I’ve been in the Big Apple before, and will join a friend there this weekend. I have a pretty good idea on what I want to show him, but I need your help in fine tuning the details…
Day 1 (this is based upon a tour I had several years ago, unfortunately I forget the specifics of that trip)
Take the ??? train to ??? station in Brooklyn. The upscale neighborhood is called “Brooklyn Heights”. There are some cheap, but good restaurants on ??? street. At the end of the street is a boardwalk with a spectacular view of Lower Manhatten.
Walk down ??? street to the Brooklyn Bridge and cross over to Manhatten. See Wall Street, Stock Exchange (are tours still available?), Trinity Church, WTC. Maybe take the Statten Island Ferry across the harbor.
Day 2
Go to top of Empire State Bldg. Walk up 5th Ave. Chrysler bldg, Grand Central, Rockefeller Center, Museums, Central Park.
Day 3 (We have a car)
Go up Route 9 into the Hudson River Valley. Tour the Rockefeller Estate, Vanderbilt Mansion, and ???
Please fill in the blanks if you can. Any suggestion or modifications would be appreciated!
I used to live in Brooklyn Heights, so I’ll take a shot at that part.
The A, C, 2, 3, 4 and 5 trains go to Brooklyn Heights. The 4 and 5 trains end up at Borough Hall on Court Street, a block or two away from Montague Street.
I’m guessing that the cheap but good restaurants are on Montague Street.
I believe the street running to the Brooklyn Bridge is called Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard. You get there by going down Montague back to Court, then turning left onto Cadman Plaza West (?). Cadman Plaza is the park area to your right as you walk north. You have to get on the other side of the Plaza to get to the bridge entrance. Take the first street you see crossing the park, and you should see on ramp signs for the Bridge. You should be able to follow them in order to find the pedestrian entrance to the Bridge. The weather should be decent this weekend, making it a nice walk
If the cheap but good restaurants were Middle-esatern ones, then they were on Atlantic avenue. (if you’re facing Manhattan, Atlantic is eft from Court street, Montague is right). the “boardwalk” is called “The Promenade” if you get turned around and need to ask directions.
The 2, 3 Train has 2 stops in the Brooklyn Heights area (3 if you count Nevins St) – but the Borough Hall stop is probably the one you want.
You should find some way to stop by Juniors to buy a cheesecake if at all possible (it is on Flatbush Ave near the Nevins St. stop on the 2,3 & 4,5). Junior’s offers the definitive New York Style cheesecake. The neighborhood is a little rough around the edges – not dangerous, but not upscale like the Heights.
FYI (and why not plug Queens), The Museum of Mondern Art (currently located in Long Island City, Queens) has the Matisse/Picasso exhibit going on right now. Advanced tickets are a good idea but they do sell “day of” tickets but you may have to wait a few hours before you get in. If you get there early (9:30 - 10:00) you should be ok. I was there last week and it is well worth it. You can take the 7 train (LOCAL - not express) from Times Square, 5th Ave or Grand Central to 33 st (5th stop in Queens) and it is right there.
Zebra, the St Pats Parade is on Monday. I am guessing that is the parade you were referring to. I believe only when St Pats falls on a Sunday is it not on 3/17 in Manhattan.
Here’s my insider’s tip. What bridge with pedestrian access gives you the best view of lower Manhattan and NY harbor?
The Brooklyn Bridge, you all say?
WRONG!!!
It’s the Manhattan Bridge. Why? Because you get to include the Brooklyn Bridge in all its Cinemascopic glory in your gaze.
It really do it RIGHT, I advise crossing both bridges – one bridge into Manhattan, and the other out of Manhattan. (THe romance and history of the BB should not be missed.) Enjoy the sights of Chinatown and the City Hall district as you walk from one bridge to the other.
These and other tips can be found in an old thread called “Vacation advice” started by Slythe.
~ stuyguy, who was called “Mister New York City Guy” at a recent Doperfest
Oh yeah, I forgot that the 2/3 stopped at Borough Hall too. I lived on Henry and Clark (law school dorms were at the Hotel St. George), so whenever I used the 2/3 I got off at that stop instead of Borough Hall.
