Suggest an itinerary for our five days in NYC (planes, best, 2013)
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Re Di Fara’s: the pizza is really amazingly good, but everything else about the place is a trial and a half. It’s expensive for a slice, cash only, the place is a dump with minimal seating and can get smoky from the oven, and the hours tend to be short and unreliable; you also have to get your order from the counter from an often free-form “line” where the pushiest people tend to get helped first. Scroll down on this thread:
Yes. A free apartment (via home exchange) and only give days? I can't think of a good reason to go elsewhere (though the ethnic eateries in Queens nearly convinced me.)
Just realized that we will be there during veteran's day weekend. Any crowd/parade/special events/closures we will want to avoid?
Ah no---just wondering if you wanted to visit anything else out there. Sometimes people do. (Ex: Botanical Gardens, going to Barclay's for something, etc.)
I cannot believe people thought I was serious recommending $1 pizza.
I also do not think DiFara's is the best pizza ever. I would not recommend someone trek into Brooklyn for it if they have no other plans for being in Brooklyn that day---it's not even in an area with anything else to really do.
Lombardi's does stake the claim of being America's very first pizza parlor. I went there back in May, the pizza is traditional thin crust and it was good but nothing spectacular by any means. The place is fairly small and usually crowded and they don't carry a lot of choices of what you can have as toppings. I've never been to Grimaldi's but have read on this very forum how great their pizza is, and that would be the top of my list if I wanted to eat pizza there again.
I went to the top of the Freedom Tower, it was close to $40 for the ride to the top and the views were really not worth the money, but they are waiting at the top to rent you a visual aid of some kind, I believe it is an iPad that zooms in and identifies the landmarks you focus it down on. I hate to say it but without that thing you can't make out what is what, you are just looking down on the tops of tall buildings. I think the rental was around $30. I didn't get it and since I was already in for $40 I should have.
All told, I don't think it worth $70 for the experience, just my opinion.
Ok I'm just going to free associate here, excuse the randomness.
First get reacquainted with the subway to get around, see if there is some sort of daily/weekly discount fare, this changes & I don't know current. Download the subway map app to smartphone.
Met Museum of Art is interesting because it is located on the park east side & has a nice cafe/ cocktail bar/ rooftop area; don't know if there is a free admission day but the normal fee is a voluntary contribution, nice for a bad weather day inside for a drink.
Shows: South St Seaport has a better TKTS booth, no line. Write for free tickets to Jimmy Fallon & S. Colbert.
There are now ferries on East/Hudson rivers, I believe E 34 St will take you to Williamsburg (worth seeing/ getting a meal if you haven't been around for 40 years, astounding change) & also down to the Financial district.
Take the SI Ferry (free) unless you want to see Ellis Island. If you want to go to Ellis/Liberty buy the tickets online before, saves you from what could be a very long line.
Low cost Indian food on Curry Hill: Lexington Av in the 20's, I liked Curry in a Hurry, very casual, lunch grab type place; the best Asian food is in Flushing - 7 subway - absolutely worth a trip if you are an adventurous eater; good food court with legit ethnic foods 11th Ave around 42/43 St; check Chowhound for all food particulars. Korea Town W33st. Highline Park & lots of galleries/restaurants nearby.
Katz Deli for pastrami sandwich. Consider cocktails at dusk @ Top of the Rock for great views, Also the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central is worth a drink or 2 if nearby (dress code).
We've been extraordinarily lucky and scored a home exchange in Manhattan! Five days [seven nights] in the upper East side - specifically, Lenox Hill. DH has never been to NYC. I grew up on LI but haven't been back to the area since 1978.
So - help us plan our itinerary!
Details, limitations and requirements:
Senior citizens who can walk, but NOT long distances. We're not on a budget, but I'm a notorious cheapskate. So, we spend easily IF the value is there, but like things a lot better when the prices are fair for the value.
No interest at all in art museums.
Definitely want to visit the 911 museum Definately want to take the Staten island ferry and/or circle line tour, (but NOT climbing Lady Liberty's stairs).
Interested in some time at the natural history museum - probably the planetarium (is it as great as it was when I was a teenager in the 70's?)
DEFINITELY NOT interested in running about to 'see' everything.' Happy to see and enjoy just a few things.
Food - not into tourist or famous places except maybe for a happy hour drink. Wide open to ethnic. Love happy hour for dinner. Exception: DH wants NY pizza and a pastrami sandwich.
Not into shopping.
Sadly, Too old now to want to go clubbing or LATE night stuff (yes, I actually visited Studio 54 and The Payboy Club in my heyday).
Broadway shows? Yeah, maybe. If tickets weren't ridiculously expensive. Yes, I know about the half price booth but don't want to schedule our entire day around going to the booth.
I've read about The City Pass and think that makes sense for what we want to do?
Okay, I know the above sounds restrictive and demanding. It's not. It's just a complete view of our physical limitations, interests and financial preferences.
To the bolded:
-Nothing in NYC is cheap. If you don't want to spend money, don't come.
-I don't believe they allow you to climb the stairs anymore anyway. I could be wrong.
I recommend SI Ferry over Circle Line, only b/c the SI Ferry is free. There's a pretty good restaurant with good drinks on the other side on the water with a great view of downtown Manhattan.
For great New York bagels try Hot Jumbo Bagels 1070 2nd Ave #4, New York, NY 10022. I love their everything bagels that have all the yummy seeds on both sides.
Another fun place for breakfast is Alice's Tea Cup 156 E 64th St, New York, NY 10065.
I love Central Park even when it is a bit cold. It is fun to bundle up and walk a bit and then find a nice bench to sit on and people watch. We like to go to Hell's Kitchen for happy hour food and drinks. There are so many places to choose from there.
We love to walk the Highline and then go to Chelsea Market to look around and have a bite to eat.
Yes. A free apartment (via home exchange) and only give days? I can't think of a good reason to go elsewhere (though the ethnic eateries in Queens nearly convinced me.)
Just realized that we will be there during veteran's day weekend. Any crowd/parade/special events/closures we will want to avoid?
Excited to see someone who does home exchanges on here.
I had a membership and let it expire because I moved from Chicago to Atlanta.
I had lots of 'bites' from people wanting to exchange with my Chicago apartment but I figured I wouldn't have as much interest from people wanting to exchange for my place in Atl. Maybe I should give it a shot as NYC is one of the first places I wanted to exchange 'to'.
Anyways, I digress...hope you enjoy your NYC trip.
Excited to see someone who does home exchanges on here.
I had a membership and let it expire because I moved from Chicago to Atlanta.
I had lots of 'bites' from people wanting to exchange with my Chicago apartment but I figured I wouldn't have as much interest from people wanting to exchange for my place in Atl. Maybe I should give it a shot as NYC is one of the first places I wanted to exchange 'to'.
Anyways, I digress...hope you enjoy your NYC trip.
We live in Raleigh, NC. Not exactly a tourist hot spot. Atlanta, im sure, would get more requests than we do. That said, sometimes it's just luck. To join just to go to NYC, Paris, or SF is a waste of your money. They are considered the 'unicorns' of home exchange. The ONLY reason we scored this one is because grandparents want to see their grandson in a soccer tournament, and we were able to accommodate their dates.
Certainly, we had more inquiries when we lived in Phoenix and had a larger home. We receive fewer requests, but they are more solid; those people have a reason they want to visit here. And there's less competition. Accordingly, the requests for our small home in Raleigh have 'closed more often. I rarely search for a specific place we want to visit as it leads to frustration and disappointment.
We moved into our home in Jan 2013 and began to advertise it on home exchange in june 2013. Since then, we have done 3 exchanges in Florida, one in Philly a month in Cape town, SA and this one in NYC. We've received many other requests that we have declined.
Food - not into tourist or famous places except maybe for a happy hour drink. Wide open to ethnic.
For hole in the wall chinese food, I think the best ones are in Flushing - Queens' chinatown. Just take LIRR from Penn Station and get off right in Chinatown (several local subways go there too). Walk around leisurely and duck into whichever place that looks good.
If you want to see something interesting, I highly recommend that you check out a chinese mall with a food court in the basement (New World Mall) while you're there. It's probably 3-5 mins walk from the Queen's chinatown subway station. The basement food court is always mobbed by local chinese - american residents during lunch hour, especially on weekends (which tells you that the food choices are good). You won't find any american food chain there. Instead it's filled with mom and pop food vendors selling Shanghai style soup dumplings, Xi'An handmade pulled noodles, bubble teas, chinese desserts, and whatever else you've never seen before - just like you would in China.
Also, a good ramen shop I like is right next to Blue Note Jazz Club in West Village (I think it's called Ramen-Ya). It's a small cash-only noodle joint but the Shio Ramen (the spicy one) was reallllllly good. Almost comparable to the one I had in Tokyo. If you go there in the evening, you can hear the music performance from next door while enjoying your food.
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