NYC Trip Itinerary

[Becky_Boop]

I know most of you guys probably aren't New York experts, but for those of you who are, can you look over my itinerary? Anything we've missed? We've been there 4 times already, and we're running out of things to do.


Monday, July 30th
-Get into the car at 7:00 AM.
-Arrive at about 7:00 PM.
-Check in to the hotel (Holiday Inn Midtown) and get the wheelchair.
-Hang out in the hotel room, unpack. Eat dinner at Basilico (47th Street and 9th Ave).
-Spend a little bit of time in Time Square- shopping or whatever.
-Stop by the ½ price ticket booth and check out what they have.
-We go back to the hotel room.

Tuesday, July 31st (Sarah’s B-Day)
-Wake up.
-We take a taxi to Rockefeller Center at 8:30.
-Becky and Mom eat brunch there at 9:30 (get there at 9:15) and do some shopping.
-Dad and Sarah eat at Au Bon Pain.
-Sarah does whatever she wants in Nintendo World.
-We meet at the hotel room.
-Take a taxi to Georgio's Country Grill (53rd Street and 9th Ave) for a late-ish lunch.
-After lunch, Dad and Sarah go to Rent and wait in line for tickets.
-Everyone else goes to the hotel until Dad and Sarah get tickets.
-We eat dinner at Mee‘s Noodle Shop, then go see Rent.
Nederlander Theater
208 West 41st Street
-After that, we go to Dylan’s Candy Bar on 60th and 3rd.
-We take a taxi back to the hotel.

Wednesday, August 1st
-Wake up.
-We eat breakfast in the hotel.
-Dad and Sarah take a taxi to Lion King to get in line for tickets while everyone else does some gift-shopping at the hotel.
-When they get the tickets, we walk over to Ellen’s Stardust Diner and have lunch there.
-See Lion King.
Minskoff Theater
1515 Broadway
-Take a taxi to the American Museum of Natural History.
-Look around.
-Maybe eat dinner there.
-Becky and Dad (Maybe Mom and Sarah) take a walk.
~Trump Towers- 712 5th Avenue
~Steven Colbert- 513 West 54th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues
~Heavenly Delights (favorite sweet shop)
~Taxi to Central Park
-Go back to the hotel.

Thursday, August 2nd
-Wake up
-Dad and Sarah eat breakfast in the hotel.
-We take a taxi to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
-Look around.
-Eat lunch there.
-After lunch, Dad and Sarah go to Tarzan and wait in line for tickets.
-Everyone else goes to the hotel until they gets tickets.
-We eat dinner at Ciro Trattoria (813 8th Avenue).
-Go see Tarzan.
Richard Rodgers Theater
226 West 26th Street
-We take a taxi back to the hotel, and sleep.

Friday, August 3rd
-Wake up (maybe a little earlier, to avoid lines for the Empire State Building tour/ride).
-We eat breakfast in the hotel.
-We take a taxi to the Empire State Building.
-Go to the top.
-Go to the second floor and do the NY Skyride.
-Eat lunch at the Empire State Building.
-Take a taxi to Little Italy, and eat gelato.
-Look around.
-We take a taxi to Chinatown.
-Look around some more.
-Dad and Sarah go to Le Mis and wait in line for tickets.
-Everyone else goes to the hotel and packs a little bit until Dad gets tickets.
-We all eat dinner at some place we liked. (Or, Film Center Café [635 9th Avenue, between 44th and 45th streets])
-Go see Le Mis.
Broadhurst Theater
235 West 44th Street
-We take a taxi back to the hotel and pack our stuff.

Saturday, August 4th
-Wake up.
-Eat breakfast at the hotel.
-Pack our final stuff.
-Check out of the hotel, and return the wheelchair.
-Get into the car, and drive home.


How's it look?

 

[AllisonK]

Tarzan closed a few weeks ago, and Lion King may be very hard to get tickets for on the day-of. Rent and Les Miz, on the other hand, are fairly easy to get tickets to, and Les Miz is usually on the TKTS board. But your itinerary sounds pretty good (and Ellen's Stardust Diner is really fun!). If you want some suggestions for other shows to try for, let me know.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I have lived in NYC and no live very close and would think about some alternatives to eat.
Tarzan is closed but I have to say I just saw Chorus line & Grey Gardens (which is closing next week). Chorus Line was great and there is also Mary Poppins & Little Mermaid.

***I just think when you are in such a great "eating" city you should take advantage of non-tourist spots, just an opinion.

 

[Becky_Boop]

Tarzan closed a few weeks ago, and Lion King may be very hard to get tickets for on the day-of. Rent and Les Miz, on the other hand, are fairly easy to get tickets to, and Les Miz is usually on the TKTS board. But your itinerary sounds pretty good (and Ellen's Stardust Diner is really fun!). If you want some suggestions for other shows to try for, let me know.

Whoops! OK, instead of Tarzan, we might see Wicked (for a 2nd time- we really loved it) or Mary Poppins (as NeverEnough mentioned).

Thanks for the tip about Lion King- we've already seen it, so it won't be too bad if we miss it.

I have lived in NYC and no live very close and would think about some alternatives to eat.
Tarzan is closed but I have to say I just saw Chorus line & Grey Gardens (which is closing next week). Chorus Line was great and there is also Mary Poppins & Little Mermaid.

***I just think when you are in such a great "eating" city you should take advantage of non-tourist spots, just an opinion.

I had some trouble finding places to eat. Do you have any recommendations of places to eat in Midtown Manhattan?

 

[AllisonK]

No problem! Mary Poppins I know usually has a few tickets available day-of, Hairspray is really fun, too, and not incredibly hard to get tickets for, as is A Chorus Line, Chicago, Mamma Mia, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and according to my friend, The Drowsy Chaperone. I also hear Legally Blonde and Xanadu are great, but I haven't gotten around to seeing them yet, but they may be slightly harder to get tickets for, but if your kids have school IDs, Legally Blonde has a student rush, where tickets are $25 each, 2 per ID, and you go to the box office (quite early haha - I've done this, but it turns out there was no matinée and I already had tickets to Chorus Line that night - I plan on seeing Blonde, Xanadu and Drowsy Chaperone in the fall when I go to college on Long Island!) and stand in line. Hope you have a great trip! New York City is one of my favorite places on Earth (along with Disney World ).

 

[KimAshton]

Have a great trip!!

 

[burberryplaid]

Wow! Looks like you'll be busy but NYC is so fun!

As for places to eat, it may be hard to get in but Serendipty 3 is a really awesome place. The portions were massive and I can't say enough good things about the Frozen Hot Chocolate. It's not in the center of Manhattan per se, but it's not far off. (Near Bloomingdales, actually just up the block from Dylan's) You might have better luck getting in if you make a reservation.

 

[java]

What is getting in line? for a show? I always buy tickets ahead -but we are heading in next weekend for a inpromtu quick visit - just me and 2 of my kids for the night. Is there a chance we could get tickets to Mary Poppins by getting in line? And what time do you do this?
Oh and on eating we were planning on Ellen's stardust diner,Jeykel and Hyde and then maybe Carmine's? Not sure on that last one. I was thinking Becco but the kids said No thanks. Kid friendly and yummy are harder to come by in nyc but not impossible. Now they want to go to chinatown? Maybe we'll do that for dim sum on Sunday? Any advice?

 

[punkin]

We've been there 4 times already, and we're running out of things to do.

You have got to be kidding, right?

Museums, shows, galleries, concerts. Only about a million choices available there, and you've managed to do everything in only 4 trips.

 

[Oh Kay!]

Tuesday, July 31st (Sarah’s B-Day)
-Wake up.
-We take a taxi to Rockefeller Center at 8:30.
-Becky and Mom eat brunch there at 9:30 (get there at 9:15) and do some shopping.
-Dad and Sarah eat at Au Bon Pain.
-Sarah does whatever she wants in Nintendo World.
-We meet at the hotel room.
-Take a taxi to Georgio's Country Grill (53rd Street and 9th Ave) for a late-ish lunch.
-After lunch, Dad and Sarah go to Rent and wait in line for tickets.
-Everyone else goes to the hotel until Dad and Sarah get tickets.
-We eat dinner at Mee‘s Noodle Shop, then go see Rent.
Nederlander Theater
208 West 41st Street
-After that, we go to Dylan’s Candy Bar on 60th and 3rd.
-We take a taxi back to the hotel.

Dylan's close at 9 PM on Tuesdays.

 

[Becky_Boop]

What is getting in line? for a show? I always buy tickets ahead -but we are heading in next weekend for a inpromtu quick visit - just me and 2 of my kids for the night. Is there a chance we could get tickets to Mary Poppins by getting in line? And what time do you do this?
Oh and on eating we were planning on Ellen's stardust diner,Jeykel and Hyde and then maybe Carmine's? Not sure on that last one. I was thinking Becco but the kids said No thanks. Kid friendly and yummy are harder to come by in nyc but not impossible. Now they want to go to chinatown? Maybe we'll do that for dim sum on Sunday? Any advice?

Yes, it's our secret, but I'll share it with my DIS buddies. You can get in line and wait for tickets for every show, the day of. It almost never fails. You might have to wait there for hours, but it's worth it. You can either get tickets from people who cancelled, or the seats that they save until the last minute, (for celebrities, maybe) which are usually great seats. Try getting there at least a few hours before the show- you'll need 1 person waiting for every 2 tickets you want.

Chinatown is SO much fun. They have so many cute stores and some great restaurants. It's definitely worth it.

You have got to be kidding, right?

Museums, shows, galleries, concerts. Only about a million choices available there, and you've managed to do everything in only 4 trips.

I know. We aren't big on museums, but we're doing 2 this trip, the only ones we're really interested in.

We see so many shows each trip that we get through them fast, so this trip we're doing some repeats.

Galleries- we don't really like looking at art. It's just not our thing.

We have a member of the family who is sensitive to loud noises. We can't go to concerts. It's just pretty much out of the question.

I understand what you mean- we're just running out of ideas for our particular interests.

Dylan's close at 9 PM on Tuesdays.

Thanks, we'll have to do it another time.

 

[minijeanie]

What is getting in line? for a show? I always buy tickets ahead -but we are heading in next weekend for a inpromtu quick visit - just me and 2 of my kids for the night. Is there a chance we could get tickets to Mary Poppins by getting in line? And what time do you do this?
Oh and on eating we were planning on Ellen's stardust diner,Jeykel and Hyde and then maybe Carmine's? Not sure on that last one. I was thinking Becco but the kids said No thanks. Kid friendly and yummy are harder to come by in nyc but not impossible. Now they want to go to chinatown? Maybe we'll do that for dim sum on Sunday? Any advice?

I think chances are slim for MP on tkts line. Hairspray is wonderful!!!! Your kids will love it. Try that one.

Carmines is always a long wait. I would try to eat at off hours. Good alternative would be ESPN ZOne, Planet HOllywood or Hard Rock HOtel.

I ate at Becco's...terribly unimpressed. Very expensive, food adequate and please don't have to use the restroom facilities. Yes not kid friendly at all!!!

Just a thought. Right across the street from TKTS line is a huge Olive Garden. Normally not my favorite place, but I did this once and just ordered the salad and soup (all you can eat) for lunch. Got out of there in 45 minutes flat and was on the way to see the show.

Little Italy is good place for lunch as well. Although there is very few blocks of it now. Chinatown has completely taken over.

Have you considered going to eat at TAO. They have lunch specials for $25. Great place to eat but think you will need ressies.

Just got tickets for Lil Mermaid and Young Frankenstein(the new Mel Brooks show). Not going in January but will report back when I do.

Have a great Time....NYC is so so much fun!!!

 

[minijeanie]

Whoops! OK, instead of Tarzan, we might see Wicked (for a 2nd time- we really loved it) or Mary Poppins (as NeverEnough mentioned).

Thanks for the tip about Lion King- we've already seen it, so it won't be too bad if we miss it.



I had some trouble finding places to eat. Do you have any recommendations of places to eat in Midtown Manhattan?

Wicked tickets are still very hard to get. Don't know your religion or if you have one but if you do the most hysterical show I saw was Altarboys which is off broadway and you can always get those tickets for $39 a piece.

Check it out! See if it is for you. My kids and I loved it. We laughed the whole time. It kinda is a Groupie play now. Very much fan based. Actually one of the original altar boys is now playing Flotsam in the upcoming Little Mermaid show this fall.

I can't wait to see that exravaganza

 

[minijeanie]

Just had another thought!!

Why not do the red double decker buses and take the tour around midtown.
If you go online you can get discounted tickets

Do the midtown loop. The bus enables you to get on and off each and every stop. It starts around 10:00 am and goes into the evening. One price for the whole day.

I believe they are wheelchair accessible. My friends and I enjoyed this very much and it enabled us to see much more and less expensive than cabbing around the city.

If you are interested, pm me and I will look up the website.

 

[java]

I think chances are slim for MP on tkts line. Hairspray is wonderful!!!! Your kids will love it. Try that one.

Carmines is always a long wait. I would try to eat at off hours. Good alternative would be ESPN ZOne, Planet HOllywood or Hard Rock HOtel.

I ate at Becco's...terribly unimpressed. Very expensive, food adequate and please don't have to use the restroom facilities. Yes not kid friendly at all!!!

Just a thought. Right across the street from TKTS line is a huge Olive Garden. Normally not my favorite place, but I did this once and just ordered the salad and soup (all you can eat) for lunch. Got out of there in 45 minutes flat and was on the way to see the show.

Little Italy is good place for lunch as well. Although there is very few blocks of it now. Chinatown has completely taken over.

Have you considered going to eat at TAO. They have lunch specials for $25. Great place to eat but think you will need ressies.

Just got tickets for Lil Mermaid and Young Frankenstein(the new Mel Brooks show). Not going in January but will report back when I do.

Have a great Time....NYC is so so much fun!!!

Oh we are heading to Young Frankenstein in November can't wait for that one!
Thanks for the reminder on Tao I even think I have a gift card for that one. I know the last time we went to Little Italy(I was a San Genaro sp? groupie) I was so shocked to see that it shrunk down to almost a single block. LIL MERMAID??? I can't believe I didn't know that one was out! Time to get on the ticket sites and snag some.

I have a funny Becco story too- I ate there with my friend in December. We were having a girl's night out as were some other people in the restaurant. Well we are sitting munching away-drinking ect.. When the women next to us start talking. (and by next to us I mean the next table which is very very close to you) Talking about what we were eating. (the Tri tasting pasta- and which ones we liked and the one we didn't..) to which one of the women reaches on in with her fork and says "Can I have a taste?" And grabs some of the least favorite off my plate and eats it!! Thankfully I was drunk enough to roll with it. But that was an only in NY moment.

 

[minijeanie]

Oh we are heading to Young Frankenstein in November can't wait for that one!
Thanks for the reminder on Tao I even think I have a gift card for that one. I know the last time we went to Little Italy(I was a San Genaro sp? groupie) I was so shocked to see that it shrunk down to almost a single block. LIL MERMAID??? I can't believe I didn't know that one was out! Time to get on the ticket sites and snag some.

I have a funny Becco story too- I ate there with my friend in December. We were having a girl's night out as were some other people in the restaurant. Well we are sitting munching away-drinking ect.. When the women next to us start talking. (and by next to us I mean the next table which is very very close to you) Talking about what we were eating. (the Tri tasting pasta- and which ones we liked and the one we didn't..) to which one of the women reaches on in with her fork and says "Can I have a taste?" And grabs some of the least favorite off my plate and eats it!! Thankfully I was drunk enough to roll with it. But that was an only in NY moment.

omg!!!! that is so darn funny. Yes those tables are incredibly close. Funny I went with girls to Beccos as well. We waited 2 hours for a table. Actually we waited across the street at a pub. The place was adorable and the bartender nice as could be. If they would of served food there, we would of never left.

WOW!! You scored tickets to YF for November! Lucky You!!

Lil mermaid tkts seem more available for evening hours. Saturday & Sunday afernoons seem little more difficult to come by.

Hopefully you will report back after you see it

 

[MissAllie]

Tuesday, July 31st (Sarah’s B-Day)
-Wake up.
-We take a taxi to Rockefeller Center at 8:30.
-Becky and Mom eat brunch there at 9:30 (get there at 9:15) and do some shopping.
-Dad and Sarah eat at Au Bon Pain.
-Sarah does whatever she wants in Nintendo World.
-We meet at the hotel room.
-Take a taxi to Georgio's Country Grill (53rd Street and 9th Ave) for a late-ish lunch.
-After lunch, Dad and Sarah go to Rent and wait in line for tickets.
-Everyone else goes to the hotel until Dad and Sarah get tickets.
-We eat dinner at Mee‘s Noodle Shop, then go see Rent.
Nederlander Theater
208 West 41st Street
-After that, we go to Dylan’s Candy Bar on 60th and 3rd.
-We take a taxi back to the hotel.

We bought tickets to see RENT the same night, I believe! We bought tickets as soon as we heard the announcement that two of the original cast members (Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp) were returning to the show. You would probably want to get there maybe a little bit earlier for RENT than you normally do since Adam and Anthony's run would have just started, so I would think that since it is at the beginning of the run that a lot more people will be out.

 

[rigs32]

It seems like you'd be wasting a lot less time waiting for show tickets if you plan to see shows available through TKTS. What they had on sale for the last week is available online.

 

[MissAllie]

What is getting in line? for a show? I always buy tickets ahead -but we are heading in next weekend for a inpromtu quick visit - just me and 2 of my kids for the night. Is there a chance we could get tickets to Mary Poppins by getting in line? And what time do you do this?
Oh and on eating we were planning on Ellen's stardust diner,Jeykel and Hyde and then maybe Carmine's? Not sure on that last one. I was thinking Becco but the kids said No thanks. Kid friendly and yummy are harder to come by in nyc but not impossible. Now they want to go to chinatown? Maybe we'll do that for dim sum on Sunday? Any advice?

Carmine's is always a must for our family! My twin sister and I were always picky eaters and have eaten at Becco and never really found it to be kid friendly. At Carmine's your kids should at least be able to get a plate of spaghetti. But at Carmine's the dinners are all family style dishes, which means, large portions enough to share for a couple people. I think the food is superb there so I would certainly recommend it. If you're looking for kid friendly you could maybe try Sardi's, which is right down the block from Carmine's. I know that you can get a burger and fries there or you could always do Planet Hollywood or the Hard Rock Cafe, which would have kids menus. Hope this helps!

 

[bekkiz]

Do you already have tickets for Colbert? It's virtually impossible to get in unless you've arranged for them ahead of tim.