Idea's for 3.5 days in new york......WITHOUT THE KIDS!!!! Suggestions please!

[alwaysrunninginheels]

I am soooooo excited....as in can hardly contain my secret.....i have persuded my lovely mother to mind the 3 dc for my husbands 40th birthday in march and i am going to suprise him with a trip to new york. We have not been abroad since having our children as i break out in a cold sweat at the thought of flying with them so this holiday IS HUGE to me.....i saved an entire years family allowance to fund it.....it has to be fabulous. BUT i now find i appear to have lost my ability to make decisions with out running them past DH. Didn't realise this issue until it came to booking the trip. SO I NEED HELP WITH IDEAS of what to do. The only time we went to new york before was when the twin towers still stood so i have no idea what to organise. BUT IT MUST BE GLAM!!!!!! Fun and remind us both what we love about each other. I am a planner and would love to present him with his tickets and an itinerary of what we will get up to.....starting with suggestions for a friday afternoon once we land! HELP!!!!!

I would say a trip up the Rockafella Centre is a must - you can also get sunrise sunset tickets so you can go up in the day and then at night, the good thing about Top of the Rock is that you can actually see the Empire State Building.

We went to a fabulous steak restaurant called Tredeci Steak which was kind of tucked away on the 2nd floor of a building so it felt like a 'secret' restaurant.

Have you booked a hotel yet? If not then I completely recommend Hotel Giraffe - very understated but luxurious and complimentary breakfast and cheese and wine after 5pm.

Have booked a hotel already but thank you! Rockafella centre sounds great! Am just desperate to go.....practically jumping up and down as i type!!!

A rickshaw or horse drawn carriage ride round Central Park is a must. We did the rickshaw version and the guide was great - all the history and pointing out where the rich and famous live in the blocks round the park. We went to the Ocean Grill on the Upper West Side for Sunday Brunch which was fab - best Bloody Mary I have ever had. Bonus for us was that dd, then 3.5 found some friends to play with at another table. I went to check that she wasn't bothering the parents only to find that they were Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas. I was stood there like .

2nd the Top of the Rock. Saturday Brunch - Ellen's Stardust Diner here for the singing waiters and retro feel. You could walk to Central Park afterwards.

Then there are the shops, and Times Square. And the Circle Line ferry from Battery Park. Waldorf Astoria bar for Apple Martinis.

We also went to Madhur Jaffrey's restaurant Dawat which was fab - especially as she was cooking that night. And Mr Chow.

Go to Katz's Deli (it was in when harry met sally when she fakes her orgasm!!) Has the most amazing pastrami sandwiches...

If you are looking for glam you have to go 230 on fifth. It is the most amazing roof top bar with fantastic views of the empire states building.
www.230-fifth.com

I would say dont book too many things. Strolling about NY and soaking up the vibes is part of the experience. Have a fantastic time. Soooo jealous !!!

These ideas sound great. Got a bit scared as friends kept asking if I had everything planned for what we would do. Am glad to hear not to book too much. Ride around central park sounds lovely as does 230 roof bar! So does apple martinis in the waldorf...... And that's where I booked to stay. Doubt I have ever stayed somewhere that famous so I hope hope hope it lives up to my expectations. Mind you was watching blue bloods with my dh the other day whe they mentioned it and I nearly had to sellotape my mouth shut to stop the secret from getting out. I just cannot wait.....4 weeks to go.....any other ideas welcome. Thank you

Another idea...

If the weather is chilly you'll need to get wrapped up warm for this one. But the High Line was great. When we went in Sept 2010 they were just starting this but even then it was cool. Have a look at the website www.thehighline.org
They have converted an elevated tram line into a "park" that just over a mile long. Great for a romantic stroll.
Good luck keeping it all secret !!!!!

This is what I'd do in NYC:

• a trip to the Whitney Museum, and the Guggenheim (if there's a nice exhibition)

• a walk on the High Line

• top of the Empire State Building at night

The most awesomely interesting museum i have EVER been to is the Immigration Centre on Ellis Island, telling stories of all those who passed through. Fascinating (and i am not a big museum go-er)

Grand Central Station is Beautiful

Times Square is NOT a square