Suggestions for NYC

everywoman

Well-Known Member
Jana and I are heading to Difficult Child and NYC next Wed. We are going with a tour from my hs, but will have some free time. Any suggestions on what to see, what to eat, where to shop----I'm sure the tour will include all the usual attractions---I'm looking for the off the beaten track kinds of stuff.
 

klmno

Active Member
Oh, lucky you!! If I win the lottery, I am headed back to NYC very soon! I have taken difficult child to both these places for "mini-vacations" and we both had a great time. Usually, what I have done is to see the typical tourist places first (what can be seen in a short allotted amount of time), then leave down time to play it by ear after we are there.

In NYC, walking around Times Square was great for us. There were street vendors with artwork to look at and street musicians. We went in a few shops and had our photo put on a billboard for a min or so. We saw a Broadway play. Greenwich Village is supposed to be a good area to visit during the day if you like artsy things and people, but I didn't take difficult child there. There is a nice park area in the vicinity of the boat that takes you over to the Statue of Liberty. Oh- I thought Ellis Island was a neat place to visit. difficult child loved Chinatown- I didn't because I kept getting an eery feeling that many sweat shops were surrounding us. I had a couple of friends who had gone before- one particularly said the textile district (I think it is called) was a GREAT place to buy fabric. The cost is apparently very good and there are supposed to be tons of patterns that you would never find at home. I had wanted to search for a unique fabric to have draperies made for my living room, but didn't make it there.

Wash. Difficult Child- we loved just taking a walking tour of the mall to visit whichever museums caught both of our attention. The Holocaust Museum is supposed to be very good, but difficult child was too young for that, I thought. I would like to see it. Arlington Cemetary was worthwhile. It depends on what you are into- there's a ton of night life and other things to see. I'd suggest an internet search to get an idea and then narrow down according to the types of things you both are interested in.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I suggest that you "take me with you". I don't know my way but I LOVE NYC and I'm really alot of fun for an old lady! ;) DDD
 

klmno

Active Member
If I win the lottery, I will take you, DDD!! I will be spending at least one evening at a certain pub hoping Neil Diamond comes in to hang out and meet me though- but you are welcome to join me! :D

EW: If you bummp into him while you are there, please let him know not to settle for his current girlfriend and propose to her just yet- I will be coming back to meet him as soon as I get my complexion improved and win the lottery. thank you!
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
If you are near the Theater district, you can hit Madame Truseaud's and go to Carmine's for dinner. Carmines is a really, really good Italian restaraunt.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I was there once...would love to go again...and the highlight for me was Ellis Island. Fascinating place. The other ladies nearly had to drag me out because I wasn't quite ready to go. Also enjoyed FAO Schwartz. Toys upon toys...loved it!
 

rejectedmom

New Member
NYC rocafeller center, St Pat's Cathedral, The Guggenhime, The Metropolitan museum of Art, The museum of Modern Art and also the museum of Natural History, Greenwich (GREN-itch) Village, Soho, East Village, Central Park, Tom's Resterant (of Steinfeld fame) Gramercy and Flatiron,Little italy, Chinatown, 5th Ave, The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, The Bronx Zoo, NY Stock Exchange, Oh there is so much Have a Blast!

Difficult Child- The US Mint used to give a tour that was alot of fun watching the money being made. The Smithsonian will pretty much take up your entire visit... after the monuments.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well if you will be in Difficult Child on the night of the 11th by any chance, they are having a fireworks display. This is cherry blossom week. It should be awesome. If you want to see something different, the USMC memorial is on the Quantico base right outside Difficult Child. It is brand new and beautiful. If you guys are driving up you will pass it at Exit 150 I think.

Want really different? You can stop and see Jamie...lol. He is at exit one 140...lol. In fact my entire family will be there that weekend.
 

nvts

Active Member
Hi! Check out the NYC website...sometimes they have special "packages" to different attractions.

If you're hitting Museums, and you're interested in the Museum of Natural History, it's based on donation rather than ticket price - so it's based on what you can afford rather than what they want you to pay. I'm bringing all the difficult child's on day the week after Easter (my bff is watching Evie so I'm not dragging a stroller into the subway). We'll take the Staten Island ferry too.

Go to the Intrepid (if it's open again - major renovations!), it's amazing!

You'll basically be in my backyard! ;)

Have a great time - I'd love to meet you up there, but the difficult child's are out of school from the 9th to the 21st - can we say "aaaaaaagggggghhhh" together?

Beth
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the invite, Klmno. I've got my fingers crossed. I've never met a pub I didn't like (I'm Irish, you know!) and I absolutely will not try to woo your man away. A new man is totally not on my agenda. DDD
 

klmno

Active Member
LOL, DDD!! Shoot, since I haven't figured out how to get that Valerie Bertinelli body in my 40's, I think we both will just have to enjoy a decent meal, a drink, and maybe some live music- that's still not too bad, huh?

EW, I don't remember the name of the place- I know it wwas on the main one-way street from Manhattan, thru Greenwich Village heading toward Ground Zero. It was in Greenwich Village and there was a small park-like area at the intersection pretty much across the street from it. It looked like a typical cafe/pub with a stand-up sign for daily specials on the sidewalk out front and a striped awning over the door. The tour guide said ND came down often at night just to hang out. Also, there was a fence around a small vacant lot nearby that had plaques about 911 hanging on it that school children had made. That was a few years ago, so this might have changed by now.

Oh- at the mall in Wash, the Museum of American History was a good one for different age groups and was nice after some more thought-provoking sight-seeing to lighten things up a bit. I hear the National Cathedral is an awesome sight/tour, but it's not in walking distance from the mall. As a kid, I toured the Capitol and enjoyed that.
 
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eekysign

New Member
As for Difficult Child - there may still be some lingering wonderful cherry blossom madness (we're going down there this weekend). This weekend is the peak, but since you'll be here soon after, you should catch some of it! That means a trip over to the Tidal Basin (presidential monument-land) is in order. The Mall and all the Smithsonian Museums are always gonna be a good bet, as well!

Depending on how much time you have, the National Zoo is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. You can metro there easily. Difficult Child's got lots of little places to discover, it's hard to list 'em. One of my fav things to do is fly kites on the Mall, so I'm not hard to please. :) The art galleries along the Mall are usually overlooked, but are actually phenomenal---the Hirshhorn/Sculpture Gallery I really like---it's WAY different. The National Cathedral doesn't get enough visits, either. Not religious, but I love the beauty!

Fav food/drink things in Difficult Child. Sushi on the conveyor belt (Sushi-Go-Round @ Gallery Place), tapas at Jaleo (also Gallery Place, reservations are a good idea to cut down the wait time). Irish Pub called "Kelly's Irish Times" across from Union Station (my friend runs the bar, it's a lovely dive bar). Mr. Smith's (bar) in Georgetown for the ridiculousness of a piano bar (dunno how busy it is on a weeknight, though!).

What kinda stuff do you guys like to do? I'm not much of a shopper!
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
I'm coming in late on this and others have mentioned everything I can think of but that just means that they are worth repeating! LOL

NYC - Rockefeller Plaza is neat, especially in the winter with the huge Christmas tree. I took a handsome cab ride in that area but I don't suggest doing it during rush hour. You can't really see much when your eyes are squeezed shut! LOL The Bronx Zoo is really neat. Granted, I haven't been there since 1982 but I loved it then! Whatever you can see at the Statue of Liberty is good too. I'm not sure if they allow people to go up it anymore but if they do, the view from the crown is incredible.

Difficult Child - Oh wow....Arlington/changing of the guard/Vietnam memorial/eternal flame at JFK's grave............all a MUST! The changing of the guard is very touching. Ford's theater (and the building across the street where Lincoln was taken following the shooting) is good. Kinda has a bit of an oogy factor though as you can see the actual bloody pillowcase that he laid on. The Smithsonian....omg........never enough time to see it all. Such a wonderful place! The mint was really interesting. They even have (or had) vending machines where you could buy $5000. It's shredded but it's still 5 grand! LOL Jefferson and Washington's homes are very interesting also. The mall, Lincoln memorial, Washington memorial....loved them.

Aaarrrgh! I want to go back to both places!!! Can I come too?
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
Sure 'stang and all of you who want to go---come on...if you don't mind traveling with 30 high school students---a few who are difficult children!!!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
klmno

If you head to NYC to stop at that pub to see ND you've got to take me along!!! I'm wondering if this is the same pub he hung out in as a younger man? hmmm.

ew, I hope you guys have a wonderful time.

Hugs
 

klmno

Active Member
Lisa, if I win the lottery we can have a board party there. EW- I hope you have a great time and remember- you might be going back with your best friends. :)
 

nvts

Active Member
Oooo! If you're pub hopping for bar food and a beer try: The White Horse Hudson St. & 11th Ave. , McSorleys 15 East 7th Street, The Slaughtered Lamb in the Village (182 WEST 4TH STREET). and Jeckle and Hydes in the Village as well.

The Slaughtered Lamb is fantastic for atmosphere - it's done up like the English Pub in "American Werewolf in London" and is a riot to go into!

Most of these places have websites with their menus!

Beth
 
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