NY with teens. Is 7 night too long?

[LavenderLxx]

I’ve inherited some money and I’d like to treat my family to a special holiday. We were thinking a week in New York. It would have to be in the summer holidays which I know can be hot but we can’t make it work at any other time of year.

We were thinking of 7 nights and being able to walk/visit sights in the morning and then have lazier afternoons. A few friends have suggested that a week is too long; but they are also friends without children so har probably been happier/more able to squeeze more into their days.

Our children are 13 and 16 - the 16 has Autism. She is fine with crowds/lots of walking but would feel better with a chance to build in a bit of downtime back at hotel in the afternoons.

We were also wondering about a day trip out to Long Island and another to Hudson Valley to escape the city for a bit.

I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts about a week being too long? Thank you

@Crushed23 Of course you can get things cheaper but eating all your meals on the go probably isn’t realistic. A regular Big Mac meal to take out is over $11. A 10 piece chicken nugget meal almost $15. That’s a $50 meal for four people that you have to eat on the sidewalk.

A lox bagel from Zabar’s (an upper west side institution but definitely a “neighbourhood” place) is $16.99, a coffee $2.99 plus tax. A packet of six plain bagels to take away and put your own fillings in is something like $11.

It’s surely far better to budget appropriately than to think you can feed the whole family for $100 a day? Just trying to give the OP realistic costs.

Out of the city day trip :
Train up the Hudson from Grand Central
(amazing building)
to Ossining - about 45 minutes each way but lots to see on a hop on hop off.

Long Island - travel by train on the LIRR
but remember that most of the beaches on Long Island are NOT open to day trippers

Why would you need to eat on the sidewalk? I live here and regularly buy a bagel from Liberty (for $6) and sit in Central Park or Bryant Park. No one is saying do this for every meal, but if you have a casual lunch like this that costs <$10pp then you can go to a restaurant for dinner. If you have a sit-down meal for both, you will spend a fortune over the 7 days. I think we’re saying the same thing, anyway.

@Crushed23 I think we are saying the same thing 😂😂. There are some cheaper options but the reality of it is if you want to eat in anywhere, even low end places, it’s going to cost a lot!

@LavenderLxxOne thing to keep in mind is that the World Cup is in the States this year, including matches in NYC (which are actually in NJ lol) so make sure you time your trip for after July 19th. :)

Surely the issue with cost is accommodation so much more than bagels or restaurants? NYC accommodation is very expensive.

It’s been a few months since I was last in London, but I don’t recall paying that much less than $12 (£9) for a coffee and bagel there. So I wouldn’t say that on-the-go food of this kind is particularly expensive in NYC.

Sit-down restaurants are more expensive though. 20% tip and some now adding an arbitrary ‘cover charge’ on top. 😒

Edit: mis-read your post - we’re definitely saying the same thing. 😂

Of course, but some people believe that everything in NYC is substantially more expensive than the UK, when it isn’t.

I saw someone say on another thread that “food costs twice as much”. It doesn’t. It’s probably 30-50% more, but not 100% more for a comparable meal.

Some things cost less, believe it or not, like public transport ($3 one-way no matter the distance).

A deli sandwich costs $11 but it feeds three normal sized Brits !

A $5 slice of Pizza at Washington Square is humungous

Fun food thing in New York - hit the Curry places on 2nd Avenue
NYC Curry is not the same as UK

Yup - DP and I will often share a sandwich! Especially a cheesesteak from Danny Coops in East Village. 💜

We used booking.com . It was really nice with a grocery store in the basement with Deli food and lots of fruit and veg

As many other posters have said, 7 days is perfect and a trip we did with 2 teens a few years ago in the school summer hols. I don’t recall oppressive heat though like some others have said. The buildings are so tall that some pavements are permanently in the shade.
eating out can be expensive for sure but lots of the things we did were low cost or free. We got a week’s transport pass each (not expensive, a lot cheaper than London) and used it quite a bit, for example going to Coney Island, riding the cable car to Roosevelt island. Staten Island ferry is free and takes you close to the Statue of Liberty (helpful if all the tickets are sold out!). We went to MoMA on a free night, Central Park had a free open air cinema for the week we were there. Then we did stuff like find Rachel and Monica’s apartment, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (tip-take the subway to the other side and walk into Manhattan), walk the Highline, visit Grand Central.
a week is enough to fit in something for everyone without rushing.
We all loved it, I’m sure you will too.

We went in the summer with dd and ds when they were 14 and 12.

DH is autistic so needs down time. We went out in the morning to do the sights, then chilled in the afternoon and went out again in the evening - a baseball match, a broadway musical and an evening in a jazz club (The Coca Cola club???). It was $$$$ but the DC’s still talk about those evenings now.

Thete are obviously cheaper alternatives for evenings. But if your family are remotely sporty a baseball game is fab.

Ooh this sounds just like what I’ve imagined! My family is far happier just wandering and looking rather than needing to pay to go into every exhibition/sight

Downtime is definitely needed in our family so I think we’d follow a similar plan! I love the idea of the jazz club!

Going against the grain here. Depends.

If you're just doing Manhattan (and the general 'touristy area') then I think 7 nights/8 days is too long. DH and I (and the DC) managed to do everything we needed and wanted to do in 4 nights/5 days. We loved it but were exhausted by then, and were ready to go home.

I know all people aren't the same, but if it's just for the tourist spots, I wouldn't be going or 7 nights/8 days. If you're planning on going to other places outside of the obvious/tourist areas, then yeah, 7 nights should be OK.

If you have some money to spare though, do get 2 rooms. Our room was quite big in our hotel (it was a 3 star, like a Premier Inn,) but 2 rooms will give you extra space and privacy. We had one big room with me and DH and our 2 DC who were secondary school age. We booked a trip to London 6 months later, and had 2 rooms in a Travelodge in the west end next door to each other. For 3 nights/4 days - just for a bit of a look around central London/the tourist spots . It was better. Lots more room, and privacy for DH and I, and them.

.

When are you going. As someone said upthread the World Cup final is in NJ on 19th July. Hotels in NYC are stupidly expensive for a few days after (and most likely before). Flights will also be expensive around then (managed to get ours on avios!) We are staying with friends in NJ that week and popping into NYC for a few days after the final. DD has made her sightseeing list based on instagram 🤦🏼‍♀️.

I tend to agree about the length of time for a city break. On a regular holiday having “doing not much” days is fine, but in NY that would be a rather costly waste of time!

It is exhausting walking round all the time, which is when rows can happen!

Also agree about the cost. Years ago I lived in NY, but in recent trips back I was knocked sideways by the expense. That’s no reason not to enjoy your trip, but forewarned is forearmed. And you don’t want to be existing on Duane Reade water and supermarket bagels as a pp suggested. Better to take it on the chin and live on value beans for six month back home!

I did a week and it was perfect, still things I didn’t get chance to see. I went in the summer and yes, it was HOT. So be prepared to find air conned places in the middle of the day. I still prefer it to winter as so many more outdoor things you can do. I’ve stayed in the Beacon Hotel, although a few years back now, but it was lovely. Also agree that NY is expensive. Not for everything, obviously, there are cheap pizza places and food trucks. Just remember that most places expect a tip, and most hotels have a lot of hidden extra costs like city tax and daily charges, so check carefully before you book.

Be warned that sales tax is on clothes in NY. If you go to eg Philadelphia or Delaware there’s less or zero sales tax there. In fact Philly could be good for a nice day trip, just go on Amtrak. Lots to see and do there including the main art museum (Rocky stood on the steps), coach ride, liberty bell and first US Houses of Parliament and there’s I think Edison museum there. Bronx Zoo is good but a wander through the graffiti areas would be good, I just love wandering through the squares watching old men playing chequers or seeing the enclosed dog parks. From what I can recall Chinatown is fairly reasonable for eating out but that could’ve changed. Second the Staten Island ferry. It’s brilliant. If you do want to do Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany’s etc then they are worth a visit also St Patrick’s church. I also recommend walking a lot but at least one trip in a yellow taxi is a must. I also liked South sea street port (think that’s the name) near Wall Street. Just plan where you want to go and if necessary book a walking tour. Agreed that it gets very hot and humid in summer though inside is all air con. The kids and you won’t need jeans just shorts, skirts and tops t shirts. Ellis Island and the museum is fascinating as is Statue of Liberty. I actually went into the crown but may have changed now.

I did two weeks in New York the 2 times I went but that’s because the first time was over Christmas/NY then because I loved it so much I did 2 weeks in July. People thought I was mad but I enjoyed it.

I personally couldn’t do it in 4-5 days because I love it and there’s always something to do, even if you don’t want to do anything too busy you can literally go and sit in the park all day and walk around there.

A week is perfect you don’t have to cram everything in and can take your time.

For money we did really cheap days, we literally went to a hot dog van for lunch, pizza slices for dinner etc it doesn’t always have to be a nice restaurant. I would recommend Ellen’s Stardust Diner for dinner though! You can’t book but it’s worth the wait!

Agreed with tips, especially for taxis! You can get a good deal on manicures pedicures there though. I personally wouldn’t rule out a Broadway show though Times Square is pretty scummy these days.

You can do both though. You can go to the diner forget the name that was in When Harry Met Sally and get a salt beef (?) sandwich on rye. The off Broadway restaurant where out of work actors dance on the tables (forget the name again!) is a fun night out too.

I went out to Coney Island on the subway for a walk along the board walk. I was there late Sept and it was misty and chilly. Wondered if it might be cooler than the city in mid summer and makes an easy day out.

I’m sorry but the When Harry Met Sally place is now an absolute rip-off. Avoid!!