must do's in NYC?

As of December 26th Brendan and I will have been dating for 3 years. We have decided to skip town for a few days and celebrate our anniversary in NJ/NYC. I have been to New York before but Brendan has not. Chances are we will only spend 1 day (maybe 2) actually in the city.

So far our agenda includes:

hanging out in Times Square/Rockefellar Center
trying to get half price TKTS tickets to a musical
making our way up the empire state building
window shopping

Anyone have any suggestion for some other MUST DO things while in NYC? I want make sure Brendan has a great first experience there. We thought about going to see lady liberty...but getitng to Ellis Island may prove to be too complicated. Brendan also wants to see Ground Zero, but I am not sure if we're going to be able to get across town easily. I am not a NY expert.

Also, any locals have any good suggestions for a nice restaurant where we can have out anniversary dinner? Nothing too fancy. Just a good place to eat.

We leave the 26th and come back late on the 28th. I cannot wait. I am in desparate need of this mini vacation.

Awwwww Congrats Have a nice time!!!!!

PS don´t forget the pics for us!!!!

You could always take the ferry. You get a great view of the Statue of Liberty. When you get there.. pick up a metro card and a map. They will come in handy.
Have fun!!

You can hop a cab from midtown to ground zero -- and just ask them to take you to ground zero or the World Trade Center site.

FAO Schwartz is a fun store to explore! (Fifth Avenue at 58th Street) It's also pretty close to one side of Central Park, so you could go into the park and check it out (daytime!). The park is HUGE so don't expect to see it all, but you can get to the Central Park Zoo and see a lot of the street vendors, artists and entertainers.

You could go see an IMAX Movie at the Sony IMAX theatre (Broadway and 68th). IMAX is AMAZING... not like going to a typical movie! They are showing the Polar Express right now. http://www.bigmoviezone.com/txshows/theaters/?uniq=544

And if you're a chocolate lover, get some Godiva on Fifth Avenue! The BEST chocolate in the world!

Oh, don't forget Rockefeller Center (49th to 52nd Streets, Fifth to Seventh Avenues)

Originally Posted by ComeresMom

FAO Schwartz is a fun store to explore! (Fifth Avenue at 58th Street) It's also pretty close to one side of Central Park, so you could go into the park and check it out (daytime!). The park is HUGE so don't expect to see it all, but you can get to the Central Park Zoo and see a lot of the street vendors, artists and entertainers.

You could go see an IMAX Movie at the Sony IMAX theatre (Broadway and 68th). IMAX is AMAZING... not like going to a typical movie! They are showing the Polar Express right now. http://www.bigmoviezone.com/txshows/theaters/?uniq=544

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Is FAO Schwartz still there? I thought the company went bankrupt and was closing all their stores. I wasn't sure if and when the store in NYC would shut down.

I have been to IMAX's before in DC at the musuems to see some of their "educational films". I bet Polar Express would be amazing on IMAX. That may be a cheaper option than doing a Broadway show too. Thanks for the heads up!

FAO Schwartz was closed for a while, but it just reopened around thanksgiving!

http://www.nynewsday.com/nyc-fao1125...l=nyc-swapbox1

Oooooo..yay!

That has always been one of my favorite stores. If you hadn't told me it reopened I wouldn't have even thought to check it out. Thanks!

Anytime! You and Brendan have a great time!! -- I love NYC

and post pictures when you get back

There is a holiday market going on at Bryant Park (6th ave and 42nd St, near Times Square) and it runs until Jan 2. My friend has a booth there, and i was helping out. The market has pretty cool stuff, check it out if you're around the area. It's nice for an evening stroll, they open till 8-9pm.

Definitely go along 5th Ave, and don't forget the giant Christmas tree at the rock (rockefellar center). We're going there tonight And if you do have time to go downtown, give Chinatown a shot too. Food there is awesome!!!! And cheap Little Italy is also next to Chinatown, they have pretty authentic italian food there.

WTC is always crowded with people, so be prepared. Century21 (the craziest shopping centre) has the worse crowds. Oh and when you go to Empire State Building, make sure you go early, like right before they open. The lines are REALLY long, you might have to stand in line for 1-2 hours just to get into the elevators.

Have fun!

i NY

Originally Posted by Hobbester

There is a holiday market going on at Bryant Park (6th ave and 42nd St, near Times Square) and it runs until Jan 2. My friend has a booth there, and i was helping out. The market has pretty cool stuff, check it out if you're around the area. It's nice for an evening stroll, they open till 8-9pm.

Definitely go along 5th Ave, and don't forget the giant Christmas tree at the rock (rockefellar center). We're going there tonight

And if you do have time to go downtown, give Chinatown a shot too. Food there is awesome!!!! And cheap

Little Italy is also next to Chinatown, they have pretty authentic italian food there.

WTC is always crowded with people, so be prepared. Century21 (the craziest shopping centre) has the worse crowds. Oh and when you go to Empire State Building, make sure you go early, like right before they open. The lines are REALLY long, you might have to stand in line for 1-2 hours just to get into the elevators.

Have fun!

i

NY

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thanks for all your ideas! It will be a challenge to get Brendan up early enough to get to the Empire State Building early, so we will be prepared for the lines! Do you know if the lines get any better after dark?

NYC is beutiful..Make sure to see the Statue of Liberty,the Zoo(s),and they have the BEST shoping,bar-non,in Manhatten.Enjoy youre stay. ^.~

Frankly, I like to walk all the way down Broadway to the Trade Center site. I just love poking in and out of all the stores and looking at all the wares they sell on the street. I would take the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands. It's worth it, even if you can't go up in the Statue. Plus, the vendors and performers in Battery Park while you are waiting are cool, too.


If it is food you are after, go to Katz's Deli on E. Houston St., on the lower East Side. The food and the experience are great.

Finally, I would go to the Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium. Oh yeah, Grand Central Station, too. New York is my favorite city in the world. I try to get home and go there at least every year.

so many great ideas and so little time!! Thank you everyone. I'm going to be sure to print these out and take them with us so we are not at a lost for anything to do. I NY as well and now I am even more excited about going.

aww have fun beryl!!!
what about ebony who is looking after her??

Originally Posted by fwan

aww have fun beryl!!!
what about ebony who is looking after her??

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our neighbor is a really good friend of mine from HS. We watched her cat after she got married and went on her honeymoon about 2 months ago, so she owes us the favor. Ebony will be in good hands.

So much to do in NYC, and so little time! AND such COLD weather. It snowed the first night we were there and then the weather barely got out of the 30's and with the wind it only felt like the teens. So we spent a lot of our time figuring out where we could get to next that was indoors.

BUT, we did get up the Empire State Building after waiting 2 hours, we took a tour of NBC stuidos, walked around Trump Tower, and window shopped. I have a list of about 15 more things I want to do when its warmer out.

Some of you asked for pics, so here are a few:

a very dark picture of the tree at Rockefellar center.


A view from the 86th floor of the Empire State building.


me all bundled up waiting to get inside the Empire State building.

I love your NYC pictures. It's my dream to move there someday. I love New York.