is the easy access and transportation into Manhattan. The NJTransit bus #320, start of the line (the bus is always empty), is located across the street. It is a maximum 25/35 minute ride to mid-town Manhattan (Port Authority Bus Terminal, 42nd street and 8th avenue/Times Square). This feature alone is one of the best reasons to stay at this hotel. The desk staff is friendly and helpful and always available to answer questions and provide information including brochures, maps, bus schedules, etc. BTW, on week days, the last bus leaves PABT at 1:00am.
We saw the shows, “Memphis” and “Billy Elliott” but an understudy had the lead role in Memphis and didn’t have the stage presence to carry the show, therefore it is difficult to judge the show as a whole. On the other hand, Billy Elliott was outstanding and definitely worth attending.
Our visit the Statue Liberty and Ellis Island was very enjoyable, not withstanding all the security check you have to go through. We also enjoyed our quick visit to the Metropolitan Museum, which is a “must see” and the Tenement Museum was very informative and enjoyable. Shopping in NYC is a natural and Macy’s offers some great bargains. Overall, we found New Yorkers very friendly and helpful, even the MTA staff.
It was a very fun mini vacation.

Glad you had a good time and the hotel worked out. Don't know which lead in Memphis (male or female) had the understudy but it is too bad you missed them because they both are amazing.

Thanks for the info on the hotel. My preference would still be to stay in Manhattan, but it's good to know such alternatives exist.

They do exist - but as pointed out the last bus is at 1 am - preventing you from doing any nightlife - unless you're willing to spring for a taxi at $60 plus. And you do need to be very careful in selecting one - since many are NOT really near transit nto the city.

Yes, and we stayed at the Hampton Inn on 35 St. in late July for not much more than the OP paid to stay in Secaucus. It was a Travelzoo special, and included full breakfast, free wi-fi and of course a great midtown location.