Ok, so in Mid June I will be taking my first trip ever to New York City.
I am only going to get to spend 3 days there (flying in on Saturday and leaving for Pennsylvania to visit my in laws on Tuesday early or Monday late), and I can’t narrow down my list of to do’s to a reasonable size.
So, help me plan please. If you wanted to get the most New York bang for your buck in that short amount of time what would you guys do? What are the tourist traps and time sucks that I should avoid? What are the things that I will be kicking myself if I miss while I am there?
The one thing I always recommend is the Circle Line cruise. It takes a few hours, and you go entirely around the island of Manhattan. There are also shorter ones available. Sure, it’s touristy, but it’s the best way to get a perspective of Manhattan.
The rest depends on what sorts of things you’re into. Art? Music? Theater? Museums? Sports? History? Architecture? Food?
I’m a New Yorker who has done the Circle Line Cruise a couple of times with visitors. It’s three hours and kind of pricey. I’d skip it, and take the Staten Island Ferry from Battery Park if your really itching to get on some kind of watercraft. It gives you a great view of lower Manhattan without having to go around the whole Island. I’d also skip the Statue of Liberty because you’ll get the same views for free without waiting on long lines with other tourists to get to Liberty Island.
It usually takes about an hour to get up there, but I recommend going to the top of the Empire State Building. I think it is that one thing that you would kick yourself for not doing. The views are amazing on a clear day. Buy tickets in advance to avoid waiting on an even longer line once you get in.
Since your going in the summer, I would advise you to take the subway to Brooklyn and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan. From there you can easily visit South Street Seaport and then walk across to Ground Zero if you wish.
Search for other threads, because I know there has been tons.