6 days in New York - help me with an itinerary please

[BigSandyBalls2015]

We're going for Easter next year with two teenage DDs (mid-teens).

I haven't been for 25 years. Most of our holidays involve getting up late and chilling by a pool/the beach with a few watersports or a mooch round a village after lunch, so this is very different and I don't want to waste it, so I'm thinking an itinerary would be good.

Can you give me some ideas of 'must do's' re: sightsteeing etc and also where to eat. It's DH birthday whilst we're there so a plan for that would be good.

DD1 lives there & recently sent this email for a friend of a friend.
Pls excuse bad language
Also the advice is mainly for adults, not teenagers/kids (hence all the cocktails) so adjust accordingly.
From our last trip I'd recommend building up your stamina before you go...

Don't bother with a New York Pass or any other "money saving" offer - you don't need it as even if you spend the whole time frantically haring around, you barely break even and you've spent the whole time frantically haring around.
Many of the museums - including the Met and Natural History museum - are pay what you wish so you can just pay a dollar. (I once tried saying "I'd like to pay nothing please!" and got a withering look in response. "It doesn't work like that." Worth a try though right??) I don't really rate the Natural History museum anyway - it's like a tired, shit version of the one in London. The Met is worth a look, even if you bypass all the art and just go straight to the roof terrace! Great cocktails and views of the park - lovely at sunset.
Another good roof terrace is Press Lounge at the Ink Hotel, on 46th-ish and 11th - bit of a ballache to get to but FANTASTIC views of midtown from the west. Again, go at sunset and stay until it gets dark and all the lights go on. Drinks are super expensive though so just get one and nurse it!
A rooftop that always gets recommended is 230 Fifth...it does have a good view of the Empire State Building but the drinks are a bit shit and last time we went it was full of absolute knobheads so I'd swerve it.
Sights-wise, if you're going to go to the top of anything, make it the Top of the Rock - better than the ESB because you get the ESB in the pictures! And the One World Trade centre observatory is too far downtown. Definitely go to the 9/11 memorial though and the museum if you have time. Takes two/three hours to do properly...harrowing but VERY well done. Get chocolate for when you come out, it's a bit like a run-in with a Dementor!
Most of the museums have a "pay what you wish" slot each week - I'm on a flight to Chicago at the moment so can't attach link but from memory MOMA is Friday evening, Guggenheim is Saturday eve, and Frick is Sunday morning. My favourite museum is the Museum of the City of New York - there's a great exhibit about New York on at the moment, and the timescapes video on the bottom floor is a must-see.
Don't bother going to Liberty Island - take the Staten Island ferry (get the 1 down to South Ferry) and you can see it for free! Make sure you're on the right hand side of the ferry though otherwise you'll just see the arse end of Brooklyn. (This combines well with 9/11 actually as they're both downtown...also nearby is Wall Street and the statue of the bull, if you don't mind fighting your way through a million Asian tourists all taking a hilariously original photograph touching the bull's balls.)
The Brooklyn Bridge is iconic, but I would advise walking to Brooklyn across the Manhattan Bridge (at the end of Canal Street), for three reasons - one, cyclists and pedestrians are separated, two, it's a lot quieter and three, you get the Brooklyn bride in the pictures. DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park are nice to wander around and get an ice cream/ pizza from Grimaldis, then walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge...just keep your wits about you because the cyclists are lunatics.
A new discovery last year: the Lobster Boat and Fish Bar (fish boat maybe?? Again, no internet to check but you can google) - both river cruises that leave from 42nd street right over on the West Side. They're both free (FREE!!!) - you just pay for drinks/ food. I prefer the Fish Bar because it goes downtown - really close to the Statue of Liberty actually - and the views are better. Takes about an hour and a half I think. The Frying Pan is also a cool bar on a boat (at 26th on the west) for a nice day.
Restaurants-wise AVOID TIMES SQUARE LIKE THE PLAGUE. Head to Second Ave for bars/ restaurants nearby. Our local is Dylan Murphy's on 82nd and 3rd - pop in for a pint but don't eat there.
Yelp is good for recommendations - google "best lunch spots near [wherever] and you'll get a list. The Spotted Pig is a fave - get the burger - you can't book and there's usually a wait but it's worth it, I promise you! We tried to go there for lunch last Valentine's Day (unromantic unfortunately)... the building set on fire and we had to be evacuated. We did get a free bottle of wine out of it though so there's that!
Ooh, my favourite cocktail place is Raines Law Room, on 17th (I THINK) between 5th and 6th. It's a speakeasy - just a normal looking door under a blue awning - you have to knock but it's REALLY cool inside and the cocktails are phenomenal. Dead Rabbit, down near South Ferry, is cool as well. Best bar in the world, dontcha know! (Literally literally.) If you want/ need to watch football while you're there, Legends bar on 33rd Street, right by the ESB, is the place.
Go to Grand Central, see a Yankees/ Mets game if you can, wander around Central Park as much as possible - my favourite bit is the path between the Bethesda Fountain and the Boathouse - another great place for brunch or a drink. Haha, it totally sounds like all I do is drink.
The High Line is nice but always packed and a bit overrated in my opinion.
Ooh, go and take a picture in front of the LOVE statue - used to be on 54th/ 6th but I think I read somewhere that they've moved it so worth googling. Bryant Park/ the NYPL is nice as well.
Definitely visit Times Square at night (just don't eat/ drink there). If you want to do a show, download the TodayTix app and buy through that - they sell discounted tickets that you then pick up from outside the venue from a guy in a red t shirt half an hour before the show. Sounds dodgy but it's totally legit.
Oh, do get a 7 day Metrocard - you can buy from JFK/ Newark when you get off the air train. $30 for unlimited travel. Tipping wise, standard is 20% for meals (double the tax) and one dollar per drink.

Went in May. Enjoyed meals in Mexican, Japanese and Greek restaurants after bad kitchen nightmares experience on first night.

Deli breakfasts were expensive but we enjoyed a the bagel cafes where you could choose your type of bagel and your schmear (cream cheese with salmon, onion etc) and get a hot drink for very resonable price.

I liked sitting in the square park by the university, eating lunch and watching the locals hanging out, kids parties, people out with their personal trainers etc.

Our surprise hit was a mooch round the Wall Street area. DH was keen to see the memorial. DD likes to go to a "real" place on holiday, where people work etc.

The rebuilt subway station is beautiful. DD is really into Hamilton (the musical about the first secretary of the treasury) so enjoyed going to see the stock exchange and the government buildings where they used to keep the money, collect taxes and where the constitution was signed. (There is a Hamilton shop just off Broadway).

Off Wall Street we also liked seeing the statues of the Bull and the fearless girl statue facing down the bull. She was put up to mark international Women's Day. The artist who put up the bull without permission was taking the city council to court saying the girl had changed his installation and should be taken down

There were lots of kids having their picture taken with the girl. An American woman stood next to me and said with tears in her eyes, "She is us. There are hardly any women at the top of these big companies. We still have a long way to go."

Sorry bit of a travelogue

OP you read my mind... we are going in October for 5 days with DDs 15&11. Was going to come on here and ask same question..... have now got some great ideas and off to google all these places!

So many good tips already. We loved Ellis Island, Highline, Intrepid and Natural History Museum.

We did a Mafia Tour with the Lower East Aside History project. It was fantastic.

Also, if you are there at a weekend Smorgasburg is great.

Don't forget to go and wave/moon Trump Towers!

Oh yes we went into Trump tower and rode up and down the bling escalator. Free and sort of funny.

We weren't that classy 😁

Goingnin October with teen DS can't wait

choose your type of bagel and your schmear (cream cheese with salmon, onion etc)

Sorry for being pedantic

But a schmear is a measure of how much cream cheese is on the bagel, NOT the type of filling. Some people like a ton of cream cheese on their bagels, others like "just a schmear"

Make sure you check the opening hours / days of the museums if they're key for you, as lots shut on 1-2 days of the week, and around 5/6pm.

Don't forget to tip properly even in bars - $1 for a beer / easy drink, $2 upwards for a complicated cocktail thing. Brits are renowned for not tipping and being tight. Also, tip well on a first round and you'll find a measure of spirits is twice the size of a normal one

if you want to splash the cash, there's some really really nice restaurants. Lots of them (Daniel, cafe boulud etc) often do set price tasting menus. My favorite tapas place (michelin star) is called cafe mono just down by union square

Beware for shit coffee - the yanks love buckets of the flavored stuff which is rank. if you can, find a Fika branch (Swedish and 4-5 places round the city) or Financier (a French place with outlets dotted around)

I'm going to be controversial and say little italy isn't worth it as its so small now (reduced to 1-2 streets) and not a lot going on in chinatown tbh altho my friend came and bought a v good replica handbag there

Download the subway app which will provide up to the minute info on outages etc as the paper maps are shit beyond extreme and v confusing! Subway lines usually run an express and local on the same lines, which means you can often miss your stop if you get on the wrong one (express tends to jump many stations)

Sort out your mobile data roaming charges before you arrive - data charges here are eye watering and it can be difficult to access public wifi, altho its becoming more available. in my experience standard hotels will try and rinse you $25 a day for wifi in the rooms

Times square is an armpit and I wouldn't make my worst enemy go there - I usually send in guests with directions and that Ill meet them 2 hours later. It's like piccadilly circus on steroids with nothing actually 'there' if that makes sense? Unless you want to visit consumer laden stuff like the M&M store. they do have a theatre ticket outlet there tho that you can snag v discounted tickets for big shows from

Probably worth noting also - check schedules and opening times generally for stuff as you're there over easter and Passover. We don't get Good Friday or easter Monday off, but easter and passover is massively observed so does affect stuff over the Friday - Monday

Another cheeky follow. Meant to go end of Sept but not booked it yet!

Wow some great ideas here. We are looking to go for our 10th wedding anniversary next year but might only be able to do three nights. Is this enough or silly to try?

The first time I went for 6 nights and we didn't feel that was enough, so recently returned for 8 nights which (obviously) gave us a lot more time to explore and just take in the atmosphere. I wouldn't go for just 3 nights. Looking on booking.com for the best hotel deals.

The first time I went for 6 nights and we didn't feel that was enough, so recently returned for 8 nights which (obviously) gave us a lot more time to explore and just take in the atmosphere. I wouldn't go for just 3 nights. Looking on booking.com for the best hotel deals.

Loads of great suggestions already so sorry if I'm repeating any! We stayed in Greenwich village, loved it and would do that again-especially with kids. We were short walk from the ghostbusters fire station and friend's apartment if you're a fan, worth a quick photo!
Enjoyed the high line. Do Rockefeller during day and Empire State at night (no queue at all). Free staten ferry for Statue of Liberty. Wander round Central Park-could be there for days! Ellen's stardust diner near Times Square if you like musicals (food not amazing but worth it for the amazing singing staff!). And my favourite place to eat has to have been Katz deli-the pastrami is to die for and you can always recreate the when Harry met sally moment if the moods takes you...

Love this thread. Would love to hear more about Brooklyn.

Someone on here recommended going on the Roosevelt Island Tramway. You get on a cable car near Bloomingdales (have a google) it takes you to a lovely island with a park and beautiful walk. It goes over the river and you get fantastic views of the city. We went at Easter and the trees were in blossom it was so pretty.
It's part of the transport system so only a few dollars each. We took a coffee and bagel and ate it across from the Un building.

When you get off a lot of tourists turn round and go straight back without walking around just for the ride across the water but it's worth the stroll x

Oh dear sorry about the kisses

Check out Big Apple Greeters! It's a free service where locals (usually retirees) show you around the sights. It's a great service and we had such a great day seeing many places we wouldn't have come across otherwise.

Doing at Christmas try and book the Radio City Christmas show. It'll knock your socks right off.

If I was going now I'd book Hello Dolly as Bette Middlers getting raves.

Last time we were there in October we saw Mathilda.

I recommend a Big Bus tour, pick up at the fort at Battery Park.

Also for posh shops Greenwich is better than uptown.

I really want to go back but as long as the current incumbent is hanging in there at the White House I just couldn't (plus we'd be on the naughty list anyway).

I am following too!

Went to NYC 2 years ago with DD and LOVED it. Going back in Oct with DS and DH. Im happy to revisit some stuff (all mentioned here!) but also want to do some new stuff, so looking for ideas!

I've been wanting to this for a while - www.grandcentralpartnership.nyc/things-to-do/tours

Also look here - www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nycgo.com/amp/articles/free-tours