Gulp!!! We leave Wednesday! Itinerary help!

Hello,

I am reposting this on the hope that I can get an Itinerary that covers the following ideas in a order that will prevent us from wasting time. and also the subway stops that will lead us to the following places in the most direct and timely anner.

My friend and I are 2 ladies in our mid 40%26#39;s who have never been to NEW YORK before. We both work and have families so this is our first girl trip everand dont know when the next one can happen. So we want to experience everything about NEW YORK!!!

We are fit and dont mind walking and using the subway

Also we are trying to contruct an itinerary that will allow us to cram in as much as possible. We really are not shoppers,so that isnt important to us

We hope to see:

STATEN ISLAND FERRY TO SEE STATUE

ST. PAUL%26#39;S TO HONOR 911

DISCOUNT TICKET BOOTH FOR SHOW(S)

COMEDY SHOW (Is HA any good, I have 50% off coupon)) OR DO YOU RECOMMEND SOMETHING BETTER? ( improv, comedy club etc..) I am also keeping in mind the ease of getting to comedy show

TOP OF ROCK FOR VIEW

BEST MUSEUM?

RENT BIKES IN CENTRAL PARK

LUNCH AT BOATHOUSE (do I need Reservations ahead of time?)

LIBERTY HELICOPTER TOUR (is it worth it?)

CIRCLE LINE CRUISE (is it going in the fall and is it worth it?)

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

SOHO OR CHINA TOWN? (i truly dont have a clue as to whether either of these will be interesting to us?

LIPS RESTAURANT: Address 2 BANK STREET

We heard this is a real hoot and thought we would get a good laugh. We are going Thursday at 7:30 pm and will see the Celebrity Lip sync show (Is it worth the trip?) Can we get there by subway?

If not, Cab? How much? We are on a budget!!

A GOOD COMEDY SHOW! I have 1/2 off coupons for HA!

But I am not sure if this is a good show or if there are better suggestions!!!

We would like to experience a bit of night life too ;)

Acouple drinks and some good music, Maybe 80%26#39;s and 90%26#39;s music!!

Not too far from Novotel hotel in Times Square

Any other suggestions? Have I forgotten anything

The biggest issue is structuring the intinerary so that everything is in the appropriate order so it is time efficient and we dont spend time back tracking and feeling lost.

Any help is appreciated.

I have looked at other itineraries, but feel a bit lost as I know so little about the area and what is best to see and how.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this

:) :) :)

We leave Wednesday!!!!!

Gulp!!! We leave Wednesday! Itinerary help!

Well, it seems like you know what you want to do, so you shouldn%26#39;t have major problems. Group things geographically. Do you have a guidebook or map?

';Can we get there by subway?'; You can get EVERYWHERE by subway! ;o)

The best day to go to Central Park and rent bikes is on a weekend (weather permitting) because that%26#39;s when everybody is out and about. But, if you want to see a more mellow side of Central Park, go on a weekday.

The best day to go to lower Manhattan (WTC, Staten Island Ferry, St. Paul%26#39;s, etc.) is a weekday, since the area is quite dead on weekends. Go to the South Street Seaport the same day to get discount B%26#39;way show tickets at the TKTS booth. It is behind Abercrombie and Fitch. Perhaps you can also do a little walk across the Brooklyn Bridge?

Best museum: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is pay-what-you-wish every day. Closed on Mondays. You can do this the same day you go to Central Park, but it will be crowded. Take the highlights tour.

Don%26#39;t know about HA!, but I think any comedy place in NYC is a good bet. If you%26#39;re not sure, and not beholden to the discount coupon, the most famous places here are The Comedy Cellar, Dangerfield%26#39;s, Caroline%26#39;s, or Gotham Comedy Club (I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ve forgotten one or two...)

When you go to TOTR, you can walk down to 42nd St. on Fifth Avenue and see the main branch of the NY Public Library. Great building. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Then walk east to Grand Central Terminal.

Lips is fine. Unless you%26#39;ve seen dozens of drag-queen restaurant shows, I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll be disappointed. ;o)

You can take the #1, 2 or 3 to 14th Street/7th Avenue. Use the 12th Street exit, and walk west about a block. I think you turn right on Greenwich and then left on Bank St.

';Have I forgotten anything'; Of course you have! there%26#39;s now way to see everything in a short trip. Don%26#39;t panic!! Take a deep breath and remember to be flexible. Gotta save something for you NEXT trip here!

Hope that helps a little! I%26#39;m sure others will chime in, too.

Gulp!!! We leave Wednesday! Itinerary help!

Thank you so much queensboulevard

I am printing your advice and looking forward to hearing from more from everyone out there.

Look out NEW YORK, Here we come!

Relax and have a great time! If you find that you are lost, you may be surprised that many New Yorkers will gladly assist. Being from the Midwest, the accents of these helpful souls may be disarming. But despite the tone of the voice, I have always found New Yorkers to be among the most helpful people in the world. I have boarded subway trains and discovered I am on the wrong train or on the correct train line going the wrong way and other passengers have generously helped turn me in the correct direction.

Some of the best places I have visited in Manhattan have been found by accident. Remember it is a safe big city. Act responsibly but enjoy all it has too offer, especially the unplanned moments! Moms

Your quite welcome!

A note on the Circle Line: On the one hand, the 3-hour cruise is very thorough, and you might see some nice foliage colors starting to come out when you go around the top half of Manhattan. OTOH, 3-hours is very long, especially the second hour going around the top half of Manhattan. ;o)

Depending on your attention span and level of impatients, you might want to consider the 2-hour or 75-minute cruises instead. (All tours are narrated.)

Or, if the Staten Island Ferry satisfies your sea legs, and you don%26#39;t need to spend more time on the water, you can take a land tour - either the Marvelous Manhattan tour or the Party Shuttle. Both get rave reviews here on this forum.

http://nypartyshuttle.com/

http://kingofnyc.com/ (Wow, he really updated his website!)

here are a few sugestions.....

the discount tickets for matinee shows are sold from 10-2 and the evening show tickets go on sale at 3pm. the booth is currently located on a side street and not on time square....

you have 2 options if you decide to use the subway...

pay $7 for an all day pass that has unlimited rides until 3 am the next day(fun-pass) OR

pay $10 and get 6 trips any day

top of the rock tickets are $20 a piece

if you don%26#39;t have a map yet, BUY one as soon as you get there

make sure it has a clear city grid that you can read easily and shows the subway system with all of it%26#39;s stops separately.

i recently used the City Slicker Map of NY City made by hagstrom.

on my trip i encountered many people who were just overwhelmed by the many stops and trains, but any decent new yorker will be glad to clarify any questions you have

Another thing. Before you go to Lips, go to the Weat Vilalge early adn walk around. It is easy to get lost, since there is no ';grid system'; in the West Village, but don%26#39;t worry! EVERYONE gets lost in the Village!

A regular here, NETS, recently posted this fabulous ';virtual tour'; of Greenwich Village:

www.gvshp.org/south_villagevirtualtour.htm

Some cute streets to wander on, west of 6th Avenue:

Bleecker Street

Greenwich Street

Morton St.

Grove St.

Chirstopher St.

Barrow St.

Charles St.

I just had my first trip to New York in June and the best advice I can give is what others have already said...relax and enjoy! We had an itinerary, we got lost frequently, and we ended up enjoying the unexpected moments actually more then what we had planned.

I give a thumbs up to walking the walk through Greenwich Village and Soho. They are lovely areas and soooo New York!

Have a wonderful trip!

ohhh...and do try to walk the Brooklyn Bridge. The views are incredible.

THANK YOU, tHANK YOU EVERYONE.

I am learning so much and I am so excited about seeing NEW YORK.

I am putting together the itinerary now and it is looking good!

For discounts on show tickets, try www.broadwaybox.com for great discounts on shows and theater tickets, as well as listings and reviews and other big apple activities. Enjoy!