First Visit to NYC

Hi,


In July, my family will be visiting from the UK to New York for the first time on a 5 day trip (First time to the US actually)

We're staying at the Salisbury Hotel on 57th Street

I need specific help with the following:

1) Which panoramic viewing points gets the vote?

We've agreed on the Statue of Liberty
Children (16 & 18) say it must also be the Empire State.... I was wondering should it be the Rockerfeller building... or is there an even better choice?

2) All day eating.... breakfast....... lunch ...... dinner

I want to be wowed by variety and true New York please... nothing I can find in England will be required. Eating (and the occasional drink) will be central to my needs!

3) Its show time

Should I book for shows now over the internet or can I take a chance on last minute ticket arrangements


4) Shopping without dropping.... I reckon I've read this one to death but would still like the real New Yorkers view.

Wife and daughter will be looking for deals rather than out and out haut couture
I could be tempted by laptops/cameras plus a dip into clothes (no shoes obviously!!)

5) Don't miss this!

Please complete the following: If there's one thing you must do while in New York it's...
Regards,

Graham

go to Yankee Stadium for a game, before it's demolished.

1) Try Liberty Helicopters. I went 2 weeks ago and was blown away - the views are spectacular. Try to reserve a 8:00 or so time so you can catch the sunset. It was $60 or so per person.
2) Nymag.com has some good reviews for nicer restaurants. Personal favs are lunch outside on Union Sq (try Blue Water Grill or coffee shop), little outside places in the Village (was at a place called tartine recently). If you like seafood, go to Aquavit. Visit Mcdougal street in the village for a wide variety of ethnic food.
3) I would book. If you don't care about a specific show, try to TKTS booths for discount tix (go to the one by the seaport for shorter lines).
4) Century 21, filenes basement, custom tailoring, sample sales (see manhattan sales thread)
5) walk around - get a sense of why NYC is so unique
walk across the brooklyn bridge at night (its very safe) and have the best pizza in town at grimaldis

Johns Pizza on Bleecker
Id go to late lunch around 230-3
ask any cab driver...they should know

Originally Posted by Salsalocust

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Hi,


1) Which panoramic viewing points gets the vote?

We've agreed on the Statue of Liberty
Children (16 & 18) say it must also be the Empire State.... I was wondering should it be the Rockerfeller building... or is there an even better choice?

I guess because you're with your children/it's your first time it doesn't matter, but going to the empire state/statue of liberty pretty much brands you as a tourist, but whatever, they are cool

2) All day eating.... breakfast....... lunch ...... dinner

I want to be wowed by variety and true New York please... nothing I can find in England will be required. Eating (and the occasional drink) will be central to my needs!

there are TONS of good resteraunts in the city, there aren't any set few places that one needs to go to, but the odeon does a mean steak
the odeon: http://www.theodeonrestaurant.com/


3) Its show time

i'm sure it's sold out/costs a million bucks to get in, but spamalot was just about the funniest thing i've ever seen


4) Shopping without dropping.... I reckon I've read this one to death but would still like the real New Yorkers view.

madison, 5th
5) Don't miss this!

Please complete the following: If there's one thing you must do while in New York it's...
get a grey water dog/stand in times square
calvin

Had to bump it .....sorry!


Thanks for the views expressed so far.


However, the question that is causing all the arguments in this house is when doing the tourist thing:


Empire State or Rock at the Top for the panoramic wow factor... lots of screaming this end based on not a lot of knowledge and no inside information.

Also the boat trip around the island : 3 hour circle or 2 hour loop?

Regards,

Graham

I was in NYC last October for a few days. It's great place to visit. Both myself and my gf had been before so we didn't do that many 'touristy' things, just walked around and 'went with the flow'.
wall street -financial district
central park - 5th/madison avenue
chelsea market - meatpacking district

Have lunch at an american diner (I was having a great burger in one a couple of blocks away from where Liddel crashed his plane when it happened and heard all the commotion with emergency vehicles)

Try the NYC stuff ie hot dogs, pizza. And the other stuff that is not so easy to get in UK eg excellent japanese/korean, mexican/tex mex but forget Indian food I had great steaks at Smith and Wollenskys but it may get pricey for a whole family.

I didn't buy anything but popped into C21, Saks, Bergdorfs, Brooks, Ralph Lauren...

Have fun

A visit to NYC for me would include poached bluepionts and a lobster roll with Vaclav at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, not to mention just walking around Grand Central itself.

For sushi, it's Blue Ribbon if you're not shy about dropping some coin.

Afternoon tea at the Algonquin under the watchful eye of grandpa and his poker circle.

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

Click to expand...

A visit to NYC for me would include poached bluepionts and a lobster roll with Vaclav at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, not to mention just walking around Grand Central itself.

For sushi, it's Blue Ribbon if you're not shy about dropping some coin.

Afternoon tea at the Algonquin under the watchful eye of grandpa and his poker circle.

I'll second the Blue Ribbon recommendation. Also, check out Una Pizza Napoletana for the best pizza in the country, hands down.

Make sure to visit Trump Tower!

I've only been a few times myself, but I'll do my best:

1) Which panoramic viewing points gets the vote?

I vote for Top of the Rock at Rockefeller. When we went (Easter weekend last year) there was about a 15 min wait. The Empire State Building will set you back many hours. Plus, you can't see it when you're in it!


3) Its show time

I would book tickets in advance for one show you really really want to see. Then if there's something else, take your chances with TKTS (spelling?) in Times Square.

4) Shopping without dropping.... I reckon I've read this one to death but would still like the real New Yorkers view.

SYMS, Century 21.


5) Don't miss this!

A. Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see Sargent's Madame X.
B. Grab some hotdogs from a street vendor and sit in Central Park on the grass for lunch. Marvel at the size of the city around you--yet you're in the lush greenery of the park. Amaze at the beautiful pre-war condos and coops surrounding the park that you can't dream to afford (or at least I can't).
C. Take tons of photos.
D. Grand Central, it's a beauty since it's renovation.
E. The NY Public Library, also a beauty.

Have a great time. I love NYC.

bob


edit: forgot D and E!

Here's one suggestion. Go to Union Square for a day or half a day. There you will find DSW, discount shoes, Filene's Basement, discount clothes and many restaurants. Paragon Sporting goods is close by as well. Chain retailers are not too far away on 5th Ave. There is a Whole Foods there as well to pick up quick snacks and prepared foods. In addition there are many family restaurants there including Blue Water Grill, which is seafood, Olive's, Mediterannean, etc...

Enjoy.

Originally Posted by rdawson808

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B. Grab some hotdogs from a street vendor and sit in Central Park on the grass for lunch. Marvel at the size of the city around you--yet you're in the lush greenery of the park. Amaze at the beautiful pre-war condos and coops surrounding the park that you can't dream to afford (or at least I can't).

Enter Central Park through Strawberry Fields at the entrance in front of the Dakota and witness the constant John Lennon vigil.

July & August heat can be a real *****. Wear comfortable wlaking shoes and drink a lot of water. A couple of good warm weather choices:

Take the subway over to Brooklyn for an early pizza lunch at Grimaldis, stroll through Brooklyn Heights and then walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan. Wander around Financial district and Chinatown.

Take a Big Onion Walking Tour: http://www.bigonion.com

Early dinner at either Pearl Oyster Bar or Mary's Fish Camp

The Cloisters is always a cool spot: http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_cloisters.asp

Yes, check out Central Park.

Ditto on the Cloisters - if you've been to Central Park already, I recommend to skip it and go to Fort Tryon or Prospect Park instead. The Prospect Park trip is especially worth it as you can visit the Brooklyn Museum and the Botanical Garden as well

I second the Blue Ribbon Sushi recommendation but would also add Sushi Yasuda which IMO is slightly better