NYC Itinerary

[hermione]

Tagging slbride2003 because she specifically offered to help in the weekend randoms but please chime in if you have thoughts too! We are going to NYC for a long weekend later this month. My husband, me, and our 11yo daughter. Husband has never been. I took DD once when she was 5 but my cousin was with us the whole time and she's a local. I am trying to figure out how to group things together by day/location.

Things that are set in stone:

We land on a Friday at 2:40 pm (LGA)
We leave Monday at 2:53pm
We are staying in Times Square
We have tickets to a show Sunday at 7pm
We have lunch plans Saturday at 1pm followed by shopping in the Union Square area until 4pm-5pm (meeting my cousin for this)

Knowing we will not get to everything, here are some touristy things we would like to do:

Observation deck of the Empire State Building
Boat Ride out to the Statue of Liberty
Get an updated pic of DD with the Fearless Girl Statue
Rockefeller Center
High Line
Central Park - DD would like to see Strawberry Fields and the "Castle" that's in all the movies (I have to figure out what this means)
NYPL
Other suggestions?

[slbride2003]

Do you have tickets to the Statue of Liberty of just want to see it from a boat? If going to tour the actual statue, that will take a decent chunk of time so would definitely affect how I would plan. The Fearless Girl is dowtown. I believe they moved it to in front of the Stock Exchange. Depending on your Statue of Liberty plans I would likely put those 2 activities together.
Let me think on the rest. I have meetings this morning but will reply more later today.

[underwaterrhymes]

We created a 10-second video and paid just $40 to have it projected on a billboard in Times Square. It blew our kids’ minds.

tsx.live/

[hermione]

Oct 7, 2024 8:24:41 GMT -5 slbride2003 said:

Do you have tickets to the Statue of Liberty of just want to see it from a boat? If going to tour the actual statue, that will take a decent chunk of time so would definitely affect how I would plan. The Fearless Girl is dowtown. I believe they moved it to in front of the Stock Exchange. Depending on your Statue of Liberty plans I would likely put those 2 activities together.
Let me think on the rest. I have meetings this morning but will reply more later today.

Just from the boat.

[hermione]

Oct 7, 2024 8:27:40 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

We created a 10-second video and paid just $40 to have it projected on a billboard in Times Square. It blew our kids’ minds.

tsx.live/

OMG, my kid will loser her mind!

[emilyinchile]

We were just there 2 weeks ago. I would probably do it this way, based on how fast we like to move, how early we get up, etc:

Fri:
Get settled in your hotel, then go to Central Park to stretch your legs after the flight.

Sat:
Start the morning with theStaten Island Ferry, which takes an hour total (30 min each way). When you get on in Manhattan, you want to go to the right hand side of the boat asap - everyone runs to get a good spot because that's the side from which you see the Statue of Liberty. The Fearless Girl is as mentioned in front of the stock exchange. We went from the ferry through Battery Park a bit, walked by the bull statue (didn't do the crazy line for a picture with it, just took a pic from the side) then to the Fearless Girl. After that, head up to your lunch/shopping plans.

Sun:
In whatever order makes sense, I'd do the High Line (could also add in Chelsea Market and/or Little Island), Empire State Building and NYPL.

Mon:
Rockefeller Center is close to Times Square, if you just want to go you can pop over any time, which is why I'm leaving it for the last day when you've got less time and need to be dealing with packing and checking out. If you want to go up obviously that'll take longer/require tickets.

[rupertpenny]

I think emilyinchile laid out a good itinerary for you.

I am curious about the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. There isn't really much to see at Rockefeller Plaza and I don't think the tree will be up yet, but if you did go to Top of the Rock you would be able to see the Empire State Building as part of the view. So if your Empire State plans were more about seeing the skyline than visiting the actual building, I might trade skip and go to Top of the Rock instead.

If you consolidate those you might be able to do Top of the Rock on Sunday and save the High Line for Monday morning. It gets very crowded on weekends.

[meanie]

Radio City Music Hall has a really fun tour - we took the 8th grade class there one year and all the kids loved it

St Patrick's cathedral is a few blocks away from Radio City if that would interest you

FAO Schwarz is next to Rockefeller, it's fun just to walk through

Feel free to skip the empire state building if the line is long, it's a lot of waiting in line and being smushed in a crowd just to look around for a few minutes...not really worth it

Other than the stops you have planned I would just leave time to walk around and explore an area. The best finds in NYC are the places you didn't even know about. 

[simpsongal]

You could check out the Whitney modern art museum if you do the High Line and the Chelsea market.

My kids loved the Empire State building, so I think it's worth it.

I'm going to NYC w/DD in a few weeks, so keeping an eye on these responses (we've done a fair amount of these things and at Christmastime, so need some new ideas).

[midwestmama]

What about one of the museums? We went to NYC back in 2019, when my kids were 9 and 10.5, and went to the Natural History Museum. They really enjoyed that. We are hoping to go to NYC for DD's birthday in February, and would like to go to the Met on this next visit.

[candreco]

I don't know that it fits in your itinerary, but DD and I loved the Tenement Museum and exploring LES when we went last fall. Highly recommend for anyone visiting NYC.

[countthestars]

We always do FAO Schwartz, and I would recommend Rise NYC. It's a museum in Times Square, only takes about an hour to an hour and a half, and ends with a really fun ride (similar to Soarin' at Disney, if you've done that before!).

[1confused1]

Another recommendation for Rise NY. My daughter loved it.

If you are looking for a fun restaurant, Ellen’s Stardust Diner is a good one.

www.ellensstardustdiner.com/

[fryjack2]

Oct 7, 2024 11:37:42 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

You could check out the Whitney modern art museum if you do the High Line and the Chelsea market.

My kids loved the Empire State building, so I think it's worth it.

I'm going to NYC w/DD in a few weeks, so keeping an eye on these responses (we've done a fair amount of these things and at Christmastime, so need some new ideas).

Down by the Whitney and Chelsea market/ High Line is the Great Elephant Migration as well. It’s so cool.

Might be fun to check out the Banksy Museum.

[hermione]

Oct 7, 2024 13:22:58 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

Oct 7, 2024 11:37:42 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

You could check out the Whitney modern art museum if you do the High Line and the Chelsea market.

My kids loved the Empire State building, so I think it's worth it.

I'm going to NYC w/DD in a few weeks, so keeping an eye on these responses (we've done a fair amount of these things and at Christmastime, so need some new ideas).

Down by the Whitney and Chelsea market/ High Line is the Great Elephant Migration as well. It’s so cool.

Might be fun to check out the Banksy Museum.

Both of these look super cool! As does Rise NY. I am going to have to really sit down and figure out a plan.

[mommyatty]

The Macy’s that’s at the center of Miracle on 34th Street! They have the original wooden escalators, which just knocked me out. The main library where you can see the original Winnie the Pooh toys. Those are both free.

ETA- if your kids liked Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, I went to find Peter’s rock and almost cried. That book was really special to me.

[Gato]

For a kid who has probably not much memory of her other trip to NYC, I think the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and the Empire State Building are the three must-sees. I first went there at that age and wouldn’t have wanted to miss those. A fourth thing I really loved was seeing a show at Radio City Music Hall. The scale and production value of it was just spectacular to 14 year old me.

Other than that, I would say don’t try to cram too much in. IDK if the High Line would mean much to a kid. Although shopping at Chelsea Market and a quick walk around Little Island would be fun, schlepping all the way to the Whitney from there, even if it’s just a half mile, might be too much.

If your kid likes books, The Strand is worth a one-hour visit.

[hermione]

Does this seem to make any sense as a very loose plan? We'll ditch things as we need to - I am not wed to an itinerary but also don't want to waste time wondering what to do next.

Friday Night:
Central Park


Saturday:
Staten Island Ferry
Fearless Girl
Lunch with Jen – East 118th Street (1pm)
Banksy Museum
Great Elephant Migration

Sunday:
The High Line
Empire State Building
Rise NY
Show (7pm)

Monday Morning:
NYPL

[rupertpenny]

That all looks doable to me, but if Jen can meet you somewhere in Midtown or below for lunch it would look a lot easier. Or maybe swap Banksy/Elephants for The Museum of the City of New York, El Museo del Barrio, or maybe the Guggenheim. Financial District to East Harlem, then back down to Chinatown is a lot of subway time.

[slbride2003]

I agree with rupertpenny

And to answer someone up thread re: the tree on Rock Center, it is not up yet. I work in Rock Center and have a few more weeks before the tree craziness starts 😊

[rockpaperscissors]

Black tap on 35th street (couple of blocks over from the Empire State bldg) is a super fun place to grab dinner or lunch. They have the crazy milkshakes. Bonus they play almost all 90s music. Just took my 13yo for his bday this past week.

[livinitup]

There is a lot of food in and around Times Square. Get off the main streets for a slice of pizza or bagels. I highly recommend both to eat while touring around NYC. You can eat a slice off of a paper plate while standing. This recommendation does not include Sbarra (lol). Behind Times Square is a block called Restaurant Row. It’s an easy walk to lots and lots of restaurant options. Could be nice on Friday night.

The last time I walked around Central Park (2 summers ago) we downloaded a Scavenger Hunt app and it was great! It gave us a map and encouraged us to walk/find different places in the park. Described what we were finding, too. I saw stuff I never found on earlier walks when I meandered around. I did the one with Shakespeare. There is a competition with a leaderboard for time. But it’s not too serious. Not expensive at all. Central Park also has a children’s zoo. It’s a really beautiful place.

[nospaekae]

Oct 7, 2024 11:49:01 GMT -5 candreco said:

I don't know that it fits in your itinerary, but DD and I loved the Tenement Museum and exploring LES when we went last fall. Highly recommend for anyone visiting NYC.

I was going to suggest the Tenement Museum as well if they had the time. It is so, so, so we'll done. My favorite museum in the city. The food in the LES is also a lot better (and cheaper!) than the more touristy areas. The soup dumplings!

[fryjack2]

Oct 7, 2024 14:51:58 GMT -5 hermione said:

Does this seem to make any sense as a very loose plan? We'll ditch things as we need to - I am not wed to an itinerary but also don't want to waste time wondering what to do next.

Friday Night:
Central Park


Saturday:
Staten Island Ferry
Fearless Girl
Lunch with Jen – East 118th Street (1pm)
Banksy Museum
Great Elephant Migration

Sunday:
The High Line
Empire State Building
Rise NY
Show (7pm)

Monday Morning:
NYPL

It may be annoying to go from lunch way up on 118th back down to Chelsea for TGEM and Banksy.  I would do those with the high line since they are all right next to each other.  The elephants are a 20 minute thing as you walk the length of the exhibit or just what you see as you walk around down there.  Banksy Museum took me about 45 minutes last weekend and I read all the placards, watched the shorts, and browsed the gift shop. 

Any chance Jen would want to meet somewhere other than 118th street?  Catch is really good and steps from the high line/chelsea.  Qanoon is also really good and near there.  Plus a million other ones.  Maybe you can convince her that since you are going all the way to NYC, she can go a couple miles downtown closer to where you will be that day  

[erbear]

The High Line is my NYC must-do

[wanderingback]

I see people suggesting you ask Jen to meet you somewhere else I disagree. I feel like part of the beauty of NYC is seeing all the different neighborhoods. It really changes so quickly and nice to see different parts and not just the touristy areas. It’s not like 118th street is Yonkers lol. I do stay in my neighborhood a lot but today I traveled over 100 blocks twice doing things, it’s really not a big deal!

Also fyi you don’t need to buy a metro card for the bus or train anymore. You can just tap as long as you have Apple wallet (or the Android equivalent) set up with a card.

ETA: also, of course I like to accommodate guests but I also like to show them my favorite neighborhood spots. So I do appreciate that when my friends are in town they ask me for places to go in my neighborhood and I can show them around and they don’t all expect I’ll go to Times Square.

[kiminky]

Oct 7, 2024 20:54:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I see people suggesting you ask Jen to meet you somewhere else I disagree. I feel like part of the beauty of NYC is seeing all the different neighborhoods. It really changes so quickly and nice to see different parts and not just the touristy areas. It’s not like 118th street is Yonkers lol. I do stay in my neighborhood a lot but today I traveled over 100 blocks twice doing things, it’s really not a big deal!

Also fyi you don’t need to buy a metro card for the bus or train anymore. You can just tap as long as you have Apple wallet (or the Android equivalent) set up with a card.

ETA: also, of course I like to accommodate guests but I also like to show them my favorite neighborhood spots. So I do appreciate that when my friends are in town they ask me for places to go in my neighborhood and I can show them around and they don’t all expect I’ll go to Times Square.

What app should someone download for public transit? We are going to NYC in December. I haven't been since I was 10.

[slbride2003]

Oct 7, 2024 21:32:41 GMT -5 kiminky said:

Oct 7, 2024 20:54:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I see people suggesting you ask Jen to meet you somewhere else I disagree. I feel like part of the beauty of NYC is seeing all the different neighborhoods. It really changes so quickly and nice to see different parts and not just the touristy areas. It’s not like 118th street is Yonkers lol. I do stay in my neighborhood a lot but today I traveled over 100 blocks twice doing things, it’s really not a big deal!

Also fyi you don’t need to buy a metro card for the bus or train anymore. You can just tap as long as you have Apple wallet (or the Android equivalent) set up with a card.

ETA: also, of course I like to accommodate guests but I also like to show them my favorite neighborhood spots. So I do appreciate that when my friends are in town they ask me for places to go in my neighborhood and I can show them around and they don’t all expect I’ll go to Times Square.

What app should someone download for public transit? We are going to NYC in December. I haven't been since I was 10.

For the subway I don’t use an app. I either tap my credit card or my phone for Apple Pay. I think buses are the same but defer to posters who take the bus. I

[wanderingback]

Oct 7, 2024 21:32:41 GMT -5 kiminky said:

Oct 7, 2024 20:54:39 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I see people suggesting you ask Jen to meet you somewhere else I disagree. I feel like part of the beauty of NYC is seeing all the different neighborhoods. It really changes so quickly and nice to see different parts and not just the touristy areas. It’s not like 118th street is Yonkers lol. I do stay in my neighborhood a lot but today I traveled over 100 blocks twice doing things, it’s really not a big deal!

Also fyi you don’t need to buy a metro card for the bus or train anymore. You can just tap as long as you have Apple wallet (or the Android equivalent) set up with a card.

ETA: also, of course I like to accommodate guests but I also like to show them my favorite neighborhood spots. So I do appreciate that when my friends are in town they ask me for places to go in my neighborhood and I can show them around and they don’t all expect I’ll go to Times Square.

What app should someone download for public transit? We are going to NYC in December. I haven't been since I was 10.

I never downloaded a special app for directions. I just use the map app that was already on my phone (Apple). There is a mta app but I’ve never used it. For paying you also don’t need to download an app. For the train and bus you just tap your phone (or physical card if it has tap feature to pay).

[mrsslocombe]

I just use Google Maps, you can use Transit as well. Every once in a while Google Maps is missing weekend subway work and is inaccurate. If you need help with directions, proper protocol is to step onto the subway car and just say out loud "Does this train go to XX" and someone will answer you. Weekend subway work messes things up and some stations get skipped-always a good idea to make sure the train is stopping where you want it to.

I'm assuming 118th St is a typo and you meant 18th, since you said USQ in an earlier post. If it is indeed 118th-I'd do the Staten Island ferry and Fearless girl Friday afternoon/evening (sunset at this time of year is amazing in lower Manhattan) and do Central Park Saturday AM and then go up to 118th. Belvedere Castle is about 10 min walk from Strawberry Fields. Strawberry Fields is always really crowded, Saturday morning might be slightly less annoying than Friday afternoon/evening. Also if you are in the park before 9am, it's off leash hours and there are hundreds of dogs running around and the people/dog watching is amazing.

FYI the NYC Marathon is Nov 3rd, they start setting up the finish area 2 weeks before, so depending on which weekend you are there, some of Central park near Tavern on the Green is under construction. If you are there the week before the finish line might be up and you can take photos in front of it.