Hi everyone, we’ve got a week in New York soon and I want to squeeze in as much as possible but don’t mind missing out on the meh!. It’s me, my wife and two young teens.
Last went in 1978 when I was 10!
So far, we’ve got:
Mets game and Dumbo for the bridge view
Top of The Rock, Empire State + boat out to Liberty Island for pics
Wife and daughter on some massive shopping tour while me and my son go to MoMA
Lunch in Central Park
Clearly there’s plenty on web and in guides but in search of a break that’s all killer and no filler any other suggestions from locals or those with their own experiences would be most welcome.
If you’ll be in Battery Park to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, you really need to go to Ellis Island as well….it’s fascinating!
I used to live in the West Village and still love to walk around the Village and SoHo whenever I return. Washington Square Park at the bottom of 5th Ave. is a good starting point. You can walk from there in any direction and enjoy a cool part of Manhattan.
Glad to see MoMA on your itinerary. The Met, Guggenheim, and the Natural History Museum are also wonderful.
Academy Records & CDs on 18th St. is still my favorite stop for used/rare music shopping…
Food? Korean food on 33rd St. is a must. Chinese food in Flushing, Queens! Great pizza on every corner! Indian food in the East Village! Benny’s Burritos up the street from the Village Vanguard. Tons of choices…
My favourites from my one visit are the High Line, Central Park and the Metropolitan Opera. Ground Zero is hugely moving and the Statue of Liberty is a waste of time. An hour to queue each way. The loos in the café are ok though. We stayed in the Washington Square Hotel and walked nearly everywhere. Oh yes, the Empire State was fun too. The thing I remember most was how friendly everyone was.
We spent a few days in NYC a few years back. Has a good time but I rarely overcame the feeling that we were seen as easy marks, and that we were ripped off at nearly every turn. I guess that’s New York. Recommend the Ground Zero museum, and the ESB, if like when we were there, it was nearly deserted.
You get the trip to the Statue of Liberty (do not get off the boat) for free if you go to Ellis Island to see the Immigration station. (I forget the terminology) You also get a great view up the Hudson River and the pointed end of Manhatyten Island,
Take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and have lunch or dinner at the River Cafe on the Brooklyn side. I cannot vouch for the food these days as I haven’t lived in New York for many years, but whatever it’s like you’ll get a great view of lower Manhattan from your table.
My wife and I went for a few days last January. I would definitely recommend the Top of the Rock (for a little extra you can get tickets that allow readmission after dark) with its 360 degree views; on the top level you can take photos without any glass or wire mesh to get in the way.
The Brooklyn Bridge was also great as was the boat trip to the Statue of Liberty (although the queues might have been better in January).
The 9/11 memorial was also very poignant.
If you’re going in May you’ll also enjoy warmer weather than we did although the ice in the Hudson was quite impressive. It’s a great city, enjoy your trip.
Cut the empire state …and put in the new world trade centre…much better
Time squire at night
And do not miss a trip to the aircraft carrier…the Intrepid…it is a must do.
I envy you. You’ve already got a good itinerary planned - just remember that a ball game, although a real experience, takes up quite a slice of a day.
I’d drop the Empire State trip, it’s commercialised and disappointing. Katz’s is an absolute must (a single hand carved Pastrami on Rye will serve 2-4) and carefully select your pizza visit, too important to waste! Lombardi’s on Spring Street is good but best at lunchtime, Patsy’s in East Harlem is good too, as is Roberta’s in Midtown.
Ink 48 is a hotel with a rooftop bar, which has amazing views over Manhattan. Jazz at the Standard or Blue Note are worth it, too. Allow at least 1/2 a day for the Met.
Enjoy the trip! You’ll discover all sorts of new great things that you’ll be able to recommend to us!
I’m so dopey I forgot to mention the very best thing we did in New York! The Village Vanguard, where of course so many jazz classics have been recorded. It’s a tiny little place, down stairs below a pizza place.
I’d endorse that. Was there in 2015. If you have a reservation at the hotel restaurant “Print” you have preferred access to the rooftop bar after.
Stunning nightime views of Manhattan,