Looks like I might be crossing the pond again this summer, possibly June or July, and spending a long weekend in New York. No idea where we’ll be staying or anything like that - anybody got any advice on what to do, where to avoid etc?
Central Park Summerstage (free) is always a good bet. If you’re averse to the sun get there early and get a bleacher seat under the trees.
Have you been to the museums? Natural History and Planetarium, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, all right near each other (except for MOMA, which is a little ways downtown from the rest of them), and can keep you busy for days. Central Park is in the middle there, with easy access.
There’s also Broadway. You could catch a play.
I think the best thing to do is lots of walking, You should really walk around Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Times Square, Central Park and Battery Park.
Avoid the Statue of Liberty Boat! Huge lines and high prices. But DO take the Staten Island Ferry, Especially at night, it goes by the Statue and you get an amazing skyline view, its a nice 25 minute ride each way and its FREE
I haven’t lived there in years, so take this with a grain of salt. That said…
I’ll second all the aforementioned museums, especially the Museum of Natural History. Also, the Cloisters, which is mostly medeival European stuff, although maybe you see enought of that at home.
The Circle Line cruises, while considered by many to be ‘touristy’ are a great way to see the Manhattan skyline.
The Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building are worth a look and maybe a trip upstairs.
The Central Park Zoo is good for your time frame as it is small enough to do in a few hours and is located (duh) in the middle of Manhattan. If you are really into zoos and want to spend a whole day at one, then the Bronx Zoo is spectacular, one of the best in the world. The NY Botanical Gardens across the street and the Brooklyn Aquarium, in Coney Island are also great.
They are reopening the Statue of Liberty in July, I think. Since 9/11, people have only been allowed in the base. It’s nice enough, but wouldn’t be near the top of my list, considering the amount of time it takes to get there and back.
A Zagat Guide is cheap insurance that will keep you away from bad tourist trap food.
If you want coal-fired brick oven pizza, Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn is a good choice. I haven’t been there since before the name changed, but friends tell me it’s still great.
If you want some uniquely New York food that you probably don’t see at home, go to a Jewish (AKA Kosher) deli, many of which are actually restaurants with tables.
You have to see a Broadway show. Trust me on this.
Avoid the tourist sightseeing buses - they are full of tourists.
In my past couple of trips to NYC, I never even got to see the Chrysler Building, even though I was within 3 blocks of it.
But I can say that the first time I went to Manhattan (on foot), we walked by the Empire State Building at 9:30 in the morning and the line to the observation deck was already wrapped halfway around the building.
So we headed up 5th Avenue and went to the observation deck at Rockefeller Center, which provides a spectacular view of Manhattan. You can see the Statue of Liberty off in the distance. From the other side, you can see Central Park…this huge green space in the middle of a sea of concrete. And the cool thing is you can see the Empire State Building, which won’t be in any of your skyline photos if you go to the top of the ESB.
If you follow this route, you’ll pass by the big N.Y. Public Library. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is almost right across 5th Ave. from Rockefeller Center if you’re into churches. Radio City Music Hall is right across W. 50th from the entrance to the observation deck.
The Museum of Modern Art is only a few blocks away (I didn’t make it to MOMA but I suspect you’ll need many hours to see everything).
Head a few blocks west and then north, and you’ll be near the Carnegie Deli, which is an interesting place for lunch or dinner. You might even see some celebrities (or at least their pictures on the wall).
Now you’re only a few blocks from Central Park, which is a nice daytime walk that could consume hours of your time.
If you’re into this sort of thing, the Museum of Natural History is just west of Central Park about halfway up. Once again, you’ll need 4 to 6 hours to see everything in there (we were there for a couple of hours and only covered a fraction of it).
Times Square is interesting, especially at night when it’s all lit up. When I was there a few months ago, there was a few guys standing outside the giant Toys R Us selling tickets to a comedy club. We bought tickets, and really enjoyed the show. The whole thing cost about $35 per person including several drinks each.
I’ve been up there four times now and I’m still in awe of how BIG everything is. And I could still probably find 100 new things to do. From reading this thread, I’m going to have to hit Battery Park, the Staten Island Ferry, the Chrysler Building, and a Broadway Show on my next trip. I’d also like to ride a subway, just so I can say I’ve done it (the Long Island Railroad doesn’t count even though it goes underground to get into Penn Station).
Also, if you’re into old architecture, check out www.forgotten-ny.com for ideas. They also do a neighborhood tour once a month, which I’d like to do someday.
Thanks guys, this is all really useful stuff. Do you have any recommendations for mid-range hotels and good areas to stay in? We ideally need to be near places to see, and with good transport links as we’ll be happy to trek around on public transposrt to get to where we want to go.
My standard advice in these threads:
– **Bootis **is absolutely right: the Statue of Liberty is a terrible idea. It sucks up the whole day, and to get to the top you have to walk all the way up, then you only get a few seconds to enjoy the view before they shoo you away to make room for everyone else behind you. The Staten Island Ferry, OTOH, can be really pleasant.
– Skip the Museum of Natural History, which has a real 3rd-grade-field-trip feel to it. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is fantastic, though, and absolutely huge. A must see. The MOMA is great if you’re an art person, and it’s worth checking out what they’ll be doing at the Guggenheim while you’re in town (and it’s just down the street from the Met next to Central Park, so you could make a day of it).
– Eat a meal in Chinatown.
– When in Rome: use the subways (except, perhaps, during rush hour), and jaywalk at every opportunity.