Any NYC Tips Or Must-Sees?

[momof1princess]

I have a friend who is planning to take her DD to NYC next spring for her sweet 16, and they've never been there before (i haven't been in 22 years). I gave her a link for NYC Citypass...any other tips or things they shouldn't miss I can pass along? TIA!

 

[momof1princess]

Anyone?

 

[Disney Doll]

I like the big Disney Store on the corner of 5th & 55th.
I also like the Circle Line boat tour.
A Broadway show.

How long are they there for?

 

[momof1princess]

they're going to be there for a week, and i know they want to go to the statue of liberty and would like to see "the little mermaid" on broadway. other than that, their plans are wide open. any restaurant or attraction suggestions are appreciated.

 

[missypie]

Just took my 13 and 16 year old Ds there.

A couple of things:

1. Look for Broadway tickets on broadwaybox.com. They have a lot of discount codes. I would recommend against using the TKTS booth in Times Square...the lines are very long, and why spend hours of vacation in line? Might as well use a broadwaybox discount code and get great seats at a discount with no lines.

The show I'd recommend: In the Heights. The 16 yr old will adore it and the mom will like it, too.

2. They should look at http://www.highfivetix.org/splash.aspx.
High Five sells teens museum tickets for 2 for $5. Plus one adult can get a cheap ticket, too. We went to the Guggenheim...the price at the ticket window for the three of us was $48. I got our three tickets through High 5 for $7.50.

3. Shopping:

H&M is good. The largest one I know of is on 5th Avenue, near the Disney store and St Patrickts.

There are fun stores like Top Shop on Broadway in SoHo.

My girls' favorite stores were the tiny boutiques in Nolita (it's right next to SoHo.) Some stores are very pricey but others are not.

My girls hated Daffy and Conroy (or is it Conway?) and Macys.

Worth the trip is Century 21...it's right across the street from Ground Zero. It opens at 7:45 am on weekdays. It's hit or miss, but it has great designer purses and clothes at discount prices. We spent a whole lot of time and money there!

4. Sightseeing - for a view, try Top of the Rock instead of the Empire State Building.

 

[missypie]

Little Mermaid is closing on August 30th.

Make sure they buy time tickets in advance for the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. The lines can be long.

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and ate pizza ad Grimaldis but I really think Johns just off of Times Square is just as good without going all the way over to Brooklyn.

 

[Missy1961]

Yes, The Little Mermaid is closing on Aug. 31st.

 

[akhenaten]

Central Park... Bethesda fountain (seen in lots of movies ...usually some street performers) & Strawberry Fields (Imagine mosaic)

 

[momof1princess]

thank you everyone! keep those ideas coming!

 

[missypie]

Since the trip isn't until months away, they should netflix a lot of movies that feature NY - you almost can't count them all. We watched On the Town, Monstruck and Crossing Delancy before our first trip. Enchanted is also perfect. The list is so long...

What is their ethnic heritage? If their relatives came from Europe at the turn of the 20th century, Ellis Island is a must-see. No matter what their culture or heritage, I bet they can find a neighborhood that fits their interests.

Have they found a hotel? There are so many. We stayed in Times Square but we only did that because we saw 6 musicals in 4 days. Otherwise, it's insane to stay there. But they really ought to pull up a subway map when they get down to comparing hotels. In some nice areas, it can be a long walk to get to a subway line - others are super-convenient.

We've never been to the Lower East Side Tenament Museum (because we've only been in the summer and it's not air conditioned) but I've heard it's really interesting.

 

[sbell111]

My wife will not allow a trip to NYC without a visit to John's Pizza on 44th. It's a rule.

 

[momof1princess]

thanks everyone! keep those ideas coming! i'm taking notes i do know they've got a hotel booked in times square, or are planning to book one there (mom had a specific hotel in mind for some reason). john's pizza, huh? i'll have to look that up, i LOVE pizza...

 

[mjkacmom]

they're going to be there for a week, and i know they want to go to the statue of liberty and would like to see "the little mermaid" on broadway. other than that, their plans are wide open. any restaurant or attraction suggestions are appreciated.

I'd pick Wicked - although you won't get discounted seats, there is enough time to get reguarly priced seats. I've seen many Broadway plays, and love this one (and ever since dd12 saw it, everything else falls short for her).

 

[missypie]

I'd pick Wicked - although you won't get discounted seats, there is enough time to get reguarly priced seats.

In this economy, if your trip is a few months away, you can get regular priced tickets to about anything. Wicked, Lion King, Billy Elliot. They shouldn't wait forever, but no need to pay over face value or to not see the show they want to see.

 

[DisneyGirl421]

Definitely see a Broadway show. Whoever suggested In The Heights is right on the money, it's an excellent show for teenagers. I would also suggest Wicked, South Pacific or Bye Bye Birdie (it's opening in September, starring John Stamos as Albert).

Shopping-wise: I love SoHo. There's so many cute boutiques around the Broadway/Prince St. areas. Also, Canal St. btw Broadway and Mulbery St. has some awesome stores, and if you ask the right question to the shop owners, you can buy really good quality knock-off designer purses. I bought a decent sized Coach purse for $27, and you can't even tell it's a knock-off.
There's also the South Street Seaport, I highly recommend there too.

Other fun things: Take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. You get awesome views of the city/Brooklyn, and better yet, it's free!

Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. I'm slightly bias as I'm interning at Ellis right now, but I love it here. The Park Rangers are so knowledgable about the subject matter, and love sharing their knowledge with visitors. And looking up your heritage, seeing the names on either the wall or on the database is so cool.
As for the Statue, I highly recommend trying to get passes to go up to the crown. It's a big of a hike, 300-someodd steps in an enclosed spiral stairwell, but it's worth it. If you don't want to go all the way up, get monument passes to go up to the pedestal. Get both of these passes well in advance, especially the crown. It's already sold out until mid-September.

 

[momof1princess]

LOVE these ideas! keep them coming everyone! and thanks!

 

[minijeanie]

Broadway show for sure: Mamma Mia or wicked is best choice for 16 yr olds. Then I would choose Lion King. Fantastic Show.

Restaurants

Go to Ellen Stardust Diner. in Times Square...waiters and waitresses sing while you are eating..very cute and kids love it. Other choices kids love are Jekyl and Hyde.. Mars 2112 and Planet Hollywood...For ice cream try Serendipity III....

Sites to See:


Go to Top of the Rock and enjoy the view....

Walk on 5th Avenue and go into most of the stores we all cannot afford..

Go to World Trade center - See where twin towers were..quite powerful.. Across the street you can walk around battery park..lots of cute stores and restaurants. I also agree a walk across brooklyn bridge is a good idea. Start from the Brooklyn side for better view.

Where are you staying? might have better idea of what to do if I know where you are?

 

[momof1princess]

my friend is staying in times square...the name of the hotel escapes me-i think it's a marriott. i know they wanted to see the little mermaid on broadway, but i messaged her and let her know it was closing next month, so i'm going to pass everyone's suggestions along to her. her daughter has never been to NYC, so this is going to be the trip of a lifetime (so far, lol) for her!

 

[akhenaten]

The Irish Hunger memorial is a beautiful spot... not the usual tourist site....

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=...=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=2705269041383082905