Thoughts on NYC itinerary

[DirtySouth]

I'm going on a girls trip to NYC at the end of Jan.  Yes this is three months away, but I'm an obsessive planner. This is my fist time visiting, so I'm completely clueless as to how much I can fit into a day.  I know I'm also skipping over sooooo much, and I decided that for my first trip I'd rather spend most of my time walking around and exploring different neighborhoods than trying to do museums and other big attractions into a long weekend trip.

I'm getting in to LGA at 9:00 a.m. on a Thursday, and my best friend isn't meeting me until Friday morning.  I'm on my own all day Thursday, so I don't want to stay out too late in an unfamiliar city.  I'm flying out of LGA around 6:00 on Sunday.

Is this a realistic itinerary?  We'll want to head to the hotel and change on Friday and Saturday before dinner.

ETA: Also, what's the cheapest transportation to and from the airport?

Thursday -

Empire State Building; Ride Staten Island Ferry and take skyline photos;

East Village shopping - The Fragrance Shop; Gabays; Cadillacs Castle; Tokio7; Verameat Jewelry; Buffalo Exchange; Rena Reborn

Friday -

Century 21 Department Store (downtown)

Shopping and lunch in Chelsea: Chelsea Market, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, Housing Works Thrift Shop, Inglot (Chelsea Market)

Midtown East - Cosmetic Market  (http://www.solifestyle.com/2012/04/big-beauty-bargains-at-cosmetic-market.html)

Dinner at Big Won King (http://www.yelp.com/biz/big-wong-king-new-york)

Drinks @ Apotheke in Chinatown (http://www.yelp.com/biz/apoth%C3%A9ke-new-york-2)

Santos Party House
OR
Clubs in Greenwich Village (Sullivan room www.yelp.com/biz/sullivan-room-new-york; Village Underground www.yelp.com/biz/the-village-underground-new-york)

Saturday -

11 a.m. SATC hotspots tour (until 2pm)

Dinner - Gaia Italian Cafe (http://www.yelp.com/biz/gaia-italian-caf%C3%A9-new-york)

Broadway show (get at TKTS same day)

Le Bain www.yelp.com/biz/le-bain-new-york
OR
Bob Bar www.yelp.com/biz/bob-bar-new-york

Sunday -

Central Park; Gray's Pappaya; Friday Spa (http://www.yelp.com/biz/friday-spa-new-york)

teeah22 and jolita you need to come with us!!  H says he'd feel better if you were there because he thinks my best friend and I will get into trouble if it's just the two of us lol.

[sa]

I think you'll be fine with that itinerary, except the TKTS. I think it opens at 10 or 11 and there is usually a very long line. May be tough to get tickets the day of when you have the tour at 11.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 28, 2013 21:44:35 GMT -5 sa said:

I think you'll be fine with that itinerary, except the TKTS. I think it opens at 10 or 11 and there is usually a very long line. May be tough to get tickets the day of when you have the tour at 11.

Thanks, that's good to know.  Is there another way to get discounted tickets?  I feel like I should see something on Broadway while I'm there, but there is nothing playing while I'm there that I'm dying to see and want to pay full price for.

[sa]

Oct 28, 2013 21:50:37 GMT -5 DirtySouth said:

Oct 28, 2013 21:44:35 GMT -5 sa said:

I think you'll be fine with that itinerary, except the TKTS. I think it opens at 10 or 11 and there is usually a very long line. May be tough to get tickets the day of when you have the tour at 11.

Thanks, that's good to know.  Is there another way to get discounted tickets?  I feel like I should see something on Broadway while I'm there, but there is nothing playing while I'm there that I'm dying to see and want to pay full price for.

Not that I'm aware of, unfortunately.

I see a decent number of shows, so even if one doesn't really stick out to you, if there are certain shows you are contemplating I may be able to weigh in.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 28, 2013 21:53:43 GMT -5 sa said:

Oct 28, 2013 21:50:37 GMT -5 DirtySouth said:

Thanks, that's good to know.  Is there another way to get discounted tickets?  I feel like I should see something on Broadway while I'm there, but there is nothing playing while I'm there that I'm dying to see and want to pay full price for.

Not that I'm aware of, unfortunately.

I see a decent number of shows, so even if one doesn't really stick out to you, if there are certain shows you are contemplating I may be able to weigh in.

The two that interest me the most are The Bridges of Madison County and Kinky Boots.

[bigapple]

This showed up in my hot topics feed, so I hope you don't mind me butting in. You can definitely fit everything you want in, but I'd suggest reorganizing so you're not leapfrogging across town.

Kinky Boots was the most fun show I've seen in a long time, but TKTS is probably not going to have it. Another (risky) option is the ticket lottery. The theaters do lotteries a few hours before the shoes for cheap tickets in good seats. gonyc.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=gonyc&cdn=travel&tm=17&f=00&tt=2&bt=7&bts=19&zu=http%3A//playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies

To answer your other question, the cheapest transport is the bus/subway - $2.50. Where are you staying? Assuming Manhattan, buy a metrocard in the airport and take the M60 to the 4/5/6 (east side) or the 2/3 or A/B/C/D (west side) subway lines. Just tell the driver where you want to get off.

Organized by area:

Staten Island Ferry, Century 21

Empire State Building, Midtown East

East Village shopping - The Fragrance Shop; Gabays; Cadillacs Castle; Tokio7; Verameat Jewelry; Buffalo Exchange; Rena Reborn
*Limelight is a cute shopping place nearby with lots of fun samples, (http://www.shoplimelightmarketplace.com/mainmenu.html).

Shopping and lunch in Chelsea: Chelsea Market, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, Housing Works Thrift Shop, Inglot (Chelsea Market). Easy to cab uptown to Central Park and Gray's Papaya from Chelsea on West Side Highway.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 28, 2013 22:22:50 GMT -5 bigapple said:

This showed up in my hot topics feed, so I hope you don't mind me butting in. You can definitely fit everything you want in, but I'd suggest reorganizing so you're not leapfrogging across town.

Kinky Boots was the most fun show I've seen in a long time, but TKTS is probably not going to have it. Another (risky) option is the ticket lottery. The theaters do lotteries a few hours before the shoes for cheap tickets in good seats. gonyc.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=gonyc&cdn=travel&tm=17&f=00&tt=2&bt=7&bts=19&zu=http%3A//playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies

To answer your other question, the cheapest transport is the bus/subway - $2.50. Where are you staying? Assuming Manhattan, buy a metrocard in the airport and take the M60 to the 4/5/6 (east side) or the 2/3 or A/B/C/D (west side) subway lines. Just tell the driver where you want to get off.

Organized by area:

Staten Island Ferry, Century 21

Empire State Building, Midtown East

East Village shopping - The Fragrance Shop; Gabays; Cadillacs Castle; Tokio7; Verameat Jewelry; Buffalo Exchange; Rena Reborn
*Limelight is a cute shopping place nearby with lots of fun samples, (http://www.shoplimelightmarketplace.com/mainmenu.html).

Shopping and lunch in Chelsea: Chelsea Market, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, Housing Works Thrift Shop, Inglot (Chelsea Market). Easy to cab uptown to Central Park and Gray's Papaya from Chelsea on West Side Highway.

Thank you!!  This is so helpful.  I was wondering if the order I was doing things made sense.  We're staying in Midtown East, I think about four blocks from Grand Central Station. 

ETA: Maybe we'll just go ahead and purchase the cheapest Kinky Boots tickets ahead of time.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 28, 2013 22:22:50 GMT -5 bigapple said:

This showed up in my hot topics feed, so I hope you don't mind me butting in. You can definitely fit everything you want in, but I'd suggest reorganizing so you're not leapfrogging across town.

Kinky Boots was the most fun show I've seen in a long time, but TKTS is probably not going to have it. Another (risky) option is the ticket lottery. The theaters do lotteries a few hours before the shoes for cheap tickets in good seats. gonyc.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=gonyc&cdn=travel&tm=17&f=00&tt=2&bt=7&bts=19&zu=http%3A//playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428-Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies

To answer your other question, the cheapest transport is the bus/subway - $2.50. Where are you staying? Assuming Manhattan, buy a metrocard in the airport and take the M60 to the 4/5/6 (east side) or the 2/3 or A/B/C/D (west side) subway lines. Just tell the driver where you want to get off.

Organized by area:

Staten Island Ferry, Century 21

Empire State Building, Midtown East

East Village shopping - The Fragrance Shop; Gabays; Cadillacs Castle; Tokio7; Verameat Jewelry; Buffalo Exchange; Rena Reborn
*Limelight is a cute shopping place nearby with lots of fun samples, (http://www.shoplimelightmarketplace.com/mainmenu.html).

Shopping and lunch in Chelsea: Chelsea Market, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, Housing Works Thrift Shop, Inglot (Chelsea Market). Easy to cab uptown to Central Park and Gray's Papaya from Chelsea on West Side Highway.

I love samples!  Thanks for the recommendation!  Limelight looks awesome and I especially want to check out Avery Perfumes.

Does this make more sense?

Thursday -

Morning: Century 21; Ride Staten Island Ferry;

Afternoon: East Village shopping - The Fragrance Shop; Gabays; Cadillacs Castle; Tokio7; Verameat Jewelry; Buffalo Exchange; Rena Reborn; Limelight

Friday -

Empire State Building; Cosmetic Market (http://www.solifestyle.com/2012/04/big-beauty-bargains-at-cosmetic-market.html)

Shopping and lunch in Chelsea: Chelsea Market, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, Housing Works Thrift Shop, Inglot (Chelsea Market)

Dinner at Big Won King (http://www.yelp.com/biz/big-wong-king-new-york)

Drinks @ Apotheke in Chinatown (http://www.yelp.com/biz/apoth%C3%A9ke-new-york-2)

Santos Party House
OR
Clubs in Greenwich Village (Sullivan room www.yelp.com/biz/sullivan-room-new-york; Village Underground www.yelp.com/biz/the-village-underground-new-york)

Saturday -

11 a.m. SATC hotspots tour (until 2pm)

Dinner - Gaia Italian Cafe (http://www.yelp.com/biz/gaia-italian-caf%C3%A9-new-york)

Broadway show (Kinky Boots)

Le Bain www.yelp.com/biz/le-bain-new-york
OR
Bob Bar www.yelp.com/biz/bob-bar-new-york

Sunday -

Central Park; Gray's Pappaya; Friday Spa (http://www.yelp.com/biz/friday-spa-new-york)

[littlemisssunshine]

Oct 28, 2013 21:44:35 GMT -5 sa said:

I think you'll be fine with that itinerary, except the TKTS. I think it opens at 10 or 11 and there is usually a very long line. May be tough to get tickets the day of when you have the tour at 11.

We just got back from NYC, and found the line for TKTS was only about 30 minutes. Maybe we just hit it at a good time, but they had staffers along the line speeding things up and answering questions, and the whole process was pretty smooth and quick. 

[sa]

Oct 28, 2013 22:00:08 GMT -5 DirtySouth said:

Oct 28, 2013 21:53:43 GMT -5 sa said:

Not that I'm aware of, unfortunately.

I see a decent number of shows, so even if one doesn't really stick out to you, if there are certain shows you are contemplating I may be able to weigh in.

The two that interest me the most are The Bridges of Madison County and Kinky Boots.

I haven't seen the former but I have seen Kinky Boots and I think you and your friend would enjoy it.  I didn't think it would be on TKTS, but apparently they did have some at the Times Square location recently.

I also like how bigapple rearranged a few things on your itinerary.   I thought limelight had closed. I know it had reopened with shops, but I thought that closed again.  When did it reopen?

[Deleted]

From LGA, I'd take a cab or car service.  Which is cheaper depends on where you're going and traffic.  I tend to take a cab there and car service back (to avoid the queue at the airport), but it really depends.

Staten Island Ferry sounds really cold in January!  But you could play it by ear.

Also, since I know you love shopping, I'd probably recommend going to Fifth Avenue/Rockefeller Center and/or Soho too.  They're touristy areas, but they're two of the real hearts of shopping in NY, so any good S&B girl should see at least one of them.

Where are you getting your food/drink/spa suggestions from?  I ask because I haven't heard of some, and because some of your options seem a bit all over the place (like, BoB is a small, completely unpretentious bar that when I've been has been packed to the gills with people dancing to hip hop, and Le Bain is a very velvet-ropey/models and bottles type of place -- so I probably wouldn't be considering them as alternatives).

[DirtySouth]

v thanks for the info! I'm a bit scared for my wallet if I go to those areas, but maybe I should fit it in, anyway. My food/drink/spa suggestions are from Yelp. I'm definitely open to suggestions. We do actually tend to prefer unpretentious bars that are packed with people dancing, but Le Bain looks fun and unlike our usual type of place. I threw both in there and figured I'd just leave it up to my friend. Also, BoB could be our fall back if we don't get into Le Bain lol. We just want to drink, dance, and meet fun people. Let me know if you have suggestions! I fit the spa in only because I'm shocked at the cheap Asian spas and would like to take advantage of a $50 massage, which will probably be nice after a weekend of shopping and partying.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't have BoB as a back-up to Le Bain, because in Saturday night traffic, you're probably talking a 20-minute (and probably around $20) cab ride, and finding an empty cab in the Meatpacking District can be quite a sport (also, you will have just come from near BoB, so it wouldn't really make sense to turn around and come back).

But I'm drawing a blank on unpretentious places to go dancing in the MPD area -- it is mostly a very velvet rope-y area, and the non velvet rope-y places I like don't have dancing. Maybe Brass Monkey, 675, or Automatic Slims would be good backups? But they vary on the dancing scale.

I also like No Malice Palace or The Dark Room for unpretentious dancing. They aren't near Le Bain, but you could walk there from dinner.

I haven't been to BoB since I was in law school, so I don't know how it is 10 years later (or whether it is a young crowd -- I don't remember).

I'd probably look at Zagat, Eater, and Immaculate Infatuation for more food ideas. I trust them a lot more than Yelp.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 29, 2013 9:32:53 GMT -5 v said:

I wouldn't have BoB as a back-up to Le Bain, because in Saturday night traffic, you're probably talking a 20-minute (and probably around $20) cab ride, and finding an empty cab in the Meatpacking District can be quite a sport (also, you will have just come from near BoB, so it wouldn't really make sense to turn around and come back).

But I'm drawing a blank on unpretentious places to go dancing in the MPD area -- it is mostly a very velvet rope-y area, and the non velvet rope-y places I like don't have dancing. Maybe Brass Monkey, 675, or Automatic Slims would be good backups? But they vary on the dancing scale.

I also like No Malice Palace or The Dark Room for unpretentious dancing. They aren't near Le Bain, but you could walk there from dinner.

I haven't been to BoB since I was in law school, so I don't know how it is 10 years later (or whether it is a young crowd -- I don't remember).

I'd probably look at Zagat, Eater, and Immaculate Infatuation for more food ideas. I trust them a lot more than Yelp.

I looked at Zagat but have never heard of the other two!  Thanks!

[lemon360]

I am glad someone else mentioned how cold the S.I. Ferry will be in January!

You also need to be prepared that flying out of LGA on a Sunday night means a very strong chance you'll be delayed. If the weather is even slightly bad they shut down their flights because it's such a difficult airport to land a plane.

I would make sure if you're doing a lot of shopping then switching activities that you have a plan for your shopping bags, unless you don't mind shlepping them with you everywhere.

If I had never been to NY, I'd hit 5th Avenue for shopping rather than Century 21. Century 21 is not something I'd hit on a first trip to NY. It's more of a place to stop into on your lunch hour if you already work in NY.

I'd bite the bullet and pay more for a show than do TKTS. You want your first broadway show to be something special and not something you can barely see from the back row.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 29, 2013 20:06:29 GMT -5 lemon360 said:

I am glad someone else mentioned how cold the S.I. Ferry will be in January!

You also need to be prepared that flying out of LGA on a Sunday night means a very strong chance you'll be delayed. If the weather is even slightly bad they shut down their flights because it's such a difficult airport to land a plane.

I would make sure if you're doing a lot of shopping then switching activities that you have a plan for your shopping bags, unless you don't mind shlepping them with you everywhere.

If I had never been to NY, I'd hit 5th Avenue for shopping rather than Century 21. Century 21 is not something I'd hit on a first trip to NY. It's more of a place to stop into on your lunch hour if you already work in NY.

I'd bite the bullet and pay more for a show than do TKTS. You want your first broadway show to be something special and not something you can barely see from the back row.

Good to know.  Maybe I'll just skip the ferry and Century 21.

Here is my new itinerary based on the recommendations here.  v 

I arrive on Thursday morning and am by myself all day.  Our hotel is in the Murray Hill area.  If I skip Century 21 and the Staten Island Ferry, what would you suggest I do on Thursday morning instead?  Maybe do a museum?  I'd probably pick the Met, and then head down to the East Village in the afternoon?

Thursday -

Morning: Century 21; Ride Staten Island Ferry;

Lunch – Pylos in East Village www.pylosrestaurant.com/

Afternoon: East Village shopping - The Fragrance Shop; Gabays; Cadillacs Castle; Tokio7; Verameat Jewelry; Buffalo Exchange; Rena Reborn; Limelight



Dinner – Dirt Candy (http://www.immaculateinfatuation.com/2011/06/dirt-candy)


Friday -

Empire State Building; Cosmetic Market (http://www.solifestyle.com/2012/04/big-beauty-bargains-at-cosmetic-market.html)

Shopping and lunch (with Jessica!) in Chelsea: Chelsea Market, Pippin Vintage Jewelry, Housing Works Thrift Shop, Inglot (Chelsea Market)



Change at hotel

to Greenwich Village:

Dinner Keste Pizza Vino (http://www.immaculateinfatuation.com/2009/08/keste-pizza-vino)

Sullivan Room (www.yelp.com/biz/sullivan-room-new-york;)


Saturday –



11 a.m. SATC hotspots tour (until 2:30pm)



Dinner West Village L’Artusi (early for plenty of time to get to show) (http://www.immaculateinfatuation.com/2009/10/lartusi)


8pm Kinky Boots Broadway show


Drinks at the Tippler www.thetippler.com/

Cielo club (http://www.timeout.com/newyork/clubs/cielo)

Sunday -

Central Park; Gray's Papaya;

5th Avenue window shopping

[Deleted]

The Met is a great place to get lost for a few hours -- or days.  It is massive.  And it's my favorite museum.

If you want something smaller that would fit in with some of the rest of your itinerary, I'd do MoMA, which is right by 5th Ave/Rockefeller Center, then you could do your 5th Avenue window shopping when you're done.  That would give you time to do something else on Sunday (you could do a quickie Met trip then).

Keste and L'Artusi are two of my neighborhood favorites.  The manager of Keste is so incredibly nice.  L'Artusi is on one of my favorite streets in New York.  Good choices.

One note though -- you still have a lot of jumping back and forth in your schedule.  The West Village, the Meatpacking District, and Chelsea are all next together downtown on the west side.  Murray Hill is in the east 30s, and Kinky Boots is on West 45th.  You'll be doing a lot of go 30 blocks north/east just to come back down 28 blocks south/west.  I don't see a way to change it without changing the things you're doing though.

Also, what are you planning on doing on Saturday afternoon after the tour?  If it ends in the West Village (I think it may? I see the bus in the West Village all the time), if I were you I'd explore Bleecker Street a bit.  It is a very charming block with lots of fancy window shopping.

You're also planning on spending a lot of time in the West Village/Meatpacking vicinity -- hey, that's where I prefer to spend my time so it isn't a bad choice at all, but I'd maybe try to branch out a bit more as a first time visitor.

[wanderlustfoodie]

Your new restaurants are good ones but I want to chime in to say you will need a reservation at all of them and places like Dirt Candy and l'Artusi book up the first day they open the reservation lines for whatever day you want to eat, so just make sure you're on the opentable or telephone ball.

I am no help with the clubs but I've been to Tippler and it's fun. You could also just go straight to the club from the show because it will be easier to get in then and will involve fewer transportation logistics (since I'd imagine you'll want to taxi from the show to the Tippler and then to MPD because if you want to get into the clubs you'll need to be wearing minimal clothes and high heels and I doubt you'll want to maneuver on the city streets like that, or maybe that is just my old foagie self projecting ).

Pylos is relatively formal so you could always go for a more casual option (there are so many good bakeries around the village) or you could go to Balthazar which will give you much more of a NY experience than Pylos plus it's still walkable to your East Village shopping excursion afterwards.

[sa]

DirtySouth Is this your first trip to NYC? For some reason, I didn't think it was. If it is, then I definitely recommend visiting the big department stores. Even if you don't buy anything it is fun to explore. I recently took my ILs around Bergdorf and they just loved it.

[sa]

Oh and since you'll be in that area, go to Food Hall in the basement of the Plaza. Nice place to stop for a mid-afternoon treat (Personally I like the fruit flavored macarons at Francois Payard or the banana cake at Billy's).

Also, I wouldn't go out of my way for Gray's Papaya. I enjoy it, but to me it's nothing special.

[DirtySouth]

Oct 30, 2013 12:32:45 GMT -5 sa said:

DirtySouth Is this your first trip to NYC? For some reason, I didn't think it was. If it is, then I definitely recommend visiting the big department stores. Even if you don't buy anything it is fun to explore. I recently took my ILs around Bergdorf and they just loved it.

It is!  There's so much to do that it seems impossible to cram everything into 4 days!

[sa]

Oct 30, 2013 12:44:36 GMT -5 DirtySouth said:

Oct 30, 2013 12:32:45 GMT -5 sa said:

DirtySouth Is this your first trip to NYC? For some reason, I didn't think it was. If it is, then I definitely recommend visiting the big department stores. Even if you don't buy anything it is fun to explore. I recently took my ILs around Bergdorf and they just loved it.

It is!  There's so much to do that it seems impossible to cram everything into 4 days!

I've been here 3 years and there is still so much I feel I  haven't had a chance to do.  I think you could live here your whole life and feel the same way.

[D2M]

Just wanted to chime in re: Century 21. The place is mobbed with international tourists 24/7, so I don't think of it as just a place that New Yorkers stop in because they happen to work nearby. It's five or six floors and there are good deals to be had, so if you're a hardcore shopper who doesn't mind crowds, it would be a fun place to check out, especially if you are in the area already. Plenty of people check out the 9/11 memorial and then go to C21, take pictures in front of the bull statue in the financial district, etc. Also, if you want to see great views of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty, don't let the weather dissuade you from the Staten Island Ferry. Yes, it will be cold as balls on deck, but there's an indoor area as well (with windows), so you can warm up there.

As for food options, another good source is New York Magazine (nymag.com). It has a great restaurants section on its website and you can filter by neighborhood, cuisine and price point. Its Critics Picks selections have almost never led me astray. There is also a bars section with similar search critiera. I can't help you on bars or clubs because it's been years since I went anywhere with velvet ropes, but have fun! NYC is the best place for a girls weekend (or any weekend).