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I had planned on Top of the Rock but thought about Empire, I know that you can get to the second level of Top of the rock where there is no glass. Nice long exposure night shots. Would it be redundant to take in both?
Central Park is a must and on the list. I have a list of reviewed restaurants and Dallas BBQ and the Shake Shack are both there as well. High line and and flatiron building are there, I am researching Forest Hills now...I considered Coney Island for the boardwalk experience- ever been there? Long Beach nicer?
Again I appreciate everyone's feedback and tips!!
You can go outside on the empire state building as well. Yeah I wouldn't do both Empire and top of the rock. Also at the top of the Marriot Marque hotel they have a revolving bar and restaurant. It's not as high up but it's another cool spot.
Roosevelt Island is good also to get pics of NYC from a distance too (upper west side).
Long Beach is out on Long Island. It's a nice boardwalk all rebuilt since Sandy. It's not cheap to go on the beach but walking on the boardwalk is free. If you want to do the beach try and get a combo ticket in penn station. Here's a handy dandy link all about it: MTA LIRR - Long Beach
If you go to Coney Island you can ride the cyclone but that's a long subway ride too. The cyclone is the roller coaster all others are judged against. It's a legendary ride.
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Ok, so I thought of a couple more ideas. Keep in mind that I haven't read through the whole thread for this topic so forgive any redundancy to what others have suggested.
There's a part of Central Park that was closed since 1932. They just reopened it recently. It's kind of a sanctuary. It's limited access. You can read about it here. Inside The (Now Open) 'Secret' Section Of Central Park, Closed Off Since The 1930s: Gothamist
There's so much in Central park. I haven't even seen it all and I've been there many times. Don't forget to check out the tribute to John Lennon known as Strawberry Fields. It's inside the park on the west side across from the Dekota on 72nd. There's not much to it but it can be fun if people are there playing guitars and singing Beatles songs when you go. It happens a lot there.
It's hard to know what you like because I don't know you. There's something for everyone in NYC and you will never see it all.
If you are a night person I would suggest going to see some live music. Here's 3 places worth checking out.
1. B.B. Kings in time square - Go to the website and see who is going to be there during your time in NYC. It's a fairly small club but LOTS of very famous people play there.
2. The Blue Note in the village. - This is more of a jazz/blues place worth checking out their website too.
3. Terra Blues - Also in the village. Real small place but great live music and usually not to expensive to get in. Go early to get a table.
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Ok, one more tip: If you make it to Forest Hills and you want amazing fresh ice cream go to a place on Metropolitan called Eddie's Sweet shop. You can take the Q23 bus from the subway over to Metropolitan or do the walk on a nice day. It's been around for over 100 years. Here's an article about it. Eddie
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Good luck and have a great time in NYC!!!
You can go outside on the empire state building as well. Yeah I wouldn't do both Empire and top of the rock. Also at the top of the Marriot Marque hotel they have a revolving bar and restaurant. It's not as high up but it's another cool spot.
Roosevelt Island is good also to get pics of NYC from a distance too (upper west side).
Long Beach is out on Long Island. It's a nice boardwalk all rebuilt since Sandy. It's not cheap to go on the beach but walking on the boardwalk is free. If you want to do the beach try and get a combo ticket in penn station. Here's a handy dandy link all about it: MTA LIRR - Long Beach
If you go to Coney Island you can ride the cyclone but that's a long subway ride too. The cyclone is the roller coaster all others are judged against. It's a legendary ride.
------
Ok, so I thought of a couple more ideas. Keep in mind that I haven't read through the whole thread for this topic so forgive any redundancy to what others have suggested.
There's a part of Central Park that was closed since 1932. They just reopened it recently. It's kind of a sanctuary. It's limited access. You can read about it here. Inside The (Now Open) 'Secret' Section Of Central Park, Closed Off Since The 1930s: Gothamist
There's so much in Central park. I haven't even seen it all and I've been there many times. Don't forget to check out the tribute to John Lennon known as Strawberry Fields. It's inside the park on the west side across from the Dekota on 72nd. There's not much to it but it can be fun if people are there playing guitars and singing Beatles songs when you go. It happens a lot there.
It's hard to know what you like because I don't know you. There's something for everyone in NYC and you will never see it all.
If you are a night person I would suggest going to see some live music. Here's 3 places worth checking out.
1. B.B. Kings in time square - Go to the website and see who is going to be there during your time in NYC. It's a fairly small club but LOTS of very famous people play there.
2. The Blue Note in the village. - This is more of a jazz/blues place worth checking out their website too.
3. Terra Blues - Also in the village. Real small place but great live music and usually not to expensive to get in. Go early to get a table.
----
Ok, one more tip: If you make it to Forest Hills and you want amazing fresh ice cream go to a place on Metropolitan called Eddie's Sweet shop. You can take the Q23 bus from the subway over to Metropolitan or do the walk on a nice day. It's been around for over 100 years. Here's an article about it. Eddie
-----
Good luck and have a great time in NYC!!!
Thanks again for the tips sir! They have been added to the list.... No one has ever mentioned the Cloisters? Not worth visiting?
Forest Hills (and the ice cream shop sounds great!)
Battery Park City on the walkway down by the SI Ferry terminal has a pretty good vantage point of the statue of Liberty. Not as clear as the Liberty Mutual commercial, but probably the best you can get.
Red Hook in Brooklyn has some other pretty nice views of it as well, especially by the IKEA.
Thanks again for the tips sir! They have been added to the list.... No one has ever mentioned the Cloisters? Not worth visiting?
Forest Hills (and the ice cream shop sounds great!)
I've never been to the Cloister. I'm sure it's great. Here's the thing. the Bronx Zoo is amazing and I love it every time I go but it's WAY! WAY! WAY! (did I say WAY?) up in the Bronx. If you don't have weeks to sight see you don't want to waste time traveling. Something like going to Coney Island or Long Beach is a whole day experience. I suggested LB because after 3 or 4 days of walking around NYC (especially on a hot week) you will want to step off that merry-go-round and unwind but still do something good.
So here's what I tell my friends when they say to me "We want to come into the city and do" That is followed by a long list of wishes.
I tell them to sit down and organize that list geographically. Going on the subway can be fun for someone from, say, Idaho but it's time consuming. If you go to south street seaport and then to central park and then to battery park you've just wasted half the day underground. So group your activities geographically and you can cover a lot of ground and see more. In manhattan that's pretty easy to do
the cloisters are one of my favorite places to photograph . we were there a few ago and photographed it . it was pouring so it made for bad looking sky's .
we are lucky , we live in queens but can get to the bronx zoo in less then 15 minutes . we go at least every other week to photograph .
it is easier for me to post the links then copy all the photo's .
I've never been to the Cloister. I'm sure it's great. Here's the thing. the Bronx Zoo is amazing and I love it every time I go but it's WAY! WAY! WAY! (did I say WAY?) up in the Bronx. If you don't have weeks to sight see you don't want to waste time traveling. Something like going to Coney Island or Long Beach is a whole day experience. I suggested LB because after 3 or 4 days of walking around NYC (especially on a hot week) you will want to step off that merry-go-round and unwind but still do something good.
So here's what I tell my friends when they say to me "We want to come into the city and do" That is followed by a long list of wishes.
I tell them to sit down and organize that list geographically. Going on the subway can be fun for someone from, say, Idaho but it's time consuming. If you go to south street seaport and then to central park and then to battery park you've just wasted half the day underground. So group your activities geographically and you can cover a lot of ground and see more. In manhattan that's pretty easy to do
This is sound advice. For someone visiting NYC for just a few days (especially if it is a first time) going to the Bronx Zoo or Coney Island or the Cloisters is simply too time consuming unless one is actually staying with friends/relatives close by to either one of those attractions. Also visiting Liberty Island in combination with Ellis Island (as they both are including in the same ferry ride) is the same and I recommend people take the free Staten Island ferry instead of visiting the Statue of Liberty which can be done in a round trip in an hour and half or less.
Battery Park City on the walkway down by the SI Ferry terminal has a pretty good vantage point of the statue of Liberty. Not as clear as the Liberty Mutual commercial, but probably the best you can get.
Red Hook in Brooklyn has some other pretty nice views of it as well, especially by the IKEA.
Thank you!
Yes, that is what I've read. We're are going to visit battery park as well as take the Staten Island ferry so between the two, I should have Lady Liberty covered! :P
I've never been to the Cloister. I'm sure it's great. Here's the thing. the Bronx Zoo is amazing and I love it every time I go but it's WAY! WAY! WAY! (did I say WAY?) up in the Bronx. If you don't have weeks to sight see you don't want to waste time traveling. Something like going to Coney Island or Long Beach is a whole day experience. I suggested LB because after 3 or 4 days of walking around NYC (especially on a hot week) you will want to step off that merry-go-round and unwind but still do something good.
So here's what I tell my friends when they say to me "We want to come into the city and do" That is followed by a long list of wishes.
I tell them to sit down and organize that list geographically. Going on the subway can be fun for someone from, say, Idaho but it's time consuming. If you go to south street seaport and then to central park and then to battery park you've just wasted half the day underground. So group your activities geographically and you can cover a lot of ground and see more. In manhattan that's pretty easy to do
That's funny, and a good tip. And I do this for every city I see. I've got it separated out by N-S_W_E from my hotel. As we are walking in one direction, see the things we want to see on the way there :P
I read the same thing last night, that the Coney Island trip would be a long day. I am going to pencil that one in, as you said. If we are tired from walking and want to see someone different. Its there!
Thanks again.
I think I have just about all my sights mapped out, Now I am going for quaint local eats and drinks around the areas we will be going.
the cloisters are one of my favorite places to photograph . we were there a few ago and photographed it . it was pouring so it made for bad looking sky's .
we are lucky , we live in queens but can get to the bronx zoo in less then 15 minutes . we go at least every other week to photograph .
it is easier for me to post the links then copy all the photo's .
An interesting off-the-beaten path photo ops of NYC is
- Sunset Park in Brooklyn for the park itself with its vantage point, the Chinatown that stretches along 8th Avenue, and Industry City. If you wander up north a bit, there's also Green-Wood Cemetery. You can get to different portions of it pretty easily via multiple different trains and the N express train will take you straight to the southernmost anchor of the Sunset Park Chinatown on 8th Avenue (8th Avenue stop). One potential itinerary is to get to the 36th street station (D or N express stop, R local) then wander about Industry City due west of the stop to look around and get some snacks, then go up into and around Green-Wood Cemetery, come back out after making the cemetery loop down to Sunset Park as in the park itself to look at the view (maybe for a sunset depending on when you start your day), go east to 8th Avenue and then amble down that street looking at the shops and maybe grabbing a meal (I have recommendations if you want them) until you go southward enough to hit the 8th Avenue N train stop
More on the beaten path:
- Much closer to Manhattan is Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO. There's the new Brooklyn Bridge Park and the nearby Brooklyn Promenade from both of which you can get fantastic views of downtown Manhattan. DUMBO as a neighborhood is interesting with the converted warehouses and cobblestone streets, but its the old rowhouses of Brooklyn Heights that are much nicer to look at and walk among with narrow, tree-lined streets. This is a lot more tourist-y than the Sunset Park suggestion, but not quite as inundated as Manhattan. Ways to get there are the East River Ferry ride, the F and A/C trains or walking across the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridges. For food, the standards are generally Grimaldi's or the better Juliana's Pizza which are right next to each other. Another really good option, if it's open is Hibino, which is tucked away from much of the bustle and technically just outside of Brooklyn Heights, but great. There's also the pricy Riverfront Cafe which is very nice.
Other short potential trips:
- Brooklyn Museum/Grand Army Plaza/Prospect Park/Brooklyn Central Library/Brooklyn Botanic Garden combination in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights
- Forest Hills, maybe taking the LIRR with a CityTicket pass if it's the weekend to explore the residential architecture. Maybe Forest Hills Stadium will have a concert or some other event?
- Downtown Flushing at the end of the 7 train. The Main Street and Roosevelt intersection is supposedly the third busiest pedestrian crossing in NYC after Times Square and Herald Square. This is a massive Chinatown (and Koreatown) that's becomes its own nucleus. This could be combined with a Mets game or a visit to the Queens Museum of Art / Flushing Meadows Park
- Midtown East: Japan Society and a visit to the UN, lots of interesting architecture, area around and to the east of Grand Central has a lot of great almost hole-in-the-wall authentic Japanese eateries, some of them holdovers from when Japanese investors were buying properties left and right and a bunch of Japanese companies were setting up satellite offices. UN might have events and other things you can go to, but check way in advance and make sure there aren't things you have to do beforehand.
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