It seems so confusing....

I'm trying to plan my days visiting New York and the main attractions. We arrive on Oct. 1st and plan on doing NYC on the. 2nd and 3rd. I see there is a bus that does 6 attractions and there is also a tour that takes you to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. What confuses me is their directions to get to the tours. I have no idea when we would get off the train and get back on. We're staying at the Marriott in Jersey City and the PATH is next door.

I'm not sure if the bus lets you actually go into the Statue of Liberty but did learn I should buy tickets in advance.

We also want to see the Empire State Bldg. (going to the top) and the 911 Memorial.

One of our days is a Saturday and I'm not sure if that will affect the train schedules.

On the first, we are just planning on walking around Jersey City. Is there anything to do there that's interesting?

We're sailing out of Bayonne on the 4th.

I'm trying to plan my days visiting New York and the main attractions. We arrive on Oct. 1st and plan on doing NYC on the. 2nd and 3rd. I see there is a bus that does 6 attractions and there is also a tour that takes you to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. What confuses me is their directions to get to the tours. I have no idea when we would get off the train and get back on. We're staying at the Marriott in Jersey City and the PATH is next door.

I'm not sure if the bus lets you actually go into the Statue of Liberty but did learn I should buy tickets in advance.

We also want to see the Empire State Bldg. (going to the top) and the 911 Memorial.

One of our days is a Saturday and I'm not sure if that will affect the train schedules.

On the first, we are just planning on walking around Jersey City. Is there anything to do there that's interesting?

We're sailing out of Bayonne on the 4th.

Lots of questions. Let's take them one at a time. PATH has a more limited schedule on the weekends. You should go to the SOL on Friday.

1) What is the name of this SOL bus tour? Your should take PATH to the World Trade Center and walk to the SOL Ferry in Battery Park. I can suggest a walking route. If you want to take the ferry out to the SOL and Ellis Island, you should buy tickets ahead.

2) it would be possible to do the 911 Memorial on Oct 1. It is open late. There are various options and tickets are required for one of them. Not much to do in Jersey City except eat and stare at NYC.

3). Buy tickets for the Empire State on Saturday. PATH goes to 33rd and 6th, which is one avenue from the ESB at 34th & 5th.

Lots of questions. Let's take them one at a time. PATH has a more limited schedule on the weekends. You should go to the SOL on Friday.

1) What is the name of this SOL bus tour? Your should take PATH to the World Trade Center and walk to the SOL Ferry in Battery Park. I can suggest a walking route. If you want to take the ferry out to the SOL and Ellis Island, you should buy tickets ahead.

2) it would be possible to do the 911 Memorial on Oct 1. It is open late. There are various options and tickets are required for one of them. Not much to do in Jersey City except eat and stare at NYC.

3). Buy tickets for the Empire State on Saturday. PATH goes to 33rd and 6th, which is one avenue from the ESB at 34th & 5th.

Thank you, Carol. I'm on my iPad tonight. I'll get on my PC and post the links to the tours later.

Walking long distances can be a problem for me so I'm trying to make everything as convenient as possible. I've even considered changing hotels but the NY hotels are way more expensive and the transfer to the port may be as well.

We probably won't be in our hotel until sometime around 3:00 and would rather do things in daylight hours, since we are so unfamiliar with the trains.....certainly something we're not accustomed to.

Unfortunately walking in NY is a fact of life, but cabs are readily available unless it's raining. The SOL involves walking as well once you get to the island. Ellis island is a bit better. Post the tour info so we can see what yu are considering.

Unfortunately walking in NY is a fact of life, but cabs are readily available unless it's raining. The SOL involves walking as well once you get to the island. Ellis island is a bit better. Post the tour info so we can see what yu are considering.

I'm well aware of that. I'm fine but need to rest sometimes. Definitely can't do a couple of miles at a time any longer. I always allow myself extra time. We've done okay on our trips and on our Med cruises, there has been a lot of walking.

Here is what I was talking about last night where I saw several things to do. The one is called the New York City Pass and it takes you to 6 attractions. There are other options listed there too.

http://www.statuecruises.com/

When I saw that a ferry leaves from NJ, I was hoping I could utilize it the afternoon we arrive. I'd forgotten about the time restraints. :o As I mentioned, it all seems very confusing to me. I want to have my time planned out so we don't end up wasting valuable time.

Another thing I was going to ask if you know what the taxis charge from the airport to Jersey City? The Marriott does not have a hotel shuttle from the airport.

Here is what I was talking about last night where I saw several things to do. The one is called the New York City Pass and it takes you to 6 attractions. There are other options listed there too.

http://www.statuecruises.com/

 

 

When I saw that a ferry leaves from NJ, I was hoping I could utilize it the afternoon we arrive. I'd forgotten about the time restraints. :o As I mentioned, it all seems very confusing to me. I want to have my time planned out so we don't end up wasting valuable time.

Another thing I was going to ask if you know what the taxis charge from the airport to Jersey City? The Marriott does not have a hotel shuttle from the airport.

Honestly I don't know much about the NY City Pass for $114. The comments indicate that you won't get the best value from it unless you have multiple days in NYC. Two of the museums on it are suggested donation museums. So far you have only mentioned wanting to visit the 911 memorial museum, the Empire State, and the Statue of Liberty.

My advice would be to plan out what you really want to see and then see if one of the NY passes is worth buying.

If you had a car, I would say definitely go to the SOL from NJ. However, it is more difficult or expensive to do without a car, particularly since you have walking concerns. Cab from the hotel to Liberty State Park would be $15-20. It's 1/3 mile from the ticket office out to the ferry landing. To go from the hotel by public transit involves more walking - 2-3 blocks to the light rail($2.10), 4-5 blocks from the light rail to the Liberty Landing ferry($2.00), and another walk to the SOL ticket office (http://www.statuecruises.com/pdf/LLtoSC.pdf), and then the 1/3 mile to the ferry landing. IMO it's faster, easier, and probably cheaper to take PATH and a cab to South Ferry.

Decide if you want to see both the 911 Memorial and the 911 Memorial Museum. The Memorial is free - that's what I was suggesting you pop into NYC to see the evening you arrive.

Cab from the airport to Jersey City is about $55-60.

Honestly I don't know much about the NY City Pass for $114. The comments indicate that you won't get the best value from it unless you have multiple days in NYC. Two of the museums on it are suggested donation museums. So far you have only mentioned wanting to visit the 911 memorial museum, the Empire State, and the Statue of Liberty.

 

My advice would be to plan out what you really want to see and then see if one of the NY passes is worth buying.

 

If you had a car, I would say definitely go to the SOL from NJ. However, it is more difficult or expensive to do without a car, particularly since you have walking concerns. Cab from the hotel to Liberty State Park would be $15-20. It's 1/3 mile from the ticket office out to the ferry landing. To go from the hotel by public transit involves more walking - 2-3 blocks to the light rail($2.10), 4-5 blocks from the light rail to the Liberty Landing ferry($2.00), and another walk to the SOL ticket office (http://www.statuecruises.com/pdf/LLtoSC.pdf), and then the 1/3 mile to the ferry landing. IMO it's faster, easier, and probably cheaper to take PATH and a cab to South Ferry.

 

Decide if you want to see both the 911 Memorial and the 911 Memorial Museum. The Memorial is free - that's what I was suggesting you pop into NYC to see the evening you arrive.

 

Cab from the airport to Jersey City is about $55-60.

I think I only have to buy tickets for the SOL and Ellis Island for Friday. Sounds like it may be a little less complicated to grab a cab and go to Liberty Park, correct? What time do you suggest we start the day with the ferry? Once we're finished with SOL and Ellis Island, what else do you suggest we do? Is it easy to catch the PATH back to NJ? I haven't even begun to look at train schedules yet. I think we may skip the museum and just go to the memorial. What else is near the ESB that we could see on Saturday?

I'll look at the NY Pass again today. They have a 20% off coupon until July 31.

If we take the PATH on late Thursday afternoon, how close to the memorial do we get off?

Sorry for all the questions.

I think I only have to buy tickets for the SOL and Ellis Island for Friday. Sounds like it may be a little less complicated to grab a cab and go to Liberty Park, correct? What time do you suggest we start the day with the ferry? Once we're finished with SOL and Ellis Island, what else do you suggest we do? Is it easy to catch the PATH back to NJ? I haven't even begun to look at train schedules yet. I think we may skip the museum and just go to the memorial. What else is near the ESB that we could see on Saturday?

I'll look at the NY Pass again today. They have a 20% off coupon until July 31.

If we take the PATH on late Thursday afternoon, how close to the memorial do we get off?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

PATH at World Trade Center is one block from the 911 Memorial Park. That's why I suggested you could go there the day you arrive without much hassle.

It would be less complicated to take a cab to the SOL Ticket booth in Liberty State Park. I'd go on an early ferry and get there 1/2 hour ahead. It's 1/3 mile walk to the ferry pier and there is a security check. This ferry goes first to Ellis Island and then on to the SOL and is always less crowded than the ferries originating in NY.

Once you are at the SOL, you can take the ferry back to either NJ or NY. I'd recommend going to NY to see Battery Park, Bowling Green, Fraunces Tavern, Wall St, and/or Trinity Church on your walk back to PATH at the 911 Memorial. To get back to the Courtyard you take a PATH Hoboken Train.

I'll leave it to others to make recommendations beyond the Empire State. You can go uptown to Rockefelker Center, St Patrick's, and Central Park. Macy's is at 34th & 6th near PATH.

PATH at World Trade Center is one block from the 911 Memorial Park. That's why I suggested you could go there the day you arrive without much hassle.

 

It would be less complicated to take a cab to the SOL Ticket booth in Liberty State Park. I'd go on an early ferry and get there 1/2 hour ahead. It's 1/3 mile walk to the ferry pier and there is a security check. This ferry goes first to Ellis Island and then on to the SOL and is always less crowded than the ferries originating in NY.

 

Once you are at the SOL, you can take the ferry back to either NJ or NY. I'd recommend going to NY to see Battery Park, Bowling Green, Fraunces Tavern, Wall St, and/or Trinity Church on your walk back to PATH at the 911 Memorial. To get back to the Courtyard you take a PATH Hoboken Train.

 

I'll leave it to others to make recommendations beyond the Empire State. You can go uptown to Rockefelker Center, St Patrick's, and Central Park. Macy's is at 34th & 6th near PATH.

Thank you so much, Carol. That's a huge help. I'm also looking at some bus tours where they actually get off with you and they are not HOHO buses. I hadn't even thought about Rockefeller Center or St. Patrick's Cathedral until today and added them to my "wish list". I also thought about taking the ferry back to Battery Park if we left from NJ and that sounds like a good idea.

I did post about On Board See It All Tour.

Hopefully, I'll have this all figured out within a couple days and then I can relax a little. I'm still waiting to hear back from City Taxi and Limo and Hoboken Taxi and Limo for airport pricing and also pricing to Liberty Park.

I've read a lot about John's Pizzeria in Times Square which people rave about and found there is another location in Jersey City about a mile from the Marriott. Sounds like a great place to get authentic NY pizza.

I really need to get a map. Is Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's close to Battery Park? I understand St. Patrick's is undergoing some renovations now but hoping they will be done by October.

Rockefeller Center, ESB, and St Patrick's are in Midtown; Battery Park is downtown. You can get to Midtown by several different subway lines depending on where you start.

I've posted this a few times. It depends on some mobility, but gets you a good look at a lot of Midtown at street level. If you decide to go to the Midtown area, folks here can help you with subway plans, or, it may work to take a cab to Penn Station.

OK, this is edited from earlier posts, and I finally put it all in one location. This is not a short walk, but you see a lot of things, and experience New York at street level. At some point on one of our trips, I realized that even though this goes through multiple neighborhoods in the tour books, there's a lot to see on a relatively simple route.

From Penn Station (or the surrounding area), head to 34th. Macy’s sits between Broadway and 7th Avenue. Continue down 34th through Herald Square, and you'll pass the Empire State Building. You can elect to go up the ESB, or save this for the Top of the Rock. Either way, turn right on Fifth Avenue through Murray Hill to the Flatiron Building, generally considered the first skyscraper. Do an about face and head up Fifth Avenue. Along the way, you'll pass the New York Public Library near 44th; well worth a detour! If you want to see Grand Central Station, hang a right towards Lexington and check it out; return to Fifth Avenue and continue north. You'll run into Rockefeller Center and Saks. In or near Rockefeller Center, you have the Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall, etc. We've been to both the observation deck at the ESB and the Top of the Rock, and frankly the Top of the Rock is better. Do one or the other as you see fit. Go back to Fifth Avenue, and directly across the street is Saks Fifth Avenue, and across the street from it is St Patrick’s. Continue up Fifth Avenue, and pick a shop or two that interests you. Amongst others, you'll pass Tiffany, which is worth a stop (and has clean bathrooms on the second floor!). At about 59th, you’ll see the Apple megastore, and across Fifth Avenue is the Plaza. You're now at the corner of Central Park. I'd cross into the park, and check out a map to get to the Mall and the Bethesda Terrace. That’s an easy walk and you’ll see a nice bit of the park.

At this point in time, check your time and your legs. The Met is right there, but it will eat the rest of your day. Across the park (and a fairly easy walk) is Strawberry Fields and the “Imagine” memorial. Not really much to see, but it is there. I'd probably backtrack to 59th and make a right to 7th Avenue, and head down 7th into Times Square. You’ll pass Carnegie Hall on the way. My personal detour at this point would be to turn down 44th and have a late meal at John's Pizzeria for some amazing New York pizza in an incredible setting. It's supposedly the largest pizzeria in the world, in a decommissioned church.

Assuming you've done some shopping along the way, you should be pretty much exhausted at this point, and coming close to your time. Check out a NYC map; there were optional turns along that route to the UN, for instance. MOMA is on 53rd between Fifth and Sixth.

From the Times Square area, continue down 7th or Broadway to Penn Station.

That’s probably 3 1/2 to 4 miles or so, depending on how far you go into the park, and will take a good chunk of the day, especially if you make stops and side trips.

Do keep in mind that places to eat, and most importantly, bathrooms, get scarce north of about 52nd on Fifth Avenue. The department stores and Tiffany have bathrooms. Eateries will generally speaking be on the side streets. There is a food court in the lower level of the Plaza.

Thank you. That's a lot of great information, but I don't think I could handle that much walking. Uptown, downtown, midtown...a lot to digest and we only have 2 1/2 days. I know we can't see it all, but I know I'll never get DH back to NYC again. I'm lucky to get him there this time. ;)

What is it about the "top of the Rock" that you like better than the ESB?

Thank you. That's a lot of great information, but I don't think I could handle that much walking. Uptown, downtown, midtown...a lot to digest and we only have 2 1/2 days. I know we can't see it all, but I know I'll never get DH back to NYC again. I'm lucky to get him there this time. ;)

What is it about the "top of the Rock" that you like better than the ESB?

You can see the ESB from the Top of the Rock. It'll be less windy, and the views are just as good.

You can do just the uptown to the park piece of that and cab it back to Times Square. You'll miss Carnegie Hall, but that's about all.

Going to the top of the ESB has been a dream of mine ever since I saw " An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Carol...thanks for the link to the map. I'll see if I can pick one up at a bookstore.

Going to the top of the ESB has been a dream of mine ever since I saw " An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

 

 

 

Carol...thanks for the link to the map. I'll see if I can pick one up at a bookstore.

Go to Google maps. Type in Empire State Building.

Go to Google maps. Type in Empire State Building.

Will do.

I notice your signature line says planning the cruise is half the fun. I can honestly say, planning for NYC has not been fun. T he rest of the cruise, yes, but NYC has given me fits. ;)

Will do.

 

I notice your signature line says planning the cruise is half the fun. I can honestly say, planning for NYC has not been fun. T he rest of the cruise, yes, but NYC has given me fits. ;)

Sometimes it's just easier to take a tour. DIY is not for the faint hearted.

Sometimes it's just easier to take a tour. DIY is not for the faint hearted.

LOl...I usually have fun doing DIY. Planning NYC has been more time consuming and frustrating than all 14 days of the cruise. :o

Going to the top of the ESB has been a dream of mine ever since I saw " An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

 

Carol...thanks for the link to the map. I'll see if I can pick one up at a bookstore.

That's the challenge. You can experience the top of the ESB. or you can see the ESB. We've done both, but not on the same trip.

Relax a little. Manhattan is really not that hard. In two days you're going to see a handful of things. That's all. SOL plus 9/11 Memorial +/- Wall Street and lower Broadway is a day. As Carol said, you can visit lower Manhattan and the Financial District on your first day. Midtown is a day, including the ESB. Look the walk I described up on a map. If you skip Murray Hill and take a cab back to either Times Square of Penn Station, it's much less walking. There are little cafes on the side streets. Sit and watch. You can't see it all, so don't try!

You'll have a great time. If you need a diversion, there are great bars all over the city. Pricey, but great places to sit and enjoy.

I'm trying to plan my days visiting New York and the main attractions. We arrive on Oct. 1st and plan on doing NYC on the. 2nd and 3rd. I see there is a bus that does 6 attractions and there is also a tour that takes you to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. What confuses me is their directions to get to the tours. I have no idea when we would get off the train and get back on. We're staying at the Marriott in Jersey City and the PATH is next door.

I'm not sure if the bus lets you actually go into the Statue of Liberty but did learn I should buy tickets in advance.

We also want to see the Empire State Bldg. (going to the top) and the 911 Memorial.

One of our days is a Saturday and I'm not sure if that will affect the train schedules.

On the first, we are just planning on walking around Jersey City. Is there anything to do there that's interesting?

We're sailing out of Bayonne on the 4th.

if you are planning to take public transport (like the subway or a bus) you should download this great app...it is called hopstop (you can also access it via the web at hopstop.com) it will give you EXACT directions (down to the minute the train arrives etc) to wherever you want to go--it is like navigation for public transportation.it will give you different options, as well so if you are shot on time it will tell you the quickest route. the maps are even accessible underground (on the app) so you can follow along to make sure you are going the right way etc. i am a native NYCer, and i use it all the time to get places I dont go often. they have it in many other US cities, also.

:)

Midwestchick ~

If I may just add my 10-cents' worth to the advice that has been provided by other posters, in the hope of cutting through the confusion, allaying your anxieties, and making your planning a little easier:

1. Before doing anything else right now, you must get yourself a good guidebook. For the purposes of your brief visit, I strongly recommend Frommer's New York City Day by Day—it's compact, lightweight, extremely well-organized, and very practical, with lots of easy-to-read maps and listings (with brief descriptions as well as photos) of New York City highlights and sidelights. Browse through this, get a general sense of what the city has to offer and where things are, and pick and choose the places you want to visit. You can buy a used copy for as little as 1 cent (plus shipping & handling) via Amazon. This minimal investment, along with the Streetwise Manhattan map suggested by Carol, will pay dividends.

http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-New-Y...ork+day+by+day

2. To simplify your sightseeing and minimize the amount of “schlepping,” separate your two full New York days into “downtown” (World Trade Center, Wall Street, Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, etc.) and “midtown” (Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, etc.). Rather than rush between downtown and midtown (or vice-versa) on a single day, spend one day touring downtown sights, and a second day just in midtown. You'll thank me later.

3. As you've acknowledged, you can't “see it all” in two and a half days. I've been going into New York City regularly for more than half a century for business and pleasure, and I certainly haven't seen it all. In fact, every time I go into the city (most recently just this past Sunday), I notice something I've never noticed before. So don't try to cram “everything” into your visit, but just single out a few places that you want to see, and then take your time and enjoy those places.

Will you get lost at some point? Probably a little bit. But so what? It's all part of the travel experience, and you'll experience some of the “real” New York and not just a series of tourist sights. There's no penalty for getting lost. Besides, you'll discover that New Yorkers are a lot friendlier than their brash exteriors and reputation for rudeness would lead you to believe.

An absolute second to Post Captain!

BUT, look at Frommer's with a map! Manhattan gets divided into neighborhoods in the guide books. ESB is probably separate from Murray Hill and Rockefeller Center. All three are within a 20-30 minute stroll, with the library and Grand Central on the route or nearby. So, if you look at the walk through Murray Hill and the Flatiron District in the guide book, you won't see that several other points of interest are nearby.

You're not going to have any issues anywhere in the areas we're talking about. New Yorkers love their city and will help you out!

markeb ~

The maps in Frommer's New York Day by Day (not to be confused with other Frommer's New York guidebooks) are exceptionally good, and several of them show (and clearly label) specific neighborhoods and districts within a larger area so that the user can see these neighborhoods' proximity to one another. In addition to a fold-out map of Manhattan from 110th Street/Central Park North to 14th Street in the inside front cover, and numerous smaller maps throughout the book, there's also a larger laminated map of Manhattan up to 102nd Street that can be removed from a plastic pouch at the back of the book. Numerous places of interest (e.g., museums, theatres, restaurants, parks, etc.) are identified in these maps, and street names/avenue numbers are clearly marked. A terrific resource for the tourist, and endless fascination for map nerds such as myself!:D

Thanks. Not sure how much time we really need to spend in the financial district.

I am considering On Board Tours for one of the days. I did buy the Street Wise map today at Barnes and Noble. Now I need to try and figure out the train. We'll be using the PATH from Jersey City.

I'm a type A personality....and I' sure it shows. ;)