Help NewYork?

[connie1042]

I have never been to New York. My sister and my niece thought we should make a quick trip over Memorial Day weekend. Leave Friday and come back Monday night. Here are some things I want to do. Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty, Mary Poppins on Broadway, Time Square, and of course the Disney Store. My nephew lives there and my niece use to, so they know the ropes, but is there anything else I should put on my really want to see list? How far is Niagara Falls? Any ideas would be great. What is a must do place to eat. Not fancy, just really good?

 

[auroralark]

Hi! I'm not from NYC, but I live about an hour away so I think I might be able to help - at least a little!

Nigara Falls is way upstate. Hours away from the city. I've lived in NY all my life and have never even been there. (I'd like to get there someday!)

As far as places to eat...I love John's Pizza, which is on 44th street in the theater district, right off Times Square. They have really good pizza and the prices are good for NYC. It gets really crowded, especially on weekdays, so I would try to get there as close to noon as possible.

Other things you might want to add to your list: The Empire State Building, Central Park (there's a zoo there that's pretty neat), MOMA and the Museum of Natural History to name a few. Hope that helps a bit!

 

[wishspirit]

When I went for a few days a while ago I visited:
- Empire State Building, which was amazing!
- Ground Zero, very moving
- Statue of Liberty/ Ellis Island, which was very interesting
- Shopping!
- Grand Central Station
- Times Square

If i think of any more, I will let you know!

 

[dpuck1998]

I'm going in August and have tickets to Shrek. I'd be interested in what DIS'ers think also. Right now we are planning on a partial day in Central Park, Visiting the Museum of Natural History, The Intrepid and lots of shopping. I'm going with 10, 8 and 4 yo kids, three adults 35, 35, and 58.

 

[mpetti]

While you are in Times Square you should eat at The Hard Rock Cafe and you must visit if you have kids The huge Toys R Us Store in Times Square. Also there's the MADAME TUSSAUDS Wax Museum on W. 42nd Street. You can usually find 20% off codes online. You are going to love it. Have a great trip.

 

[LovesThumper]

Since it is a holiday weekend I would suggest getting Mary Poppins tickets ahead of time. Another option isTKTS the discount ticket booth in Times Square -you can get half price tickets for matinee and evening shows. Not the most popular ones on a holiday though. But we always get our tickets there. Check their web site for hours. You used to have to pay cash- but I believe with the newly refurbished booth you may use a credit card.
A great place for either lunch or supper is Becco at 355 West 46th Street. This is a pre fix restaurant owned by Lidia Bastianich (she is on PBS cooking show). The lunch is $17.95 and Dinner is $21.95. Includes appetizer and all you can eat fantastic pasta.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is another very interesting site- and it is a couple of blocks away from the Deli that the famous Harry Met Sally scene was filmed in.
There is just so much to do in the city- you will have a wonderful time.

 

[DisneyKevin]

The Carnegie Deli on 7th at 57th
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Rockefeller Center
Any Broadway show
Circle Line around Manhattan

Those are mu ideas.

Niagra Fall is about 7 hours away by car. It's on the other side of the state.

 

[ms*mountaineer]

Oh - I need help with a visit to New York too!

We want to go up for the day to see the Statue of Liberty - and then go eat somewhere in the city, possibly Chinatown. I know we can park on the NJ side and take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty - and do the same to take a ferry to Manhattan. BUT - do both of those ferries launch from the same point??? Can we go from NJ to Statue of Liberty to Manhattan - then back to NJ where our car is parked?? (once in Manhatten, we would just take a taxi to Chinatown or whereever we decide to go - I'm just trying to figure out how to leave our car in NJ)


Secondly - we want to plan a weekend in NY in November to see the Radio City Christmas Show. Any suggestions on where to stay? We don't mind taking a taxi from hotel to Radio City Music Hall - but would like to stay somewhere in the vicinity of Times Square or so. At least, I imagine that's an OK area to stay in. I'm open for suggestions there.

We need a "DIS" for all these other cities in the world!

 

[disneymom8589]

DH and I were just in NYC a few weeks ago. In addition to the already mentioned items, here are a few more:

Serendipity 3 Restaurant on E. 60th St. (across the street from Bloomingdales). This is a quaint, whimsical little restaurant famous for their Frrrozen Hot Chocolate.

September 11th Memorial Museum - by Ground Zero - a small, touching museum

Grayline Harbor Cruise - an hour-long cruise around New York Harbor - goes past lower Manhattan, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, and under the Brooklyn Bridge

 

[LMO429]

Oh goodness as someone stated above Niagra Falls is almost 7 to 8 hours away from NYC.

Memorial Day weekend is a good weekend to come to New York City, most of the locals leave town to go to their summer homes (hamptons, jersey shore) etc.

If you like baseball you must go to either CitiField or the New Yankee Stadium they just both opened a couple of weeks ago and are both amazing! I think the Mets are way in Boston when you are coming but the Yankees are in town.

Angelos in Little Italy has excellent italian food. most tourists and locals love it there.

talk a walk across the brooklyn bridge its free and the views are amazing.

grab a bite to eat in the south street seaport afterwards: Nelson Blue is a great spot to get a quick reasonable good lunch around there.

 

[G66]

Did someone say Chinatown? Check this out.

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2008/05/guide-new-york-manhattan-chinatown-best-soup-noodles-nyc.html

 

[LMO429]

Oh - I need help with a visit to New York too!

We want to go up for the day to see the Statue of Liberty - and then go eat somewhere in the city, possibly Chinatown. I know we can park on the NJ side and take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty - and do the same to take a ferry to Manhattan. BUT - do both of those ferries launch from the same point??? Can we go from NJ to Statue of Liberty to Manhattan - then back to NJ where our car is parked?? (once in Manhatten, we would just take a taxi to Chinatown or whereever we decide to go - I'm just trying to figure out how to leave our car in NJ)


Secondly - we want to plan a weekend in NY in November to see the Radio City Christmas Show. Any suggestions on where to stay? We don't mind taking a taxi from hotel to Radio City Music Hall - but would like to stay somewhere in the vicinity of Times Square or so. At least, I imagine that's an OK area to stay in. I'm open for suggestions there.

We need a "DIS" for all these other cities in the world!

I would suggest parking your car in Hoboken NJ and taking the Path Train to NYC....one path train will take you downtown manhattan and another will bring you to around 34th street midtown near Madison Square Garden/Penn Station.

I am not sure about the ferries to NJ I know there is the new york waterway as well you might want to google it and see what parking options they have.

as far as hotels in nyc we live here so we dont stay in hotels we have gotten rooms for family here at the Mandarin Hotel, W Hotel in Times Square and the Ganesvoort in the Meat Packing District.

 

[LMO429]

Since it is a holiday weekend I would suggest getting Mary Poppins tickets ahead of time. Another option isTKTS the discount ticket booth in Times Square -you can get half price tickets for matinee and evening shows. Not the most popular ones on a holiday though. But we always get our tickets there. Check their web site for hours. You used to have to pay cash- but I believe with the newly refurbished booth you may use a credit card.
A great place for either lunch or supper is Becco at 355 West 46th Street. This is a pre fix restaurant owned by Lidia Bastianich (she is on PBS cooking show). The lunch is $17.95 and Dinner is $21.95. Includes appetizer and all you can eat fantastic pasta.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is another very interesting site- and it is a couple of blocks away from the Deli that the famous Harry Met Sally scene was filmed in.
There is just so much to do in the city- you will have a wonderful time.

Memorial Day weekend and nearly every weekend in the summer in NYC is rather quiet actually, most of the locals leave the city for their shore destinations. I am not saying its going to be dead but def not as crazy as normal.

We love Bar American in the theater district (bobby flays restaurant)

also if you happen to be downtown when you decide last minute you would like to go to the theater later on in the day there is another TKTS center in the South Street Seaport

 

[connie1042]

Wow ! These are all great ideas. I forgot about Ground Zero. I would love to go there and pay my respects to all that lost their lives. Keep them coming. My niece did talk about the tickets for the show. When she lived there she always got her tickets the same day. Not always first choice, but usually for something she wanted to see. I am really excited. I made of list of all the places mentioned. Oh yea, I need to ride the subway. Thanks guys. Connie

 

[Mr. Plutes]

Oh - I need help with a visit to New York too!

We want to go up for the day to see the Statue of Liberty - and then go eat somewhere in the city, possibly Chinatown. I know we can park on the NJ side and take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty - and do the same to take a ferry to Manhattan. BUT - do both of those ferries launch from the same point??? Can we go from NJ to Statue of Liberty to Manhattan - then back to NJ where our car is parked?? (once in Manhatten, we would just take a taxi to Chinatown or whereever we decide to go - I'm just trying to figure out how to leave our car in NJ)


Secondly - we want to plan a weekend in NY in November to see the Radio City Christmas Show. Any suggestions on where to stay? We don't mind taking a taxi from hotel to Radio City Music Hall - but would like to stay somewhere in the vicinity of Times Square or so. At least, I imagine that's an OK area to stay in. I'm open for suggestions there.

We need a "DIS" for all these other cities in the world!

The ferry in New Jersey is in Jersey City. I believe the parking is free, but not 100 percent sure. It is off the New Jersey Turnpike exit 14c. My understanding is you can take the ferry to Statue of Liberty from both citys. but you can't take the ferry from Jersey City to NYC. You have to get off at the Lady to tranfer.

 

[mesyjesse]

Um i live in northern nj and am about 20 miles from new york and my tips are
Use the subway (it scary at first but most new yorkers and friendly and willing to help)
Also i would say if i had to make a touring plan
stay in mid town most hotels and in that area are geared towards business people so a lower rate is going to be easier to get.
1 in the early morning go to the most touristy places, much like the parks early=less crowed i would say the empire state building
2 work your way up 5th ave thats were the disney and other famous new york stores are.
3 have lunch at the met best food court in the world. (with the met its best to just wonder)
4 it should be mid day so a stroll in central park is really nice at that time
5 take a cab from the park back to your hotel and go to a play

Ps you must try pommes frites 123 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003 just go

 

[SamSam]

It's been 5 years since I visited New York City, a fantastic trip with 11 women!
Here are some things we did that you might enjoy:

Greenwich Village Food Tour (very fun, although I'm sure it would depend somewhat on your guide)
http://www.foodsofny.com/greenwichvillage.php

Gray Line Bus tours
http://www.coachusa.com/newyorksightseeing/

City Pass (if you are doing several things,this could save some $$)
http://www.citypass.com/city/ny.html?id=M6AV7ABq

A quaint older hotel that we all loved, just a couple of blocks from the main block of Times Square.
Belvedere Hotel – Times Square
http://www.times-square-new-york-hotel.com/

Have a blast!!!

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

My number one favorite is The Circle Line Cruise that goes all the way around
Manhattan Island.

Also visit South Street Seaport and the Pier 17 Mall that is there. On some of the outside decks that are attached to the mall you can sit on a lounger chair and peacefully watch the boat traffic. I suggest you do that on a Sunday morning. It is so peacefull at that time.

Central Park is also wonderful ...... but before dark.

 

[challer]

Alot of great stuff has been mentioned already.
My additions:

Coney Island/NY Aquarium/Brooklyn Cyclones (all in same spot)
Staten Island Ferry to Staten Island Yankees
Bronx Zoo & NY Botanical Garden
Museum of Jewish Heritage (basically a Holocaust museum - very moving)

If you're going to World of Disney (I wouldn't make it a dedicated stop, but if you'll be shopping Madison Ave/5th Ave anyway, go for it), don't miss FAO Schwartz a few blocks away.

 

[Regina]

We were in the City two weeks ago to see "9 to 5." I suggest you check out www.broadwaybox.com for show discounts. If you go the TKTS route, plan on waiting on a long line for at least an hour. On one trip, we weren't sure if we would do a show or not but I printed out the Shrek discount. We bypassed TKTS, went straight to the box office and got great seats without wasting a ton of time. (Plus it was frigid cold that day and TKTS is outdoors.)

On this last trip, we had breakfast at the Carnegie Deli. Keep in mind, this place only takes cash. In the theater district, the Brooklyn Diner and Bond 45 are some choices to consider. If you go to a chain restaurant, there's a Bubba Gump's and a huge ESPN zone.

My DD works in the City. We met her for lunch once and she took us to the Chelsea Market. There are tons of different food choices, it was fantastic. (It's not that far from the Intrepid.)

Have fun!!