First time in NYC with my family
Hi! We're a family of four visiting NYC for the first time, two of us are in our early 20s and we're traveling with our parents. I put together this itinerary and would love to hear what you guys think.
We definitely want to see a lot, but I'm wondering if I've planned too much. Would love any suggestions on what to skip or change!
Day 1 - Friday (10/9)
Check in around 8 PM near Times Square
Explore Times Square
Dinner at Din Tai Fung
Grand Central speakeasy/bar afterward
Day 2 - Saturday (10/10)
Bryant Park
New York Public Library - Stephen A.
- Culture Espresso
- Salswee
Empire State Building
Flatiron Building
Madison Square Park
Shopping along Fifth Avenue
Central Park
Day 3 - Sunday (10/11)
Breakfast at Apollo Bagels
9/11 Memorial pools
Oculus / World Trade Center
Battery Park City → ferry to Brooklyn Bridge
- Park Pier 6 (hoping to get some Statue of Liberty views from the ferry)
Explore Brooklyn Bridge Park
Walk across Brooklyn Bridge back toward Manhattan
Wall Street / Charging Bull
Brookfield Place
Any great lunch spots in Brooklyn that would fit naturally into this route? Open to pretty much anything!
Day 4 - Monday (10/12)
Washington Square Park
Explore SoHo
- Katz's Delicatessen
- Levain Bakery
- L’Industrie Pizzeria (fig/burrata) OR Lucia (spinach pizza)
Little Island
Pier 57 rooftop
Walk the High Line
Vessel
Back to the hotel for a break
Top of the Rock before sunset
Day 5 - Tuesday (10/13)
Breakfast: PopUp Bagels or Liberty Bagels
Check out
For the ferry, I’m not actually sure how close this route gets to the Statue of Liberty, so please correct me if I’m wrong! I chose it mainly because it seems to fit our route better since we’re heading to Brooklyn Bridge Park anyway, and I’ve heard it may be less crowded than the Staten Island Ferry.
I’m also thinking of getting a 24-hour Big Bus Downtown Loop pass. The plan would be to start using it Sunday afternoon around Wall Street to get back toward our hotel near Times Square, then use it again Monday morning to head down to SoHo. After exploring SoHo, we’d hop back on and take it toward Pier 57 before continuing with Little Island/High Line.
My parents generally really enjoy hop-on hop-off buses, so I thought it could be a nice way for them to rest while still sightseeing. My main concern is NYC traffic. Would we end up wasting a lot of time sitting on the bus?
Also, any other food recommendations that fit naturally into the areas we’ll already be visiting would be very welcome! Thanks so much!