Planning 1st NYC trip... need advice please

[Eureka]

Lion King is AMAZING!

I loved the version at Animal Kingdom and we missed it when it was at the Kennedy Center recently. Can't wait to see it!

 

[OhMari]

I have stayed at the Marriott Marquis twice and have reservations again in September for one night prior to a cruise to New England and Canada. The Marriott Marquis is perfectly located in Times Square. BTW, Junior's is located right out the back entrance. Couldn't be more convenient.

Have fun!

Not to hijack, but we did that Cruise last Oct. you will love it. My son took a picture for us at Battery Park, while we were in front of the Statue of Liberty.

 

[antmaril]

Not to hijack, but we did that Cruise last Oct. you will love it. My son took a picture for us at Battery Park, while we were in front of the Statue of Liberty.

Oh yes, it is a great cruise. I am doing it for the second time. Two years ago our itinerary included Halifax, St. John, Portland and Bar Harbor. My cruise in September includes Halifax, St. John, Boston, Newport, RI and Bar Harbor. Looking forward to it. My travel companion has never been to NYC, so I think staying at the Marriott Marquis will be perfect.

 

[Sagginit]

Here are my quick thoughts as an almost New Yorker (7 years working in midtown and living 20 minutes outside across the Hudson).

We would like to:

· Go to the Met - personally I LOVE the American wing. It is gorgeously set up and has more than paintings. My other favorite are is the Temple of Dendur, the impressionist art, and there is a really nice Asian art area that has a little zen garden area. You will not see everything so pick maybe 3 areas. You can also easily get lost as the museum is super windy, thus my love for the American wing as it's new and easier to walk through.

· Go to Central Park-huge park. It's iconic but again you won't have much time so pick what you want to see. You can go when you go to the MET or you can go to the southeast corner near the Plaza when you go to the Rock area.

· Get macaroons at Ladur’ee Madison (or somewhere else to get macaroons) - good call on macaroons and not cupcakes although there are always new, trendy foods

· Visit Macy’s store (is it worth it?)- skip. if you are going to Dylan's candy bar go to Bloomies instead or Saks. Truthfully these stores can be a huge waste of time so I would look at the outside and windows and not go in.

· See Grand Central Station- Yes! Lots of places to eat, I would make this mid-day so you can grab lunch there.

· See St. Patrick’s Cathedral- The recent restoration did wonders for it. If you want to do mass some are just 30 minutes (at least at lunchtime on weekdays). If you are in Times Square there is another church I recommend, St. Malachy's. It is much smaller but gorgeous inside. Mass there is actually better if you are in fact going as St. Patrick's is just so big it echos and there are tons of tourists.

· See NY Public Library (this is not a must-do if we don’t have time)- Eh, this could be a huge time zapper so again you may want to just see the facade. Its right near Grand Central and Bryant Park behind it is a wonderful little park to walk through.

· See Trump Tower- next to Tiffany's, expect high security, not much in lobby so again look at outside but skip going in

· Go to Tiffany’s jewelry- always full of tourists. On the ground floor they have really fancy stuff out. You can skip the other floors unless you plan on buying something but I can tell you the silver floor is always swamped, very hard to shop at this location. My favorite spot is actually the customer service area as it has a nice view and swanky furniture but I don't know if they will let you just walk around, you can politely ask.

· Go to Dylan’s Candy Bar

· See the LOVE sign for photo op on 6th Ave/55th St (this is not a must-do, only if there is time)- not far from Southeast corner of Central park near Plaza area

· See Times Square- definately see but keep in mind the shops are either tourist shops or chain stores so don't waste time going into them. The exception is disney store has some nice NYC theme items on the first floor.

· Go to a Broadway show- research and buy ahead of time to save time once in city

· Go to Top of the Rock observation deck- great view and you can see the rock while there

· Take the Staten Island ferry to view the Statue of Liberty

· Visit Chinatown (is it worth visiting here?)- its shrinking so its still there but not what it used to be


Please help me figure out how many days I would need for this and how to plan each day.- I would group by area and come up with a time to spend at each area. THink of it like a WDW touring plan. Get a rough plan down to meals so you can start to figure out how much time it will take. Personally this list could take some a whole week or 2 days, depends on how fast you move.

 

[nycdisneygal]

I personally prefer the macarons at La Maison du CHocolat. And there is one At Rockefeller Center

try broadway box website for tix... Cant get discounts on Wicked/Aladdin etc but you can find some other shows.

 

[WDWNY]

so I think staying at the Marriott Marquis will be perfect.

The elevators at the Marquis are so much fun! I love going to the 40th floor and take one of the glass ones down

 

[LovesTimone]

Wow what a list for your 1st trip... I have been twice, and LOVE it... heading back in November of this year.

The way I plan is to try to group things together in the same area. So here is one day of our last trip, We had breakfast at Ellen's Stardust diner, this is were the servers take turns singing, they wait tables while trying to get on Broadway, the entertainment is really good and so fun, as far as the food, middle of the road. Then we walked thru Central Park, had lunch at a small sandwich spot near Lexington and Park Ave, it only had about 8 to 10 tables, we split a huge sub and it was really good. Then on to the Met and spent the rest of the day there. We have been twice and never made it to all the way through just to much to see... It is amazing and we will be heading back again in November. Then we use Uber to get back to our hotel we stay at the Westins Times Square to freshen up, grab a snack, and headed to see the Lion King, then hit times square hit the Disney store and then a late dinner.

While it will be expensive to stay in Times Square it will be worth it, most everything is within walking distance. Also safety is another reason we stay here.

We use Uber for everything when we travel and found it to be more then worth it in NYC, from the airport (LaGuardia) to the Westin we use UberXL it was 65.00 plus we tipped in cash. the ride back to the airport was 70.00 ish as our driver went around some construction that was causing a traffic jam...

China town... worth it lots of shopping.... oh and dumplings... Yummo and you can walk to Katz deli from the movie" When Harry Met Sally" really good food.

 

[mmfox316]

I had never been to the theater until we saw The Lion King on Broadway. It was spectacular. I can't recommend it enough. My DD and DS still talk about how great it was and that was 6 years ago. But for me the must see is the Natural History museum. I could spend days on that place. The Central Park zoo is nice but a little small if you have been to other Zoos.

Sign up of UBER or Lyft. But first search online for a signup code that gets you a first ride free or almost free credit. Spend the free credits on each and then walk or do taxis. In Manhattan, especially in the daylight, Taxis are very safe. But if it is your 1st time in a NYC taxi close your eye if you don't like roller coasters. I am used to it now but that first time was interesting. Some drivers have interesting "driving styles". My DW was pale by the end.

I also do the Subway. Grand Central is free to go in and it a very interesting place to visit. It really is that busy. From there the Subway will take you all over Manhattan. You just need a Metro card.

Unless it is Christmas I wouldn't bother with Macy's. But maybe that's just me. However, Macy's is by Herald Square and that is nice on a sunny day.

Lastly, Time square has a multi-level Disney store and a huge Toys R Us. It is quite the sight at night time.

One think that you could think about is not staying in the city. The Metro North Line runs up and down the Hudson. They are places like Yonkers with a station. You might be able to stay in one of the 1st few towns and take the Metro North from there to Grand Central each day. That could allow you to stay longer. Full disclosure: I have never done it. My stays are limited to 1st ave. at NYU Hospital.


But overall for 2-3 days you will have to make a smaller list.

 

[mjkacmom]

Toysrus has been gone for at least a year now.

 

[sheetz]

While it will be expensive to stay in Times Square it will be worth it, most everything is within walking distance. Also safety is another reason we stay here.

I was just there and everything is so gentrified I don't think there's an issue of safety with almost any hotel in Manhattan.

 

[onescgirl]

I live in CT, so I've only stayed over a couple of times, but as far as the hotel, if you can't find something reasonable in the Times Square area, I'd just go a few blocks away to search for something. I realize that your daughter wants to be in the Times Square area, but honestly, for me, it's too frenetic. Oh, and she will be amazed at how tiny that New Years Eve ball really is. I'd say the same thing about food. Just walking several blocks over, you will likely find cheaper, better food than the tourist places. And, when you get tired of the crowds, do the same thing. When we are walking to theaters, we go one or two streets over and parallel walk to where we want to go. The streets in the area are pretty easy to navigate, as they are in a grid system, pretty much. Can't say the same thing about lower manhattan, though.

Subway is also pretty easy to navigate. Get a good color coded map, and know the number or letter of the train you are looking for. Also, many of the signs will say uptown or downtown, so know which direction you need to travel. If you do happen to find yourself headed the wrong way, no big deal. Just get off and turn around. You can ride all day if you want, as long as you don't exit the turnstile. Only certain stations are transfer stations, so you may need to take a train somewhere, get off, and catch another one. Make note of where your station is above ground. The station in Times Square is all glitzy with a storefront, but most are just marked with a green ball. A red ball means the station is closed. Oh, and make sure you have enough for a return fare on tour ticket. Not all stations have fare machines. Ask me how I know THAT one. I think certain vendors and maybe hotels sell length of stay tickets, where you can ride all you want, but I've never used them, and if you are only going to a few areas, they may not be worth it to you. The ticket machines are pretty easy to figure out. When you buy a ticket, you get a "bonus" , which often ends up in wasted money. There is a website somewhere, sorry that I don't know it off the top of my head, that will tell you the exact dollar amount you should purchase , taking the bonus into account, for a particular number of rides. I used to use the website Hopstop to get subway or walking directions. I thought it shut down, but I just went to it and it seemed to be working. Ymmv. It was a great resource.

Okay. The Met. It's huge. I've been many times and still have not seen it all. In our case, we often get sucked into the special exhibits for a few hours. Since your time is limited, have a plan of what you want to see. I recommend the Egyptian exhibit, the medieval armor exhibit, Ancient Greece and Rome, and reneassaince art. You will get an excellent map of the building with your admission, or maybe you can get it online. Not sure about that one. Technically admission is pay what you wish, but honestly, I happily pay the fee, because i consider it a great bargain for the billions of dollars of art you can see. Oh, and the cafeteria is expensive. You might be better off going outside and getting a hotdog. I usually just pack a lunch, but I understand that may not be practical for you. You could, maybe , grab a subway sandwich and bring it with you. I'm thinking budget here.

If you have any interest, the museum of natural history is great, too. Tons of dinosaurs.

Theater. Have an idea of what shows you'd like to see. I'm not a real big fan of the TKTS booths, although I have used them, because the lines are often long and many people aren't aware that these are usually the most expensive tickets that are selling at half price. You may be better off buying a mezzanine ticket at the box office, since this is a budget trip. You can check out broadwayforbrokepeople.com for info about lotteries. Just double check at each shows website, because sometimes the info at the website is a bit outdated. The chances of winning a lottery are small, but you never know. We've won a few times. What I would recommend is watch a few shows you'd be interested in to see how they are selling.if it looks like the tickets are selling well, you may want to buy ahead, but otherwise, you can wait till the day of or the day before. Research discounts. I think theatermania, playbill, and broadway box offer discounts. Go to the box office the day of the show and buy your ticket there. The box office staffs are usually friendly and can help you find a good seat. Make sure your daughter has a student ID, because sometimes there are discounts for students. Except for the most popular shows, I'd say your chances of getting a ticket close to the show time are pretty good. My daughter and I won the in person lottery for wicked, and immediately afterwards many of the losers walked into the box office and bought tickets. This was in the summer, but I forget which evening it was. Oh, and I'll just say that while Wicked was good, it didn't give me that New York theater feeling. It's a modern theater and doesn't have the character of the older theaters. Then again, people must have been smaller when they built the older theaters, because the seats are sometimes cramped.


If you want to actually go to the Statue of Liberty, make sure you get your tickets ahead of time. If you just want to see it, the state island ferry is a great option. And check online for top of the rock discounts.i think it is a much better option than the top of the Empire State Building, where you will encounter long waits sometimes.

Whew. I think this is one of the longest posts I have ever written here.

Just thought of one more thing. The TripAdvisor NYC forum will have tons of info for you. Enjoy your trip!

Thank you so much for your time posting all of your suggestions! I'm writing notes!

Costco online has an Explorer Pass (4 attractions) for 83.99 and 59.99. It seems to have the standard attractions people want. I haven't used it, but Costco is pretty good at getting good value offerings.

Thank you! We are Costco members so I am going to check into that

We go to NYC frequently (my son has a cochlear implant and we travel to the city for appointments). The Met is massive - very cool place and worth seeing - even if you don't see it all. The Egyptian wing is cool. We love walking across the Brooklyn Bridge - free and if you walk toward Manhattan from Brooklyn the views are beautiful. I have heard the Tenement Museum (particularly the Victoria Constantino tour) is fantastic, but we haven't managed to do that yet. Since we aren't usually going as a vacation (we need to save money because we are there for appointments) - we stay in Secaucus or sometimes Jersey City depending on the hotel rates and take the PATH train in. We can get hotel rates for $120 per night or less in Secaucus and usually $200 per night or less in Jersey City. That wouldn't be as fun for a vacation, though (lol) - staying in Times Square would be really fun!

Thank you! I know we will not have time to spend long at the Met, so it's good to hear what parts are the most interesting

We have not planned our days yet. We have a Sunday matinee and a Wed. night concert, that's all that's set in stone so far. We tend to plan things by location when we do city vacations to maximize our time seeing things and minimize our time in transit. We also always end up having a few things we never get to, so each day when we are there, we do a "huddle" so to speak and reprioritize.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[onescgirl]

You've got lots of advice, but I will tell you, don't be scared. NY is not the scary place a lot of people think. I've not ridden the subway in NYC without seeing a tourist ask for directions, and the natives are always kind and helpful! (I'm not going to lie, even as often as I've done it, I get confused once I get underground, and again when I make my way aboveground again. There's nothing wrong with that).

If you don't mind walking, most of the things you want to do are within walking distance. Of your list, I'd only subway south to the SI ferry and north to the Met.

If you're set on seeing a specific show, buy tickets in advance. I've gotten tickets as late as 6:30 in the evening (after waiting maybe 15 minutes in line) for a show at 8.

For October, many NY schools have Jewish holidays off so things maybe be busier around those times (don't know when exactly they fall this year). Also, weekends are more expensive than weekdays. If you really want to stay in Time's Square, you're going to pay for it. I've been looking for hotels recently and around Grand Central seems to have some less expensive rooms. Also, I've just learned that double rooms are often more expensive than queen or king rooms which I think is weird - I've only ever traveled by myself, not with another person.

I think it's the transportation issue that scares me the most since I'm not used to public transportation and have never been in a large city. It's good to know that most of the things that we want to do is within walking distance. It's hard for me to know what's walkable & what is not since I've never been to know how big a block is, etc...

You can create a google map by dropping pins for all the places you want to see and be able to visualize where things are. A quick search for how to make a customized map will get you the directions on how to.

Thanks! I'm going to do that!

We took an early summer trip for a week a couple of summers ago and wanted to go cheap. We didn't stay in Manhattan we stayed just across the Queensboro Bridge in Long Island City and the cost dropped quiet a bit ($170.00 per Night for 3 Adults DH, Me and DS 18 years old). We stayed at a Boutique Hotel with Continental Breakfast included. It was about 2 blocks to the subway and 2 stops to Manhattan. One thing that I appreciated is being across from Manhattan you get a wonderful view of the City Skyline, we were allowed to go on the hotel roof and look at the Skyline. We could see everything lite up, it was awesome. What I enjoyed the most was visiting the NYC Library, Grand Central Station, Chrysler Building, Walked over the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn then walked to Wall Street, Saw Trump Tower, Central Park, and looking at all of the Old Architecture on the Buildings.We also went to the 1964-65 Worlds Fair location (in Queens)Where Walt Disney brought back the "It's a Small World" ride, I loved it.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Tons of great advice! If price is an issue, you can stay just a few blocks from Time Square around Grand Central Station for less, particularly on the weekends. If you like seafood the Grand Central Station Oyster Bar has some of the best seafood in the country and it is an iconic restaurant. The hotels around GCS get more business travelers who aren't there on the weekends and the converse is true for the Times Square hotels. You may want to consider a split stay. Check the pricing out. I also like the idea of staying close to the airport if you have an early morning flight.

Take the subway at least once but I prefer cabs and Uber. I like to see the city.

The Highline is awesome there is nothing like it anywhere. The photo ops and views are incredible. And it is FREE! http://www.thehighline.org/visit we take the 7 line Subway from GCS over the the 34th street station (the end of the line) and start at the top of the Highline. It takes us less than an hour to walk but we are moving and not stopping for pictures. We like to plan on doing that right before lunch and then go to Chelsea Market at the end for lunch. The variety of shops in there is amazing and budget friendly. There is nothing like it. www.chelseamarket.com You can pick up some brownies to bring back.

Thanks for the advice for hotels. I am nervous about walking at night, since it is just me & my daughter. That's kindof why I was thinking of staying in Times Square and it wouldn't be far from Broadway shows when I know we would be walking at night. If we stayed near Grand Central, would it be close enough to walk from a Broadway show and safe?

I looked up the Highline and it looks really neat. Are you able to the entire length in a hour?

Thanks again for so much for taking your time to give advice & suggestions!

I just looked up the Marriott Marquis for July and saw $400+ a night for AAA rates. Am I missing something? This is not doable for us.

Me either, but I sure would LOVE to!

We have gone three times and yes we like to do the tourist stuff as well. We have stayed at the Doubletree Suites Times Square. It is right next to the TKTS booth/red steps in Times Square. We normally go off peak times so we usually only pay $250 per night. There are some other "Times Square" hotels that are cheaper if you are going during peak times. These are usually hotels that call themselves Times Square because they are a few blocks away. The Doubletree and Marriott are IN Times Square.

Other advice that others may have said as well
- plan your tours in advance, some do sell out or won't have the times you want to go
- Juniors - yes! Awesome cheesecake
- try to plan your Broadway shows in advance as well. The really popular ones sell out months in advance.
- 9/11 memorial is amazing - the new subway next to it is great to visit too
- Johns Pizza in Times Square

Thank you! I'm checking into that hotel too!

Courtyard Manhattan/Central Park and Fairfield Central Park come to mind. I only stay Marriott for the points.

Thanks!!!!

·Go to the Met—I love it, but as people have said, it will take a huge chunk of time. For a completely unique experience, I recommend the Tenament Museum instead. You usually need an advanced reservation. It can be combined with the Donut Plant and Economy candy instead of Dylan's.

· Go to Central Park—you can book a free tour that will cover a small area of the park. I've been on a few and they were well done.

· Visit Macy’s store (is it worth it?)—skippable, except for the windows at Christmas and the flower show in the spring.

· Visit Chinatown (is it worth visiting here?)—yes, even if you just walk around during the day to see what the shops have for sale. (I'm not talking about Canal St--that's a different subject, and not something I do.) We have fun just looking at the exotic veggies, etc. Try the green tea ice cream at the Ice Cream Factory.

Thanks! My daughter is a HUGE Gossip Girl fan which was a tv series based in NYC. Most of our stops are things my daughter really wants to do because of the Gossip Girl show like the MET, Dylan's Candy Bar & getting macaroons in NYC, so those are a must-do for us
It's good to know that Macy's is skippable so I can take that off.
What streets do you suggest in Chinatown?

Just wanted to tell the OP and everyone else thanks! I am taking my first NYC trip next month and these tips were very helpful

Have fun and I would love to hear about it when you are done!

China town... I worked in midtown most of my 20 years here and we now very close to China town...so here is my advice. Take train to Canal street some will leave you on Broadway (N,R,Q,W) some closer to the start of China town (6). If you take the 6 you will have about a block and half walk to Broadway on Canal and likely have seen enough-- however if you have questions and truly want to see more PM me about it as I do not look at these boards much lately.... On Broadway you can make a Right and see Soho--if you stay on Broadway you can walk back to midtown and see a lot... it is around 2 miles maybe more but you will see NY in many different ways from busy to more normal back to busy, a nice walk with a lot to see, many stores, buildings, traffic, end parts of the village etc...if you make a left you will go towards the world trade center (a little under 1 mile walk it every day x2) on Vessy street Back on Broadway towards Wall street... this will bring you past city hall and a few nice buildings but mostly the walk will be not much to see until WTC and wall street... one of these would be my choice... BTW October is a great month to come to NYC... especially midtown.. a hot summers day and lets just say that is where the smells of NY comes from...

Such great advice, thanks! And, I may take you up on PMing you when I think of questions!

 

[onescgirl]

Here are my quick thoughts as an almost New Yorker (7 years working in midtown and living 20 minutes outside across the Hudson).

We would like to:

· Go to the Met - personally I LOVE the American wing. It is gorgeously set up and has more than paintings. My other favorite are is the Temple of Dendur, the impressionist art, and there is a really nice Asian art area that has a little zen garden area. You will not see everything so pick maybe 3 areas. You can also easily get lost as the museum is super windy, thus my love for the American wing as it's new and easier to walk through.

· Go to Central Park-huge park. It's iconic but again you won't have much time so pick what you want to see. You can go when you go to the MET or you can go to the southeast corner near the Plaza when you go to the Rock area.

· Get macaroons at Ladur’ee Madison (or somewhere else to get macaroons) - good call on macaroons and not cupcakes although there are always new, trendy foods

· Visit Macy’s store (is it worth it?)- skip. if you are going to Dylan's candy bar go to Bloomies instead or Saks. Truthfully these stores can be a huge waste of time so I would look at the outside and windows and not go in.

· See Grand Central Station- Yes! Lots of places to eat, I would make this mid-day so you can grab lunch there.

· See St. Patrick’s Cathedral- The recent restoration did wonders for it. If you want to do mass some are just 30 minutes (at least at lunchtime on weekdays). If you are in Times Square there is another church I recommend, St. Malachy's. It is much smaller but gorgeous inside. Mass there is actually better if you are in fact going as St. Patrick's is just so big it echos and there are tons of tourists.

· See NY Public Library (this is not a must-do if we don’t have time)- Eh, this could be a huge time zapper so again you may want to just see the facade. Its right near Grand Central and Bryant Park behind it is a wonderful little park to walk through.

· See Trump Tower- next to Tiffany's, expect high security, not much in lobby so again look at outside but skip going in

· Go to Tiffany’s jewelry- always full of tourists. On the ground floor they have really fancy stuff out. You can skip the other floors unless you plan on buying something but I can tell you the silver floor is always swamped, very hard to shop at this location. My favorite spot is actually the customer service area as it has a nice view and swanky furniture but I don't know if they will let you just walk around, you can politely ask.

· Go to Dylan’s Candy Bar

· See the LOVE sign for photo op on 6th Ave/55th St (this is not a must-do, only if there is time)- not far from Southeast corner of Central park near Plaza area

· See Times Square- definately see but keep in mind the shops are either tourist shops or chain stores so don't waste time going into them. The exception is disney store has some nice NYC theme items on the first floor.

· Go to a Broadway show- research and buy ahead of time to save time once in city

· Go to Top of the Rock observation deck- great view and you can see the rock while there

· Take the Staten Island ferry to view the Statue of Liberty

· Visit Chinatown (is it worth visiting here?)- its shrinking so its still there but not what it used to be


Please help me figure out how many days I would need for this and how to plan each day.- I would group by area and come up with a time to spend at each area. THink of it like a WDW touring plan. Get a rough plan down to meals so you can start to figure out how much time it will take. Personally this list could take some a whole week or 2 days, depends on how fast you move.

You have answered so many of my questions and given great tips!
If I purchase at Tiffany's, it would have to be on the silver floor . Thanks for describing the layout, I only know what I've seen on "Breakfast at Tiffany's! Didn't realize it had several floors.
And, I love your answer on it could take me a whole week or 2 days for my list, I guess that explains why no one has been able to help on that part, haha!

I personally prefer the macarons at La Maison du CHocolat. And there is one At Rockefeller Center

try broadway box website for tix... Cant get discounts on Wicked/Aladdin etc but you can find some other shows.

Thanks so much!

Wow what a list for your 1st trip... I have been twice, and LOVE it... heading back in November of this year.

The way I plan is to try to group things together in the same area. So here is one day of our last trip, We had breakfast at Ellen's Stardust diner, this is were the servers take turns singing, they wait tables while trying to get on Broadway, the entertainment is really good and so fun, as far as the food, middle of the road. Then we walked thru Central Park, had lunch at a small sandwich spot near Lexington and Park Ave, it only had about 8 to 10 tables, we split a huge sub and it was really good. Then on to the Met and spent the rest of the day there. We have been twice and never made it to all the way through just to much to see... It is amazing and we will be heading back again in November. Then we use Uber to get back to our hotel we stay at the Westins Times Square to freshen up, grab a snack, and headed to see the Lion King, then hit times square hit the Disney store and then a late dinner.

While it will be expensive to stay in Times Square it will be worth it, most everything is within walking distance. Also safety is another reason we stay here.

We use Uber for everything when we travel and found it to be more then worth it in NYC, from the airport (LaGuardia) to the Westin we use UberXL it was 65.00 plus we tipped in cash. the ride back to the airport was 70.00 ish as our driver went around some construction that was causing a traffic jam...

China town... worth it lots of shopping.... oh and dumplings... Yummo and you can walk to Katz deli from the movie" When Harry Met Sally" really good food.

You were able to fit in a lot in one day! Thanks for the example!

I had never been to the theater until we saw The Lion King on Broadway. It was spectacular. I can't recommend it enough. My DD and DS still talk about how great it was and that was 6 years ago. But for me the must see is the Natural History museum. I could spend days on that place. The Central Park zoo is nice but a little small if you have been to other Zoos.

Sign up of UBER or Lyft. But first search online for a signup code that gets you a first ride free or almost free credit. Spend the free credits on each and then walk or do taxis. In Manhattan, especially in the daylight, Taxis are very safe. But if it is your 1st time in a NYC taxi close your eye if you don't like roller coasters. I am used to it now but that first time was interesting. Some drivers have interesting "driving styles". My DW was pale by the end.

I also do the Subway. Grand Central is free to go in and it a very interesting place to visit. It really is that busy. From there the Subway will take you all over Manhattan. You just need a Metro card.

Unless it is Christmas I wouldn't bother with Macy's. But maybe that's just me. However, Macy's is by Herald Square and that is nice on a sunny day.

Lastly, Time square has a multi-level Disney store and a huge Toys R Us. It is quite the sight at night time.

One think that you could think about is not staying in the city. The Metro North Line runs up and down the Hudson. They are places like Yonkers with a station. You might be able to stay in one of the 1st few towns and take the Metro North from there to Grand Central each day. That could allow you to stay longer. Full disclosure: I have never done it. My stays are limited to 1st ave. at NYU Hospital.


But overall for 2-3 days you will have to make a smaller list.

Thanks so much for all of your tips!

 

[onescgirl]

Are you able to walk to Chinatown from the Staten Island Ferry or should you take a subway?
I was thinking of doing the Staten Island Ferry one morning then going to Chinatown next.

 

[Eureka]

We've decided to go with the Hotel Newton. It's on the upper west side, I think 95 or 96th street, looks like right near (maybe even across the street, I'm not positive) from a subway stop. We're going to be there seven nights and they have a discount for that. Only a little over $200/ night for our week. Plus then they partner up a parking place which I think we'll need to pay for separately. Everything in the Times Sq area was much more expensive, including the nightly parking fee. This will be quieter too.

 

[nycdisneygal]

Lotte New York Palace sometimes has good rates. Close to rockefeller center... I stayed there once as a treat for my birthday (wanted some alone time!!). It was nice..

 

[scrapquitler]

Can you post some examples of hotels that are cheaper and within walking distance of Times Square (that are safe and clean and not dumps, lol)? We have not decided where we want to be exactly, but I am looking up a ton of hotels. Thanks.

When my husband goes to Manhattan for work, he stays at the Mayfair when the client isn't paying for his room because it's less expensive than many other places. The rooms are dated, but he says it's a great location and he's been satisfied there (disclaimer: I'm pickier than him, and I haven't seen the place) It's on west 48th st. He said his window looked out on the back stage door of one of the broadway shows (Book of Morman, I think) the last time he was there. http://mayfairnewyork.com/accommodations/

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

If you are still looking for hotels, I just had an email from groupon getaways for a 4 star hotel near Times Square for $98/night. It's only valid through dates in May, but maybe you could find future deals for later dates if you don't plan on going that soon.

 

[ElenaRN]

We have always been able to cram a lot into our days when we are sightseeing with family visiting from out of town.

I would skip Macys. Too much other stuff to see to waste time on a dept store, though that is JMHO. We ALWAYS do the Staten Island Ferry and Top of the Rock. Those are our 2 favorite sightseeing things to do.

We usually start downtown and do the Ferry first then make our way up. You will have to get off the Ferry in SI and reboard in order to go back. I suggest taking a short walk from the ferry (make a right and walk about 10 min along the path near the shore) & see the beautiful 9/11 memorial there.

When we get back into Manhattan we go to that 9/11 memorial. Then walk through the Wall St/ Stock Market area. Fraunces Tavern is a nice place for lunch in the financial district. It's one of the oldest bars and it has a little museum upstairs. Little Italy is usually a stop for us also being Italian, but you can easily change that to Chinatown.

Then we take the subway up to midtown. We also try to do Top of the Rock at sunset. You need to buy tickets ahead of time. You pick what time block you want. Sunset times are popular & sell out first, so get them early.

I wouldn't plan on using Uber or Lyft. I would just walk or take subway. It takes forever to drive anywhere in the middle of the day in Manhattan.
Oct is a great time to visit. It's been really mild the past few years.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Not sure if you've made all your arrangements yet it sounds like the Newton is a great deal in a nice and safe residential neighborhood. I live just a few blocks from there and will recommend it to my sister next time she visits my way instead of the AYH Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue. I have a 3 BR/2.5 bth apt but she has tooooo many peeps ( 7 kids....all nice but eek hurts my ovaries to think of anymore than a holiday meal visit for 'em...oops) to stay w/ me. The Newton has a subway stop on the corner (Broadway line; the numbers 1,2 and 3) and a short walk to the 96th Street stop of the "B" and "C" lines that run on Central Park West. The 'B' is the local for the "D" and the "C" is the local corresponding to the "A".