Alright all you NYC smarty-pants... Tell me what you think! I tried to get an idea of where things are in relation to each other so we can do those things all on the same day.
Ladies aged 18, 27 and 50+. Not really into shows or museums. We are staying near 7th Ave. %26amp; 55th St.
Preliminary itinerary:
Tuesday - arrive JFK 1038am
Limo to hotel
All Loops Tour
Times Square at night
Wednesday
Chinatown/Canal Street
Brooklyn Bridge
WTC site/St. Paul%26#39;s Chapel
Circle Line cruise
Thursday
Today Show?
Central Park
lunch at Hello Deli - Mom%26#39;s must-do!
5th Ave. shopping
Top of the Rock
Rodeo Bar
Friday
2pm - Limo to JFK (I%26#39;m figuring about an hour here - is that realistic?)
550pm - Flight departs JFK
Is there something I need to see at the Empire State Building? Also, the All Loops tour has 48 hours of access, but it looks like the main loops stop at 5pm. Is it unrealistic to use the hop-on/hop-off access as transportation, like for when we want to go to Chinatown the next day? Or will that take too long and we%26#39;re better off just taking a taxi around?
Advice and suggestions are welcome!
Just another itinerary check....
Using the hop-on/hop-off tours as transportation is usually not the most efficient way to get around, as they are quite slow. The subway is the way to go!
http://mta.info/nyct/subway/index.html
Also, here is a kind of interactive subway map that I think helps make it easier to understand:
http://www.onnyturf.com/subway/
I%26#39;ll let others speak to your specific itinerary.
Just another itinerary check....
Anyone familiar with Accord Limo Service? I was referred to them by the hotel. I called and the man who answered the phone did not state the name of the business. After I got the rates, I asked if he had a website I could look at and his English suddenly became more broken and he mumbled something about there being nothing on it. He also said that I pay the driver when he drops us off, which is not the standard that I%26#39;ve been finding in my research. Is this acceptable?
I%26#39;ve never heard of people NOT paying the driver when they%26#39;re dropped off. What have you heard?
Also, why not just take a regular cab from the airport? It%26#39;s fast and reasonable, but people seem to want to take livery cabs and car services- I can%26#39;t figure out why.
Also, if you want to get from midtown to Chinatown, take the subway- not a cab, and certainly not a tour bus.
I have to agree about the bus, you will be sitting in traffic forever. NYC is empty on the weekends compared to weekdays. I%26#39;m a New Yorker stranded in Pennsylvania but I go in for 3-4 day visits and taxis are my thing. They fly up/down the east side or west side and take you right to the door, almost always there for the hailing and really don%26#39;t cost that much, especially if there are 3 of you. Avoid the subways if you don%26#39;t know your way around. It isn%26#39;t worth getting lost or trying to figure it all out, besides you see so much more above ground.
For your first day I%26#39;d grab a cab and tell him to drop you off at St. Paul%26#39;s Chapel downtown, check out the WTC across the street, walk thru the Financial District and check out the security around Wall Street, come out to the South Street Seaport (lots of good shops here: Guess, Gap, Brookstone, Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, NY Yankee Store, The Body Shop, United Colors of Benneton, Abercrombie %26amp; Fitch, J. Crew, Coach, etc. all together on a very cute cobblestone 2 block area, often street performers too). Need a coffee break? Jack%26#39;s is right there, grab a big cup of cappucino and hold onto your hat. Wow! Sit tight, your heartrate will return to normal in a few minutes. Next door is a great little toy shop/children%26#39;s clothes store. I know you said you%26#39;re not into shows, but if you%26#39;re thinking about something fun, like Blue Man Group or a Broadway show, just up from the Coach store is a little known discount ticket office. They post in the window what they have for that night and only take cash. Terrific bargains. Take a peek at the ships in the water, but avoid the tourist traps and terrible food on the pier. You are also standing right by the Brooklyn Bridge and couldn%26#39;t ask for a better view. Again, this is all a very compact area and quite manageable. If you want an amazing and reasonable Italian meal, Carmine%26#39;s is right there 140 Beekman St. @ Front St. 212-962-8606. The place is old and cozy. If you%26#39;re lucky, the bartender will insist you sit at the bar and chat with him. The chicken picante is simply to die for. Portions are huge and the price is right. I can%26#39;t say enough about this place. Around the corner is the Paris Cafe (again lots of history all written down on the menu - a favorite hangout of Teddy Roosevelt when he was in charge of the NYC police). Here you are practically under the Brooklyn Bridge. Take a moment to check out the building with the Brooklyn Bridge mural on it, fabulous. Good food here too and you will likely run into some NYC firemen hanging about. Walk back along Front St. and hop a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry. You get to see the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty and rest your feet all at the same time. Stay on board and head back to Manhattan or if they switch boats just disembark, walk thru the terminal and reboard. A great way to cool off if it%26#39;s a hot day too. Now head uptown to Times Square to see it in all it%26#39;s neon glory. If you%26#39;re hungry and want to try the world%26#39;s greatest pizza while sitting in an old church, go to John%26#39;s Pizza at Times Square 260 W. 44th St. No slices here but the crowds will confirm, it%26#39;s the best. (This takes care of the WTC, St. Paul%26#39;s, Brooklyn Bridge, Staten Island Ferry, South Street Seaport, Statue of Liberty and Times Square - great Italian food and the best pizza and you%26#39;ve only been here one day!!) Now you%26#39;re movin%26#39; like a real New Yorka.
Chinatown means dim sum and the Chinatown Brasserie 380 Lafayette St. @ Great Jones near(Houston %26amp; Bway), that%26#39;s pronounced House - ton. Forget breakfast and just do this place. It%26#39;s unbelievable! Red lanterns hang from the ceiling, white columns and beautiful koi fish swimming in the pool. Ask the waiter to guide you if you%26#39;ve never done dim sum before. Order lots and lots, you%26#39;ll remember this place and this meal. Wash it all down with some fresh tea. Walk through Chinatown and check out the market, light some incense in one of the little temples. The Ice Cream Factory is here if you can eat another bite. Another great place to visit is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which is really an apartment building straight out of the days when 20 families were crammed into these places, often just off the boat from Ellis Island. It%26#39;s short and sweet and really interesting (a good book/gift shop across the street). Honestly, I%26#39;d avoid the Empire State Building. A walk past will do nicely but if you go in don%26#39;t go any further than the lobby. The lines are horrendous and your view from the Staten Island Ferry of the skyline can%26#39;t be beat. But since you%26#39;re in the neighborhood, Macy%26#39;s is on 34th St. (the world%26#39;s largest department store) or just continue up 5th Avenue as long as your feet will carry you. The Circle Line Cruise is nice but long and there is just so much to see and do on land I wouldn%26#39;t spend the money or the time. Get your fill of NYC sea air on the free ferry for 1/2 the time and the best views. If you%26#39;re going to Top of the Rock, stroll around the neighborhood. Rockefeller Center, Radio City, Saks Fifth Ave. and St. Patrick%26#39;s Cathedral (5th Ave. betw 50 %26amp; 51) are all right there. As for Central Park, it%26#39;s so big it%26#39;s nearly unmanageable. Are you into bike riding? Rent one and take the map to see the highlights: Strawberry Fields, the statues and the Great Lawn. A carriage ride is nice but so expensive. I%26#39;ve never heard of Hello Deli. Katz%26#39;s is the famous deli, again as the lines will confirm. Be sure to have a chocolate egg cream before you leave NYC.
Another little secret - the best prixe fix lunch can be had at Bouley 120 W. Broadway at Duane. You%26#39;ll need reservations though. A fantastic French culinary experience. The scent of apples that line the walls in the entryway greet you before you%26#39;re shown to your table and the comfy floral print couches, chairs and pillows. Prepare to be pampered. Many courses later you can waddle out across the street to Bouley%26#39;s bake shop and buy something to take home with you.
I could go on %26amp; on...yes, I love New York.
WOW sadie, thanks!
Alice: The people I am traveling with have never been in a limousine. Trust me - something like that is a big deal to us small-town Minnesota girls! We%26#39;re not doing spa treatments or shows so I guess that%26#39;s kind of our splurge. I%26#39;m glad to hear about paying the driver. It seems that most car services want to take your credit card number and charge it after the service was performed, which would be fine too. But this guy at Accord didn%26#39;t even want my card number. Just as well I guess, since it seems that I didn%26#39;t fully trust him.
One more tip: if you are using taxis, go for the yellow only. You%26#39;ll be surprised at how many cars will just drive up to you and offer to give you a ride for a ridiculous price, especially if it%26#39;s raining.
I actually ran into that same issue last time I flew to Chicago. It was late, our plane had been delayed for over an hour and we were tired. By the time we got our luggage and were proceeding out to catch the train it was probably about midnight. There was no one else in sight at the airport... Until we saw a man dressed all in black who offered to give us a ride in his ';towncar';. The other ladies I was with were ready to jump on the offer but I%26#39;d heard about things like this before. I told him ';No thanks'; and told everyone to keep walking. Pretty shady. Who knows what would have happened to us if we had gone with him!
Hope you don%26#39;t mind me joining in here, but Sadie, that has to be one of the most helpful posts I have ever read on here!!!!
Many thanks
I am going with my friend in November and have just got so much information from your post.
We are both so excited and cannot wait so thanks again
Alright, based on some great tips, I have revised my itinerary a little:
Tuesday - arrive JFK 1038am
transfer to hotel
lunch at Hello Deli
Central Park
Rodeo Bar or Whistlin Dixie%26#39;s?
Wednesday
cab to St. Paul%26#39;s Chapel/WTC
Wall St.
South Street Seaport
Paris Cafe for lunch 119 South St.
Brooklyn Bridge
Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan
Times Square at night
John%26#39;s Pizza @ 260 W 44th
Thursday
Today Show?
Chinatown
Ice Cream Factory
5th Ave.
5pm res at Carmine%26#39;s theatre district
Top of the Rock
Friday
2pm - transfer to JFK
550pm - Flight departs JFK
Couple questions.... Looking at a map, my Wednesday might be a little out of order. Any suggestions to make it more linear would be appreciated.
Where does the Staten Island Ferry leave from?
It seems that Chinatown and 5th Ave. are quite a distance from each other. Is it walkable for should we hop a cab?
How much time should I give myself for a car to get me from my hotel at 7th Ave. %26amp; 55th St. to JFK in the afternoon? I%26#39;m thinking I%26#39;ll go with dial7.
Here%26#39;s the info about the SI Ferry:
http://www.siferry.com/
Take the subway from Chinatown to 42nd (the R/W or the 6) and walk over to 5th and 42nd, where the NYPL is, and start walking up from there.
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