Plans are in place for me to make my first ever trip to New York in a few weeks (week of July 14th to be specific) for about three or four nights. I figured I would hit up my fellow GGers for tips on things to see, do, eat or even avoid. Seeing as it's my first time there we'll likely do all the obvious stuff: Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, etc. plus maybe see a museum or two or see the 9/11 memorial. So I might not even really have time to do a lof ot other things but doesn't hurt to get some ideas. Do any of you have any tips for less advertised stuff that is worth checking out? Ways to save money on things, like if we wanted to go to a Broadway show? Restaurants that I shouldn't miss out on? Any specific events on during that week worth checking out? Any advice/tips/suggestions people can give would be greatly appreciated. I know most of you probably don't live in Manhattan or go there often but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
First thing you want to do is rent a car and just drive around and get a feel for the city. I haven't lived there for a while but a few things can help people give you suggestions like how old you are, how many kids are going and their ages. If you are towing along 3 toddlers I doubt you want to spend all day on the Statue of Liberty with a few hours of that is waiting in line. Then again the ferry from Jersey might have less of a wait but dependent upon where you are staying it might not matter. Ellis Island combined with Liberty Island same day would be something to consider. Check online for tickets to certain things you can get ahead of time which can save time and money. The Cloisters in the Upper West Side is a good visit. The Bronx Zoo/Botanical Gardens gives you 2 things right next to each other in the Bronx (Free Wednesday) and will put you right near Arthur Ave for some good food after. Get a Metrocard to get around, this will save you a bunch of time and money over other travel modes, 7 day unlimited is $30. Fraunces Tavern or the Old Town Bar a couple of nice spots to grab a brew with some history. What museums would you be looking to visit? Keep in mind many of them will have a $10/$20 donation suggested at the front door but in actuality they are free. Below are the ones that are always free, I know I missed some and there are many others that are free certain days of the week. African Burial Ground Memorial Site BRIC House The Bronx Museum of the Arts Federal Hall National Memorial The Federal Reserve Bank General Grant National Memorial The Harbor Defense Museum Hamilton Grange The Hispanic Society of America Irish Hunger Memorial Leslie–Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art Museum of Biblical Art The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology National Museum of the American Indian The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building New York Transit Museum Annex & Store, Grand Central Terminal Queens County Farm Museum Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (grounds and botanical garden only) Socrates Sculpture Park Soldiers and Sailors Monument Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
Wow, thanks Waterboy! Lots of information there. For the record I'm 30 and will be travelling with my wife. My sister is going to be around for a bit as well, mostly just for dinner and stuff and less touristy things since she's going to be in the city for work. It's still not official but we should know before the end of the week for sure what the plan is. Afterwards I'll post a little thing saying how it went and what we did. People can feel free to chip in other suggestions as well. I was hoping to come in the fall and catch a Jets home game but maybe next year!
Get really drunk and go to chicken and rice on 53rd and 6th. Fantastic late night dining http://53rdand6th.com/
Driving a car below 59th street in Manhattan on a weekday is hell on earth. I'd avoid a rental car unless you are planning to mainly work the boroughs during your trip. I drive around Queens a fair amount and some in the Bronx but I avoid going below 59th street in Manhattan unless I can pick somebody up near the FDR or West Side Highway.
First of all, don't let anyone tell you to not act like a tourist. You are a tourist, and it is moronic to come to New York and not see the things that make it world-famous because it's supposedly not cool. The Empire State Building is of course cool, but it has the disadvantage of being at the low end of midtown, meaning that the view downtown is nothing special (there's really nothing to see looking south until the new World Trade Center), and can have long lines. A much better skyscraper experience can be had at Top of the Rock, the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which is right in the middle of midtown with spectacular views in every direction. You can also reserve a time online, avoiding long waits on line. (Note, by the way, that New Yorkers like me don't wait in line - we wait on line, not to be confused with going online, of course.) If you can arrange it, try to get there at least an hour before sunset to see everything in daylight and then watch the sun go down and the lights go on. Truly spectacular. The steepest discounts on Broadway shows are at the TKTS booth, but that involves waiting on line. An easier way to get 30 - 40% discounts is to go to BroadwayBox.com and get the discount codes. You can then either use internet or phone to buy the tickets (although you do have to pay a service charge). Off-Broadway is cheaper than Broadway and can be great. Since you're not with kids I highly highly highly recommend the musical "Avenue Q" (which was originally on Broadway and is now running off-Broadway), which is one of the funniest shows I've ever seen (you do have to have watched Sesame Street at least a little as a kid to appreciate it). If you'd like a classic musical spectacular "Chicago" or "Pippin" are good bets, or "Les Miserables" if you like that sort of thing. Theater tickets are not cheap, but again, it's crazy to come to New York and not see a show. You absolutely positively MUST walk through Times Square at night (after an evening Broadway show is a good way to do it, of course). There is nothing like it anywhere. Get out of midtown at least once. If you do go down to the 9/11 Memorial, keep walking south afterwards and walk around Battery Park (that's where the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands is), and back up to Trinity Church at the head of Wall Street. A little tip: if you don't want to (or can't) spend all of the hours at Liberty/Ellis, walk down to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Battery Park, and take the ferry to Staten Island. It's free, and has a great view of the Statue and all of lower Manhattan from the water. A schedule is at http://www.siferry.com/SIFerry_Schedules.aspx. Consider taking the subway to Brooklyn Heights, walk the Promenade (absolutely amazing view of lower Manhattan), and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan (very romantic at sunset, although admittedly the car noises do spoil the mood a little). The Cloisters is nice, but way uptown. Greenwich Village is great, and very very different from the rest of Manhattan; if you're in the West Village you can walk over to and walk along the High Line (an elevated park along an old railroad line with really nice river and city views). There are loads of great restaurants in the Village, and they're cheaper than in midtown. Central Park is very nice, and one good way to do a little of the Park is with a museum. Some people are of course crazy about museums, and there are loads and loads of them, but even if you're not a museum addict, it's a shame to not do at least one of the biggies. Depending on your taste, I would say to choose one of three: the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Natural History, or the Museum of Modern Art. The first two are on the Park (east side and west side, respectively), and the third is six blocks south of it. My personal favorite is the Museum of Natural History (what's not to love about dinosaurs?), but the other two are also spectacular. One important thing to note: New York is the ultimate walking city, especially if you include walking to the subway and taking it. You should be up for that. There's always taxis as well, especially in Manhattan. There's no reason to rent a car unless you're leaving the city. Hope that helps.
Take a trip to Brookyln/Downtown Manhatten. Its enjoyable to spend time Midtown but there is a lot more to city than just the popular tourist area.
Im not sure if your a baseball fan but the Mets appear to be home that weekend, if your in Manhatten, you could do the Mets game for less than $30 a person (About $20 for a ticket and $5 for subway trip)
Lots of great tips, thanks for that thorough post statjeff! I'll definitely take a lot of those suggestions to heart when planning the trip. We still have to book our flights so not really sure on our time frames although we hope to get in early on Monday and leave late on Thursday to get some more time. Luckily it's only about an hour and a half flight.
Most important tip you'll ever get. You are going to the greatest city in the world--so go see the things that MAKE it the greatest city in the world. Don't go to some great local greek restaurant in Queens because all the "locals" love it, don't go to some obscure venue in the Bronx because you'll avoid all the crowds and you'll see some really neat stuff. Fuck that. Go see the Top 10 attractions in NYC because THAT'S what makes it NYC. It'd be like going to Florence and not seeing David because that's what all the tourists do. It's stupid. See ALL the major landmarks. Grand Central, Rock Center, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Flatiron Building, MSG, Top of the Rock Pick a day and concentrate on one area. Say Downtown--start at the Hudson River or Battery Park and look out at the Statue of Liberty, then do the 9/11 Memorial, take a stroll down Wall Street past Trinity Church, past the Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, the Charging Bull, go have a drink at the Seaport overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. Lots of things you can see down in all the nooks and cranys of the financial district. Then head up to the Village, Soho and Tribeca to take in some of the local flair, go see Washington Square Park. Do dinner in that area. Next day move to Midtown and start with the sites there. Rule Number 1. Do not be not a tourist. Rule Number 2. Be a tourist. Whenever I travel abroad, I buy the DK Eyewitness book for that destination and they are fantastic. Lots of pictures and short descriptions and 1, 2, 3 day walking trips to give you and idea of what you can see. I highly recommend it. I'm from NY and worked there for 18 years so I don't need it but if you've never been, it is a great resource. http://www.amazon.com/DK-Eyewitness-Travel-Guide-York/dp/0756684080 Btw, do NOT rent a car and attempt to drive around Manahattan. It's the worst advice you could have gotten. _
OP, let me make clear my first line about getting a car and getting a feel for the city was a joke based on a thread from way, way back. As mentioned by others, a car is not a good idea for in the city. I mentioned the Metrocard and mass transit is probably going to be your best bet for much of the traveling around the city.
I thought you were kidding but it maybe was too subtle Oh, one other thing, the locals appreciate you spreading around the cash. It's always helpful to be flashing some $50s around or a big fat wallet, you get so much more attention that way. Especially on a crowded subway, it's a great way to get a seat. _
He would have more fun at a Brooklyn Cyclones game. Also, he is going to be there during the All Star break. So a Mets game is out anyway.
Actually a Cyclones game is an interesting idea, since it also gets you to Coney Island, and the games are pretty much only at night, usually with a nice ocean breeze (get a seat in the last row). One other thing about restaurants. I'm known among family and friends for finding great restaurants in Manhattan. Here's my secret: crowdsourcing. I go to Yelp, filter on the neighborhood in question, and look at the reviews. Take advantage of it, including downloading the Yelp app to your smart phone, which allows you to find highly-rated restaurants right where you are. (And it's not really a secret - every time people congratulate me for my great taste in restaurants I always say "I just used Yelp").
