New York - give me your Highlight// must do/ don’t bother…

[Fishfriendly]

We are off to NYC this summer, with 2 older teens. There’s obviously heaps to do and see so I’m narrowing it down.
Can those who have been give me your highlights or quirky things to do. Also anything that you wouldn’t recommend.
We are not foodies so not needing restaurant recommendations, love sightseeing, history, outdoors etc.
Thanks!

The tenement museum on Orchard Street and Ellis Island are great if you like history.

I highly recommend the 9/11 museum. We had tickets to go up the Freedom Tower too which I recommend doing at Sunset.

we did the Statue of Liberty boat and tour which I didn’t rate and would suggest getting the free ferry to Staten Island I think? Which goes right past it instead.

love New York!

Tenement Museum was good, but our unexpected stand out was the kids tour of the UN (you would want the adult version, at 11 dd1 was at the top of the age range for it).

Our two highlights were the 9/11 museum/monument and the Tenement Museum. Both were really very interesting. We thought the Empire State was much better value than the Top of the Rock, which I found a bit meh.

A show and I also loved the Empire State Building. 9/11 museum.
We done boat trip to Statue of Liberty and back and tbh it wasn't very exciting.

Whilst you aren't foodies you need to experience a proper American breakfast place.

"The Ride" performance bus tour. It's absolutely brilliant.

High line
Zabars
MOMA
Magnolia bakery😊

Top of the Rock - don't bother. It takes forever and all you see are the ugly tops of buildings. Empire State Building - yes, if only for the Art Deco design. (Go early as possible to avoid the lines.) Chinatown only for shopping. Little Italy only for eating.

Statue of Liberty & Museum - yes, a must. Ellis Island is even better. Allow a lot of time to listen to the recorded stories of immigrants. Tenement Museum - yes! Times Square - best done in the evening. Grab a table, a drink, and people watch. Grand Central Station is amazing. The 911 Museum starts off odd and cold, but will leave you in tears by the end.

Have a wonderful time!

Staten Island Ferry rather than a boat trip you have to pay for to see the Statue of Liberty

Make use of the Subway and save your feet.

Go to a Basketball game at the Barclay Centre in Brooklyn

Also explore Brooklyn a lot more chilled and less touristy than Manhatten.

Highly recommend Governors Island. No cars on the island it is almost next the stutters of liberty so you get a really good view.
It was the favourite part for me

9/11 Memorial, but be prepared to get emotional.

I get what people are saying about Top of the Rock but it does give you a chance to photograph the NYC skyline with the Empire State Building in it!

We got the New York passes, we were only there for a long weekend so got a 2 day pass and just crammed in as many things as we could to get the best value from the pass.
newyorkpass.com/en-us

How long are you going for? We went with older dc 4 years ago.
Stayed a block from ESB so on arrival, late afternoon did the ESB, Nintendo store, Grand Central and an early night.
The next day we headed south and took the Staten Island Ferry, visited the 9/11 Memorial and museum, took the subway to Brooklyn for pizza and walked back over the bridge and went to see Chicago on Broadway.
Following day we walked the High Line, went to the Friends apartment block, Ellen’s stardust diner for dinner and Top of the Rock at night,.
Last day we cycled around Central Park and did the backstage Radio City tour (DH and I saw the Rockettes Xmas show there a few years earlier).
it was busy and exhausting and we still had time for shopping!

Tour of the UN was a massive hit with our teens (and the adults) as was going to watch the yankees. To be fair it was really hard to find something they didn’t enjoy, they just loved walking around and seeing the places favourite movies had been made etc.

If the budget will stretch to it, a helicopter ride above Manhattan is unforgettable and extra exciting for teens if they haven’t been in a helicopter before.

The Guggenheim and the Frick.
The public library on 5th and 42nd. Also buy a sandwich from one of the delis nearby and eat it in Bryant Park behind the library.
Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Forever...

High line
Central Park

Book big apple greeter
You can put your interests
Chap was wonderful

www.bigapplegreeter.org/

Free but you expected to tip /pay after

Hire scooters and go round Central Park. My 2 ds loved it. It was a highlight.
Empire State. Book fast track/express tickets if you can stretch to it.
Download get your guide - great deals on there.
We did a walking tour round 9/11 and it was us and just the guide. Brilliant and very interesting.
Times Square
Shopping and more shopping.

We loved the UN tour, Ellen's Stardust Diner, the Empire State, watching the skating at the Rockefeller center, half price show/theatre tickets (less queues at South Street Seaport ticket booth than Times Square). Didn't manage to squeeze in the High Line & didn't know about the Friends apartment tour - but always good to have something to go back for...

We absolutely loved Top of the Rock! Incredible view, and someone proposed to their girlfriend while we were up there.

Absolutely loved climbing up inside the Statue of Liberty - tickets for that sell out loads in advance, so you’d have to book now (or it might be sold out already).

Ellis Island immigration museum was really good. I read up on the Tenement Museum but it looked very expensive for something like 50 mins.

We went to the classic jazz club called Birdland, which was fab, and to a Broadway show (The Prom) which was good fun (including how much more enthusiastic American audiences are than London West End audiences!).

Also went to a classic diner the day after we got there when our jet lag meant we were awake at 6am, so we were there by 6.30am - that was actually pretty fun.

Hired bikes to go round Central Park, which was also cool, although only if you’re there for a few days.

9/11 Museum
Staten Island Ferry
Walking over Brooklyn Bridge
Walking through Tribeca and Soho
Central Park
Shake Shack
Century 21 - bit like TK Maxx, we got some real bargains

Top of the Rock was awful - really badly managed and grotty. And we hated Times Square - we both just looked at each other and said "is this it??!"

It says no tipping is allowed. Apparently a tip to the company that organised system is encouraged though.

It says no tipping is allowed. Apparently a tip to the company that organised system is encouraged though.

Agree about Times Square - there is nothing to see other than lots of tourist tat shops, and billboards.

One of my DC lived in NY for a couple of years, so happy to ask if there's anything specific you want to know?