Scarlett Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Dh and I are taking the boys on a trip to NYC. They will be 15 and 16 when we go. We are probably going in the spring. Do any of you have good resources for planning for a trip there? I need a big huge list of things to show the boys so we can choose what they/we want to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 How many days will you be here? Do you prefer to focus in depth on one or two things, or to see a wide variety of places? Does your family need to travel everywhere together, or is it okay if you split up and each do your own thing? What's your budget like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Don't forget to check out any colleges in the city that your kids might want to attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 How many days will you be here? Do you prefer to focus in depth on one or two things, or to see a wide variety of places? Does your family need to travel everywhere together, or is it okay if you split up and each do your own thing? What's your budget like? We will have an entire week plus the two weekends....so roughly 7-9 days. We plan to fly into Whiteplains and spend 2 or 3 of our days on some events related to our religion. We will take the train into the city but plan to stay in upstate NY. One thing we will be doing is a private tour at the Met which takes several hours. So basically I need ideas for about 3 days of NYC. I don't know about budget. Part of why I am planning now is to see what things we want to do and what they cost. I would like to see a Broadway show, but I might get vetoed by the husband and teen boys. Dss has said he wants to see 911 museum. Beyond that we are all sort of clueless....like dh said he wants to see Central Park and Statue of LIberty....just normal tourist things. But I start getting overwhelmed when I think of all there is to do there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 How many days will you be here? Do you prefer to focus in depth on one or two things, or to see a wide variety of places? Does your family need to travel everywhere together, or is it okay if you split up and each do your own thing? What's your budget like? Oh and we need to stay together. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is going to take up pretty much all day, unless by "see the Statue of Liberty" you mean "Ride the Staten Island Ferry". (And if you do ride the Ferry, come onto the Island! We have the best Sri Lankan food in the city.) Central Park is also likely an most of the day thing, depending on what in the park you want to see. It's huge. They run events as well. Let me link you to their website. It might be best if your husband rewrites this plan as "Go bouldering" or "Stop by Sheep Meadow" or "Ride the Carousel" or "Take a tour with Bill, the Wildman". More specificity, you know? As for the 9/11 museum, I have no intention of going in my lifetime, I think the admissions are exorbitant, but there seem to be an awful lot of lines. Definitely plan to go there very EARLY in the morning. (Any big tourist thing with admissions is something you should hit up EARLY, and possibly by tickets in advance as well.) As for other things, there are lots of options, but really, you don't want to overbook yourself. You can go on a walking tour, visit a lesser-known museum such as the Tenement Museum or the NY Historical Society, you can hit up the Cloisters or any of the art museums - The MoMA, the Guggenheim, and others of that ilk - you can go to the top of a very tall building (didn't the new WTC building open up? you'll be in that area), you can go shopping for whatever you like, you can make a trip out to the Botanic Gardens (either the Brooklyn or the NY), you can stop by the Bronx Zoo or the Aquarium, you can hang out at Grand Central... I'm trying to think "tourist" here, of course :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 They have really cool exhibits here- http://www.discoverytsx.com/about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is going to take up pretty much all day, unless by "see the Statue of Liberty" you mean "Ride the Staten Island Ferry". (And if you do ride the Ferry, come onto the Island! We have the best Sri Lankan food in the city.) Central Park is also likely an most of the day thing, depending on what in the park you want to see. It's huge. They run events as well. Let me link you to their website. It might be best if your husband rewrites this plan as "Go bouldering" or "Stop by Sheep Meadow" or "Ride the Carousel" or "Take a tour with Bill, the Wildman". More specificity, you know? As for the 9/11 museum, I have no intention of going in my lifetime, I think the admissions are exorbitant, but there seem to be an awful lot of lines. Definitely plan to go there very EARLY in the morning. (Any big tourist thing with admissions is something you should hit up EARLY, and possibly by tickets in advance as well.) As for other things, there are lots of options, but really, you don't want to overbook yourself. You can go on a walking tour, visit a lesser-known museum such as the Tenement Museum or the NY Historical Society, you can hit up the Cloisters or any of the art museums - The MoMA, the Guggenheim, and others of that ilk - you can go to the top of a very tall building (didn't the new WTC building open up? you'll be in that area), you can go shopping for whatever you like, you can make a trip out to the Botanic Gardens (either the Brooklyn or the NY), you can stop by the Bronx Zoo or the Aquarium, you can hang out at Grand Central... I'm trying to think "tourist" here, of course :) See we are so clueless we had no idea CP would take an entire day. Wow. I don't want to overbook. I took ds 5 years ago with my parents. It was a tour package. We had one afternoon in the city with the group.....where we went to the Lego store in Rockerfeller Center, the Met, and a short driving tour past the WTC building project...and UN building... Edited to add and a Ride the Staten Island Ferry. Then we had a totally free day where we took the bus into the city by ourselves and went to see Mary Poppins, eat at Nathans Cheesecake, went to Empire state building...and Times Square. And a carriage ride through Central Park. Oh and a cab ride to Central Park. :)It was a very long day. I don't think I could do 3 days like that in a row. But we could break up our trips into the city and go on our driving trips in between. Also I think it is about an hour and a half from where we will be staying into the city via train. How late do the trains run back? See how clueless I am? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 They have really cool exhibits here- http://www.discoverytsx.com/about That looks so awesome! Bookmarked! Ty. ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is going to take up pretty much all day, unless by "see the Statue of Liberty" you mean "Ride the Staten Island Ferry". (And if you do ride the Ferry, come onto the Island! We have the best Sri Lankan food in the city.) Central Park is also likely an most of the day thing, depending on what in the park you want to see. It's huge. They run events as well. Let me link you to their website. It might be best if your husband rewrites this plan as "Go bouldering" or "Stop by Sheep Meadow" or "Ride the Carousel" or "Take a tour with Bill, the Wildman". More specificity, you know? As for the 9/11 museum, I have no intention of going in my lifetime, I think the admissions are exorbitant, but there seem to be an awful lot of lines. Definitely plan to go there very EARLY in the morning. (Any big tourist thing with admissions is something you should hit up EARLY, and possibly by tickets in advance as well.) As for other things, there are lots of options, but really, you don't want to overbook yourself. You can go on a walking tour, visit a lesser-known museum such as the Tenement Museum or the NY Historical Society, you can hit up the Cloisters or any of the art museums - The MoMA, the Guggenheim, and others of that ilk - you can go to the top of a very tall building (didn't the new WTC building open up? you'll be in that area), you can go shopping for whatever you like, you can make a trip out to the Botanic Gardens (either the Brooklyn or the NY), you can stop by the Bronx Zoo or the Aquarium, you can hang out at Grand Central... I'm trying to think "tourist" here, of course :) These are great links and I book marked them all. Ty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I haven't been to White Plains since a friend graduated high school. I think the last train is at 1:45am or so. But, you know, it's not that far outside the city. You could take the 4 to the last stop in the Bronx and try to catch a taxi if you were desperate. You need to buy a ticket for the MetroNorth each time, though. The MetroNorth and the MTA trains are NOT the same system, and they do NOT take the same fares. See we are so clueless we had no idea CP would take an entire day. Wow. I don't want to overbook. It depends on what you want to do. If you just want to "see Central Park" you could hop off the train at Columbus Circle, snap a few pics, and be on your way. If you'd like to explore the park, though.... It's 778 acres, I just googled. That's a lot of park, you know? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Dd and I did a carriage ride through Central Park and saw the main sights. It was a pleasant break from all the walking we had been doing and in half an hour, we had 'seen' Central Park. It was enough for us for a first visit. When we traveled w kids we let each kid pick one thing they wanted to do...the rest might be picked by us, but at least they got to do something they wanted. Even if that something was goofy, we honored the request. And we often found that they picked some pretty awesome things to do that we hadn't thought of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 http://www.thetouratnbcstudios.com http://www.sonywondertechlab.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Did anyone suggest the Museum of Natural History yet? You could do it on the same day as Central Park. :) And don't forget SHOPPING! :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingmom Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I went about 15 years ago. My brother (who lives near there) recommended I buy a 3 day pass (I had 4 days in the city) on a tour bus. I think it was Apple or something like that.... They had a couple of routes, and they would stop at various tourist type spots. You could get off at any stop, and get on another of their busses. I went to a lot of places.... China Town (I was looking for a gift for a friend), saw the Fish place and Brooklyn Bridge. Did the Empire State Building and World Trade Center. Walked around 5th Avenue. Found the Headquarters for Girl Scouts of America to buy some gifts for my Girl Guide Leader friends. I'm sure I did more..... saw a lot more on the bus too. On my 4th day I went to the Museum of Man and Nature and also Central Park. My brother took me to see Cats on Broadway, which involved a subway ride and I think maybe Grand Central station. And we took a ferry each day to get to manhatten. There is so much to do and see.... Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 And don't forget SHOPPING! :D How do you plan shopping?? I have a DD who is a fashionista and would love to do some shopping if we visit NYC, but I wouldn't even know where to start. Are there certain places that are *must go* for shopping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 ...and Times Square. Fair warning - last time I went, Times Square featured quite a few young ladies wearing very little but patriotic body paint, who make their living asking tourists if they want to pose for selfies together. Apparently, it's legal to wander around topless in NYC, and they weren't shy about introducing themselves to the gentlemen. Plus lots of big box mall-type stores. It may not be your kind of destination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato4 Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 We went last summer with our teens. Their favorite by far was seeing a Broadway show, followed by dinner and cheesecake at Juniors. We got a City Pass, and it was worth it for us. The flexibility of the hop on hop off buses and the prepaid admission was great. We even enjoyed the cheesy tour guides on the buses. Some were downright entertaining. I wish we had spent more time at the Met and less at the Guggenheim. We also enjoyed the Natural History Museum. I also wish we had gone to Grand Central Terminal. I second the warnings about the girls (and guys) in Times Square, but what got me were the men dressed in super hero costumes that kept cat-calling my 15 year old daughters :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Dh just took me to New York for my birthday. We were only there for three days, so didn't have a ton of time to see things. The first day I walked around by myself (dh was in meetings). Then we went out for dinner and then we went out walking together. It's fun just to walk around. Second day we bought the Big Bus tour tickets. That was fabulous. The tour guides were really good and we were able to see a lot more of the city. We got off at One World Trade Centre and went up to the top (took about 1.5 hours, total) and then we went to see the memorial, but we didn't go to the 9/11 museum. A really fun place to eat is Stardust Cafe. It's near Times Square. They have Broadway hopefuls working for them and they break out into song pretty much all the time. We heard a few Broadway tunes plus some other songs while having a snack that afternoon. It's a pretty inexpensive way of spending a very entertaining hour. Later, we went for dinner and then we went to see Hamilton, the Broadway musical. I have only been to one other Broadway musical (Les Mis), but I have to say Hamilton was incredible. I was on the edge of my seat the whole play, not wanting to miss a word. It's about one of the founding fathers - Alexander Hamilton - and it's absolutely brilliant. I haven't found a bad review yet. If you are wanting to see that, I'd suggest buying tickets as soon as possible because it sells out fast. The last day we walked around, had breakfast, checked out Macy's and then went home. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Fair warning - last time I went, Times Square featured quite a few young ladies wearing very little but patriotic body paint, who make their living asking tourists if they want to pose for selfies together. Apparently, it's legal to wander around topless in NYC, and they weren't shy about introducing themselves to the gentlemen. Plus lots of big box mall-type stores. It may not be your kind of destination. We were there a couple weeks ago and stayed in a hotel right by Times Square. I didn't see any ladies in body paint. There were a lot of cartoon characters (Frozen, minions, etc.) that were pretty pushy. Oh, and some cowboy in his underwear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Dd and I went for two days a few years back. One day we got up, took the subway to get the National Park tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in the morning. We had also planned to do the Tenement Museum that day, but we had not reserved ahead and you must reserve ahead for that, so we spent a little time rethinking what we wanted to do. We did get to the Natural History museum in late afternoon. We probably could have done part of Central Park that day, but it rained all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Concurring that Times Square is quite Disney-fied these days; still lively for sure but no worries re: family friendly (at least until all the shows have spilled out). If your budget allows for a show, that's one of the classic experiences. As Sarah said upthread, Hamilton is the current hot one for which advance tickets are essential; or you can go to TKTS the day of the show and see what you get (most On-Broadway theatres are dark on Monday and have Wednesday matinees for which TKTS is especially good) To balance out such a splurge, cheap thrills include: free/nearly free Central Park events (including concerts and Shakespeare in the summer), poetry slams (good fun, really, even if the poetry itself is not your thing), wandering around the galleries in SoHo. For real geeks, the Federal Reserve Bank has a free tour which also gets you into the financial district which is fun to walk around during the week (don't even bother going on a weekend). Stop by South Street Seaport which also has lots of concerts and activities going on especially in warm weather. The Indian restaurant district on East 6th and Chinatown are both fun to wander around in the evening. If you go in spring/summer, definitely try to get to a baseball game - quintessential NY experience (driving in to either stadium is easy, though the subway works just fine as well). There are a ton of things in Brooklyn too (including lots of great food, the art museum, BAM and the fabulous subway museum), but most tourists don't make it out there! And you've already gotten good advice re: big name museums; I'd just add my favorite small one, the Frick -- no one goes there. Have fun planning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 . As Sarah said upthread, Hamilton is the current hot one for which advance tickets are essential; or you can go to TKTS the day of the show and see what you get (most On-Broadway theatres are dark on Monday and have Wednesday matinees for which TKTS is especially good) I think all the hype is worth it for Hamilton. It was so well done and I learned a lot about American history (I'm a Canadian). In fact, it was so well done that I ended up ordering the 700-plus page biography of Alexander Hamilton that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to create the show. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I think all the hype is worth it for Hamilton. It was so well done and I learned a lot about American history (I'm a Canadian). In fact, it was so well done that I ended up ordering the 700-plus page biography of Alexander Hamilton that inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to create the show. Yeah, we have tickets for next month and can't wait. NPR had the music downloadable on First Listen a few weeks ago and we listened over and over -- WOW. Everyone I know who's seen has just raved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Yeah, we have tickets for next month and can't wait. NPR had the music downloadable on First Listen a few weeks ago and we listened over and over -- WOW. Everyone I know who's seen has just raved. Off to purchase the soundtrack... The music has been stuck in my head. Can't wait it for real again. It really was that good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Only advice I have is that everything will cost a lot more than you expect and take much longer. Travel around the city isn't easy. Well, it's easy to get on the metro or bus or take a taxi or Uber, but the travel itself is slow. I personally think that things like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State building are a waste of time and money. Plus, either one will practically the whole day. That said, I even lived down there for a while and never bothered with that stuff so I might just be jaded. And if you go to other museums remember the admission price is SUGGESTED not required. You can pay nothing, you can pay 5$ per person. No one will think twice about it, I promise. They will say something like "So tickets are 25$ per person, is that ok?" and they look at you meaningfully. You are allowed to say "I would like to donate 10$ per person today" or whatever you like. It is 100% fine. The Natural History Museum should be seen at least once, especially if you are going with kids/teens. It is right across the street from Central Park and in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the country. Last time we went we spend the entire day at the Natural History Museum and the staff even let us into the attached Planetarium for free! It was amazing! There isn't a lot of food around the museum, aside from those food trucks outside and they are terrible. There are several restaurants in the museum, but you will pay quite a lot for food. And I would see Hamilton in a heartbeat! I can't imagine its easy to get tickets though. And avoid Time Square. There really isn't anything there but tourists and pickpockets and restaurants that are overpriced even by NYC standards. It's just a scene. Don't forget the High Line Park. It is a reclaimed elevated train track that has been turned into a park. So it is a park up in the air. It is free and quite lovely. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 You guys are so incredible. I just am overwhelmed with all the ideas from people who actually know things but have nothing to gain from telling me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 My best experiences visiting cities have been when I followed a walking tour from a decent guidebook, like Fodor or Frommer's. I Xerox the appropriate pages and check out menus of restaurants along the route. That way, I don't miss, say, the oldest, most charming street in Philadelphia. When I skip the walking tour, I find, for example, that I have missed the last vestige of Dickensian London by one block while going from point A to point B. I also like guided walking tours. In NYC, you can find specialized ones, like Chinatown, that include stopping in shops and eateries, places that you would normally miss, but are local color. I like to see the city, not just the museums and attractions. My first choice would be to skip some of the biggest tourist stops, like Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building (unless someone's heart is set on these). They really can take the better part of a day and involve endless lines and security checks. Take a map and put dots where you want to go. For example, met Museum is IN Central Park. Perhaps you want to stroll across the park to get to Museum of Natural History. There are so many museums in NYC. Some of the slightly less well known ones may be more interesting than the bigger ones. For example, if you like European painting, the Frick is a place in which every.single.painting is a true masterpiece. It's incredible. If your boys love ancient Egypt, you would want to head to Brooklyn Museum. The Guggenheim is stunning architecturally. Not that I don't love the Met and the Cloisters.... One thing I notice in comparison to some other U.S. cities is that NYC is big, with things you want to see spread out over a wide area. Check a map to scale as you plan in order to be realistic. For example, Wall Street is pretty far from Museum Mile. But WS has stock exchange and Frederal Reserve vaults, which a lot of teen boys like. Speaking of downtown, I agree with pp about World Trade Center scam, oops, I mean museum. Google maps is great for getting a sense of distance and time. Just be sure to check it at approx same time frame you will be traveling. Rambling a bit here.... When you take train in from White Plains, you will be in Grand Central Station. The food courts there are incredible, as is the restoration of the main hall. Two lasts things. Check out New York Magazine website for current events. And if your boys like any TV shows set in NYC, try to find a fan website that lists locations. You could find that a few filming sites are right on your way. Sounds trivial, I know, but my 15 year old enjoys that type of thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Only advice I have is that everything will cost a lot more than you expect and take much longer. Travel around the city isn't easy. Well, it's easy to get on the metro or bus or take a taxi or Uber, but the travel itself is slow. I personally think that things like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State building are a waste of time and money. Plus, either one will practically the whole day. That said, I even lived down there for a while and never bothered with that stuff so I might just be jaded. And if you go to other museums remember the admission price is SUGGESTED not required. You can pay nothing, you can pay 5$ per person. No one will think twice about it, I promise. They will say something like "So tickets are 25$ per person, is that ok?" and they look at you meaningfully. You are allowed to say "I would like to donate 10$ per person today" or whatever you like. It is 100% fine. The Natural History Museum should be seen at least once, especially if you are going with kids/teens. It is right across the street from Central Park and in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the country. Last time we went we spend the entire day at the Natural History Museum and the staff even let us into the attached Planetarium for free! It was amazing! There isn't a lot of food around the museum, aside from those food trucks outside and they are terrible. There are several restaurants in the museum, but you will pay quite a lot for food. And I would see Hamilton in a heartbeat! I can't imagine its easy to get tickets though. And avoid Time Square. There really isn't anything there but tourists and pickpockets and restaurants that are overpriced even by NYC standards. It's just a scene. Don't forget the High Line Park. It is a reclaimed elevated train track that has been turned into a park. So it is a park up in the air. It is free and quite lovely. Agree with everything here. (I wrote my post before reading this, lol.) I read recently that average donation to Met is $10 now, because of rate of exchange in Europe. The Met is on public land and receives public funding. Other museums, like MOMA (modern Art) are private, so admission rules are different. High Line is great especially on weekends. It is a NY experience, not just a tourist one. If you are in season, Saturday Greenmarket on Union Square is full of bustle and interesting people. The Strand bookstore, gigantic, used books only, is nearby. Times Square is a bit trashy. Be aware that some places in the general area may be a bit off. For example, a McDonalds that is a haven for drug dealers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Home'scool Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Walk the Highline Bridge. Very cool and a much easier way to get around without dealing with the crowds and intersections. I would recommend the 9/11 museum but with this caveat: It takes a long time to get through it all and it takes a lot out of you. I would not plan anything big or exciting after it. You may feel emotionally wiped out and want some time to just discuss it all or time for introspection. I agree with the poster who said Times Square is full of barely dressed women. Body paint and a thong is considered "art" and therefore they can walk around like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 At AMNH ask for what events/tours are happening that day--I find those more useful than just walking aimlessly about (but we are members and go there a lot) The tenement museum is a homeschoolers' dream (check the lessons plans with original source documents on their website) but since it is a private museum I hunk each "tour"/experience needs booked in advance. If you are going when governor island is open, I highly recomend a few hours there. The first ferry of the day is free. It has nice views of tbe statue of Liberty if you're into that. The Met is donation only, you don't have to pay the suggested price. The weapon gallery there might appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Concurring that Times Square is quite Disney-fied these days; still lively for sure but no worries re: family friendly (at least until all the shows have spilled out). If your budget allows for a show, that's one of the classic experiences. As Sarah said upthread, Hamilton is the current hot one for which advance tickets are essential; or you can go to TKTS the day of the show and see what you get (most On-Broadway theatres are dark on Monday and have Wednesday matinees for which TKTS is especially good) To balance out such a splurge, cheap thrills include: free/nearly free Central Park events (including concerts and Shakespeare in the summer), poetry slams (good fun, really, even if the poetry itself is not your thing), wandering around the galleries in SoHo. For real geeks, the Federal Reserve Bank has a free tour which also gets you into the financial district which is fun to walk around during the week (don't even bother going on a weekend). Stop by South Street Seaport which also has lots of concerts and activities going on especially in warm weather. The Indian restaurant district on East 6th and Chinatown are both fun to wander around in the evening. If you go in spring/summer, definitely try to get to a baseball game - quintessential NY experience (driving in to either stadium is easy, though the subway works just fine as well). There are a ton of things in Brooklyn too (including lots of great food, the art museum, BAM and the fabulous subway museum), but most tourists don't make it out there! And you've already gotten good advice re: big name museums; I'd just add my favorite small one, the Frick -- no one goes there. Have fun planning! Great ideas! I love those Indian restaurants on the same block. They are all competing with each other price wise. Two other dining ideas. Restaurant Row on 46 th Street has a big pre theater business. If you go later, after shows have started, there are low priced prix fixe meals. And if you do not live in an area with humuus restaurants, try some -- they can be a fun, not expensive, dining experience. Whatever your religion, check out churches. A number of architecturally interesting ones are open to visitors during the day. You can rest your feet! St Thomas Fifth Avenue has regular, free organ concerts too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 And if you go to other museums remember the admission price is SUGGESTED not required. Depends on the museum. MoMA has a required admission - $25! There's a reason I've only been there once in my life. (Two summers ago. I got a CityPass and brought the kids and a friend on a weeklong whirlwind of all the touristy stuff that, naturally, we don't generally do - Ellis Island, MoMA, Empire State Building. Now I never have to do any of that again if I don't want to.) re: toplessness in Times Square, it has nothing to do with whether or not it's art, and everything to do with the fact that it's been legal for both men and women to be topless in NYS for about 20 years now. It makes sense for the law to be applied to both men and women equally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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