Best things to do in NYC for 3 1/2 days?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m going to New York City next week Monday and coming home Friday morning. I contacted my favorite tv shows nearly a month ago requesting tickets for taping and I haven’t gotten word back from them, so that’s probably off the list. We probably can’t afford to do anything on Broadway. My SO wants to see Wicked but I hate musical theatre and regular theatre and I assume the show’s been sold out for months.

I’d like to see the major stuff - Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty (I heard you can’t go in?) and I have a longer list of ‘maybes.’ Are the Guggenheim, Chinatown, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the UN, Union Square, the Bronx Zoo, Rockefeller Center, the Aquarium or Broadway really worth visiting?

I’m sure we’ll end up seeing the parade on Thursday, but I don’t know where it is. And no, I really don’t want to see you-know-what, so please don’t mention it. Apart from that, any suggestions are welcome, as it’ll be the first visit.

Thanks!

2

I was there with a friend a few years ago and we did a number of touristy things. Empire State Building, toured the UN buliding, went to the Museum of Sex, brunch at the Algonquin. We were there primarily for a couple of Broadway shows so that took up a couple of chunks of time. We didn’t have any interest in the Statue of Liberty or Ground Zero or that sort of thing and we didn’t think we’d really have time to do any of the bigger art museums. We also walked around Greenwich Village and hit a few bars and clubs.

If you can bear to be apart from your SO for a few hours, maybe s/he can see Wicked while you find something else to do? You should probably be able to get a single ticket without a huge amount of difficulty.

3

Hmm…I was going to post a link to the old thread I started back in 2003 about my trip but it along with the rest of my threads from that year, 2004 and most of 2002 and 2005 seem to be missing. I seem to recall hearing something about a data loss from server changes or something, I hope there’s just something wrong with the search engine and the SDMB didn’t really delete three years of threads…

4

Well, there are last-minute TV show tickets available: Google search

I have seen many “converts” to Broadway shows - people who thought it wasn’t for them, but became fans. There are many types of shows - the Disney stuff, the Pop Music stuff (Mamma Mia), traditional Song & Dance. I would recommend The Drowsey Chaperone and Avenue Q for clever, funny non-traditional fare. You might get cheap tickets if you line up at Tkts.

The Statue of Liberty is a big time investment - be sure to be on the first boat in the morning. You can go up inside the pedestal (only as high as her feet) for a few extra bucks. Not really worth it: not the money but there’s another infuriating security search that will add up to 45 minutes.

The U.N tour was my unexpected surprise. Very eye-opening.

Definitely see Rockefeller Center. There are tours of the buildings, tours of the studios, and tours of Radio City Music Hall (this was the most interesting IMHO). Also, there is the “Top Of The Rock” observation deck.

Speaking of which, you MUST go up the Empire State Building. Take the “Sky Ride” attraction there as well. It may seem kind of hokey, but it’s very well done and gives a great overview of NYC attractions.

Be sure to see the Blowing up of the Balloons the day before the parade.

5

If the weather’s not too miserable, it might be worth your while just to walk around for a bit. If you can, visit the Little Italy in the Bronx. (If you Google it, you can find more info.) Also, I strongly recommend that you check out the New York Botanical Garden, if the leaves are still on the trees.

I can’t recommend the Metropolitan Museum of Art enough. The American Museum of Natural History is pretty neat, too. Oh, and if you head uptown from there, you can check out the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. You might want to consider checking out a performance/concert schedule for St. John the Divine.

You might want to check out the Let’s Go Guide to New York. You’ll find lots of real gems that aren’t utterly overrun by tourists and haven’t been made either completely tourist-trappey or unbearably expensive or a pain in the neck to get into. There are lots of tours worth taking–architectural tours, cultural tours, art tours, and probably lots of other tours I couldn’t even think of.

There was a thread about NY restaurants on the SDMB not too long ago. It might be worth your while to check that out. http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=392493&highlight=restaurants+york

6

[QUOTE=The Octagon]
… the Statue of Liberty (I heard you can’t go in?)
[/QUOTE]

My son’s school was closed this past Friday, and I had gone on-line and bought a time-pass for the statue so he and I could go. It was a fun day (Yes, security is a drag…but isn’t it always?). I’d recomend you take the elevator up as opposed to walking…and this is definitely the place to bring your camera. Backpacks need to be stowed in rental lockers and there are plenty of food vendors.

PS- Getting the ‘time pass’ is key. You can take the ferry to the island any time, but you can’t get into the base w/o the time-pass. A couple from the UK were in line with us for 45 minutes before they found out the hard way. :frowning:

7

[QUOTE=The Octagon]
I’d like to see the major stuff - Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty (I heard you can’t go in?) and I have a longer list of ‘maybes.’ Are the Guggenheim, Chinatown, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the UN, Union Square, the Bronx Zoo, Rockefeller Center, the Aquarium or Broadway really worth visiting?
[/QUOTE]
Times Square is cool, but once you get past the bazillion people walking around all the time, you kind of need a destination.

Central Park is very nice too, but I think it’s more special for city dwellers. It’s a park with trees and grass and lakes and fountains.

Museums are great destinations, NYC has a ton of 'em. Big boys like the Met, Guggenheim, MoMA, Natural History, and little guys like the Museum of Sex, TV and Radio, and others.

I love Chinatown and Little Italy, it’s a great place to go for dinner, wander around all the shops, then duck into a fun looking place for authentic cuisine.

Union Square is similar, go a block or two south to the Strand bookstore, and there are tons of great stores and restaurants around that whole area.

The Aquarium… um, there’s an aquarium in NYC?

Wicked is pretty much sold out every single performance. You can get half price tickets at TKTS, which is on 46th st just west of Broadway. Check out Playbill.com for a listing of all the current shows, see if any of the descriptions appeal to you.

8

The New York Aquarium (located in Brighton Beach in Brooklyn) is what we call locally, a “schlep.” Translation: getting there is time-consuming and a minor ordeal (see also: Bronx Zoo). As aquariums go, its nothing special, although I greatly enjoyed the sea lion show. However, it is smack-dab in the middle of a very intensely Russian immigrant neighborhood which is quite entertaining as a VERY non-traditional tourist destination.

If you’d like to get a gander at the Statue of Liberty without the hassle, take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. It does a close pass-by, runs frequently, and is free.

9

My ALL TIME BEST EVAR score, was when I bought a ticket to the Wedding Singer through Tkts, and it ended up being a SECOND ROW SEAT!!!
I highly reccomend Tkts! Go to the one at the South Street Seaport rather then
the Broadway one.

10

If you like toys check out FAO Schwartz. Huge toy store and totally unlike a “big-box” store like Toys-R-Us. They’re in walking distance of Rockefeller Plaza and Times Square.