beba

Went to NY last November and did an amazing amount of the usual things that tourists do..TOTR, Central Park, Times Square, Grand Central Station ,walked the Brooklyn Bridge, went to the Met museum, saw Chinatown, saw the Christmas store front windows, saw one play on Broadway (they were on strike) ,rode the Staten Island Ferry, all the 'biggies'. Now I am going back again, for 5 days, and wondered what you all thought I should see this time that maybe most tourists don't get to see..you know, the 'real' NY. Since we did so much last year we did not spend a lot of time at each place, so this time we plan on zeroing in on a place and really 'seeing' it more thoroughly, which would allow us to see the neat, unusal places that we might normally miss. Can anyone come up with some ideas for me? I know you all can, you are all so helpful on this board and I have learned so much.

As for the types of things we might like to see or do, you can tell from the places we saw already that we like a variety of things. We are 2 woman of an 'age'. not young, not old, but in the 'middle' so we are up for some challenges but not really interested in the fast paced younger style that someone in their 20's might find interesting. Is that enough information about what we might like? Getting around is easy for us..we used the Subway, the bus system, and taxi's fairly easily and we will be staying in Times Square so we will be cental.

We did not really see much in the upper East or West side mostly because we were not sure what we should be looking for. Is it worthwhile for use to spend some time there?

vjpblovesitaly

Have you ever heard of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum? It is very interesting, especially if you are interested in immigrant history.

www.tenement.org

tomassocroccante

If you like art, the Upper East Side has the Met, Gugenheim, Whitney, Frick Collection ...

The Upper West Side has the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium (both stellar) and Lincoln Center. LC's outdoor areas are under renovation but the opera, concerta halls and theater are going strong.

When do you plan the trip? November again? If here for Thanksgiving, come up to the west side to watch the balloons get inflated the Wed night before the parade.

mclaurie

Exploring neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and Soho. Foodsofny.com does a very popular walking tour of those areas that gives you info and lets you taste some good stuff.

If you're at all interested in theaters/performance, there are several "backstage" tours that are good-Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Radio City, a Broadway theater. Here's some links http://www.newyorkology.com/archives...ng_backsta.php

Go to the UN and maybe have lunch there in the delegates dining room.
http://www.newyorkology.com/archives...d_nations.html

The Frick museum is one of the wonderful smaller museums in the city. frickmuseum.org There are loads of others including the Neue Museum, the Cooper Hewitt design museum, the Museum of the City of NYC. Here's a whole list
http://www.ny.com/museums/all.museums.html

If you like pizza, there's a fun pizza tour in Brooklyn that not only gets you a taste of some great pizza, but also shows you highlights of that borough of NYC. If you're coming at Thanksgiving, the same co. also does a bus tour of an area known for a crazy number of Xmas lights and they're starting a neighborhood tour too.
http://asliceofbrooklyn.com/

Go to an off Broadway show and if you haven't seen the Radio City Xmas Spectacular, go. There should be discounts now for Nov. on broadwaybox.com

travelbuff

I'd suggest getting a book on the city so you have a better reference point and can choose what looks interesting.

Also the Cloisters is an amazing museum, not well known by tourists and part of the Met Museum. It's all the way uptown and has a priceless collection of art, furniture, jewelry, religious artifacts, all housed in a building built for the collection. Well worth the trip uptown. After your visit, walk down Ft. Washington Ave to 187th St for dinner at Kismat one of the BEST Indian restaurants in the city.

There are lots of hidden gems in the city to explore, including some homes dating back to the early days of New York.

Have a great time while you are here.

dmlove

I second the Tenement Museum. Look at their website, and make reservations in advance (tours do sell out). We took the tour called "Piecing It Together" (because two of our grandfathers were tailors) and found it very very illuminating. Have lunch at Katz' Deli afterwards. (Look for my posts explaining how to navigate lunch at Katz').

nytraveler

You might also check out the main brnch of the Public Library - has greeat exhibits usually - and yuo can then grab a bite in Bryant Park.

NY Hisotical society - neast the Museum of Nat'l Hist (GREAT!) also often has good exhibits.

Suggest you have a look at the web site of New York Magazine for events about a month before you go. There are hundreds listed by date and type - as well as a complete listing of al the dozens of museums.

Also check out Lincoln Center - there are tours and you can get inexpensive tickets to rehearsals for many things - as well as all the usual performances.

And if you do get any warmer weathr (you can never tell) do some outdoor cafe sitting on the upper west side or Village or East Village.

maryanntex

I also highly recommend the Tenement Museum. It's great.

We always like to check out the flea markets. Doing so doesn't really eat into your other activities, because they open early on weekend mornings. http://www.hellskitchenfleamarket.co...rket/index.php (There are 3 tabs which give info about 3 different locations.)

mclaurie

If you're walkers and don't want to join (or pay for) a walking tour, there's a deck of cards you can buy with walks of different neighborhoods. http://www.amazon.com/City-Walks-Yor.../dp/0811838447

beba

You all have some amazing things for me to check out, thanks so much. The backstage tours is a great idea, as is the neighbourhood tour of Greenwich Village and Soho (I saw a bit of them last time but I think I missed the 'dood' stuff because I was not impressed with what I saw), as was the online New York magazine site to check before we go. I wish we were there in time to see the waterfalls but I understand that it will be finished by then. I will also check out the tenement museum as I had thought about it last year.

I do have a few books and I will reread them again looking for gems, but I think you guys are much better references than just using the books. Experience counts for sure.

NeoPatrick

Regarding backstage tours, I've done a bunch of them. I found Radio City's to be disappointing (especially for the price) as most of the time apparently you don't really get backstage at all (whenever there is a show in production, it seems). Mainly it was just a tour of the public areas you can do on your own any time you go there -- admittedly with a bit of interesting story telling when you get the guided tour.

At Lincoln Center the BEST one was the Metropolitan Opera Tour. It was really backstage, in the dressing rooms, the scene shop, the costume shop, the light booth, right out on stage -- and surprisingly we did this WHILE they were working on loading in a show. Very interesting.

I also enjoyed the Carnegie Hall tour, which ends in their smallish "museum".

nytraveler

For something really unique - as loong as you're open-minded - check out the sex museum. A friend of mine took some visitors there a couple of weeks ago - and, unfortunately, they weren't quite as broaded-mineded as she.

blondiegal

I love MOMA and highly recommend it

escargot

Also vote for the Tenement Museum
(favorite is the Confino Living History Tour)

Foodsofnyc - Greenwich village tour

The Bronx Botanical Garden - much more than just "flowers" - check out their web site and what might be on for special exhibitions on the grounds and inside -

www.nybg.org

The Frick / or the Guggenheim - add another museum

Did you do all of Central Park?
The literary walk, etc?

tomassocroccante

I should add that you can look into pursuing special interests of your own. Do you kayak? That's available in the Hudson, either at the Chelsea Piers or near 72nd Street in Riverside Park.

Like to bowl? Also at chelsea Piers sports complex, a 100 lane bowling alley - with the "black light" bowling late night.

If you like fashion or design, plenty of exploring to do in just the shops, but also visit FIT or Parsons, see if there's a show in the Met's costume institute, or at Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.

Architecture, - visit some of the great new buildings, esp the Hearst tower. Ten minutes in the lobby will yield a nice little speech about this very green skyscraper.

Have a cocktail (aabout $12-15 ea) in the lounge of the Peninsula, RTime Warner Center, and enjoy the view over Central Park.

Viisit the Cloisters (real group of European abbeys etc in upper Manhattan, part of the Met) or, at Xmastime, the Neapolitan Creche at the Met.

AJPeabody

The New York Botanical Garden, hard by the Bronx Zoo (well, the zoo got a new politically correct name so it's not a zoo anymore, but it still is, of course) is well worth it, second only to the Royal Botanical Garden at Kew (London), in my experience. Of course, the Zoo is pretty famous, too.

The Brooklyn Museum should never be overlooked. It has some fantastic collections.

Do you cook? Get thee to the Broadway Panhandler, the closest thing to kitchenware pornography you'll ever find.

Astroland at Coney island just closed forever, so you missed it.

Sorry.

beba

More great suggestions! The tour of the Metropolitan Opera is a good idea and now that I am thinking of it someone a long time ago told me they went and just loved it, so that is on the list now too. As for Central Park we only saw a tiny bit, and had lunch at the Boathouse, so maybe this time we will go to Tavern on the Green. I know, some like it, some not so much, but I guess I will just go for the experience. The part of the park we saw was around the Alice in Wonderland statue, and the lake and that was pretty (although it was raining) so we should explore other parts of the park as well. Bryant Park also sounds like a nice spot so will try for that too.

Last year I was disappointed I did not do the skating thing at Rock Center, so that is on the list too. I was totally taken in by the light display with all the Christmas lights so am really looking forward to see if it changes any from year to year.

Shopping was a hit and miss thing for us last time, and I would like a bit more time for that. Are there certain areas of Manhattan that might yield a bunch of shops at reasonable prices (that lets out 5th ave) that we could wander up and down streets going in and out of shops? I loved Macy's, but that could eat up a whole day! (who says that is a bad idea?)

Anyway, thanks again for all the great suggestions. It has got me thinking and wishing the time would come sooner, but I love the planning just as much.

On another note, I tried to get tickets to South Pacific for anytime that week, but all sold out. Is there any likelyhood that I would get any once I am in NY at the theater box office?

Michael

Spend an afternoon riding the subway to the different stations with subway art:

http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork

tomassocroccante

beba, there are a couple of other skating venues :

Wolman rink in Central park has great skyline views in a park setting.

In Bryant Park they set up a rink on the lawn, surrounded by gift vendors on the park walks. Not my favorite use of the park, but it could be fun if you're near the Library to stop by.

dmlove

Bryant Park with the skating rink and Christmas market just sparkles. We loved it (loved the market, too -- some unique stuff). I shopped while my daughter skated. Skating is free - you just pay for renting skates ($10.00, I think). The rink is small, but it's still fun. Even if the line goes all the way to Ave. of the Americas, it takes less than half an hour to get to the front.