Tips for one day in New York City

[Storygirl]

At the beginning of our family vacation, we will be near NYC on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. We've been planning to look at a few sights, because, except for DH, we have not been there before. But with the newest rise of Covid there, we are wondering if we should reconsider. We were considering taking this walking tour, which mostly is outdoors but would require riding the subway, the ferry, and going into a few buildings for short visits.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60763-d11467202-Full_Day_New_York_Must_See_Small_Group_Tour_plus_One_World_Observatory_Ticket-New_Y.html

Would you still take the tour?

How busy will the subway be on a holiday-weekend Saturday?

If we choose not to take the subway, I doubt DH would want to drive into the city, but would driving and parking actually be okay to do on a weekend?

Our original thought was to see the Times Square and Rockefeller Center area and then go see the site of the World Trade Center on our own; then we thought a tour would be nice. Now we don't know what to do.

Tour?
Do things on our own that are mainly outdoors (but could require a subway ride)?
Avoid the city altogether and do something closer to our hotel in NJ? DH went to Princeton, so we could just go walk around his old campus and otherwise have a day just to relax at the hotel.

[bolt.]

When I visited NY (about a decade ago?) they had multiple open-top tourist bus companies operating.

These are hop-on-hop-off busses with loops that go specifically between all of the touristy areas, with headphones and an audio commentary about what you are seeing. You buy a 24h (or more) ticket. If you want to stop and see a place, you get off and look around for a while, then get on the next bus (of your company) that comes by -- maybe every half hour or so. Or you can just stay on and do a drive-by viewing of all the major and minor sights of that route. They even had night tours.

My DH was in a conference and I got a 3-day pass and went literally everywhere on all the loops. Some of them multiple times. There wasn't anywhere I wanted to go that wasn't on the loops somewhere. It felt very safe (friendly driver only steps away from me at all times on the bus, tourists only as fellow travelers, no crowding) and provided a good overview of the city, but it wasn't exactly efficient. Real public transit would be a much more timely way of getting from point A to point B, if your focus is on specific sites.

Also the open-top would be great for covid safety -- though the weather matters and you might need a raincoat.

EDIT to add:

I really like the look of your tour. I think, because it is guided, that takes a lot of the bad feelings out of using an unfamiliar subway 'by myself' and negotiating all of the times and transportation. At first I thought you were thinking of following a self-guided tour that just tells you where to go and how, but doing it yourself. With a guide, I think you would love the tour as-is. Well-fitted N95s indoors should keep you as safe as you need to be.

Edited May 19, 2022 by bolt.

[Tanaqui]

I always think of the city as being terribly packed during Fleet Week, but apparently we only get a couple thousand  members of the sea services each time, so I don't know where that perception comes from. Maybe it's all the other tourists.

[Toocrazy!!]

I LOVE guided tours. We did a similar one in NYC years ago. I just think you get so much out of your time there. They’re organized abs efficient and you hear such interesting tidbits. I think it’s a great way to spend a day. 
Covid would be my only issue. I’d mask as much as I needed to feel comfortable and go for it. But everyone’s risk analysis is different. 

[FreyaO]

Everyone in my family is taking the subway daily, multiple trains per day, and have done so through several Covid waves - it's not a problem,  practically everyone wears a mask. But - do check the MTA website (https://new.mta.info/) for service alerts for the specific day you are planning to visit.  

Personally, I don't think Times Square is worth it. World Trade Center, yes. A visit in One World Center, yes (albeit not cheap for a family). You can combine it with the Staten Island Ferry (free) which will take you by the Statue of Liberty. Or walk the High Line. 

[Tanaqui]

Quote

You can combine it with the Staten Island Ferry (free) which will take you by the Statue of Liberty.

To be clear, although you will get the best possible view of the Statue and also the Manhattan skyline (and a pretty good view of the Verazzano, if I do say so myself), you will NOT be able to get off at Liberty Island or Ellis Island. The SI Ferry goes to Staten Island and back. That's it.

(And if you're about to ask if there's anything worth doing on the Island, the answer is probably not, unless you really love snakes in which case you should drop by the Staten Island Zoo. Or unless you really want some Sri Lankan food - the North Shore is home to the largest Sri Lankan community in the country, and we are all passionate about our Sri Lankan food options.)

[FreyaO]

13 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

To be clear, although you will get the best possible view of the Statue and also the Manhattan skyline (and a pretty good view of the Verazzano, if I do say so myself), you will NOT be able to get off at Liberty Island or Ellis Island. The SI Ferry goes to Staten Island and back. That's it.

(And if you're about to ask if there's anything worth doing on the Island, the answer is probably not, unless you really love snakes in which case you should drop by the Staten Island Zoo. Or unless you really want some Sri Lankan food - the North Shore is home to the largest Sri Lankan community in the country, and we are all passionate about our Sri Lankan food options.)

Oh, yes, absolutely, but I don't think they have time for a visit to Liberty Island or Ellis Island.

[kirstenhill]

2 hours ago, FreyaO said:

Everyone in my family is taking the subway daily, multiple trains per day, and have done so through several Covid waves - it's not a problem,  practically everyone wears a mask. But - do check the MTA website (https://new.mta.info/) for service alerts for the specific day you are planning to visit.  

Personally, I don't think Times Square is worth it. World Trade Center, yes. A visit in One World Center, yes (albeit not cheap for a family). You can combine it with the Staten Island Ferry (free) which will take you by the Statue of Liberty. Or walk the High Line. 

We did a short trip to New York City last summer, and one day was our "walking day" to see a lot of sites (we also did two museum days).   On this map we did everything I bookmarked ahead except the dumpling shop and the bookstores.  Times Square was a bit of a let down.  I missed it on a trip I took to New York as a teenager, so I didn't want to miss it a second time.   I would definitely consider skipping it unless your heart is set on it.  We aren't much of "guided tour" people, so that wasn't something we considered, but we are into interesting food, so our food stops are mapped out on the map.  😄  We walked almost everything, except for a couple short subway rides that day.  But man, our feet were so tired.  And it really was a FULL day.  I think we left our Air BnB in Brooklyn to get to where we started our journey (first stop was the Fearless Girl statue) at 8am and it was at least 10pm when we got back. 

[Tanaqui]

2 hours ago, FreyaO said:

Oh, yes, absolutely, but I don't think they have time for a visit to Liberty Island or Ellis Island.

I agree, but if they're gonna try for it it's really better they know before they get on the wrong boat.

[Amethyst]

Here’s my tip for what it’s worth. Times Square is not worth your limited time imo. Consider doing the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spend some time in Central Park. Wear N95 masks

Edited May 19, 2022 by Amethyst

[Guest]

10 hours ago, bolt. said:

When I visited NY (about a decade ago?) they had multiple open-top tourist bus companies operating.

Can confirm they still have them, though I have not ridden on them. But I was just in NYC two weeks ago and I particularly noticed the open-top tour buses because it was sooooooo rainy and I remarked about it to my daughter. 

[Not_a_Number]

Oooh, an NYC thread! Not sure I have a ton to add, but I live there, you know 🙂 . 

I have actually been walking around the city a LOT recently and can report that many more things are in walking distance than you'd think. Manhattan is actually a fairly small island... 

[QueenCat]

Whatever you decide to do... wear good walking shoes!

[easypeasy]

Subway should be fine. I’ve been there 3 times in the past few months and use the subway and busses exclusively. 

I personally don’t like guided tours, so I have no input on that. 

I agree that if your time is limited, Times Square isn’t “all that.” It’s literally a large plaza surrounded by some stores and restaurants. Not really “sightsee” worthy but a great area for restarting a and such where you might see Times Square as an afterthought.  🙂 The people watching is the best part there, I think!

If you want a fun place for lunch or dinner and like Broadway, go to the Stardust Diner! It’s been there for ages and the servers are mad talented and the food is great!

[madteaparty]

I personally hate the subway (not ragging on the NYC one, which I find particularly horrific, I just don’t like being underground and avoided it even in Paris etc). There are busses, and i walk a lot (5 miles for each in the office day). Is governor island open? That used to be a cool thing to do back in the day before it got super popular but I think nice still. If you rent bikes and go al around the little island you will get views of the Statute of liberty etc.

Times Square is a dump. I have to walk through there as part of my commute and it’s cringe all the time. Avoid. 

[madteaparty]

7 hours ago, easypeasy said:

Subway should be fine. I’ve been there 3 times in the past few months and use the subway and busses exclusively. 

I personally don’t like guided tours, so I have no input on that. 

I agree that if your time is limited, Times Square isn’t “all that.” It’s literally a large plaza surrounded by some stores and restaurants. Not really “sightsee” worthy but a great area for restarting a and such where you might see Times Square as an afterthought.  🙂 The people watching is the best part there, I think!

If you want a fun place for lunch or dinner and like Broadway, go to the Stardust Diner! It’s been there for ages and the servers are mad talented and the food is great!

I don’t know what’s up with this Stardust diner but there’s a line in front of it, sometimes even before 8am!

[easypeasy]

16 hours ago, madteaparty said:

I don’t know what’s up with this Stardust diner but there’s a line in front of it, sometimes even before 8am!

It’s worth the wait!!! GO next time you’re there!! It’s truly a fabulous and fun experience!!

[madteaparty]

21 hours ago, easypeasy said:

It’s worth the wait!!! GO next time you’re there!! It’s truly a fabulous and fun experience!!

I mean, not a million years, I try to walk by that area as fast as I can 😉 but i will

continue to admire from afar…

[Storygirl]

Thanks for all of the advice! The tour I linked ended up being sold out, but DH found another that is better -- a private tour guide just for our family, who will take us on an itinerary that we give input on, and it's cheaper than the other one. Although we could choose to explore independently, we think this will work well for our family for a first-time visit. I'll let you know how it goes!

[wintermom]

I hope you enjoy your day! I've spent a couple different single days in NYC, and I always need a balance of green or blue open space and concrete buildings, roads and traffic. The balance is tipped heavily on the green/blue side for my preference. 😉 I know it's counter-intuitive when going to Manhatten, but there are lots of beautiful green and blue areas to be found. It helps give me energy to keep walking the pavement. 

[GoodGrief3]

Sounds like you are set for a tour, but I’m going to chime in. I love taking the train from Princeton (have done it both from the campus itself or from Princeton Junction) to Penn Station and walking from there. I think tons of things are walkable but of course it depends a bit on how tolerant of walking all the members of your party are 🙂 

The tours are good but I would caution you that with just a day, and so many sights in NYC, it can devolve into a lot of pointing at the outside of buildings.

I enjoy walking from Penn Station down toward Central Park via 5th Ave and just taking it all in. You can easily hit Times Square with a slight detour. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is down by Central Park. 
Another area I enjoy hitting that is walkable from Penn Station is the Highline. There’s an upscale mall at the end of it with nice restrooms and food. Not sure what access to all of that is like since Covid…I was last there Sept 2019. 
Two big tips: research where the restrooms are and if you see one, go. Also, bring a portable charger for the phones.