New York child free - must see, do and buy?

[spub]

Looking for some suggestions, please.
Visited NY 6 years ago so managed quite a bit of sight seeing then. LOVED NY and so excited to be going back mid October.
Planning to see One World Center. That aside, keen to eat some amazing food, maybe see a Broadway show, some art and LOTS of shopping.
Any ideas/advice hugely welcome.
We like cocktails and reasonably nice food - ate at Gramercy Tavern and Blue Hill last time around if that's any help? Also had some amazing burgers in a real dive joint in the back of a hotel so not food snobs - just enjoy good grub
Keen to do some xmas shopping so any ideas about what is cheaper/better in NY would be great. Thank you.

Some of my favorites are Shake Shack for casual fast food burgers (actually owned by same guy that has Gramercy Tavern), The Meatball Shop (lots of locations), Fig & Olive, The Smith, Serafina (pizzas / Italian - various locations), Sant Ambroeus. Good people watching down at The Gansevoort Meatpacking for drinks, Catch restaurant down there is very fashionable. Sarabeths for brunch and in the same place as your dive bar burger joint at Le Parker Meridien is Norma's which is brill but $$ for brunch.

Have you walked The High Line and visited Chelsea Market, it's foodie heaven and of course Eataly is a must for food lovers, great rooftop bar there also.

A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge is great to see the city from the other side. Maybe see if there are any markets on at Union Square. Hire bikes and cycle round Central Park (6 miles all the way round).

Lots of big name celebrities will be in the Broadway shows for the holiday season, Al Pacino and Bruce Willis are 2 of the big names on stage this year if you fancy a play rather than a musical. Best musical IMO - The Book of Mormon. HTH.

Realhousewife, many thanks. Some wonderful suggestions that we'll definitely follow up :)
Had been thinking about seeing The Book of Mormon so nice to have another recommendation for it. Just gutted that Jim Parsons' An Act of God is finished.
Highline sounds great, too. Will definitely do that.
Properly excited. I love New York!
Some great food ideas here. Thanks again. Anyone want to share shopping tips?

Highline was a highlight for us last year on a child free trip. We also enjoyed Shake Shack (although better burgers at FiveGuys which are everywhere here now). We did a Food Tour in Greenwich which was awesome. I had a lovely pootle in Marc Jacobs down there too.

We went over to Brooklyn a couple of times which was fab. Williamsburg was great for a look round the shops (Brooklyn Industry was a favourite of both of ours) and we ate in a fab gastro pub there too. We also ate at Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fayre which was on a par with The Fat Duck if you like that kind of thing. $$$ though.

I enjoyed MoMA more than I had enjoyed The Met on our last trip.

Sellfridges,
Thank you! Brooklyn Industry and MoMA now also on list.
I may need to wire up my jaw ahead of this trip as it's beginning to look like an enormous gorge-fest!

Would reccomend Free Tours by Foot as we went on a couple of their tours last year. Local guides and you pay by tipping the amount you think it was worth. We had a excellent guides for both the Highline and a Street Art tour.

Also hired the city bikes for short trips around the city and went on a full day cycling tour which went out to Brooklyn.

One World wasn't open when we were there but i'd love to go up there and next time maybe i'll make it to the Statue of Liberty.

Oldbean, That's a brilliant suggestion; the gorge-fest will probably benefit from occasional breaks to do a walking tour or cycle. Contemplating bringing my running shoes as I've always fancied running in Central park.
I'll happily report back on the one world center. Booked to be there just as the sun sets. Have now also booked to see The Book of Mormon as endorsed by Realhousewife.
Knew the collective wisdom of Mumsnet wouldn't let me down. Still looking at shopping and have got very excited but confused by the Sephora website!
Any other thoughts/advice most welcome

Are you thinking of going to the 9/11 museum while you're at One World, it's very good. Quite moving really, definitely worth a visit.

I'm not a runner, (more of a cyclist) but running/cycling in Central Park is a definitely a very New York thing to do. Makes you feel like a local if only for a short time! A nice thing to do is go and pick up some picnic food at the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle and take it over the Central Park for a picnic.

Shopping - Sephora is brilliant, not sure you'll get any bargains compared to the UK but it's great for a look, nice to be able to look at all the expensive brands without dealing with the counter sales people! Avoid the one at Times Square if you can, it's crazy busy. You've got places like Jo Malone, Molton Brown, the Fresh stores are lovely for smellies, there are a few L'Occitane shops around. Fifth Avenue is more department stores, down in Soho is more of the boutiques. Let me know what else you like to shop for and I'll think if I have any more ideas.

Realhousewife, thanks again. Wholefoods picnic would be a lovely thing to do. Spending time in Central Park means I can pretend we're in Elf or Enchanted....
I suppose I'm thinking about buying christmas presents. DD13 loves Hot Topic tees and DS 8 is eagerly anticipating The Force Awakens so I have a couple of shopping destinations in mind.

Just wondering what beside Cons and Mac makeup would be better buys in NY than at home. Also wondering if Tom Ford fragrances are cheaper? May head to Woodbury common as Kate Spade stuff and Crate and Barrel are always fun to browse.
Just scared I'll waste time and be dreadfully inefficient as would love to get the perfect balance of cramming loads in but relaxing and having a lovely time - not sure it's your actual possible!

Woodbury Common could be good (in case you haven't worked out, I live over here in the NYC suburbs and WC is not that far from me!!). But personally I wouldn't sacrifice a day in the city for a day trip out there. The Kate Spade can be hit or miss with the stock, Tory Burch usually has massive lines to get in, Coach and Michael Kors can be quite good, just depends how much of bargain hunter you are! No Crate and Barrel at WC.

Makeup wise, I think you might find Clinique pretty cheap, maybe Bare Minerals, Benefit, Bobbi Brown as well. They don't sell Mac in Sephora but plenty of standalone Mac stores around.

I did the Guggenheim and Frick Collection last time I was in NY without kids, loved them both. Also the high line and shopping / eating at Chelsea Market. Shopping wasn't a priority as I live in the USA....

Realhousewife and Myfriends,
Thanks. Always good to get a local perspective:)
Maybe you can offer a bit of advice? DH loves a cocktail and is planning a fair few assaults on various cocktail bars. A couple of them apparently have a door policy that says, "Dress to impress" . I am pretty clueless about what that might mean given that NY is so diverse . Any thoughts, please?

I just got back on Monday from NYC. Fabulous and expensive.
High line was lovely. Very busy. 9/11 memorial and museum were very moving and worth going to.
Central Park was across from out hotel so we went lots and it's great fun. Hire bikes if you can.
Also buy the city pass as works out cheaper for things like Empire State and top of the rock and Statue of Liberty.
We walked miles the first few days then bought a ticket on the hop on hop off tour buses. They were fab as did the uptown and downtown tours.

There is a revolving bar at the top of the marriott in time square. $8 to get in but great views and atmosphere.

lk26
Thank you. Liking the sound of the revolving bar!

My favourite Nyc museum is the Guggenheim. Eat in Chinatown and little Italy. Do Empire State Building at night. I like Roby Foo's and brunch at Bryant Square. Obviously do Broadway/off Broadway. I'd like to go to Harlem

Oh and Ellis Island too , made me cry

And upstairs from the revolving bar is a revolving restaurant, good food, no entry fee, great cocktails. Most people eat there pre-theater so let the server know you aren't in a hurry if you want to linger over dinner. Funniest thing about the bar and restaurant is that they revolve past the W Hotel which has bathrooms with huge windows and no curtains (or at least no-one thinks to close them). Was in NYC with a load of girlfriends, drank lots of cosmos, got very giggly and saw a whole lot of nakedness that night!!!!

And if you walk the high line in the evening and end up in Chelsea, this bar / restaurant is super cool.

Over and Myfriends,

Thanks so much. Laughing at the prospect of catching a whole load of nakedness in the W from the Marriot's revolving floors!
Just over 2 weeks til we go and no idea how we will cram it all in. It's a great problem to have

In no way high end, but Ellen's Starlight Diner is fun. 50s diner in the shadow of Times Square, the wait staff are all Broadway wannabes and sign and dance as they serve.

Thanks Bike,
Open to all suggestions and advice. Will check it out. Have tickets for The Book of Mormon so will be taking in some musical theatre if we don't manage to Ellen's Starlight Diner then I wont feel totally deprived but if we become hopelessly addicted then it will be a great place to get another fix of singing and dancing from people who are properly good at it

We loved Ellen's Stardust Diner when we went last month. It was fab!

Getting v excited. 12 sleeps!!

I hope this is where you mean, spub! Hoping for more news and tips soon

Hi BigTilly!
Ok, so yesterday we visited the 9/11 memorial museum. It was very moving and very tastefully done. We photographed the exhibits as this is all totally permitted however I must admit to feeling a bit squeamish at people posing for photos in front of some of the pieces like the iron cladding from one of the twin towers...I suppose people have different ideas about that kind of thing. The museum is underground so when you come back up in to beautiful sunlight as we did yesterday and look up as you come up on the escalator you have a very inspiring sense of "coming into the light" and the phoenix like splendour of what's now on the site is very humbling.Pre book your tickets online - much easier and faster than lining up on the day.
I'd also urge you to book the one world centre. Find out what time dusk is and go up a half hour before that. You can stay as long as you want but seeing the sun set and the lights go on all over New York is utterly magical. We had a couple of cocktails on the top floor restaurant just to soak up the atmosphere a bit more fully! The centre is tremendous and the escalator ride up is fab - won't spoil it for you. You have to go
It's getting chillier of an evening now so you'll definitely need a warm jacket for then though you might be ok layering up tees, cardies and a scarf for day time.
Went to A&F Kids yesterday and can report that prices in dollars are same as pounds so you save a third.
Off this morning to seek out Converse, jeans etc. Will report back