<p>What would you recommend? We will be there tomorrow from approx 9am to 3pm. We are looking to do something touristy with a Christmas theme. Help get us into the holiday spirit. Was thinking of Rockefeller Plaza, Central Park, ?? Any other ideas? We’ll squeeze in a quick lunch somewhere along the way. Thanks!</p>
<p>I was going to say go to the TKTS booth and get half-price tickets for a Broadway matinee, but I don’t know . . . is the strike over yet?</p>
<p>The strike is over but they couldn’t see a matinee if they have to leave at 3! 
Rockefeller Plaza, walk along 5th Ave. and look at the beautiful store windows, go into FAO Scwarz, then maybe a trip to the Central Park Zoo (a two minute walk into the park from the s/e corner (near FAO). Lots of great places to eat lunch but if you’re around Rockefeller Plaza at lunchtime, try Morrell’s, just across the street on the south side. Delicious food, and if you’re a wine connoisseur, they have the best selection of wine in the city (outside the private clubs!). Have fun!</p>
<p>Wander through Times Square to Bryant Park, ice skate for free, visit the little shops, then walk over to Fifth Avenue and see the windows of Lord & Taylor and then Macy’s.</p>
<p>If you have never been to NYC, I would take a double decker bus tour all around Manhattan…its takes you through many neighborhoods, past the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, etc…you would get to see lots of Christmas/Holiday decorations I am sure</p>
<p>My H had just a few hours when he took D to visit a college and he was glad for the tour…he learned a lot, saw a lot and the guide was a hoot</p>
<p>Rockefeller plaza will be beautiful, then stroll through CP and I can’t remember what street it’s on but Serendipity’s is a very fun place to go and has the most delicious frozen hot chocolate, and many other goodies. There is also a candy store at the corner and plenty of shopping in little stores.
By the way Serendipity’s is the cute little shop that the movie was named after. Every bit of food we ate in NY was delicious! have a great time! Oh there is a church across from R. Plaza that is beautiful and famous for … well, i may be wrong about why it’s well known, so i won’t say, but it’s beautiful and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit!!!</p>
<p>I second both alwaysamom and zoosermom’s suggestions, and would only add that if the day is sunny, go to Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, as an alternative to the Empire State Building. It has a beautiful view of the city and is not as crowded. If you head over to Columbus Circle (it is what passes for a mall in NYC so it may not be of interest to you) and want a quick bite to eat, Whole Foods on the lower level or Bouchon Bakery upstairs are good choices for good food on the fly.</p>
<p>“By the way Serendipity’s is the cute little shop that the movie was named after. Every bit of food we ate in NY was delicious!”</p>
<p>It just reopened last week after being closed for two weeks due to significant and repeated violations concerning vermin and insects.</p>
<p>Also there is a hamburger place in the Parker meridian that’s burgers are on the top 10 hamburgers before you die list, also Norma’s though pricey is the best breakfast I have ever had- also in the Parker meridian hotel. All these places are within walking distance I believe from the plaza, I think times square is best appreciated at night!</p>
<p>2by2, </p>
<p>Skip Serendipity. It was closed a couple weeks ago by the Bd. of Health!</p>
<p>oh zoosermom thanks for that update!! Yuk! maybe those weren’t sprinkles on our hot chocolate!! :)</p>
<p>All great ideas. We toyed with the idea of spending the night and seeing a Broadway show, but hotels are unbelievably expensive. Unless . . . someone has a secret inexpensive hotel they can recommend?</p>
<p>Start at Rockefeller Center. See the tree and iceskating. Go to the ‘top of the rock’—a lookout to see the city. Walk up 5th avenue and stop into St. Patrick’s cathedral, almost across the street from Rockefeller center. Walk up 5th, stopping into Trump Tower for a quick snack. Window shop along 5th<br>
…Walk west across 59 along central park south to 7th and take a subway one stop (the subway is fun!) to the top of Times square–I think it’s about 51st street-- and grab a bite there. Maybe at the Stardust cafe on Bdwy. If you’ve got young kids try Mars 2112—it’s silly and touristy, but fun for young ones. I’d skip Serendipity. The lines are ridiculous, it’s out of the area, and frankly it’s not that great. Times square is great these days…a far cry from the 70’s! That shouldn’t take much longer than 3 or 4 hours and will give you a nice taste of NY at Christmas time.</p>
<p>Lukester, try Radio City Apartments. They are booked up usually, but maybe for just one night… Not super cheap, but right in the heart of things. You can easily walk everywhere you want to go in such a short visit.</p>
<p>Metropolitan Museum of Art during daylight - a sumptuous dinner somewhere – Ballanchine’s Nutcracker at night</p>
<p>Skip the theater–no time for a matinee if you are leaving at 3. I’d say with your time so limited don’t try to do too much, don’t waste time waiting on lines, and walk a lot. Here are some suggestions:</p>
<p>I agree with other posters: go see the tree at Rockefeller Center and watch the skaters, but don’t bnother with skating yourself unless you love skating. The weather forecast for tomorrow isn’t bad and there is nothing more Christmasy or touristy (in a nice way) than being part of the audience. If the Christmas windows are on display yet at Saks, right across fifth Avenue for Rockefeller Center, go see those; take a peek into St Patrick’s if you enjoy cathedrals, even though it doesn’t compare to European ones it is impressive. Walk uptown along Fifth Avenue until you get to Central Park and walk in the park a little, appreciating the elegant bridges and the overall landscape, as well as the wonderful view of the buildings on Central Park
South.</p>
<p>Make a quick visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a sampling of one section. The new Greek and Roman section is beautiful from an architectural point of view and the sculpture is amazing. You don’t need to pay the full (and very high) suggested admission fee–I think for a quick visit $5 is sufficient, especially for a student.</p>
<p>Maybe walk along Madison Avenue looking at boutique windows. </p>
<p>Sarabeth’s Kitchen on Madison Avenue usually has a pretty long wait but it is a lovely place for lunch. Less lovely but cheaper and faster and very New York in their way, the various Ollie’s Noodles–Chinese food, soup, noodles, other dishes, steamed buns, and so on. I know there is one near Lincoln Cetner and one in the theater district–not sure about the East Side.</p>
<p>“go see the tree at Rockefeller Center and watch the skaters, but don’t bnother with skating yourself unless you love skating”</p>
<p>If you love skating, Bryant Park (behind the Library) is the place to do it. It’s free and much less crowded.</p>
<p>I totally agree with the suggestions made by Tanyanubin - you can easily fit all those things into your timeframe, especially if you take an early lunch (no lines!). In fact, I think I made them on another thread…lol. You could even fit in a visit to the Central Park Zoo as it is very manageable as well as being nearby. The problem with the museums is that you can easily spend your whole day in most of them, and you are on a fairly tight schedule. There are also holiday fairs set up around the city - Columbus Circle, Bryant Park, Union Square Park and Grand Central Terminal. They are small, but packed with vendors and great places to pick up unique gifts. </p>
<p>Have a great time - NYC is so much fun this time of year.</p>
<p>If you want to watch the skating at Rockefeller Center out of the elements, see if you can get into The Sea Grill restaurant for the warm chocolate steamed pudding and coffee.</p>
<p>Now that I think of it, South Carolinians probably don’t ice skate much–so tomorrow is a good time to watch the skaters, and if you think it looks like fun, the next time you visit during the holidays you can go to Bryant Park!</p>
<p>Shopping is not what makes New York, or at least midtown Manhattan, special, particularly in this era of elegant suburban malls with their own Tiffany and Neiman Marcus, and regional craft centers like Asheville and Savannah (not to mention the upscale chain stores on King Street in Charleston). </p>
<p>Our landmarks and cultural institutions are world-class and in some cases unique. I really think you can get a lot out of a short, disciplined visit to one outstanding wing or gallery of a great museum, even one as vast as the Met. </p>
<p>If you want to get away from midtown and not visit a museum, other touristy but not Christmasy ideas might include a (free) round-trip ride on the Staten Island Ferry for spectacular harbor and skyline views; a walk in Battery Park and up the beautiful esplanade toward the World Financial Center and WTC–great views of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. If you take the subway, it is a short trip from midtown to the Financial District/Battery Park.</p>