Four Days in NYC

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Our family of four, with 20 yr old son and 17 yr old daughter, will be spending four days in Manhattan later this month. I have no idea how to plan our days. We want to see all the major sites, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Times Square, Ground Zero, Central Park, possibly Broadway show, etc. What else is an absolute DO NOT MISS this? </p>

<p>Can you advise on how many things we should do per day and what we should group together? We were told to rent bikes in Central Park and to take a bus tour of all the sites. The advice about taking a bus tour first off is that it would give us a better idea of how close things are to each other and we could plan our agenda from there.</p>

<p>Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have only been in NYC briefly and the others in the family have never been there.</p>

2

<p>Since so many people who so kind in suggesting places to go when my daughter and I recently went to New York, I will offer a few suggestions: the Highline (a pedestrian walkway/park by the Hudson), Staten Island Ferry, Metropolitan Museum of art (go to the roof for the interactive climbing sculpture (which my daughter got to do because an appointment didn’t show), Central Park (the Boathouse) for a walk and lunch, shopping on 5th Avenue and in Soho. Coney Island for a Nathan’s Hot Dog and a break from the heat.</p>

<p>If the Yankees and/or Mets are playing (we didn’t do this) see a game.</p>

3

<p>My 23 year old daughter and I just returned from 5 days in New York! You should definitely check Trip Advisor.com’s New York City forum for ideas! D chose the show and selected “Potted Potter,” a Harry Potter parody and we both loved it! For show tickets, go to BroadwayBox.com. We bought a two day pass on the tourist bus that allows you to get on and off at the sights you wish to go see and highly recommend this. Have a wonderful time!</p>

4

<p>The Statue of Liberty is closed for renovation. For the 9/11 memorial, get reservations at 911memorial.org. I have heard Top of the Rock is better than Empire State, but we didn’t do either one.</p>

5

<p>Try Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s an open air market on Saturday afternoons on the waterfront with an amazing view of Manhattan. There are over 100 vendors selling a staggering variety of food, reasonably priced. Your kids will probably enjoy seeing all the hipsters in Williamsburg too!</p>

6

<p>Here is what I always suggest for famlies that might have different interests. Ask each family member to list, independently of one another, their top three absolute “must do’s.” Be they Top of the Rock, Ellis Island, shopping in Nolita, seeing a specific musical, taking the NBC Studio Tour, visiting the Guggenheim. Plot them on a map - all the #1s in one color, second choice in another, third in yet another.</p>

<p>This accomplishes a couple of things. First, some “top sights” might not make anyone’s list. Why drag the group to the Metropolitian Museum of Art if no one really really wants to go?</p>

<p>Second, by physically plotting the locations on the map, you will see what is near what. For example, if someone’s top pick is Top of the Rock, another’s #2 is the NBC Tour and another’s #3 is St. Patick’s Cathedral, you will see that they are close to each other and all very doable. Or maybe no one listed St. Patrick’s, but once you see on the map how close it is, you may want to add it.</p>

<p>Make sure you do everyone’s #1 choice, then look at the map and figure out what else you can fit in.</p>

<p>Look on broadwaybox.com and theatermania.com for discount theatre tickets. </p>

<p>Also, be aware of High5. Your 17 year old and one adult can get tickets to museums, shows and other events for $5. It won’t cover your whole family, but I like to save a buck whereever I can.</p>

<p>[High</a> 5](<a href=“http://www.high5tix.org/Aspx/AboutHigh5/Default.aspx]High”>Homepage - ArtsConnection Teen Programs)</p>

7

<p>^what missy said. I was tour guide for my sister and her family a few summers back. They told me what they wanted to see: Ground Zero; Columbia; the view from Empire State Bldg (I convinced them Top of the Rock was better); plus just regular NY stuff. We did it in 2 days – took the subway a lot – fit in a ride on the Staten Island ferry (it was free; we were there) plus a ride in to Grand Central (gotta see that famous ceiling!) It’s much better than trying to wing it and fit everything in the day of. Also – walk around at night. The pedestrian traffic dies down (I don’t walk on 5th Ave in the summer) and you can see lots of sights since it stays light so long.</p>

8

<p>We do that too – make a grid of the time and each person selects a time and activity.
I wouldn’t spend time on the bus. NYC is a grid, mostly numbered, so you can’t go easily go wrong. The avenues run North/South and the streets East/West.</p>

<p>Fifth Ave is next to the Park with Central Park West on the other side.</p>

<p>I would go downtown for a meal in Little Italy or Chinatown depending on your family’s taste.</p>

<p>Metropolitan Museum is great, but so Museum of Natural History. If one of your kids is science-minded, s/he might prefer it. It also has a wonderful Planetarihereum which has been a lifelong addiction of mine as well as a butterfly conservatory (might be out of season.) There is a huge blue whale skeleton, primate diorama, gem room. </p>

<p>Each major museum is on the opposite side of the Park so I’d see one in the morning, walk through the Park. The Boathouse is beautiful but pricey. There are food trucks and a tiny cafe (I think, might have vanished) on the West side of the Park on the former site of Tavern on the Green. (I miss it, gaudy as it was.)</p>

<p>I’d go to Lincoln Center to see the fountain and Chagall window, Columbus Circle, the Time Warner Building and mall (all in the same place.) The redone Columbus Circle is really impressive.</p>

<p>Ruby Foo’s is a great Asian-Fusion place to eat in Times Square and great for a show. I’d choose Porgy and Bess which just won the Tony, as did Audra MacDonald, and is a true American classic. But that’s just me.</p>

<p>My absolutely favorite place in New York is The Cloisters. It’s way uptown so you’d need good directions to get there, but it’s an authentic medieval environment with a medieval garden and some of the actual unicorn tapestries. It’s run by the Metropolitan Museum.</p>

<p>And The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world (I kid you not), and it’s right near Columbia on the Upper West Side/Morningside Heights.</p>

<p>If something you like is at Carnegie Hall, The Russian Tea Room is a great NY institution.</p>

<p>Serendipity 3 on the East Side in the 60’s (low sixties) has famous frozen hot chocolate and is in too many movies about NY (Serendipity for one) to count. It’s fun for kids to see movies and say, “We were there.”</p>

<p>Max Brenner’s is in Union Square (downtown) and is famous for all kinds of chocolate concoctions and a reasonable place to eat.</p>

<p>These are the kinds of things I go in Paris, so they’re the kinds of things I would see in NY.</p>

9

<p>What great ideas…thank you!! Just learned H and the kids would LOVE to see a Yankees game, and I have zero interest but will tag along. I think we better do the “what are your top three choices?” like you suggested and make a plan.</p>

<p>Also, any suggestions for best Broadway show to see of Jersey Boys, War Horse, Mama Mia, (too chick-flick?), Chicago, Stomp or Ghost? None of us are theater buffs at all, but H thinks it’s something we should do because “when will we have the chance again?”</p>

10

<p>Buy a 7 day unlimited MetroCard for $29. It’s good on the subway & buses. (PS - real NewYorkers don’t take the bus, as you can typically walk cross town faster than the bus).</p>

<p>I would sign up right now for the 911 memorial tickets.</p>

<p>Staten Island Ferry is free. About an hour round trip and a good view of the harbor. </p>

<p>After you decide what you want to do, I would group the activities by geography, so you aren’t wasting time travelling.</p>

<p>Best way to get discount theater tickets if you aren’t picky what you see. The South Street seaport TKTS booth will likely have a shorter line. It’s a 10-15 min walk from the Staten Island ferry. (take a look at the current offering and that will give you a good idea of what you will find later this month). </p>

<p>[TKTS</a> Discount Booths](<a href=“Discount Broadway Tickets for On, Off & Off-Off Shows | TKTS by TDF | TDF - Theatre Development Fund”>Discount Broadway Tickets for On, Off & Off-Off Shows | TKTS by TDF | TDF - Theatre Development Fund)</p>

<p>Not sure where you are staying, but the food carts (not trucks) are the best thing for a quick continental breakfast. Beware of salad bars in delis that sell by weight, as the costs can add up. </p>

<p>A good place to grab lunch after 1:30pm is the food court in the lower level of Grand Central. Something for everyone, however it’s not cheap.</p>

11

<p>Re: shows. I’d choose either War Horse or Jersey Boys from that list, but, in my opinion, there are better choices than any of those.</p>

12

<p>Agreed, alwaysamom. If I could pick anything, I’d go see Clybourne Park, which is closing in August. It won the Pulitzer last year, and the Tony for best play this year.</p>

13

<p>Another source for discount tickets: playbill dot com – sign up (it’s free) and they have quite a few shows discounted. Anything Goes is just wonderful – if Sutton Foster’s still in it, I would try and see that.</p>

14

<p>As for shows, I’d go on the theatermania or broadwaybox web sites and see what is available for how much money, read reviews, etc. </p>

<p>If you haven’t seen Wicked or Lion King, both are “big” musicals, which could fit the bill if it’s a once in a lifetime thing.</p>

15

<p>Newsies was up for this year’s Tony for best musical and has good reviews and supposedly a catchy score. I’m a bit surprised to see it on the list.</p>

16

<p>My daughters would pick Newsies in a flash because several So You Think You Can Dance alums are in it.</p>

17

<p>OP: </p>

<p>Keep in mind that many of these Broadway shows do travel the country. Broadway in NYC gets top dollar and if you can wait, it’ll probably come to a city near you for a lot less $$! We saw Stomp in Las Vegas. It was a great show for my two teenage boys…they would not have sat through a Mama Mia type show…</p>

<p>It is fun doing NYC only things…It’s nice to go to Little Italy and Chinatown, however many large cities have these…try to do NYC exclusives!</p>

18

<p>2 hours before showtime, book of Mormon holds a drawing for seats to be sold at $30. Even if you are unsuccessful, the crowd scene great fun and then you can walk over to tkts and get your tickets to another show.</p>

19

<p>Just saw (last week in fact) “Peter and the Star Catcher”. SOOOO great. Able to get tix at the TKTS booth. Also heard “Once” was wonderful. Newsies sounds great also.<br>
Had fun at “The Best Man” which has Candice Bergen, John Laroquette, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury). Not only a great play but the cast was worth it.
Wicked and Lion King will have no discount tix available. (Saw both of those on tour).
If you go to Tkts booth, there are two lines, one for musicals and one for plays only–if you want only a play the line is a lot shorter.
You need advance tix for the 911 memorial. Check in daily for tix if they aren’t readily available. When I checked in the first time I had a two week wait–next day I got tix.
Have fun!</p>

20

<p>The list of shows I mentioned came from the concierge at the hotel where we’re staying. H called and that was the list he was given. Clearly, only a partial of what is available to see. We are learning! Any idea what the 17/20 year old age range would enjoy most? I’ll get on the 911 memorial tix right away.</p>