New York City

[MBAustin]

You can't possibly see everything worth seeing in one trip, so don't try. Broadway shows are worth every penny - BTD to see one you really want to see if you have to. I would do only one museum per day, otherwise there is real sensory overload. Maybe one art museum (MOMA or the Met or a smaller one - I enjoyed the Guggenheim last time I was there). The 9/11 Museum is excellent as is the Museum of Natural History. Tenement Museum is very different and extremely well done. Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge are great if the weather cooperates. As DD has lived in or near the city for several years now, I've come to appreciate just walking through different neighborhoods. Enjoy!

 

[Montecfo]

Another vote for Tenement Museum.

 

[rodi]

You can get tickets ahead of time to climb lady liberty. It is very cool to see under her skirts and see how she's built. But it's a LOT of stairs. I've done it twice and would do it again. Do that in combo with Ellis Island.

+1 on the Broadway show. Spend a little time in times square before or after just to see all the neon.

9/11 museum is very moving. I like the natural history museum - dinosaurs and space stuff... How can you go wrong.

Picture of my kids (they don't look so cute anymore) in the crown of the statue of liberty. From the trip discussed in one of the links above.

 

[Ronstar]

Op here. Thanks for all of the great suggestions!

Probably going to NYC in April or may. 3 nights 4 days.

Preliminary list of things to do / places to go based on our likes/ your suggestions:

2 shows (Michael Jackson and Tina Turner musicals)

911 memorial/ museum
Tenement museum
Met museum
Natural history museum
Museum of Modern Art

Central Park
Brooklyn bridge
Staten Island ferry
Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Water taxi / double deck buses
Times Square
Empire State Building

Dining (to be determined)

I can’t wait. Lots more planning needed.

 

[aaronc879]

Op here. Thanks for all of the great suggestions!

Probably going to NYC in April or may. 3 nights 4 days.

Preliminary list of things to do / places to go based on our likes/ your suggestions:

2 shows (Michael Jackson and Tina Turner musicals)

911 memorial/ museum
Tenement museum
Met museum
Natural history museum
Museum of Modern Art

Central Park
Brooklyn bridge
Staten Island ferry
Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Water taxi / double deck buses
Times Square
Empire State Building

Dining (to be determined)

I can’t wait. Lots more planning needed.

I have only been to NYC once and it was a long time ago but it seems to me that your list will take longer than 3 nights, 4 days to complete. Best of luck to you.

 

[Ronstar]

I have only been to NYC once and it was a long time ago but it seems to me that your list will take longer than 3 nights, 4 days to complete. Best of luck to you.

Thanks - I’m also thinking that the list may be > 3 nights 4 days. I’m probably going to extend the trip.

 

[rodi]

Agree that this list is too long for 3-4 days.

 

[ItsAllGood]

I second Ginny: 911 Museum and a play (or two - and splurge on good seats). The 911 museum is fantastic and sobering, brings that horrible day to life for those that were not in the city that day.. My local NYC friends won't go, even now - it's too raw. If you have time, add the Stanton Island ferry

 

[ItsAllGood]

Also, if time - pop into the Met Museum (goes with a quick visit to Central Park)

 

[DrRoy]

Op here. Thanks for all of the great suggestions!

Probably going to NYC in April or may. 3 nights 4 days.

Preliminary list of things to do / places to go based on our likes/ your suggestions:

2 shows (Michael Jackson and Tina Turner musicals)

911 memorial/ museum
Tenement museum
Met museum
Natural history museum
Museum of Modern Art

Central Park
Brooklyn bridge
Staten Island ferry
Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Water taxi / double deck buses
Times Square
Empire State Building

Dining (to be determined)

I can’t wait. Lots more planning needed.

We were just there in Sept. for 3 nights. We did:

Met. Museum of Art
Natural History Museum
Times Square
911 Memorial
Brooklyn Bridge
Statue of Liberty
and Top of the Rock at night.

 

[Ronstar]

We were just there in Sept. for 3 nights. We did:

Met. Museum of Art
Natural History Museum
Times Square
911 Memorial
Brooklyn Bridge
Statue of Liberty
and Top of the Rock at night.

Awesome pics! and a realistic expectation of what I could get done in the same time frame.

 

[mystang52]

2 comments: Don't skimp on the Broadway tickets. Suck up the fact that NYC is expensive, and that includes Broadway shows.
I don't know how it is now, but for many years you needed to plan ahead for a Statue of Liberty visit, and there are scammers selling tickets that are not legit.

 

[street]

Looks like a interesting place to visit. I would be scared to death in that environment but it would be awesome to see the attractions. When are you booked to go.

 

[Ronstar]

Looks like a interesting place to visit. I would be scared to death in that environment but it would be awesome to see the attractions. When are you booked to go.

The environment is a little different for me as well. But should be ok as long as I don't have to drive in it. Haven't booked yet, but I will soon - for some time in April. I want to go in some decent weather and that is closing fast for this year.

 

[rodi]

I don't know how it is now, but for many years you needed to plan ahead for a Statue of Liberty visit, and there are scammers selling tickets that are not legit.

Yes! You need to prebuy timed tickets to the island. You can do three flavors:. Island only, island and museum (in the pedestal - it's a good museum), or island, museum, & crown. Crown tickets are very limited, so book early.

https://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/fees.htm

 

[braumeister]

Yes! You need to prebuy timed tickets to the island. You can do three flavors:. Island only, island and museum (in the pedestal - it's a good museum), or island, museum, & crown. Crown tickets are very limited, so book early.

https://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourvisit/fees.htm

How times have changed.
When I was a kid in NYC you could just show up, stand on a short line, and climb up to the crown (a workout, but worth it).

 

[Car-Guy]

I've been to NYC several times over the years and seen most of the "sites".... I'm glad I went and have great memories of those trips... However, the most valuable thing for me from those visits is helping me appreciate how lucky I am to live where I do.


Actually that would apply to any big city.... Lived in Houston for over 50 years while working... I'd hate to go back to that! (Big city to me is anything over 50k - heck my entire county has less than half of that number...)

 

[ImThinkin2019]

Tons of great suggestions here.

One thing I did with a colleague from Korea was hire a guide for a walking/subway tour of parts of the city. He was an actor giving tours between acting gigs.

Since he lived in the city, he knew the neighborhoods well. I think it cost $400 for the day, plus tip, and I would consider it again. A nice way to tour around with someone who lives there.

Among other things, he took us to good views of Harlem, Manhattan, Wall Street. Plus Little Korea, his favorite hot dog cart and his favorite place to get a slice.

Since he knew the bus and subway routes it was just a matter of following him. No decisions needed to be made by us except "what parts of the city would you be interested in?".

This is another idea to consider if you want a day where you don't have to navigate. Maybe even the first day so you can ask him/her about your next few days agenda.

 

[zinger1457]

If going during a weekday you can probably just show up and won't have any problems getting a ticket to the Statue of Liberty, that's what we did when we visited in 2019, bought the ticket and walked right on the ferry.

 

[SnowballCamper]

Tons of great suggestions here.

One thing I did with a colleague from Korea was hire a guide for a walking/subway tour of parts of the city. He was an actor giving tours between acting gigs.

Since he lived in the city, he knew the neighborhoods well. I think it cost $400 for the day, plus tip, and I would consider it again. A nice way to tour around with someone who lives there.

Among other things, he took us to good views of Harlem, Manhattan, Wall Street. Plus Little Korea, his favorite hot dog cart and his favorite place to get a slice.

Since he knew the bus and subway routes it was just a matter of following him. No decisions needed to be made by us except "what parts of the city would you be interested in?".

This is another idea to consider if you want a day where you don't have to navigate. Maybe even the first day so you can ask him/her about your next few days agenda.

Having lived in Brooklyn for a couple years, I think this is spot on. The diversity found within walking neighborhoods is astounding compared with most other places I've lived in America. You can be walking down the street and turn the corner to find a completely different vibe.

At the Stardust Diner you could be served food by staff that sing musical scores right there in the restaurant. The best doughnuts I've eaten from anywhere in the world are at the Doughnut Plant. I think the best view of the Manhattan skyline is from Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Absolutely do not eat at any chain restaurant, except the Bareburger. My favorite neighborhood to walk around was DUMBO. Visit a few historical sites--but only if you bother to read about them beforehand so you know what you're looking at. There are many small theaters that do plays for relatively small audiences, and I especially enjoyed several of them much more than the big musicals that cost several times as much. Drink the tap water. it's the best in the world and came from upstate NY and traveled under, yes *under*, the Hudson River at an unmarked site up by West Point.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[braumeister]

Drink the tap water. it's the best in the world

This is funny. I grew up in Brooklyn and I completely agree. Since I left there, I've never found anywhere with tap water that tasted as good.
Dunno if they still do it, but there was a time when you could buy bottles of it commercially, labeled "NYC Tap Water" and it sold quite well.

Is New York Water Really The Secret To The Best Bagels and Pizza?

 

[explanade]

Since Ronstar is a photographer, some suggestions for photo spots.

Brooklyn waterfront, near the Brooklyn bridge, for Manhattan skyline views. Also New Jersey waterfront for skyline from the other side.

Central Park of course, Central Park South where you can see the skyscrapers rise above the trees.

Or more uptown, the reservoir area, where you can see some tall buildings in the Upper West Side rising above the reservoir.

You can pay to go up to the top of the Empire State or 30 Rock, which will give you views of Central Park to the north and Empire State to the south.

Both buildings look great at night all lit up but you have to dig around for views of both. Empire State has changing colors.

So you have to pack a tripod for night photos of course.

I think Statue of Liberty is closed? Plus it's a long slog to get out there. Depending on the time of the year, it would be using up a lot of limited daylight. Same for getting out to Brooklyn and New Jersey, though not as bad.

If you go in mid November, good chance you will see Chrismas lights, including the tree at Rockefeller Center. Maybe some ice rinks are already set up too. It can be cold but I've been there during T-shirt weather.

I've not been in the summer. Heard it's brutally hot and humid. Subway trains can be packed at any time.

I once went in early September, it was still hot even at 10 PM and Times Square was packed.

I would look into a food tour to get the flavor of genuine NY food including of course pizza. Of course if you have the money, you can get any type of cuisine you want, though often foreign cuisine.

 

[explanade]

and Top of the Rock at night.

Did they let you set up a tripod at night? Be surprising to hear if they did.

Thing is they have these plexiglass walls the last time I went so you couldn't get a clear shot through them. I think I went just before sunset and not all the buildings were lit up so I took pictures handheld.

When I was in high school, I went there and visited the Empire State building. They let me use a tripod but there were barriers so I only got pictures pointing down at the street, not the skyline.

That was a long time ago so who knows what their policies are now.

Top of the Rock makes you watch some videos or something before they let you get on the elevators.

 

[braumeister]

Another nice idea is dinner at a restaurant in DUMBO at the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Then walk up onto the bridge in the evening for fantastic views and photo opportunities.

 

[beanctr88]

We used to go to New York every year and enjoyed all of the things mentioned above, museums, theatre, fine and casual dining, concerts, hockey and more. However, our last visit was disappointing. It occurred in March 2020 just as COVID entered the US. In fact, we were there the last night Broadway was open and saw shows the last two nights before it closed.

So what was disappointing? The prosecutors had already stopped charging anyone for drug possession and pot sales were openly being made all over Manhattan while the police were forced to watch. Budget cuts meant fewer foot patrol officers. Where we used to feel safe walking around any time day or night because the police used to be everywhere, now you felt like a target for panhandlers, drug peddlers and felt as though you could be physically attacked at any times.

I hope this will turn around as we enjoy NYC and had some of our favorite family trips there. We read the dailies from New York to monitor what the locals are saying about crime, cleanliness and infrastructure issues.