New Yorkers...am I a crazy person?

[saywhatnow]

Looking for some free travel advice....DH and I are going to New York in July. Staying at the DoubleTree on 57th and Lexington. DH says we will be arriving at the hotel about 1:30pm on Thursday. Here is my proposed schedule for our time there...is this doable? Thanks in advance if you actually ready through this

Thursday:
1:30pm Arrive at hotel
2:15pm Late lunch at/around Rockefeller Center
3:15-5:30pm Sight-seeing (walk to Times Square, Empire State Building-probably not go in, and Grand Central Station)
5:45-7pm Shower, get ready
7:30pm Dinner

Friday:
11:30-1:30pm Semi-Circle Cruise (takes off at West 42nd St and 12th Ave.)
1:30-2:30pm Quick lunch (?)
3:00-5:30pm American Museum of Natural History
6:00-7pm Shower, get ready
7:30pm Dinner

Saturday:
10:00-2:00pm Central Park (zoo, rent bikes)
3:30-4:30pm Shower, get ready
5:30-6:30pm Mass at St.Patrick's Cathedral
7:30pm Dinner

[Deleted]

My advice is to have dinner later, so you can see more.

It's summer. There's daylight. Take advantage of it.

[saywhatnow]

May 22, 2012 16:26:07 GMT -5 @misoangry said:

My advice is to have dinner later, so you can see more.

It's summer. There's daylight. Take advantage of it.

Yeah, I thought we may do later dinners. We are eathing with a different set of friends each night we're there so we're kind of at there mercy.

Are there other things you think I should try to fit in (my first trip out there but I'm sure not my last) or things we're doing that we should spend more time on?

[Deleted]

I'm not a new yorker either, but I've visited several times. Honestly instead of trying to do all the "touristy" stuff, I'd spend more time exploring the neighborhoods. It was my favorite part. I also highly recommend walking over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was awesome.

[saywhatnow]

May 22, 2012 16:33:51 GMT -5 v said:

I agree with Miso -- I'd go with later dinners unless you already have plans that you can't move. You'll get more in your days, and besides, 7:30 is an early dinner here, particularly on weekends.

Ha! I have a 2.5 year old and a 1 year old....we eat dinner about 5:45pm here Gonna have to get in grown-up vacation mode!

[Deleted]

Have you actually mapped out where things are? Your schedule seems way too tight, especially if you plan on walking everywhere (which I do recommend). But I do agree with +v+ that you can fit in much more by grouping things differently. Don't do the Rock, Grand Central and Empire State in one 3 hour block of time. Do things that are closer together.

and I ditto going to Soho/downtown for at least a meal o two.

I would be a LOT more flexible-- and I'm pretty scheduled on vacations.

[hocus]

Keep in mind that cruises are in no mans land. There isn't anything good to eat near there (though there might be a fancy bowling alley -- it was about to open last time I was in that area). I also consider seeing the intrepid since you're going to be there anyway. So you'll day will be cruise, intrepid, cab to AMNH where you'll have a late lunch etc.

I'd also consider getting tickets to a broadway matinee on Saturday and doing the park on Thursday (when it will be less crowded). I think broadway is one of the best things in NYC.

In general you can't see all the things you have listed on Thursday in 2 hours. They are too far apart. I'd see grand central over the empire state building if you not going inside. The empire state building is typcially open very late and you might be able to see it after dinner. Times square is also something you can do after dinner. I think the Marriot has this great bar that has a view of times square so I'd consider stopping buy for a drink after dinner.

[Deleted]

May 22, 2012 16:43:20 GMT -5 v said:

May 22, 2012 16:38:09 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Have you actually mapped out where things are? Your schedule seems way too tight, especially if you plan on walking everywhere (which I do recommend).

I would be a LOT more flexible-- and I'm pretty scheduled on vacations.

What in particular did you think was too tight? The only part that they'll be walking around for is a very small radius with not much to do -- it is more seeing what's there and moving on. Walk through Times Square to get the gist, walk through Grand Central to get the gist -- and the two are a ten-minute walk from each other. And not much farther from the ESB or Rock Center.

I dont know, feels rushed to me, especially since she is a tourist and would actually want to look around. shrug.

Then again, we dont usually do much touristy stuff when we are in, we generally stay in one area, and we don't live in NYC, so if you think its ok, I'll defer to you.

[Jem]

May 22, 2012 16:50:04 GMT -5 hocus said:

In general you can't see all the things you have listed on Thursday in 2 hours. They are too far apart. I'd see grand central over the empire state building if you not going inside. The empire state building is typcially open very late and you might be able to see it after dinner. Times square is also something you can do after dinner. I think the Marriot has this great bar that has a view of times square so I'd consider stopping buy for a drink after dinner.

I don't know exactly what OP means by "seeing" those places, but I think 2 hours is more than enough time to just stroll through. There really isn't much to "see", but I may be biased because I try to avoid those particular areas.

Since others have been adding suggestions, maybe get up early before your cruise and grab breakfast and walk the Highline. It's such a unique addition to the city and then you would be in the general area you need to be for the boat.

[ECB]

May 22, 2012 17:02:41 GMT -5 Jem said:

May 22, 2012 16:50:04 GMT -5 hocus said:

In general you can't see all the things you have listed on Thursday in 2 hours. They are too far apart. I'd see grand central over the empire state building if you not going inside. The empire state building is typcially open very late and you might be able to see it after dinner. Times square is also something you can do after dinner. I think the Marriot has this great bar that has a view of times square so I'd consider stopping buy for a drink after dinner.

I don't know exactly what OP means by "seeing" those places, but I think 2 hours is more than enough time to just stroll through. There really isn't much to "see", but I may be biased because I try to avoid those particular areas.

Yeah, this plays a role! I've been to NYC many times, BIL and other family live there. I spent 2.5 weeks there in 2008 (to get PG w/ DS) and a lot of my "seeing" stuff was really just walking around to the various places. Once I left the hospital, I'd have a different destination each day - and I just walked. I LOVED it. As i was staying on the Upper West sidd and the hospital was on the Upper East, a few of my trips was just taking a different route through Central Park.

When DH and I are there together, we love to walk through neighborhoods and just stop off in random bars/restaurants.

I DO definitely say walk the Brooklyn Bridge. That's one thing I didn't do and we haven't had a chance to do since, and I'm still kicking myself!

[quickstepstar]

Don't go to GC at 5pm on a Thursday! It is really crowded and you would just annoy all the people getting off from work and rushing to their trains. Nothing annoys me more than a huge group of tourists at 530 taking a group shot in the middle of a GC hallway!