Recommendations for trip to New York

[jcrntx]

Not sure if the right forum, but first time trip coming up at the end of the month to New York. Going for work for a few days and then staying with the wife and daughter for a week to be tourists. Any advice from those who have been?? We have already purchase New York Passes that get us in to a ton of places, will be doing the normal tourist stuff, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, WTC Memorial, Empire State Building, MOMA, Museum of Natural History, a couple shows. My wife has us set up for several tours on foot, a double decker bus tour and a couple ferry tours (1 at night). Any places we need to visit, restaurants to hit etc? Staying in Brooklyn. Thanks for any tips!

 

[Southpaw]

PM sent....

 

[SidewaysTA]

Well if and when I go one of the places I want to hit up is Katz Deli. Besides all the typical landmarks you already mentioned.

I'd love to hear other suggestions as well.

Mike

 

[Southpaw]

I sent him Snookie's address, so he ought to be good to go!!!!

 

[Bithabus]

Don't forget the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My favorite museum.

For restaurants, there are far too many to make a recommendation. First pick the style of cuisine you are interested in, then decide how much you want to spend. Some of the best restaurants in the world are in NY.

 

[just jk]

the double decker bus is really the best way to see Manhattan - you can get off at any stop - and hop back on the next one.....if you're a repeat visitor to NYC - you wont need the buses

i cant really recommend anything in Brooklyn - cept for the zoo

NYC has a plethora of things to see/do....just a few blocks up from Wall St. is the Trinity Church - this is an OLLLLLLD episcopalian church - with a cemetery beside it - headstones from the 1730's - one of my favorite landmarks. St. Patricks Cathedral is beautiful inside

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is AWESOME (it's way more than paintings) - Museum of Natural History is pretty cool but i got bored with it after awhile - i can only take so many bones and such. MOMA is also great, but if i had to pick between the two, i'd take the Met seven days a week over MOMA

you've got a good list to start with - once you're there - you'll easily find stuff you want to see -

 

[shortround]

Spend a full day on the subways, and make sure your camera has fresh batteries.

Governor's Island is one of the most neglected sight seeing places in NYC.

Used to be the ferry was free.

Great view of the Statue of Liberty from Governor's Island.

DO NOT take a helicopter tour.

The money saved will pay for your vacation.

 

[just jk]

+1 on the "dont take a helicopter ride"

but i would add the aircraft carrier on the Hudson River Parkway - great photo ops - lots of cool military stuff to look at

if you want to do some QUALITY people watching - go see NY Penn Station and Grand Central Station - both are beautiful on the inside - and the freak show is first rate

 

[jcrntx]

Thanks for all the tips, keep em coming. Dohh, we are doing the MET, not MOMA. The ferry rides we are taking are free with our New York Pass! No plans on a helicopter ride, probably couldn't get the missus to board one. Had not thought about the carrier, will try and make that. We do have a trip to Grand Central planned for sure. We are visiting a church, I think she said it was the largest in the US and a very old one to boot.

 

[just jk]

 

[hkusp1]

I just walked past there an hour ago walking to little italy.

 

[slammr]

Go someplace else.....

 

[M. Sage]

Go someplace else.....

Yeah, I wasn't really impressed with NYC...

 

[Texasjack]

In NY, "New York" refers to the state, not the city. (Outside of NY, NY=NYC) I've been there a few times on business - esp. during the few miserable years I lived in upstate NY. It certainly is interesting, but I was never comfortable there.

 

[M. Sage]

In NY, "New York" refers to the state, not the city. (Outside of NY, NY=NYC) I've been there a few times on business - esp. during the few miserable years I lived in upstate NY. It certainly is interesting, but I was never comfortable there.

Upstate is really nice. Too bad it's located in NY...

 

[SidewaysTA]

 

[Keri-Mike]

I used to live in Queens for a number of years, and worked in Manhattan. Manhattan's the place to be, in my opinion, and it sounds like that's where you'll spend most of your time. I would hit Central Park, for sure - during the day and don't wander too far from the main areas! (main entrance is on 5th Ave). The Natural History museum is terrific but unfortunately it's quite a trek away from everything else. I would go to the Met before MOMA, but that's just because I hate modern art and prefer the classics. Times Square is a lot of fun now since they cleaned it up so I'd definitely do that. Walking 5th Ave was always one of my favorite things to do. If you start at 42nd where the big library is (also a gorgeous landmark inside and out) and go straight up 5th, you'll pass all the famous stores - Bloomies, Lord & Taylor, FAO Schwartz (the famous toy store) - and just trawling 5th is an adventure in and of itself. Very touristy but a nice NY flavor. If you get down far enough you'll see the main entrance into Central Park, across from the big hotel there I forget the name of; used to be the Waldorf.

Have fun! And, naturally, watch your wallet. Seriously.

 

[1rightguy]

I don't get the negative comments as I have always enjoyed NYC. It's a special place. +1 on the Katz's "must see".

 

[SidewaysTA]

Any of you got suggestions for hole in the wall restaurants that are good but not well known or tourist traps?

 

[just jk]

restaurants are a tough suggestion really - namely because they are EVERYWHERE....a couple of years ago, i spent a long weekend in NYC with my 2 sons - we went to Smith & Wollensky....superb steak house but i walked out of there with a HUGE hole in my wallet

I think over in Brooklyn - the famous pizza place is Grimaldi's - there will be a line out the door for a slice of pizza but its worth the wait