MY New York Plans..Thoughts please

[eltigre]

I have been  reading so many posts here and everyone seemed so knowledgeable on hotels, transportation etc I wanted to know if I have done OK on my plans for our first ever visit to New York City. Any suggestions appreciated.

We arrive at JFK Terminal 7 at 8 pm. Planned to use a taxi at a fixed rate to go to Hotel Fairfield Inn by Marriott 330 W40

While in the city for 2 nights we wanted to see the following some by walking (we are in our 70's so not too much) the Big Red Bus and taxis. After some reading here I am questioning the Big Red Bus might not be the best use of our limited time.

 

Our cruise leaves from  the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal  I believe is at 72 Bowne Street, Brooklyn? Again a taxi. However some posts saying cabbies aren't always familiar with locations gives me cause for concern. I would also like to have a good New York bagel and a deli sandwich. Any ideas?

 

Big Bus 2 Routes Red $54  & Blue $72 both routes  pp

Times Square  #2   Hotel @ 40th & 9th Ticket Booth at Broadway at 47th sells theater tickets 1/2 price  2-8pm same day performances

Empire State Bldg #3 16 W 34 St  86th floor observatory  8AM-2AM  pass thru security $42

Rockefeller Center  #1 7AM-midnight  self guided tour book 5th to 6th Ave

1 Summit Vanderbilt $42 45 E 42nd  for Views Empire Bldg, Chrysler, Central Park  CLOSES 12am

St Patricks Cathedral  #1  1 blk from Rockefeller Sq  5th & 50th 6:30 AM to 6 PM

Radio City Music Hall 1260 - 6th Ave

Flat Iron Bldg #4

Chrysler Bldg. 405 Lexington see lobby & elevators  8AM-6PM  Free

Brooklyn Bridge  #7 view only do by cruise also

World One #10 180 Greenwich  National Sept. 11 Memorial  7:30 am - 9pm  Free

 St Pauls Church 209 Boadway by World One

Circle Line Cruise #12  $41  1.5 hrs  Pier 83   11:30, 12:30, 2pm, 3pm

Central Park  Zoo  #15 east side 64 & 5th Ave $8.95

Central Park 2.35 miles long 1/2 mile wide

Conservatory Water 72-75th st. boat  pond

Central Park Carousel 64th St mid park 10 AM - 6PM $3.25

[Nitemare]

HOHO buses are HOT as HECK in summer in NYC, and wet when it rains.  If you get off it can take a very long time to Hop back on as they are still popular and full.   They are also slow due to traffic.   If the weather is reasonable, doing one loop on them to "get your bearings" isn't a bad use of the HOHO, but not for anything else.

 

TKTS is a good way to get theater tickets.  Have a list ahead of time of what you are interested in.  They have large boards listing the available shows so when you hit the window know what 2 or 3 shows you are interested in.  Feel free to ask them about seating choices, but not "will I like ______?"

 

I can't tell from your list if those are the HOHO stops or just places you are interested in?

 

Taxis are just as slow as the HOHO but costly.  Subway is an easy way to get around.  Cabs and Ubers do have GPS and can find the cruise terminal.  Tell them "Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal at _______ address" and they will get you to there

[GTJ]

9 hours ago, eltigre said:

Our cruise leaves from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal  I believe is at 72 Bowne Street, Brooklyn? Again a taxi. However some posts saying cabbies aren't always familiar with locations gives me cause for concern.

You have the correct location. You are also correct that some taxi drivers are not familiar with its location. However, all taxi drivers are required to have an atlas, and if need be you can insist that the driver review the atlas prior to setting out on the trip . . . you are not supposed to pay for the driver figuring out the route, either through study of the atlas or by driving around aimlessly looking for the cruise terminal. Some divers use GPS systems, including virtually all TNC vehicle (e.g., Uber) drivers.

 

9 hours ago, eltigre said:

While in the city for 2 nights we wanted to see the following some by walking (we are in our 70's so not too much) the Big Red Bus and taxis. After some reading here I am questioning the Big Red Bus might not be the best use of our limited time.

 

Big Bus 2 Routes Red $54  & Blue $72 both routes  pp

Times Square  #2   Hotel @ 40th & 9th Ticket Booth at Broadway at 47th sells theater tickets 1/2 price  2-8pm same day performances

Empire State Bldg #3 16 W 34 St  86th floor observatory  8AM-2AM  pass thru security $42

Rockefeller Center  #1 7AM-midnight  self guided tour book 5th to 6th Ave

1 Summit Vanderbilt $42 45 E 42nd  for Views Empire Bldg, Chrysler, Central Park  CLOSES 12am

St Patricks Cathedral  #1  1 blk from Rockefeller Sq  5th & 50th 6:30 AM to 6 PM

Radio City Music Hall 1260 - 6th Ave

Flat Iron Bldg #4

Chrysler Bldg. 405 Lexington see lobby & elevators  8AM-6PM  Free

Brooklyn Bridge  #7 view only do by cruise also

World One #10 180 Greenwich  National Sept. 11 Memorial  7:30 am - 9pm  Free

 St Pauls Church 209 Boadway by World One

Circle Line Cruise #12  $41  1.5 hrs  Pier 83   11:30, 12:30, 2pm, 3pm

Central Park  Zoo  #15 east side 64 & 5th Ave $8.95

Central Park 2.35 miles long 1/2 mile wide

Conservatory Water 72-75th st. boat  pond

Central Park Carousel 64th St mid park 10 AM - 6PM $3.25

It is not entirely clear if you want to "see" these sights from a moving bus, or if you actually want to actually visit these sites. Many of the sights you enumerate are in heart of midtown Manhattan, and are readily accessible on foot. That said, lots of walking in midtown can be tiring for some people, and so a bus that travels past the sights can be a bit of a relief. But these tourist buses do not operate frequently enough, and have limited seating, so the idea of continually getting on and off the bus, for realtively short distances, is likely more idealistic and theoretical than practicable. Staying on the bus for a complete loop could give you an opportunity to see the sights, and to hear some commentary, and for those particular sights where you have an interest you might be better off later visiting them on foot or using local public transportation.

 

To be more certain: all of the sights up through the Chrysler Building are in midtown and relatively close to one another. Brooklyn Bridge through St. Paul's Church are in lower Manhattan, and relatively close to one another. Midtown and lower Manhattan are distant from each other. Pier 83, used by Circle Line, does not have much there other than being a departure point for a circle Manhattan cruise, and it is unlikely that you would want to interrupt any bus tours with an extended cruise . . . you might want to do the cruise on a separate day, or at least as a separate activity from the tour bus ride. Central Park is separate and apart, and is a large park in and of itself. It would be best to plan out what you would want to see in Central Park, and then plan a reasonably efficient walking path to use (or possibly use public transportation along the exterior of the park if the places are distant . . . or even take an expensive carriage ride to just see a few sight therein).

[eltigre]

Thank you I feel like you have saved me a great deal of frustration. The plan was to see the sites close to the hotel in a group. Then use the HOHO to group close sites & get off to visit them. Then catch another one to do another grouping. The park being one area with 3 stops in it. The Chrysler being another area, the 9/11 being another area. The cruise being a separate one. 

I am thinking that because of transportation issues I have too much planned for 1 full and one 1/2 day. I thought the HOHO would make it quicker to get from one general area to another thus saving some walking.

[Brighton Line]

I strongly suggest using the 210 Clinton Wharf Brooklyn, NY 11231 as the address for the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. 

The Bowne St. address leads most GPS's to a locked gate, the gate is only open when there is no ship at the terminal. Many taxi's/Ubers etc were making U-Turns getting to this gate including mine. 

[markeb]

You've got a lot on your list! Agree with GTJ and Nitemare that the HOHO is best for a single loop overview rather than as transportation. And things that are almost on top of each other may be an hour away on the loop, depending on the loop. And some things loop back for no real benefit. Since you're staying near Times Square you would walk through it and past Rockefeller Center to get to St Patrick's. With crosstown traffic, it could take longer to drive back to Times Square and get through heading downtown towards the ESB than it took you to walk over in the first place.

 

You do want to pick sites that are close together and do them together. Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, St Patrick's, the Empire State Building, and the Flatiron Building are very close to each other. You can see them all walking down Fifth Avenue (with a slight detour to Radio City Music Hall). The Chrysler Building is a bit of a detour, but doable. Grand Central back to Times Square/42d Street is one of the best crosstown subway routes and could save you a lot of walking from the Chrysler Building. Consider going to Top of the Rock for your view of the ESB. Lump the downtown/Financial District sites together on one of your days.

 

For Central Park, look at what you really want to see. It's a pretty nice walk from the southeast corner of the park (Fifth Avenue and 59th) past the rink to the Carousel, down the Mall to the Bethesda Terrace, and the Lake. That's a nice taste of the Park that won't take all day, but it does require some walking.

 

Manhattan is huge. Edit your list. Allow time to sit down and relax!

 

 

[eltigre]

Looking at subway maps & info now. Also prioritizing. Thank You!

[GTJ]

9 hours ago, eltigre said:

I am thinking that because of transportation issues I have too much planned for 1 full and one 1/2 day. I thought the HOHO would make it quicker to get from one general area to another thus saving some walking.

There is much to been seen and do in New York City, so it is easy to get "too much" planned for a given amount of time. (Solution? Come back often!) The HoHo bus service does directly connect sights, but it just does not come often enough to constitute a good form of transportation. It is best used as a sightseeing route, perhaps alighting at a very limited number of locations, but it does not really do very well if you're looking for transportation alone. Our regular buses and subways do that point-to-point transportation more quickly, more regularly, and more inexpensively. In that regard, it can be best to use the subway between midtown and lower Manhattan. But if you're looking for something more leisurely, if walking much is an issue, then using the HoHo bus as a sightseeing loop could be best.

[parentsof5]

On 6/12/2023 at 11:27 PM, GTJ said:

The HoHo bus service does directly connect sights, but it just does not come often enough to constitute a good form of transportation. It is best used as a sightseeing route, perhaps alighting at a very limited number of locations, but it does not really do very well if you're looking for transportation alone. 

Do you know if you did use the HOHO for one loop to get an overview how long that takes?

[eltigre]

1 hour ago, parentsof5 said:

Do you know if you did use the HOHO for one loop to get an overview how long that takes?

Apparently, what I can find is that each loop takes approximately 2 hrs. 

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, parentsof5 said:

Do you know if you did use the HOHO for one loop to get an overview how long that takes?

About ninety minutes for a single loop, depending on traffic.

Edited June 17, 2023 by GTJ

[cruiserking]

Hi Eltigre, 

 

I would skip the HOHO buses. You pass so much stuff in a short period it's information overload. You'll see a lot but, by the time it's done you won't really be sure just what.

 

Try and focus on one general area.

If you go to Rockefeller Center you can see a bunch great things right in that area. Head up to the Top of the Rock on the 70th floor for a terrific view of the skyline, the Empire State Building and Central Park. Try and get there early in the morning when the prices are still half-way reasonable you'll pay a hefty price later in the day for sunset. 

 

Rockefeller Center is steps away from MOMA, Radio City, Saks Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel and quite close to the theater district. 

 

There's a great art and architecture guided tour at Rockefeller Center that will give you interesting insights into the construction, the art and everything at this complex. It lasts an hour. 

 

I would skip the Radio City tour it entails lots of walking up steep flights of stairs. 

 

Pick One Deck

I would suggest just picking one observation deck. It's a waste of time to do any more. Top of the Rock is a great view because on the 70th floor you can still recognize the nearby buildings whereas at Empire State everything below looks like Lego pieces. 

 

Trip Suggestion

You could visit Rockefeller Center, take the art tour and go to the top stroll around the area then catch a cab to the piers to board the Circle Line trip. This is a lovely relaxing ride narrated by a knowledgeable guide who will give great information as you circle Manhattan Island. 

 

Theater Discount Sites

Broadwaybox.com, Theatermania.com and Playbill.com are great sites to picks up some discounted theater tickets in advance and will save you lining up for hours at TKTS which will be mobbed. 

 

Dinner recommendation

Before the show. We're big fans of a reasonably priced French restaurant; Cafe Un, Deux, Troi at 123 West 44th street between 6th and 7th Avenue. The food is delicious, the prices are great and the service is top-notch. They cater to the theater crowd and will get you in an out fast. Reservations recommended. 

 

Getting to the Ship

The New York cabbies will get you to the Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal but, if you any concern contact Carmel Car Service 212 666-6666 very reliable, clean comfortable cars that will get you there without a hitch. 

 

Happy planning and have a wonderful time in the Big Apple. 

 

Jonathan

 

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by cruiserking

[eltigre]

After all the great recommendations here;

I will make sure to give Clinton Warf as the address for the cruise terminal

I got show tickets online at a suggested site for $40 less per ticket 

DAY 1

I have planned a walking route from W 40th & 8th past Carlos Bakery on 8th, 1Times Square, down Broadway to Carnegie Hall, then to Lenny's on 8th for a deli sandwich( any other deli sandwich suggestions near or on the way to Central Park?). Approximately 2 1/2 miles walking.

Then on to S. Central Park for a pedi cab ride through the park. 1 hr 

In the afternoon a walk from Central Park  to Rockefeller Square,Summit One for view (maybe Rockefeller) Grand Central Station, Chrysler Bldg, Empire & a cab past Flat Iron 

back to Hotel W40th & 8th 

Dinner  Suggestions nothing fancy somewhere between 8th to 9th & 40th to 49th.

Show 7pm probably cab there & back we are bushed by then!!

DAY 2

Breakfast Suggestions for a Bagel Place please

Have to get rid of luggage,  so a cab from 8th & 40th via Brooklyn Bridge to Port to drop off luggage.

Cab back via #428 to the 9/11 area including St. Paul's Chapel, Battery Park, and possible one of the short cruises from Liberty Cruises Pier 35 past Statue of Liberty.

Lunch ideas Any suggestions for a New York Style Pizza?

Cruise departure 7pm so onboard by 4:30 or 5pm.

 

We are not comfy with subway or busses hence the Cab/ Uber. Hoping it is possible to call via phone app or hailing when we need one.

 

Comments, recommendations PLEASE ...

Edited August 1, 2023 by eltigre

[George C]

My favorite restaurant is Becco’s a great Italian place very reasonably priced it’s on restaurant row which is 46st between 8th and 9th , there daily special is 3 different pastas with unlimited refills and salad for under 35 ,plus a full page of wines all priced at 35 , some very nice wines on that list . We have been there about 20 times always go at least twice on our visits , suggest getting a reservation via open table. 

[Nitemare]

Make sure the pedicab price is fully agreed upon BEFORE you get on.  They regularly charge $5-$6-$7/minute and upwards from there.

 

Uber apps work fine.  Arro for cabs or hail the old fashioned way. Traffic can be a real issue with cabs and ubers.  We've taken the NYC subway hundreds of times, as we visited 5-6 times/year for 25+ years and never had an issue.  Definitely the fastest way to get around

[eltigre]

15 minutes ago, George C said:

My favorite restaurant is Becco’s a great Italian place very reasonably priced it’s on restaurant row which is 46st between 8th and 9th , there daily special is 3 different pastas with unlimited refills and salad for under 35 ,plus a full page of wines all priced at 35 , some very nice wines on that list . We have been there about 20 times always go at least twice on our visits , suggest getting a reservation via open table. 

Looked fantastic but our dinner in the theater district is on a Monday and so many are closed then 😞

[George C]

1 hour ago, eltigre said:

Looked fantastic but our dinner in the theater district is on a Monday and so many are closed then 😞

A interesting place about 10 blocks north is Patsy on 56 st it’s main claim to fame is it was Sinatra favorite restaurant, they used to have some live music on Monday , they sell some of there sauce in supermarkets, not as good as Becco , owner gave us a bottle of there sauce on our visit. 

[GTJ]

You have hit many of the tourist circuit sights with your plan. A few notes and observations of mine. The Carlo's bakery location you have listed is one of several branch locations, this one being within the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The main location is in Hoboken, New Jersey, but you might not want to devote time, when it is will be so limited, to venture there. I can't say anything bad about Carlo's--I have a sweet tooth and would not turn down anything there--but keep in mind that its popularity arises primarily from the television exposure it has received, more so than the quality of baked goods at this location. From Times Square you would be walking UPtown, not DOWNtown, on Broadway to Carnegie Hall. I am not familiar with Lenny's (or more accurately, Lenwich), which is, apparently, a chain with several locations in Manhattan. The sandwiches look fine, and there's an area in which to sit and eat, so it should work out fine for getting a quick lunch. Heed the other warnings about pedicabs. Their drivers have a reputation for cheating tourists. You're probably seeking to visit Rockefeller Center (not "Square"). No ice rink this time of year, but the below grade shopping concourse will be open for business. Similarly, you're probably seeking to visit Grand Central Terminal, the railroad facility (Grand Central Station is the nearby post office). I am not entirely clear if your plan is to travel from 42nd Street down Fifth Avenue by taxi, to go past the Empire State Building at 34th Street, and the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street, simply to view them from the taxi, or if you're planning to walk to them and go by taxi from 23rd Street back up to 40th Street. It is difficult finding good and not overly expensive places to eat in the area surrounding Times Square. When we're pressed for having to eat in this area--usually because we're returning to New York City through Port Authority, we usually end up at John's of Times Square, 260 West 44th Street, for decent pizza. The quintessential bagel in Manhattan comes from H&H, a location of which exists in the Moynihan Train Hall at Pennsylvania Station. Other good bagels may be had at Black Seed Bagel (really, a hybrid of New York and Montréal style bagels), a location of which exists in Rockefeller Center. After leaving your baggage in Brooklyn, and returning to lower Manhattan, the best route would ordinarily involve using the ferry that is immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The ferry is a quick, inexpensive, and scenic route to Pier 11 in lower Manhattan. However, you indicate that buses and subway trains are not particularly comfortable (they both use hard, rather than padded, seats). Alas, the ferries have hard seating similar to that used on buses and subway trains, so you would likely feel as uncomfortable on a ferry seat as on a bus or subway train. For similar reasons you might not want to use Liberty Cruise. My understanding is that their vessels, too, have the hard seating that you would likely find not to be comfy. Instead, you might get a better experience with the New York Signature Lunch Cruise, offered by City Cruises at Chelsea Piers, as its vessels will likely be more comfortable. Their 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. cruise would conclude in time for you to return to Brooklyn by 4:30 p.m. If you're seeking pizza in lower Manhattan, Lombardi's, on Spring Street is probably the best choice there. Better, however, is to go into Brooklyn and eat at Juliana's, on the foot of Fulton Street near the ferry landing.

[eltigre]

Thank you Nitemare regarding the pedi cabs. I will explore the subway system further. Level access (no stairs) to enter & exit was one of the main issues for us.

 

George C I so wanted to try Becco's but even on our arrival date we don't land until 8pm at JFK. They will be closed at 9pm.

 

GTJ thank you so much. I will go over your reply very carefully in the morning and tidy up my plan even further. 

 

I have wanted to visit New York for many years and with everyone's help it will be a great visit.

[mjkacmom]

You can take the Staten Island ferry to go past the SOL for free, but you need to get off and back on at Staten Island.

[Brighton Line]

The subway is not that awful during the day in Manhattan.

Of course, you can pay $52 to go 3 miles with Uber to feel safe.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/01/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-stunned-by-52-fare-charged-for-3-mile-ride-in-nyc/

 

You need to see what happens with Surge pricing. I have rides that are $20 go to $120 during a thunderstorm. 

 

[eltigre]

1 hour ago, Brighton Line said:

The subway is not that awful during the day in Manhattan.

Of course, you can pay $52 to go 3 miles with Uber to feel safe.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/01/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-stunned-by-52-fare-charged-for-3-mile-ride-in-nyc/

 

You need to see what happens with Surge pricing. I have rides that are $20 go to $120 during a thunderstorm. 

 

Our concern for any of the transit in New York is that we are not very savy on figuring out where we are, where we want to go & how to get there 🙂 plus DH has to keep stairs to a minimum. Many systems are accessed by so many steps down & up. The more I am reading here the more I am realizing the traffic issues so I will be looking more closely at the subway system to see if we can make it work for us.

[Nitemare]

4 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

You can take the Staten Island ferry to go past the SOL for free, but you need to get off and back on at Staten Island.

It's free, it takes about 90 minutes total, but it is a distance view

[Nitemare]

2 hours ago, eltigre said:

Our concern for any of the transit in New York is that we are not very savy on figuring out where we are, where we want to go & how to get there 🙂 plus DH has to keep stairs to a minimum. Many systems are accessed by so many steps down & up. The more I am reading here the more I am realizing the traffic issues so I will be looking more closely at the subway system to see if we can make it work for us.

We find Google Maps or Citymapper do an excellent job of helping us figure out the NYC subway routes

[GTJ]

3 hours ago, eltigre said:

Our concern for any of the transit in New York is that we are not very savvy on figuring out where we are, where we want to go & how to get there 🙂 plus DH has to keep stairs to a minimum. Many systems are accessed by so many steps down & up. The more I am reading here the more I am realizing the traffic issues so I will be looking more closely at the subway system to see if we can make it work for us.

New York is a large city, and having a good sense of direction is a plus. A guided tour can alleviate anxieties if one is less able to navigate, and there are many tours available, be it by vehicle or on foot. Stairs are much less of an issue these days compared to past years. Midtown Manhattan is relatively straight-forward to navigate: it is generally a grid with avenues traverse the island lengthwise, most being numbered starting at the East River, and streets going across the island, numbered starting in lower Manhattan. It is when you are lower Manhattan that you may especially challenged because of the seemingly random layout of the named, not numbered, colonial streets. Best to bring a map with you. The subway map uses a wheelchair symbol to indicate all the stations that are accessible (meaning, ramps and elevators not requiring the use of stairs to navigate), most transit buses are low floor with no stairs (and all bus drivers will deploy the wheelchair lift or ramp, even if one does not use a wheelchair, so as to avoid any stair climbing), and most buildings have accessible entrances that do not require the use of stairs (again, look for the wheelchair symbol for access). If by "traffic" you mean "motor vehicle traffic," then yes, New York streets can be crowded and slow for slow, frustrating for those who are impatient, but not intolerably so. Usually the best way to see New York is on foot, and while pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk can also be crowded, walking best allows you to control the pace and extent of seeing the city.