"Unique" New York City Experiences-Yours
 

I am not going to ask anyone to suggest "what to do" in Manhattan <B>and then</B> after taking the time to do so respond to you with the, "We've already done that" anger-inducing response.

Instead, I am asking folks to relate what they felt was their most unique, and yes, memorable, activity if they would be so kind.

We will be in the city for six nights (including one weekend) next month. <B>Every night</B> is already scheduled with either a Met Opera performance or a Broadway/Off Broadway show so that part is taken care of.

On our last trip we tried to do at least one "new" activity every day we were in town and that made the trip much more enjoyable. Those "things" ran the gamut from the Fire Department museum to walking the High Line to finally visiting St. John the Divine.

I appreciate the time it takes to respond to these sorts of threads and thank you in advance for doing so.

Well, I guess the most unique thing I've ever done there is drive a taxi for four months. But that's another story, or several.

As a former resident I barely know the place, so I'll be interested to follow responses for my next visit.

But some quick thoughts:
- The Cloisters
- The Tenement Museum
- Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO
- Panorama of the City of New York in the Queens Museum
- While in Queens go to one of the ethnic neighborhoods for food, now the best in the city according to friends.

Taking the ferry to and from Staten Island.

Absolutely GREAT ideas and The Cloisters which we have done but more than 30 years ago is included in the "great" part.

These are all wonderful suggestions and I appreciate your taking the time.

You could check out the Brooklyn Bridge park - nice walk/restored piers/great views.

The recently opened Westfield Mall at WTC is pretty amazing. I'm not much of a shopper - but the architecture was very cool.

Have you been to the new Whitney museum?

Brennynp,

Thanks for these suggestions. As to the WTC, we have been to the memorial which we enjoyed and found to be emotionally moving and well-done (having been atop the original WTC several times and also having stayed at the adjacent Marriott on several trips to NYC) but not the new mall, so that is a great suggestion.

We have also not yet done the Whitney so that is also something we would enjoy.

I appreciate these ideas since when we go to New York it helps if we have a definite sightseeing plan even if we don't carry everything out; otherwise we loaf in the hotel room and waste so many opportunities which at this stage may never come again.

Reading rooms of New York Public Library on 5th Ave.
Morgan Library.
Ruben Museum of Art, focusing on Himalayan Art. Located in the original Barney's building, marble staircare remains, good cafe.

Definitly visit The Whitney and have lunch there too.

Ellis Island is reopened after Sandy and is quite moving for me, as my grandfather arrived there just a few years after it opened, but the train terminal at Liberty State Park (part of the Ellis Island ferry ride) is even more evocative to me.

Happy and Amy,

Thank you. Did the Morgan last time in NY and I agree it was worthwhile; am not familiar (yet) with the Ruben and will look into that.

Ellis Island: I remember the various magazine photos of the place from years ago before it was "renovated" and it is another great suggestion and something we would enjoy seeing I think.

Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. Wonderful old building and interesting changing exhibits - located on Museum Mile.
Depending on the weather, there's the Bronx Zoo - in my opinion the best in the country.
And the Botanical Gardens, also in the Bronx, has a great Train Show in the greenhous over the holidays - all the little buildings are NYC landmarks and are made with plant materials - quite stunning. May still be on when you're there.

We loved walking the Greenway along the Hudson River in the Upper West Side. Just felt like we were New Yorkers. Also loved checking out small grocery stores like Zabar's and Zingone Brothers.

NGail,

The C-H would be a possibility; I will research the Botanical Gardens train show dates; thank you for these recs.

Austin,

Sometimes just walking around can be satisfying I agree; last time we did so on the UES after a museum visit; found a nice place for lunch, etc. Was fun to be in a "neighborhood" besides the more usual ones.

Since you have a show centric trip planned perhaps a radio city music hall tour? I never took the public tour but was privileged to a private tour

The Woolworth Building - must reserve tour
The Frick Collection www.frick.org/
City Hall Subway station [not always open]/Transit Museum http://www.nytransitmuseum.org/#program
Fraunces Tavern

See the collection of African, New Guinea, and other "primitive" (Hah!) objects at the Metropolitan Museum.

Take the Roosevelt Island tram and visit Four Freedoms Park.

Visit the Neue Galerie and see the Klimt collection. The entire collection will be on exhibit until Jan 16, after that only partial. It is the chance of a lifetime. Have lunch in the elegant first floor restaurant.

If in the Village, stop at the Caffe Reggio for a cappuccino and pastry (skip the food). The Reggio is the first caffe in the US to serve cappuccino and it is an historic place. I used to hang out there in high school and college back in the late '50s and early 60's and it hasn't changed a bit. I think it hasn't changed since it opened some 90 years ago. - it is a Village coffee house the way it was meant to be. If the weather is nice, hang out in Washington Square Park for an hour or two on a weekend and catch the vibe. They get some pretty good musicians and the like there.

If you would like to try some real NY deli the way it was supposed to taste, skip the zoo at Katz' and go to the 2nd ave Deli, no longer on 2nd ave but on 33rd near 3rd.

It is always Christmas, Russian style, at the Russian Tea Room next to Carnegie Hall. Terrific ambiance, fine food, and high prices but worth it at least once for the experience.

OK, trying to get through the other great suggestions:

DebitNM, AJPeabody, Ellenem, and Basingstoke2, thank you for all of these. Several I will have to research and it looks as if I will need to write a trip report which will, hopefully, be interesting reading for some.

Cheers to you and printing this out for myself.

One other thing I should mention is The Literary Pub Tour of Greenwich Village. The tour guides are usually part-time actors and they do readings of the various writers in their old hangouts. Nice 2 to 3 hour afternoon.