New York - Things not to miss?

[Hulababy]

Thought I'd start three of these for the places we are visiting on holiday this summer. I'm keeping them separate as think it will be easier for me to work through any ideas suggested :)

We are going to NYC on the Wednesday and leaving on Saturday - so we will have 2 full days in NYC, and one late afternoon/evening.

Going is me, Dh and 11y DD - we all love cities.

So has anyone any ideas, recommendations, suggestions of what we should not miss?

TIA

We have been a couple of times before so just wondering about extra stuff really.

We have already done:

Empire State Building
Top of the Rock
Liberty and Ellis Islands
48 hour hop on/off bus
Duck Tour
Natural History Museum
Guggenheim
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Children's Museum

If anyone is into Winnie The Pooh, check out the original Pooh Bear, Eeyore etc at the Public Library, they are the original toys owned by Christopher Robin, it was one of my favourite things in NY (but then, I am a big softie!)

For fantastic views, take the Roosevelt Tramway , for a cable car ride across the river, near to the 59th Street Bridge. It has views of the skyline, and up the Avenues.

Zabars in the Upper West Side is a great, huge deli to mooch around, get a picnic and take it to Central Park. Then hire bikes and tour the Park.

Take the Subway to Brooklyn, visit Grimaldis for pizza, or the Fulton Strret Ice Cream Shop, then walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge, this is particularly good at dusk, as the lights come on on the Manhatten Skyline

Eat at the Chart House Restaurant in Weehawken, New Jersey. It is directly opposite Manhattan so the views are incredible, especially at dusk as all the lights come on in Manhattan.

Thanks all. Good to get some new ideas.

Katz Deli is already on our list as we never got there last couple of times. And we want a picnic in Central Park this time.

Walk along the High Line. This is a disused, elevated railway line that you can now walk along and you get some amazing views. It's free Google it, it was one of our highlights and didnt cos a thing.

Just been to NYC - i think a lot depends on your interests. We have done many things on your list, either this year or last year. But also did the Intrepid (we have a DS who is 10). Didn't totally enjoy Liberty Island - very busy. It's a full on city, with lots of energy. I wouldn't try to do too much, there are lots of queues at many things. It has taken us 2 visits to complete your list (4 nights each time).

Intrepid is good - it's a mixture of science stuff and air carrier museum (and that whole area where she is berthed looks like it would be good to explore - we didn't have time) You can also do a city cruise from there which is fun.
I said that when we go back I just want to visit specific areas and wander round without doing the sites - I think a lot of New York is the atmosphere.

If you haven't booked your flights yet try to fly to Newark rather than JFK. Much nicer airport and the view of Manhattan when you come off the plane and walk to arrivals is amazing. Much better than the concrete jungle of JFK.

Oh what an exciting thread. We're going later in the year, and have earmarked Empire State, US Intrepid and the Highline as our must sees (also want to find a restaurant featured on Man vs Food, as we're big fans).

Can I ask a question please - do you need to pre-book Empire State tickets, and does that need to be a long way in advance, or can we do it via the hotel once we're there?

Ellis Island.

I hated New York but thought this was fab and so atmospheric and interesting.

(I am a grumpy sod who hates towns wherever they are in the world though).

Just in case you didn't know, Katz Deli is the 'I'll have what she's having' scene in When Harry Met Sally.

I find it a bit loud but we always take our friends with children to Ellen's Stardust Diner.

There is an exhibition at the New York Library (until March 2014 I think) about the history of children's literature. It's free and will only take about 45 mins/one hour. They have moved Winnie the Pooh and friends into the exhibition.

Seeing as you've done most of the 'first time tourist stuff', why don't you have a look at the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side?

Picnic in CP is great, there's a boating lake, zoo, carousel and Strwaberry fields in there too.

I third the Highline, I hear only good things and managed to bloody miss it last time.

Ellis Island is fab, but I had heard it was closed post the Hurricane last year.

Very I have never pre booked tickets for the Empire State, but I have found that you can queue jump if you buy the simulator ride thingy.

Also don't hurry straight up, there's some Art Deco mosaics in the lobby of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Oh and check out Radio City, they have fantastic shows.

Hushtours -Hip Hop tours around the city are great.Taking in amazing graffiti,the story of Hip Hop music/culture and how it permeates so many aspects of all our lives today and includes lessons on breakdancing and beatboxing! One of the best organised tours I have ever taken.

I went to the Cloisters on my last visit and was astounded. Loads of little European treasures (chapels, church bits plus contents) lifted up and rebuilt as a single museum. Part of the Metropolitan museum, but hidden away in north Manhattan, where it's like countryside and you have fantastic views of the river and the Washington bridge. Really worth going, though I can't help thinking still that they ought not to have been stuck together in a mishmash of styles! And there's the unicorn tapestries... bit steep to get in though, unless you have one of those museum passes.

Lucky you, Hulababy, New York is awesome!

I love the sound of the Hip Hop tours, Saladfingers, wish I'd known about them when I was there last year.

Things I'd suggest:

Katz's Deli is brilliant, but you should also try Yonah Schimmel's Knishery just round the corner. They serve knishes, these yummy potato dumplings (kind of like a massive, squashed potato scone), with all different flavours, and great American soda. It's a real experience!

Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. It's a big cinema and TV museum with loads of interactive exhibits (dub your own voice over Babe the pig, for example) and lots of nostalgia for adults.

New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn. Built in an old subway tunnel, you can sit in old subway cars from the 1900s onwards and it's great fun. Plus they have regular free talks/displays.

Economy Candy on Rivington Street, Lower East Side. I come here every time I go to NY. More American sweeties than you've ever dreamed of. Tin lunchboxes. Tshirts. And it's all dirt cheap.

As pirate says, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is great too. They do fantastic tours.

John's Pizza on Bleecker St for the biggest, tastiest (inexpensive) pizza you've ever had, in a pizzeria which hasn't changed in about a million years.

If your DD likes reading, the Strand bookshop on Broadway is enormous and really good fun.

I love the Folk Art Museum at Lincoln Square - lots of strange old American art. It's tiny, but it's free and has a great shop.

Have a brilliant time!

Take the ferry from Battery Park ferry terminal (i forget its actual name) to Staten Island. It's FREE and has amazing views of Liberty Island and of course the Statue of Liberty - much better views than you get on the actual island (obviously, since on the island you have to look up to see her). Not many tourists know about this - we found out from a local.

The New York City Fire Museum in Spring Street is worth a visit, it's free, and it was very quiet when we went, so the guide gave us a personal tour. We even got to try on a jacket and helmet, and have a go with a hose pipe, I felt like a big kid.

Also Theodore Roosevelts House was a great place to visit, again very quiet, and a great glimpse into old New York

The Frith.

Lots more ideas - thanks all. Will read in detail tonight. And yes - really looking forward to our trip - Washington, New York and Antigua :)

Penny gallops - that list is from two trips - one of 7 Nights and another of 5 nights. Love the place.

DH and a friend went to the Intrepid whilst we went to the Children's Museum a few years ago.

On way to airport. Washington first then NYC!