r/visitingnyc

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!

***Edit: message heard on Canal street. Another Redditor suggested vintage shopping the fashion District near our hotel. I will look into that this evening, but would really appreciate suggestions to help out a middle-aged nerdy, dad***

Hey- Returning to the City after visiting last year on Fall Break. We are a family of 4 with 2 teenage daughters.

Rain last year really hindered our Central Park Day, so we are making sure to plan for a chunk of Wednesday morning. Sukkot fell during our visit last year so B&H Photo was closed the whole time we were in town.

• Arrive Tues the 13th - Moynihan Train Hall 1:10
• Travel to Fashion District Hotel-
• Head to Canal Street - Girls want to bag shop again. They had so much fun last year, they've talked about it almost monthly.
• Visit B&H Photo for Dad between Canal St and early dinner at DTF
• 4:30 Reservation at DTF

-May do camera store after, will see.

• Hudson Yards for Kodansha Pop up. Both girls are big Attack On Titan fans
• Will likely do a treat over this way, any fun spots worth visiting for desserts?

-Head back to hotel for an earlyish night

Wednesday

• Early (7:45am) departure for a morning walk in Central Park Plan for a couple of hours, and likely take B/C up to 72nd or 81st, then head South and East through the park. Open to ideas here. We saw a small sliver last year (Gapstow Bridge and Pond)
• Would love ideas for a quick but delicious lunch near Orchard Street.
• We will head downtown to Tenement Museum for 12:45 reservations for my wife and youngest daughter, while my oldest and I go to the Harry Styles Pop up.
• My daughter wants to visit the NY or Nowhere store nearby.
• We will head back to the hotel so ladies can get ready for the Concert at the Madison Square Gardens.
• likely grab a slice before the show, hopefully at a place on the way to MSG from hotel.
• After the show, we may head to Times Square for the Midnight moment(is it worth it?)
• My wife wants to take the girls to Lillie's Victorian Establishment for a late night drink before heading to the hotel

Thursday-

• Depart mid-day from JFK. Any cool things in the neighborhood (26th and 7th) we can check our before check out, that would be a fun little book end.

Thanks -

Our current plan for our first trip (2 kids ages 8/11):

Saturday 10/24: Arrive EWR 8:45 pm, Uber to hotel (Double Tree Times Square South)

Sunday 10/25: breakfast, Bryant Park, Take the train to Metlife stadium/Ny Jets game at 1 P.M., back in the city by 6:30ish. Find a good pizza option for dinner.

Monday 10/26: Take the subway downtown. Battery park/see Statue of Liberty from here (not planning on the ferry ride). See the 9/11 memorial. Walk through the Oculus. Lunch in Chinatown or Little Italy. Maybe a museum in the afternoon- Natural History or The Met?

Tuesday 10/27: Central Park walks, maybe another museum (Museum of Modern Art?), shopping- FAO Schwartz, Lego store; NY Public Library and maybe a bookstore; early dinner, Aladdin at New Amsterdam Theater at 7. After the show, walk Times Square at night.

Wednesday 10/28: morning walk somewhere with good views/sights, maybe the High Line? Train or Uber back to EWR around 10:30/arrive by 11:30 for our flight at 1:30.

Too ambitious? Anything we shouldn't miss and don't have planned yet?

Off to NYC this weekend.

What’s not to miss for a bookish guy building their own writer’s retreat?

I’d like to write for 2 hours each day in the morning and then explore. I’m staying in Midtown, for my sins, but love to head out all over the city.

I have Broadway plans in the evening Friday-Sunday.

I somehow discovered this sub, and thought to recommend a day of breweries and pizza in Brooklyn while I have some time to waste... Whenever I visit another city, I like to find a local brewery to chat up the locals, and if you’re looking for the same, I can’t recommend enough: go to Brooklyn!!

First, start at Other Half Brewery on Centre Street in Carroll Gardens. They have delicious IPAs and fun sours. You can take the C to Hoyt-Schemerhorn and then transfer to the G to Carroll Street. On the way there, take a look at the beautiful brownstone homes (Caroll Gardens is known for having gardens in their front yard, which is very unique).

After Other Half, walk up Court Street to Union. On the way, you’ll pass several good pizza options, including F&F. The pizza here is just as good as any tourist trap, and no line. Make a right on Union on your way to Gowanus, a mostly industrial neighborhood that’s in the process of tremendous change. You’ll walk over the Gowanus Canal (don’t go swimming in there), and make it to Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club - not a brewery, but thought to mention as it’s a cool little over 21 gem.

From there, you are only a few blocks away from so much beer: Finback Brewery, Forever Brewery, Wild East Brewery, and Threes Brewery. All of these places have food options as well, sometimes special events and live music, Threes has a lovely backyard. You’ll meet locals, cute dogs, and taste delicious beer.

From there, more beer: you can walk East to The Beer Garage in Park Slope - and plenty of great options for dinner in another historic and beautiful neighborhood. Alternatively, you could head north to Hops Hill on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill/Fort Greene - more cool and historic neighborhoods with great food options. You can certainly find a great place to eat dinner after a day of drinking and wandering, and then catch a train from Atlantic Avenue station back to the midtown.

Hopefully this helps someone on here. Please get out of Times Square!!

Hi all! My fiance and I are big swing/big band fans and are coming to NYC for my birthday at the end of November. I was going to take him to Swing 46 as I used to go there every NYC trip, but saw that it has since closed - does anyone have any comparable recommendations? Thanks in advance!