help me with an itinerary for New York!

[sassytheFIRST]

Just starting to plan a big trip next summer, as part of it we will have a few days (5?6?) in NYC. I know Massachusetts pretty well but NY is a mystery to me so tell me what is a must see and what to avoid please. Where is good to stay as well? It'll be me, Dh and 2 girls, 11 and 13. Tia.

Tutt who did you book the apartment through? have you found reviews about it - lots rather than just one? it is up to you whether or not you want to take the risk tbh. we wouldn't. have you spoken to the person letting the apartment on the phone rather than it just all being internet? If not then call them and ask the questions about the legality of it.

I'd also recommend the Kimberley - lovely suites, we stayed with our one year old and it was fab

We stayed at the park Central hotel which is exactly between Central Park and Times Square, opposite the Carnegie hall. It was perfectly ok, nothing amazing but only £500 for 4 nights - you wouldn't get anything comparable in London for that price so central.

In addition to the recommendations, I recommend you take a visit to the New York public library, then get a takeaway sandwich lunch from grand central station food hall opposite, amazing choice and an experience to visit, and take it across the road to eat at one of the little tables in Bryant park just behind the library, really lovely setting and probably the most amazing public toilets you'll ever see - electric rotating seat covers etc, one of our enduring memories!!

We trolled through trip advisor and went for one that had about 600 + reviews.
Need to speak to DH as he has all emails etc but he's out of the country and don't want to worry him, I'm popping over to visit next weekend so wll broach it with him then (he will panic because thats his default).
It is also the only one he booked, I booked the rest of the trip and know the apartments and hotels are good because I know people who have stayed, unlike the NY one where noone I know has stayed anywhere that they would recommend.
Will defiantly call now, thank you and fingers crossed.

Tutt

Have you done a reverse image search, have you looked at Google maps to see the building?.

I sincerely hope you have not been scammed but booking holiday apartments (let alone in NYC) online is a minefield because the whole process is an easy target for scammers. Sites like airbnb never check the veracity of listings.

Attila thank you for your help :) we checked and it's legit phew.

I am bumping this thread as I am now actively planning for trip in July! Any ideas to do with kids gratefully received!

We've just done 5 days with kids and it was amazing. Our itinerary was

Day 1. Times Square, Ellen's stardust diner, shopping, Bryant park which is amazing for chilling and playing all the free board games

Day 2. Tenement museum, highline, breakfast at the end of the highline, meat packing district, soho, south street sea port, Madison square park

Day 3: Empire State Building, Bloomingdales, bike hire, 2nd avenue deli and riding round Central Park

Day 4: trip to jersey gardens mall and dinner in midtown

Day 5: ground zero, freedom tower, 9/11 museum, staten island ferry to see Statue of Liberty.

We could easily have managed a couple more days and would have spent more time in the village and gone over to Brooklyn. It's an incredible holiday to do with the kids

Airbnb in NYC is illegal but airbnb in New Jersey is totally legit. If you want a short term rental take a look at downtown Jersey City by the Newport, exchange place and grove Street path stations as well as Hoboken.

I think you should be fine in Manhattan and you should look to do outdoor stuff like walking the Brooklyn bridge and the high line before 10am. It gets hot and humid here in July and August.

If you are interested in seeing a Broadway show look into the Rush and Lottery tickets, which allow you to buy tickets for $25-40. For some shows you just show up at a specified time to buy a ticket, for others you enter an online or in person lottery and if your name is drawn you can buy tickets at the discounted price. If you're anywhere near Times Square it doesn't take much effort to drop by a theatre and put your name in. www.nytix.com/Links/Broadway/lotteryschedule.html

We are currently in NYC. Today we have been to Roosevelt Islamd, staten island, been to battery park, done a tribute centre 9/11 tour, been up the one world over storey at sunset and walked part of the high line! Too much for one day arguably but just so so much to do here !!!