Hi
I am visiting New York in November with my parents for the first time and need some help planning our trip.
There is so much to see and do so a little help with planning our itinerary would be great.
We arrive approx 1.30pm at Newark on Thurs Nov 16th and leave around 3pm Tues Nov 21st and are staying at Doubletree guest suites times square.
We have an idea of what we would like to do but no plan as to what to do on what day of whether we can fit it all in. Don%26#39;t mind using the subway although would prefer to walk where possible.
So here goes
1. TOTR/Rockerfeller Centre
2. ESB
3. A museum - not sure which
4. Ground zero
5. Central Park
6. Chrysler building
7. Wall street
8. Statue of Liberty
9. Ellis Island
10. Shopping - particularly for cosmetics/clothes and definitely the apple store.
11. Grand central station
12. A broadway show - possibly drowsy chaperone?
13. SoHo/chinatown
14. Brooklyn bridge
Also I have a laptop, is it worth bringing it with me?
Whats the best way to get from Newark to the hotel?
If anyone thinks I have missed a must do please let me know.
Once we have a plan for each day I will start looking at places to eat.
Any help greatly appreciated
Thanks in advace, can%26#39;t wait to get there!!
First time in NYC - Help!!
I%26#39;ve lived here for 9 years so will try to help you out. I am not a big fan of Times Square though and think it%26#39;s going to be loud in your hotel and although it%26#39;s in the central part of the city it%26#39;s on the westside so much of the tourist stuff you%26#39;ll just have
1. TOTR/Rockerfeller Centre
This is good and will be fun as you will get a good view of the city. Also can go to the top of the Peninsula Hotel for a $10 drink/beer or to the bar at the Mandarin Oriental hotel at Columbus Circle for a cool view of Central Park.
2. ESB
Sort of mandatory, but in a neighborhood where there%26#39;s not much else around (maybe the Morgan Library)
3. A museum - not sure which
Go to the Met - something for everyone and so much to see - it%26#39;s huge. You should combine this with a nice walk in Central Park (it%26#39;s right on it) and maybe a little walk around 5th Avenue in the Upper East Side (expensive shopping (but nor for Brits with pounds!)). You could hit the Guggenheim which is like 10 blocks up too (and smaller/more manageable)
4. Ground zero
Go see this and then shop at Century 21 across the street for bargain designer clothes and shoes (huge store). Also visit Wall Stree and the NYSE which is like 4 blocks away. If you like pubs go to Ulysses downtown which is usually packed during the weeknights (quieter on weekends)
5. Central Park
See The Met above
6. Chrysler building
You can%26#39;t go up I don%26#39;t think, you%26#39;ll see it if you%26#39;re in the East 40s and from the ESB.
7. Wall street
Very near to Ground Zero so combine with that
8. Statue of Liberty
Interesting - should combine with Ellis Island. Will be a few hours to do both.
9. Ellis Island
10. Shopping - particularly for cosmetics/clothes and definitely the apple store.
Century 21 downtown! Also, Bloomingdales and
11. Grand central station
Do this if you%26#39;re looking at the Chrysler Building or after the ESB - fairly close to both.
12. A broadway show - possibly drowsy chaperone?
13. SoHo/chinatown
Def do this - maybe walk from downtown past the NYC courthouse and up into Chinatown and then Soho (on Broadway)
14. Brooklyn bridge
You can walk by this on the way up from Ground Zero/Century 21/Wall Street and up to Chinatown.
Hope this helps!
First time in NYC - Help!!
I am glad that you do not mind using the subway, because many of the things that you want to see are not within an easy walking distance either of each other or of your hotel.
You will lant to cluster the sights you want to see by neighborhood.
The easiest cluster of your list above are the ';downtown'; things, for which using the subway at least to start your stroll will be the only practical option.
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are both reached using the same boat from the southern tip of the island of Manhattan. Other things to do that same day, as part of the same ramble, are Wall Street, the World Trade Center, and the Brooklyn Bridge. You could also tack on Chinatown, although I would not head over to SoHo as well on the same day.
Grand Central Terminal (nto ';station';) and the Chrysler Bldg are within a block of each other -- although keep in mind all you can see of the Chrysler Building is the lobby. Also near both of these on 42nd Street are the United Nations in one direction, and the Public Library (a truly lovely building) in the other.
The Empire State Building is on Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, and 34th Street heading west of that intersection is one of the main shopping districts of the city, culminating in the enormous Macy%26#39;s at 34th and Sixth -- although the stroe takes up the whole block.
The Apple store is close to the southeast corner of Central park, and may be done on the same day. It might also be combined with TotR and other sights along Fifth Avenue between Rockefeller Center and the park (St. patrick%26#39;s, St. Thomas%26#39;s, the very chic and expensive shops, etc.)
There are so many museums in NYC you need to be more specific if you want a recommendation. Do you like art? If so, what kind of art do you like -- 20th C. and later, or old masters? Do you like specialty museums, such as the Museum of Broadcasting, or the Police Museum, or the Fire Museum, or the Museum of the American Indian? You name it, we have it.
And I hope you are looking into interesting places to eat besides ghastly chainrestaurants and indifferent touris trap joints!
Welcome (in advance) to NYC!
Here are my thoughts on your itinerary:
1. TOTR/Rockerfeller Centre - Yes, definitely do TOTR. Infinitely more hospitable and fun thatn ESB. My best suggestion is to go about half an hour to 45 minutes before sunset, so that you can watch the progression of the City from daylight to night. Truly amazing.
2. ESB - Perhaps worth doing to say you did. Buy tickets in advance to avoid the lines, but still expect lines, fairly rude treatment by staff, etc. You might want to go to TOTR first, and decide afterwards if you feel you really still need to see ESB.
3. A museum - not sure which - The Met can%26#39;t be beat. MOMA is fantastic as well. The Guggenheim typically focuses on one exhibit, and one of it%26#39;s big draws is the exterior of the building (Frank Lloyd Wright) which is currently under renovation, thus making that attraction moot.
4. Ground zero - We would be honored to have you.
5. Central Park - A must do, in my opinion. The Park is a modern wonder, and worth spending a day (or half a day if pressed for time) in. Do a search on this forum and you%26#39;ll find lots of great ideas on what to see.
6. Chrysler building - As per above, you can only see the lobby. But great photo opportunities on 42nd Street and vicinity. An incredible work of art in the form of a commercial skyscraper.
7. Wall street - Go during the week to experience the electricity of the area.
8. Statue of Liberty - Although many pooh-pooh it, I greatly enjoy getting off at Liberty Island and walking around the Statue. Brilliant.
9. Ellis Island - Take the free Park Ranger tour...few do, and it%26#39;s usually very good.
10. Shopping - particularly for cosmetics/clothes and definitely the apple store. - Century 21, Daffy%26#39;s, Filene%26#39;s Basement are all good bets.
11. Grand central station - As GWB stated, it%26#39;s actually Grand Central Terminal (although I bet most New Yorkers don%26#39;t even know that) because trains either originate or terminate there...unlike Penn Station, they don%26#39;t pass through. There is a great, free guided tour on Wednesdays that you should look into. The building is my absolute favorite in NYC, and there%26#39;s always something going on.
12. A broadway show - possibly drowsy chaperone? - I%26#39;m no Broadway expert, but it gets great reviews on this forum. I%26#39;m sure somebody will chime in with recommendations.
13. SoHo/chinatown - Make sure you go below (south of) Canal Street in Chinatown. Look at a map and check out Bayard, Pell, and Doyers streets. Going for Dim Sum on a weekend is a great way to experience Chinatown.
14. Brooklyn bridge - Walk across the Bridge to Grimaldi%26#39;s for pizza. Again, do a search here for more details.
First, as someone who has stayed in the Doubletree suites, I can say they are NOT noisy at all inside. If you read throughout these threads, you%26#39;ll see it consistantly gets recommended and people always mention how quiet the rooms are. You will be able to walk to Rockefeller Center and TOTR and all Broadway theaters from that location. The subway is close, and the Hop on/Hop off bus pick-up is right across the street. And, depending on what stamina you have, you could also walk to Central Park %26amp; 5th Ave. shops. The doorman can help you catch a cab right out front if needed. I suggest going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I%26#39;ve never had a need for a laptop while there. If you need to check or send a quick e-mail, you can get free internet access 2 doors down at the Visitors Center.
great recommendations from other posters. You can combine a number of activities downtown starting with Ground Zero, walking to Wall Street (not sure what is exactly of interest here, anyone else care to comment?), and to Chinatown, then back track (10 minutes from Chinatown) and walk over the brooklyn bridge. Take subway back to the hotel.
Hi
Thanks everyone for all your advice. I definitely have a starting point for our itinerary now.
I will post our tinerary for review once I have pulled it together.
GWB - we will definitely be avoiding chain restuarants whilst in NYC, I%26#39;m sure there are much better places to eat and experience the city.
Thanks
Take the very first boat over to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. It will save you time and crowds.
On our first trip to NYC we bought the NY City Pass cards (something like that). It included admissions to most of the things you mentioned and then some as well as metro access a 24 or 48 hour period....depending on card you buy. Worth investigating.
try getting new york pass www.newyorkpass.com there is a city pass which is similar. it definatly saved us time in queues and money also..so much to see and i thought times square was great real buzz
Show-wise, Try www.broadwaybox.com . You can score some sweet discounts there (not to the drowsy chap. though - no discounts for sold out shows) and read listings and reviews. Godspeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment