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First tgiving it'll be just me and my wife. Was thinking of doing NYC for the day and night. Besides the parade(which we will probably skip) can anyone suggest some good things to do? Planning on doing dinner somewhere at night. Thanks
First tgiving it'll be just me and my wife. Was thinking of doing NYC for the day and night. Besides the parade(which we will probably skip) can anyone suggest some good things to do? Planning on doing dinner somewhere at night. Thanks
You should do the parade, this year weather wise it will be a great year being almost 60 degrees outside.
The parade is going to be absolutely bananas. I hope you have a tolerance for massive crowds that you have to power your way through in order to leave, and expect long lines for all the restaurants between 14th and Midtown.
1. The holiday train show at the Bronx Botanic Gardens is a lot of fun. Years ago they hired this firm that has built all the New York City landmarks out of natural materials - acorn tops, bark, berries, etc. And the model trains weave in and out of the plants and in and out of these landmarks.
2. The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side is one of my favorite least-discovered museums. They bought an old tenement building and restored each of the apartments to a different time period and ethnic group. They researched the actual families that lived there in different time periods, and tell you about them. There is an 1860s German Jewish apartment, an 1870s(?) Irish apartment, a 1930s Italian apartment, a 1950s Puerto Rican apartment, and an 1860s German beer saloon. You reserve tickets ahead of time, and go into a particular apartment with a guide. Each tour can hold 15 or so people, so they fill up rapidly. You can reserve tickets now, on-line, for the tour(s) you want to attend. I took several visiting family members last year on the German saloon tour (called "Shop Life") and we LOVED it. They also have walking tours of the neighborhood to tell you about immigrant life in New York. And their gift shop is one of the best, and most interesting in the City.
3. It's always fun to walk down Fifth Avenue and look in at the Christmas windows. Tiffany's has very witty windows, Al Italia has a 400 piece hand carved creche, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord and Taylor will both have some sort of animated window display. There are vendors who will be selling roasted chestnuts on the corners -- buy a bag and much as you check out the windows.
4. Tree at Rockefeller Center is covered in scaffolding until it is officially lit on December 1, so nothing to see there.
5. The lights in Times Square are amazing -- just strolling through for half an hour is entertaining.
6. The Christmas villages are open in Bryant Park (42nd street between 5th and 6th Avenues) and Union Square (14th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue South). Lots of fascinating pop up stores that are fun to browse.
7. People watching is a never ending source of entertainment. Grab a window seat at a cafe and nurse cups of coffee for an hour when you want to rest your feet, guaranteed to give you lots to talk about.
8. If you've dressed warmly, and you haven't already visited the High Line, that's fascinating. It's an urban park built on top of an abandoned rail road trestle, 20 feet off the ground. Great views of the Hudson River, and several elevators to get you up (or let you back down to street level). Fun to walk through an elevated park with small trees and bushes, in the middle of steel and concrete. Google "High Line" and you can see the map, the entry points and any special events.
9. Check out museum websites to see if there are any special shows on (and which museums will be open Thanksgiving Day). The Metropolitan is always a delight, and the admission cost is suggested donation. The New York Historical Society has a show up now on "Super Heros and Gotham" so if either of you are interested in Batman, etc. you'd probably really enjoy that.
10. A ride on the Staten Island Ferry is always fun -- you get a great view of the New York harbor, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and it's free.
11. South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan can be very festive (Fulton Street and the East River). Three blocks of semi-Victorian street fronts. While you're down there, a short walk down Water Street will get you to the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Stop to read the messages etched in the glass, and say a prayer for those who served in that war, and service members around the world this Thanksgiving.
Not all are that much more expensive. The Smith (where my family went last year and are going again this year) does a very nice 3 course prix fixe for $60 or $65. If all of 3 courses were ordered separately on a normal day, they'd be around $50,plus this includes sides for table. Not a bad deal. Certainly cheaper than what we would spend if we made the big meal at home, plus not cooking, cleaning or dishes!
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