"Must-see" things to see (or do) in NYC?

[Tardis Girl]

Any ideas (for older teens) to see/do while in NYC for a few days? Broadway play is already on the list. :)

 

Thanks!

[danybug]

We just went for a day trip in the spring. You can't beat the view from the Empire State Building, although I thought it was way to pricey. We went to Grand Central Station just to see the beauty of the architecture and art inside. We enjoyed going to FAO Schwarz (my son still talks about the life-size Lego creations) and the Apple Store right by it where you descend into the ground of the glass street top.

 

The NYC Public Library was also fascinating to us, just the beauty and grandness and the various collection items (but we are also extremely partial to libraries ;) I am sure your teens would love to just walk Times Square and see the landmark popular culture stores/MTV etc.

 

Just a few ideas from our trip. Have fun!

[Annie G]

My dd wanted a carriage ride in Central Park. I had no idea she wanted to do that but she's seen it in so many movies and just wanted that experience. It was really a fun break from all the walking we did and the guide was fabulous.

We also loved Chinatown and Little Italy.

[Tardis Girl]

Thanks for the ideas so far, ladies -- I appreciate the specifics you shared!

 

So (showing my ignorance) what do you DO in Chinatown and Little Italy? My DDs are huge fans of Korean pop music (and all things Korean) -- I know there's a "Korea-town" somewhere, but I don't understand what that really means. lol

 

Also, someone offlist suggested Greenwich Village when I said they wanted to do some shopping. But I didn't specify clothes shopping, so does Greenwich Village seem a good choice (in general and for clothes)?

 

Where would be good places to shop for clothes? They love the look of K-pop (Korean) bands. ;)

[CathyT]

Stay up late and hang out in Time Square when it is dark and full of people.

Walk through Central Park or rent bikes or get a carriage ride. Watch the movie Elf before so you'll recognize the Castle there as well as other things.

Visit the Science Museum. They have planetarium shows and some great exhibit halls. Watch Night at the Museum (that may not be the right title but it when the exhibits come to life at night). Corny movie but my teens liked seeing it before we went there.

Visit the Intrepid (aircraft carrier) and the submarine that is next to it.

Take a sail around the harbor. We did that last time at sunset and it was really nice. We went past the Statue of Liberty and the skyline where the Trade Towers once stood. It was a highlight.

 

Have fun!

[gingersmom]

Dylans Candy Bar-super fun!

 

Planet Hollywood-fun to look around and the food is surprisingly good

 

Jekyll & Hyde-another theme restaurant

 

Sony Wonder-I'm pretty sure its free

 

Tea & Sympathy-adorable English tea shoppe/restaurant, maybe 8-10 tables, people wait outside for a table (too tiny to wait inside)

 

Greenwich Village/Soho are just fun to walk around. The buildings are beautiful and there are a ton of fun shops.

 

Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art

 

Hang outside Channel 4 (NBC) and get on TV (in the morning, bring a sign)

 

Dim Sum in Chinatown

[Danestress]

Any ideas (for older teens) to see/do while in NYC for a few days? Broadway play is already on the list. :)

 

Thanks!

 

I would think that for older teens, it is a must.

[Liza Q]

Koreatown is quite close to the Empire State Building, Macys and Madison Square Garden in the East/West?? 30s....let me see.....

 

Apparently the main drag is 32nd Street between Fifth and Broadway.

 

Here are some pictures - hth!

 

Oh - maybe this will help!

Edited August 5, 2010 by Liza Q

[Annie]

I always reccomend walking through the diamond district (47th st between 5th and 6th ave). Even if you don't go into any stores, it's an interesting cultural experience, and you can see some great stuff in the windows.

[Mejane]

 

So (showing my ignorance) what do you DO in Chinatown and Little Italy?

 

Pretty much eat and shop. :001_smile: Great New York Noodletown in Chinatown has great food (four can eat for about $40), but don't expect fancy ambience. Ferrara's Cafe in Little Italy, about a two block walk, has great desserts and coffees. There are tons of shops that sell everything from t-shirts to knock-off Coach purses.

[JoyfulMama]

Ride the high-speed elevators at the Mariott Marquis...:D

[justamouse]

Food. Pastrami, bread, pizza..there will be some of the best food in the world there. Eat it. You can't get anything like it anywhere else.

[LibraryLover]

King Tut is in NYC until Jan.

 

It's been 30 years since the last exhibit.

 

http://www.discoverytsx.com/exhibitions/kingtut

[AngelaNYC]

Food. Pastrami, bread, pizza..there will be some of the best food in the world there. Eat it. You can't get anything like it anywhere else.

 

:iagree:

[JennyD]

I always suggest a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Dim sum in Chinatown, walk down to the bridge, walk across, check out DUMBO and/or Brooklyn Heights (Jacques Torres Chocolate in DUMBO is amazing; the Brooklyn Heights promenade is glorious) and take the subway back. David McCullough's book about the building of the bridge is a great complement, if you're interested.

 

As for clothes shopping, I'm not sure Greenwich Village is what you're looking for, unless what you want is high-end designer clothing. Maybe your girls would like UNIQLO? It's a Japanese brand, very affordable -- the NYC store is in SoHo. And definitely check out Koreatown, right near Penn Station (as the poster upthread said). I don't know if they have clothing stores there -- I just go for the food! -- but you can always go wander around and if you don't see what you're looking for then just ask a teenage girl on the street for a recommendation.

Edited August 6, 2010 by JennyD

[Guest ME-Mommy]

My 14 yo DD tells me there is a statue of Balto in Central Park... :)

[Starr]

Noodletown, You've been to Noodletown? And when did it start getting reviews? My ds is wearing my old t-shirt with the menu on the front from, oh 20 years ago. :D We love Noodletown! Now I'm homesick. :lol: and hungry.

 

 

 

Pretty much eat and shop. :001_smile: Great New York Noodletown in Chinatown has great food (four can eat for about $40), but don't expect fancy ambience. Ferrara's Cafe in Little Italy, about a two block walk, has great desserts and coffees. There are tons of shops that sell everything from t-shirts to knock-off Coach purses.

[Mejane]

Noodletown, You've been to Noodletown? And when did it start getting reviews? My ds is wearing my old t-shirt with the menu on the front from, oh 20 years ago. :D We love Noodletown! Now I'm homesick. :lol: and hungry.

 

We go all the time. My bil, who works in Manhattan, turned us on to it. Now my husband takes his clients there. He says they look at him like he's nuts, but by the time they leave they're hooked, too. The food is A-mazing, right? :tongue_smilie:

[Dad 4 Boys]

If you don't want to take the time and effort to go to the Statue of Liberty, you can take the Staten Island Ferry out and back for a pretty good view of it. IIRC, it's free as well.

 

When planning a trip with my then 14 year old, I found somewhere online that recommended going to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. It said the lines would be shorter then the ESB and it would have great views including the ESB. We did that, and it didn't disappoint. We got there one morning 15 - 20 minutes before it opened. We were up and down within an hour after it opened. The view is incredible.

 

As a PP recommended, the Intrepid is cool, especially if you have military and/or aviation buffs. My son was/is both.

 

Of course, you have to ride the subway to get the complete NYC experience. A friend of mine that lives up there was our tour guide, so we didn't have to figure out how to get to places. We just followed him.

[Tardis Girl]

A huge THANK YOU to all the replies on this -- such a nice variety of comments, too. They now have LOTS of good ideas and specifics. Still working out the itinerary, but well on their way. Thanks! :)