New York - tomorrow!

[justasmalltownmum]

What are the absolute must dos/ don't to see and eat.
Family with dc.
Is it safe to go to the Bronx? Harlem?
Is shopping cheaper then the uk?
Any one of any good deals for attractions?

Managed to find some free slots for the museums.
thankyou!

I loved the planetarium. Miles better than those found in the UK

1. why are you looking there?
2. not since about 2009
3. maybe look at the City Pass.

lots of free things to do, High Line, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park. But recommend paying for one of the sky scrapers for views and the 9/11 museum.

My kids enjoyed Ellen’s Stardust Diner when they were 5 and 9. I enjoyed Ellis Island Tour, but it’s more for adults. The first time I went to New York aged 21 on a solo trip, I arrived into Grand Central Station and it felt really impressive and massive compared to English train stations, and the first thing I did was go outside to find a hotdog cart! 🌭 😝 I’ve been to a few Yankees games over the years, which is fun.

The Edge viewing platform is excellent.
The Intrepid sea, air and space museum is also good, worth a trip.

Shopping is crap and most definitely not cheaper than Uk although suggest buying melatonin in Walmart or CVS if sleep troubles you/anyone you know in UK.

Nothing is cheaper in New York anymore… it’s so so so so expensive … erm I would say Summit One Vanderbilt - Amazing experience … deffo visit 9/11 Memorial site, deffo MoMA… walk the Highline…

Oh yeah I have a long list of pharmaceuticals I buy in the US 🤣 but no nothing that’s cheaper. Gone are the days you’d get $2 to £1. Maybe Levi’s.

It is BOILING here at the moment, 38 but feels like 40 and won’t break until Saturday. Plan to spend a good portion of Friday and Saturday in air conditioning!

There are lots of events for the Fourth of July/ 250th anniversary, including the tall ships sailing up the Hudson and an air show on Saturday -

I loved Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty Museum, including the ferry across. My other favourite was the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. I'd recommend the Rockerfeller (sp) Centre in daytime rather than at night because a huge chunk in one direction is Central Park and pitch black. The Empire State Building views were terrific. The cable car across to Roosevelt Island was fun and inexpensive when I went.

Best of all was all the music and film connections I kept making - I had a constant Simon and Garfunkel sountrack in my head!

We walked in Harlem (during the day and not intentionally) and had no issues. 3 kids. Wall the high line. There is the intrepid museum is great for kids and so is the natural history museum. I don’t find the shopping cheaper than the UK personally. Do the Empire State Building at night if you can. It’s stunning

New Yorker here. Avoid the Bronx unless you have a specific destination in mind. Most of Harlem is okay.

I second the recommendations for the 9/11 museums and the Planetarium. what ages are the DC?

Happy to answer specific questions, and I’ll post some more ideas later when I’m back on my laptop.

Thankyou - was looking the Bronx zoo (over Central Park zoo). Is it a no go then? Thanks!

That’s a bit out of the way, have you been to NY before? Not entirely sure why you’d prioritise a zoo in NY tbh if it’s not a regular trip for you.

The Bronx Zoo is many times larger and more elaborate than the Central Park Zoo, and has the adjacent botanical gardens. That said, it is a bit of a journey from Manhattan, where I presume you'll be staying. It would take up most of a day to see and return from. And I doubt that it's that different from the major zoos in the UK or Europe. My recommendation, unless you are huge zoo fans, would be to do a much quicker visit to the Central Park Zoo and use the time left to see something else.

Here's something that my DC had great fun visiting:

https://intrepidmuseum.org/

It's the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. You get to tour a decommissioned aircraft carrier and submarine, and see a retired space shuttle up close. And it's very easy to get to.

Another lesser-known attraction is the Radio City Music Hall Stagedoor tour:

https://www.msg.com/guided-tours/new-york-city-tours/radio-city-music-hall-tour

A Rockette (member of the dance troop) takes you backstage in this famous Art Deco theater. You get to see the props, costume rooms, backstage mechanical, and vintage artifacts. It takes only an hour and is centrally located in Rockefeller Center.

It's too late to book dinner, but you might be able to book lunch here:

https://www.unionsquarecafe.com./

The food and decor are fabulous, as is the service. It's the flagship restaurant in a group owned by one of NY's best restaurateurs. It's also on the casual side, with good choices for the kids. It's my all-around favorite place to eat in NYC.

Rise NY museum

Pop into the Taylor / Travis wedding 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Thing with a zoo is there is so many other things to do in NY. You can do a zoo anywhere and anytime. I can’t say I’d ever go to NY to go to the zoo.

Thanks all!

Hope you packed for the heat and humidity.

I had never considered New York before but starting to think that I’d quite like to see it for myself. Are there any tips for a first timer - op perhaps you wouldn’t mind posting back after your trip with any nuggets of info.

Do you really have to tip everyone you come into contact with?!

We love the Staten Island ferry. Free and excellent views of lower Manhattan.

We went to the One World Observatory (the one at the top of One World Trade Center) at sunset last time and the views were incredible. There’s a part just as you get to the top where you stand in front of window blinds and they raise them then you suddenly see the views. It blew my mind. So beautiful!

Are you going with children? My daughter was 3 last time we went and she really enjoyed the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn. My husband and I also really liked it so worth a visit even without kids/with older kids.

Have a brilliant time! I love New York.

Tenement museum was great and also economy candy nearby - big choice of sweets and chocolate.

we did the edge viewing platform - glass floor terrified me a little but my daughters loved it.

Rather than the zoo I’d get the subway over to Coney Island and do a few of the funfair rides there!

I’ve also seen good reviews for the Ice Cream museum for the kids but I’ve not been so couldn’t comment on the quality of it! I guess it’s similar style to the Bubble Planet in Wembley

Another vote for Intrepid, easily the best place we visited in NY

To be fair, Central Park zoo does have grizzly bears, which are not found in European zoos. I couldn’t find Alex the Lion though!!

Met is a must. And I really like the Natural History Museum. The Frick is also worth visiting.

For me, New York is about wandering around and soaking up the vibes.