Day trip to NYC

[devalsam]

I know this has been asked before but I can't seem to find it. I'm planning a day trip to NYC with my two DDs (8 & 9). I'm feeling so overwhelmed and could use some advice, tips, etc. We will more than likely take the train into the city so we won't have a car while we're there. The must do's on our list include:
Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
American Girl Store
Toys R Us and/or Disney Store
Ripley's Believe it or Not
Brooklyn Bridge
South Street Seaport
Dylan's Candy Bar

I have not been to NYC since I was in 8th grade so this is all new to me. Please help!! Will we be able to see all this in one day? How? Is there anything else we shouldn't miss? I can't afford to turn this into a weekend trip or I would. TIA

 

[Bob P]

Hi,

Wow...that's a pretty intense itinerary for one day. Unless you want to be hospitalized for exhaustion at midnight, I would advise dropping at least two or three things off that list.

For one thing, none of those places are that close to anything else on the list! You will be running all over Manhattan all day trying to cross everything off your list. And seriously, I don't know if it is physically possible. It would be the equivalent of visiting all four WDW parks in one day and doing all the big-ticket attractions.

I don't know what time of year you are planning to come in, but especially if it is a holday season you will have to assume there will be long lines at the Statue and the Empire State Building. You could also run into large crowds at Ripley's, Toys R Us, and the American Girl Store. Where will you eat? What about bathroom breaks?

I'm sorry; I'm not trying to be a party pooper, I'm just trying to help you manage your expectations. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk further...

 

[dspads]

Statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
American Girl Store
Toys R Us and/or Disney Store
Ripley's Believe it or Not
Brooklyn Bridge
South Street Seaport
Dylan's Candy Bar

As pp said, that is ALOT to do in a day. I am not sure where Ripley's or Dylan's is so can't comment.

Are you coming in through Penn?

Did you just want to see the SoL or tour it? You have to take a ferry there and I am not sure, but I assume it could be time consuming just factoring in the ferry wait. You could do that as early as possible, the tour the Seaport, then head uptown to see what you can make. But I think your uptown stuff is more kid friendly.

If I were coming through Penn I would walk to the Emire State building, ride to the top. Then head up 5th ave. When you are done there you could head to the Times Square area (I think thats were the TRU is).

 

[Metsoskil]

Ripley's is in the bottom of the Empire State Building, so you could knock both of those of. Doing both the Statue of Liberty and ESB in the same day would be tough without all the other stuff.

If you take the PATH in from NJ, I'd start downtown. The PATH Station is walking distance to SS Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge. If not, take a subway downtown from Penn Station or Grand Central. See SSS and the Bridge and have lunch (The Latino place in the SSS mall is awesome - we ate there before seeing Spamalot on Broadway in January). Take a subway (or cab) up to Midtown after lunch and do the ESB and Ripley's if you want. From there you can walk up to 5th avenue and do the World of Disney and grab some dinner. Not sure where Dylan's or the American Girl Store are, but if they are on 5th Ave, you can probably get them in also.

BTW, people talk about how tired their legs get at WDW. It's nothing compared to a commando day in Manhattan.

 

[ellenmiele]

Dylan's is on 3rd Ave @60th St and the American Girl Store is near Rockefeller Center (which is between 5th and 7th and 48th and 51st). So it's a good 10 blocks just between those 2. And if you do go the the American Girl Store, just around the corner from there is the Nintendo World Store (if the girls are into video games it's very cool - we went there once because my son wanted to see it and my daughters liked it just as much!).

As a previous poster already said, that is a BIG itinerary for one day.

 

[goofygal531]

I live right near Dylan's candy bar and I don't get the hype. It's a candy store own by Ralph Lauren's Daughter. The candy per pound is VERY EXPENSIVE! I forgot the price, my DS4's handful of swedish fishes cost me $5!! I would not go out of my way for this.

Then again, I don't get the people waiting in the freezing cold for an hour to go into Serendipidy III for a $25 frozen hot chocolate!

Dylan's is right across the street from Bloomingdales and Serendipidy III is right down the block from Dylan's. Dylan's is on the corner.

Dylan's and Serendipidy are HUGE tourist destinations!

I go to Bloomingdales too often and HATE walking down that block. You cannot get past the crowds in front of Serendipidy!

Go to Times Square and see Toyrsus and the Hershey store across the street from it. Better chocolate, less crowds!

 

[mrstomrice]

Be sure to check if you need to buy tickets for the SOL before your trip...I seem to recall that since 9-11, there is more security and you need to book in advance...hope this helps!

 

[just2girls1]

Check out NewyorkCity.com there are alot of planning tools on the site. Also if you go to Google Maps you can get an idea of the lay-out of NY and even map your intended stops to see just how big of an area you are trying to cover. I have been to NY many times and have never actually made it over to the Statue of Liberty. The lines are very long and can take up a large chunk of time. You can purchase Empire State Building tickets online before you go and cut down on time spent there. China town is always a fun place, the kids get a kick out of just walking around there. We still talk about one trip we made there and as we wandered around taking in the sites my DD looked up and saw under clothes hanging on a clothes line about 12-15 stories up she was amazed. I remember then thinking you know I could not have planned that if I tried and would have thought nothing of it but it was a highlight of that trip for her.

Have fun whatever you do.

 

[solgent]

As others have said, that is too much to do in a day, esp with young kids. I've taken my 3 girls to NYC on lots of weekends. Less is more or the kids get cranky!

I'd do American Girl because there are only a few of those stores in the entire country and my girls love it. If you can get a lunch reservation it's really nice.

I'd also do Top of the Rock, which is the observation platform at Rockefeller Center. That's close & you get a nicer view than at the Empire State in my opinion. Great view of the park and of the Empire State Bldg itself.

I would skip Toys R Us because that's available elsewhere. Same goes for Disney store BUT it's very close to American Girl and Rockefeller Center so why not.

I might also take the Staten Island Ferry for free which gets you out on the water and goes past the Statue of Liberty.

That would be a really fun day.

 

[goofygal531]

I would skip Toys R Us because that's available elsewhere. Same goes for Disney store BUT it's very close to American Girl and Rockefeller Center so why not.

I don't know of any other Toys R Us that has a 60 Ft Ferris Wheel INSIDE the store. They also have a life-size Barbie Dream house you can walk thru and other fun things. If you're in the area, I'd stop in.

The World of Disney in NYC is fun if you love Disney. You can meet the characters for photos. Girls will love the princess encounter. I don't know much about it (I have boys) but it's on the website. You meet cinderella, make a crown, etc....

Top of the Rock has been more popular than Empire State Building, just an overall better experience. The elevator ride to Top of the Rock is really cool!