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

I guess a lot of it comes down to how you travel (which in turn is informed by finances, time etc I know). I like a slower pace in some ways, I like to mooch which I know for others would seem like a waste. I was there over Christmas and staying in the financial district, one day I caught the ferry to East 90th, walked to levain for a cookie and hot cider to take into Central Park where I walked around the Jackie Onassis reservoir (weather was spectacular that day), exited on the UWS and made my way south via Zabar's and Barnes and Noble, headed back into the park and meandered to the south east corner where I got on the subway. I think that evening I then went to Dizzy's Jazz Club (good but I preferred Birdland).

Over previous visits we've done things like get the ferry across and gone to strong rope brewery for a few hours or bought picnic stuff and hung out in Central Park (and at other times have done museums and other attractions too!). I guess what I'm getting at is that the fatigue aspect can be managed by slowing down some days if you think you would just enjoy the vibe of being there.

Oh and dumplings for $4 from Chinatown is a great dinner.

No idea if your kids would be interested but have a look at inciardi prints nyc, they're a fun reason to pop to places and see some stuff on the way.

Make sure you go to the diner in Grand Central Station (can't remember the name of it?!) but the waffles and pancake breakfasts are UNREAL 😍

And yep one week is perfect. We did it in 6 days and there was still stuff we didn't see! I never understand people who try to cram it all into 3 days - it must feel super stressful and chaotic.

The absolute highlight of our trip was the sunset cruise to the Statue of Liberty and under the Brooklyn Bridge 😊

Also pottering around Greenwich Village and browsing the independent stores on a sunny day followed by a wander on the Chelsea highline and then dinner sat at a table on the street outside a restaurant in Little Italy 😍

This sounds perfect 🤩 Yes, we’d fall rather potter about rather than rush to see everything

Sales tax is only on garments over $109 and is just under 9%. Otherwise there’s no tax.
Versus 20% VAT in the UK, I believe?

My point is it’s not worth travelling to other States just to avoid sales tax when it’s likely not even applicable, depending on how expensive OP / her children’s tastes are.

Obviously if you’re buying a $5,000 bag, that’s another story!

Completely disagree with this. Katzs Deli is fantastic and definitely worth a visit (though you will have to queue…)

Don’t forget that the sandwiches are HUGE. I think they’re about $28 now but you need one per two adults.

Tourist trap!!

Agreed! One of the best sandwiches I've ever had!

If you go to Katz's in the late afternoon/evening I believe the queues are much much shorter.

It isn’t a tourist trap. We live here and go on a semi-regular basis. It’s our favourite sandwich in NYC, and trust me we’ve tried a lot 😅

I also recommend Barney Greengrass on the UWS which has a similar, old-New-York vibe to Katzs, and incidentally also featured in a Meg Ryan / Nora Ephron movie (You’ve Got Mail). If you go, order the potato latkes - they’re not on the menu but always served and they’re divine.

I grew up on Long Island but moved decades ago. Honestly I’d never go in the summer - it’s crazy hot and if you’re on a budget you’ll be outside a lot. Definitely look at buses for the air conditioning. Whatever the temperature is won’t represent what it actually feels like with the humidity plus retained heat in all the pavements plus all the smoke everywhere. My (Scottish) kids would crumble!

i think it’s possibly nicer to go upstate than out to Long Island. I think you might be thinking of Jones beach - it’s a madhouse! Was busy even when I lived there and even more so now.

Yes, I agree. That's why I asked earlier what the OP meant when she said Long Island.

I'm from NY and we had a house in the Hamptons when I was growing up, and I'd advise caution. There are some lovely public beaches there (Sagg Beach and Cooper's Beach are both fantastic), but I would absolutely not try to do it as a day trip from NY. Your options for getting out there are train, but you'll have to change as the line still isn't electrified past Huntington, the Hampton Jitney (bus), renting a car or hitching a ride on a helicopter. The towns are nice, but unless you rent a car, you'll be more or less stuck in one place and getting to the beach will be a faff. In the summer, you'd be doing well to get out there in under 3 hours and it will be absolutely mobbed. I would only do it if you can stay overnight out there. And I agree with @PurpleThistle7 Jones Beach is a hard no from me.

If you are intent on seeing Long Island, Sag Harbour, which is an old whaling port on the North side of the South Fork is very nice - a bit less of a scene than the Hamptons, and Greenport on the North Fork is a lovely town.

Re expense - As I've said, I'm from NY and now live in London. Food in NY is noticeably more expensive than London these days.

We enjoyed the hop on hop off bus and did the circuit a couple times by day and in the evening esp over the Brooklyn bridge - good for a sit down too. When we were there in August they had outdoor cinema in Central Park which was great.

@PurpleThistle7 We have friends with a house on Fire Island. They live on Long Island and go over on the foot ferry. Big issue with mosquitos though! I know it takes forever to get to NY from there.

Some years ago I took my teen DD to the US. We did 3 days at Six Flags New Jersey (she is a roller coaster fan) and 5 days in New York doing the sights. We flew into Newark, hired a car for the New Jersey bit and then took the train into New York and then stayed at an aparthotel. This was a nice balance of fun and sightseeing.

Please do stay in Midtown, especially if it’s your first visit. Most of what you want to do in Manhattan will be easily accessible from there and it’s also much easier to go back to where you’re staying if it’s centrally located, which is something you mentioned would be good for your party.

I think 7 nights will be great. Summer is hot and humid so you’ll be doing things at a slower pace and resting more than if you came at another time of year.

I’m not sure you’d have time for Long Island proper. It’s a bit of a ride out there and honestly, there is nothing much to do there if you’re not staying in a property. It’s nothing like British seaside towns, the beaches are mostly private. Better to get the subway down to Coney Island for the day, which I know is technically Long Island but is still New York City. You can even get the ferry from Manhattan down to the Rockaways in Queens. However, you may find Central Park is enough of a respite from the hustle of the City.

New York is expensive, there’s no getting away from that, but there is still decent pizza for good prices, food carts and little delis to keep spending down. Having breakfast wherever you’re staying will help cut down on costs. Diners are a great New York experience, go slightly off the beaten track to experience ones locals patronise. Buy drinks in multipacks for your apartment/ room- that will save you loads of money.

I have lived here for 20 years and utterly love it and I love when people visit and have a great time too

Chains like Chipotle are good if you don’t want pizza or burgers. Follow the office bros to see where they grab lunch.

Plan your itinerary to do one part of the city each day. Prebook your must-dos. The city-pass type tickets are good value, and research all the free stuff too. Would recommend getting up early for the first boat to Liberty Island and Ellis Island (fascinating).

Hudson valley is a lovely day out, we enjoyed Beacon on a weekend, secondhand bookshops, coffee, micro brewery, very pretty, and the view from the train is relaxing.

Also a day trip to Philadelphia (pre book Amtrak from Penn Station), especially as it’s America 250th anniversary. Prebook and plan ahead, and use the PHLASH bus to get out to the Rocky steps. And Philly Cheesesteaks are a must. Don’t queue for Liberty Bell, it’s visible through the museum window!

For baseball check the schedules for the Yankees or Mets, both easy but busy rides on the subway. We get the cheapest tickets ($5 last summer) and sit in the nosebleeds (up high). Some games have promos like cheap hotdogs and beers, which makes for a reasonable evening out. Go for the experience and don’t feel obliged to stay until the end!

There is certainly enough there to fill a week, especially if you want to add in extra downtime. BUT you know your DC best and so are the one who can decide how they will feel with a week of relentless busyness, sightseeing and being somewhere so familiar and different. And what they need to do to recover. It turns out mine need literal space rather than just time chilling in a hotel room. They got burn out towards the end of day three and had to be bribed out for the final day even though we were doing our best to structure our activities to suit them. As soon as we got out of NY and were somewhere a bit more rural where they could run around, play some ball games and so on, they were much happier.

The research I’d done suggested a trip to Long Island for a beach day (I can’t remember where off the top of my head) but it sounds like it’s maybe a trip too far!

Where did you head to that was a bit more rural?

Thank you - that’s all really useful. Do you think it’s worth staying for a night in Hudson Valley or is a day trip enough?

If you want a beach trip, when we stayed with my friend we got the boat to sandy hook. I think we then had to cycle or get the bus transfer to the beach. Have a google because I’m failing or someone might know more.

Thank you for all the idea - I’m busy writing lots of lists!!

Also don’t know if you can extend your trip but we are heading up to lake George for a few days. Looks lovely if you want outdoor space.

I found it really underwhelming as an adult, kids won’t have the reference anyway so i would avoid it.

currently planning a 3 days trip for my two older teens.