First Time in NYC - Solo Business Trip - Need Suggestions!
July 26, 2017 9:14 AM Subscribe
I am going on a business trip to NYC in mid-August for 4 days. I have never been to NYC before and I would love advice/suggestions on a couple things and be able to make the most of my short time there.
I arrive on a Wednesday morning (10:00 ish) and leave on a Saturday evening (21:00 ish). I fly internationally in and out of LGA and my hotel is near Union Square Park. Here is an approximate schedule for the trip.
Wednesday: Free with dinner meeting
Thursday: Working day with meetings near the UN Headquarters until 17:30 and optional dinner/tourist outing
Friday: Working day with meetings near NY City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge until 17:30 and optional tourist outing
Saturday: Working day with meetings in the morning near NY City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge and free afternoon
The Thursday evening outing is "Roosevelt Island Tram & FDR Four Freedoms Park with Picnic on Roosevelt Island".
Friday evening outing is "Statue by Night - Water Taxi Cruise".
Questions:
(1) Are the scheduled (optional) outings worth while? Or is there something else I could do with my time to better see/experience NYC?
(2) When does it get dark and is it safe to walk around in the evening/after sunset alone as a mid-20s woman? Are there areas that I need to avoid in Manhattan?
(3) I should have a metro pass while I'm there. Are there things I should know about the metro system? Non-obvious things to avoid? I lived in Berlin for a while and am comfortable using metro systems in continental Europe, but I've heard that NYC's is the most complicated one in the world. I will not have mobile data - are there offline apps I can use to help navigate the city and transit system?
(4) Are there any quicker (i.e. no 2 hour sit-down) places I should eat at? I'm planning on being on-the-go, so I would like mostly on-the-go food to match. I've heard I need to try Junior's cheesecake and Shake Shack. Recommendations for a pizza place would be very nice.
(5) I LOVE walking. It is my preferred mode of transportation when travelling. Are there certain streets/areas that I should walk through near my work/hotel? Are there neat things to see/do in the early morning (06:00 - 08:00) before my meetings?
(6) Below are some things I'm interested in seeing/doing. Please let me know if you have other recommendations or if something on my list is a miss. I'm a go-go-go person/traveler so a busy schedule is perfect.
Chelsea Market
Walk around Greenwich Village
Visit a Trader Joe's
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge
See St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square
Central Park
The Met (very quick visit)
Shake shack
Junior's Cheesecake
Bonus: I'm directionally challenged at the best of times. How do I not get lost in Central Park?
Thanks in advance for any advice, recommendations, ect. I'm very excited to see NYC and am grateful for your help!
I arrive on a Wednesday morning (10:00 ish) and leave on a Saturday evening (21:00 ish). I fly internationally in and out of LGA and my hotel is near Union Square Park. Here is an approximate schedule for the trip.
Wednesday: Free with dinner meeting
Thursday: Working day with meetings near the UN Headquarters until 17:30 and optional dinner/tourist outing
Friday: Working day with meetings near NY City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge until 17:30 and optional tourist outing
Saturday: Working day with meetings in the morning near NY City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge and free afternoon
The Thursday evening outing is "Roosevelt Island Tram & FDR Four Freedoms Park with Picnic on Roosevelt Island".
Friday evening outing is "Statue by Night - Water Taxi Cruise".
Questions:
(1) Are the scheduled (optional) outings worth while? Or is there something else I could do with my time to better see/experience NYC?
(2) When does it get dark and is it safe to walk around in the evening/after sunset alone as a mid-20s woman? Are there areas that I need to avoid in Manhattan?
(3) I should have a metro pass while I'm there. Are there things I should know about the metro system? Non-obvious things to avoid? I lived in Berlin for a while and am comfortable using metro systems in continental Europe, but I've heard that NYC's is the most complicated one in the world. I will not have mobile data - are there offline apps I can use to help navigate the city and transit system?
(4) Are there any quicker (i.e. no 2 hour sit-down) places I should eat at? I'm planning on being on-the-go, so I would like mostly on-the-go food to match. I've heard I need to try Junior's cheesecake and Shake Shack. Recommendations for a pizza place would be very nice.
(5) I LOVE walking. It is my preferred mode of transportation when travelling. Are there certain streets/areas that I should walk through near my work/hotel? Are there neat things to see/do in the early morning (06:00 - 08:00) before my meetings?
(6) Below are some things I'm interested in seeing/doing. Please let me know if you have other recommendations or if something on my list is a miss. I'm a go-go-go person/traveler so a busy schedule is perfect.
Chelsea Market
Walk around Greenwich Village
Visit a Trader Joe's
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge
See St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square
Central Park
The Met (very quick visit)
Shake shack
Junior's Cheesecake
Bonus: I'm directionally challenged at the best of times. How do I not get lost in Central Park?
Thanks in advance for any advice, recommendations, ect. I'm very excited to see NYC and am grateful for your help!
Do not waste your precious time on going to Trader Joe's, it is just a very crowded grocery store, there is nothing special to see (unless you want some sweet shopping deals, which I presume you don't).
Seconding that you should give yourself more time to visit the Met, it is a very special place and worth soaking in.
posted by cakelite at 9:43 AM on July 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
Seconding that you should give yourself more time to visit the Met, it is a very special place and worth soaking in.
posted by cakelite at 9:43 AM on July 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
At work so I don't have time to hit all your questions, but I'm guessing lots of people will after me.
The water taxi outing sounds like fun and worth doing. I'd skip the Roosevelt Island outing unless you are interested in the picnic - that is far more a team-building thing than a "must-see" NYC experience.
When you say you want to go to a Trader Joes, is it to have the TJ experience, or because you're hoping to buy things to take home? If the latter, you'll want to go there early in the morning if your meetings allow - the insane long lines at Trader Joe's, especially in the late afternoons and early evenings, are part of the experience (partly because they move relatively quickly), but if you have limited time to spend you may not want to spend them squashed and on line in a grocery store.
There are lots of quick, good restaurants around - often on every block. Shake Shack is great but it isn't quick unless you get there earlier or later than you're happy eating.
A very quick visit to the Met is almost impossible - there are long lines to get in and the place is huge. Expect it will take a few hours.
Your hotel is in a very walkable area - either stroll down Broadway toward NYU and the Village, or up into the Flatiron district (lots of great shopping).
Safety in Manhattan is mostly "trust your instincts" - don't walk around with headphones on late at night down a deserted street, and you're going to be fine.
Central Park actually has a neat system to keep people from getting lost, but if you keep walking on pathways toward the skyline you'll eventually get to the street, and then it's easy to know where you are.
If you have the time, I highly, highly recommend going to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. You need to make a reservation in advance (there are different tours depending on which immigrant group you're most interested in).
I'd also enter the Hamilton lottery every day, since you never know.
posted by Mchelly at 9:44 AM on July 26, 2017
The water taxi outing sounds like fun and worth doing. I'd skip the Roosevelt Island outing unless you are interested in the picnic - that is far more a team-building thing than a "must-see" NYC experience.
When you say you want to go to a Trader Joes, is it to have the TJ experience, or because you're hoping to buy things to take home? If the latter, you'll want to go there early in the morning if your meetings allow - the insane long lines at Trader Joe's, especially in the late afternoons and early evenings, are part of the experience (partly because they move relatively quickly), but if you have limited time to spend you may not want to spend them squashed and on line in a grocery store.
There are lots of quick, good restaurants around - often on every block. Shake Shack is great but it isn't quick unless you get there earlier or later than you're happy eating.
A very quick visit to the Met is almost impossible - there are long lines to get in and the place is huge. Expect it will take a few hours.
Your hotel is in a very walkable area - either stroll down Broadway toward NYU and the Village, or up into the Flatiron district (lots of great shopping).
Safety in Manhattan is mostly "trust your instincts" - don't walk around with headphones on late at night down a deserted street, and you're going to be fine.
Central Park actually has a neat system to keep people from getting lost, but if you keep walking on pathways toward the skyline you'll eventually get to the street, and then it's easy to know where you are.
If you have the time, I highly, highly recommend going to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. You need to make a reservation in advance (there are different tours depending on which immigrant group you're most interested in).
I'd also enter the Hamilton lottery every day, since you never know.
posted by Mchelly at 9:44 AM on July 26, 2017
I visited NYC for a long weekend/short week this June.
Subway hints: I have a similar background to yours with European and smaller metros. There's wifi in all the stations in NYC with varying levels of strength. Google maps will tell you exactly what to catch and where. So if you can get on a wifi signal and download the local area, you should be fine. It was way easier for me to navigate this trip compared to 20 years ago.
Chelsea Market would be a good place to get a quick bite. My impression when i walked through it was that it was 90% restaurants in a food truck or food court style. It's also right next to the High Line.
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge: I did this. I had to pee part way across and once you're on there, you're on it for good until you either make it across or you turn around. It was awful. For the record, if you are going from Brooklyn to Manhattan and have to pee, turn left off the end of the bridge, past City Hall, and there's a Starbucks a block or two down on the left. If that's closed, there's a Dunkin' Donuts around the corner. Thanks for the tip, NYC Brooklyn Bridge Cop.
See St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square: Sure, if you want to. Don't expect to find a good place to eat near Times Square though.
Central Park: eh. I suspect that unless you have a specific thing you want to see in the park that matters to you that you can skip this. It's probably most appreciated by the locals who have limited green space.
The Met (very quick visit): Good thought! But I'm not sure what you mean by "quick." This might be an unrealistic idea.
Shake shack: No idea!
Junior's Cheesecake: I happened to be staying in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, so I ended up there. It was neat, and I enjoyed the experience. The non-cheesecake food I ordered sucked, but they had pickles and beets and other vegetable snacks on the table which was fun. The cheesecake itself was excellent. I had the strawberry kind. I also had a chocolate egg cream just because I had always read about them over the years.
So there's my two cents. Have fun!
posted by Stewriffic at 10:27 AM on July 26, 2017
Subway hints: I have a similar background to yours with European and smaller metros. There's wifi in all the stations in NYC with varying levels of strength. Google maps will tell you exactly what to catch and where. So if you can get on a wifi signal and download the local area, you should be fine. It was way easier for me to navigate this trip compared to 20 years ago.
Chelsea Market would be a good place to get a quick bite. My impression when i walked through it was that it was 90% restaurants in a food truck or food court style. It's also right next to the High Line.
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge: I did this. I had to pee part way across and once you're on there, you're on it for good until you either make it across or you turn around. It was awful. For the record, if you are going from Brooklyn to Manhattan and have to pee, turn left off the end of the bridge, past City Hall, and there's a Starbucks a block or two down on the left. If that's closed, there's a Dunkin' Donuts around the corner. Thanks for the tip, NYC Brooklyn Bridge Cop.
See St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square: Sure, if you want to. Don't expect to find a good place to eat near Times Square though.
Central Park: eh. I suspect that unless you have a specific thing you want to see in the park that matters to you that you can skip this. It's probably most appreciated by the locals who have limited green space.
The Met (very quick visit): Good thought! But I'm not sure what you mean by "quick." This might be an unrealistic idea.
Shake shack: No idea!
Junior's Cheesecake: I happened to be staying in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, so I ended up there. It was neat, and I enjoyed the experience. The non-cheesecake food I ordered sucked, but they had pickles and beets and other vegetable snacks on the table which was fun. The cheesecake itself was excellent. I had the strawberry kind. I also had a chocolate egg cream just because I had always read about them over the years.
So there's my two cents. Have fun!
posted by Stewriffic at 10:27 AM on July 26, 2017
* pulls up chair and sits down *
I have particular Opinions about both New York and travel, and will try to issue the disclaimers if necessary.
(1) Are the scheduled (optional) outings worth while? Or is there something else I could do with my time to better see/experience NYC?
I usually am not a fan of organized outings while traveling, but these aren't bad - the trip to Roosevelt Island is actually a pretty cool idea. There isn't a major amount to do out there - it's an island in the East River alongside Manhattan, overlooking Queens, which is mainly a residential community with a couple historic buildings and some great views. I'm guessing that you'd be picnicking at the south end, becuase that's where the "Four Freedoms park" is - this is just a small park that is set up as a memorial to FDR. But right close by is a historic building (behind a fence) that is also cool to peek through the fence at (do NOT try to go in - it was a smallpox hospital). TA walk around the perimeter of the island would take a little over an hour, but would give you some good views. There's a subway stop right in the middle of the island, so even if you stay after the rest of your team has left you can still get back to the hotel easy.
The "Water Taxi Tour" could also be good - it sounds like just a round trip on the Water Taxi, which is one of a couple ferry services that circulate between the Wall Street area and a couple stops in Brooklyn. If you wanted to be a little more independent, you could check out one of the other ferry sevices instead; it mainly goes between Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Red Hook, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, and there's even a ferry that goes out to New York's Rockaway Beach (which is becoming The New Hotness). That ferry is fairly inexpensive and would give you a chance to get to some up-and-coming neighborhoods that aren't always easy to get to by subway (Red Hook's ferry stop is especially well located - you get out one block away from an indie art space, and two blocks away from the Main Drag in the neighborhood, right by an artisinal gelato maker).
(2) When does it get dark and is it safe to walk around in the evening/after sunset alone as a mid-20s woman? Are there areas that I need to avoid in Manhattan?
It gets dark-dark at about 9 or so these days. And staying safe in NYC isn't necessarily a matter of avoiding neighborhoods so much is it about keeping your wits about you - the one time I was mugged, I was right on 5th Avenue. I was just doing something kind of dumb (I'd obviously just been grocery shopping so I had my wallet on me). Sticking to well-lit streets where there are a good number of people is generally a good idea.
(3) I should have a metro pass while I'm there. Are there things I should know about the metro system? Non-obvious things to avoid? I lived in Berlin for a while and am comfortable using metro systems in continental Europe, but I've heard that NYC's is the most complicated one in the world. I will not have mobile data - are there offline apps I can use to help navigate the city and transit system?
I think there are a couple...but honestly, the system isn't much more complicated than Europe. There are a lot of stations that have kiosks with computerized maps where you can plot out where you're going, which is great because it can even tell you when the next train you want would arrive at the station you're in ("to get to your hotel, you'll need the N train....and the next one arrives in 3 minutes.")
Good general metro tips -
* it's an old system, so there will be a lot of talk about how awful it is, but that's more a function of too many people trying to use a system that is too old more than it being confusing or whatever. Allow extra time during rush hour and you'll be fine.
* For a 4-day trip, consider getting an unlimited card for the four days you'll be there (or maybe for a weeks' time) so you only have to worry about fussing with the card purchase machine once.
* You can use your card to transfer free between the subway and the bus, and vice versa. After you get off the subway, you have 2 hours to use your card on a bus, and it will count as a free transfer.
* Consider the buses as an option as well. They go more places than the subways go, and you can see cool things out the window as you're going.
(4) Are there any quicker (i.e. no 2 hour sit-down) places I should eat at? I'm planning on being on-the-go, so I would like mostly on-the-go food to match. I've heard I need to try Junior's cheesecake and Shake Shack. Recommendations for a pizza place would be very nice.
There are a couple of Juniors' places in Manhattan, but consider coming to the original spot in Brooklyn. There are a couple subway lines that stop right by it.
Katz's Deli is a classic institution that would let you eat quickly - the order system is a little weird (it's a lunch counter, but they give you a ticket when you walk in and your order is marked on your ticket - and god SAVE YOU if you don't have that ticket in hand by the time you get to the cash register), but it's a landmark, and they have marked off the table where they filmed That Scene in When Harry Met Sally.
(5) I LOVE walking. It is my preferred mode of transportation when travelling. Are there certain streets/areas that I should walk through near my work/hotel? Are there neat things to see/do in the early morning (06:00 - 08:00) before my meetings?
You actually could walk from your hotel to the UN on Thursday, or at least most of the way, if you're able to get up and going at 6 am. There is a pedestrian-and-bike walkway that goes along the East River, up to as far north as about 38th Street; you'd only be a few blocks from the UN at that point. It has been constructed in kind of a piecemeal fashion (a few blocks is a park that was built in the 70s, and then they built a walkway to connect it to this other park a few blocks north in the 90s, etc.) so it isn't always scenic; and in parts you would be walking alongside the FDR expressway (albeit behind a barrier, but that may be disconcerting). But it would spit you out right by a spot where a lot of other people would be getting off a ferry and heading into work in Midtown themselves, so you wouldn't be trying to dodge traffic alone while you're getting out of the walkway and into the rest of the city. ....Check out the "East River Greenway" for maps and more info.
Another thing that would just be a cool walk is the High Line - this is an above-street park that was constructed on top of a disused railway overpass. You would have to cross to the far west side of Manhattan to get to its start, but once you get there then it's just a matter of following the path (which will be obvious, because you will be 3 stories above ground). It goes about 20 or so more blocks north.
(6) Below are some things I'm interested in seeing/doing. Please let me know if you have other recommendations or if something on my list is a miss. I'm a go-go-go person/traveler so a busy schedule is perfect.
Point by point:
Chelsea Market: Maybe. This is actually within a block or two of one of the access points for the High Line, so I would combine it with a High Line walk; you may not spend long there, though.
Walk around Greenwich Village: This could take you a while, but it would be fascinating; a lot of gorgeous buildings, and a lot of historic landmarks from about four or five different points in the city's history. Be advised that there are actually three neighborhoods that could fall into what you mean by "Greenwich Village", though (they were all kind of one thing for a while, but gradually have been developing different identities):
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge: The views would be nice. Fair warning that on the Brooklyn side, the pedestrian pathway spits you out at a somewhat busy intersection, and you may need to have a plan in mind for which direction you're going to go when you get off. There's stuff to see in that general area in Brooklyn, but you kind of need to be ready to move and get walking away from the mouth of the pathway because you'll be right on the street where people trying to drive onto the Brooklyn Bridge or the Brooklyn-Queens expressway are also going to be congregating. You could, of course, just turn around and walk back to Manhattan (the manhattan entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge is a bit more pedestrian-friendly).
St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square: These are actually not right next to each other, but they are fairly close (within about 15-20 minutes' walk between). If you want to take pictures in St. Patrick's, check the Mass schedule first to make sure you wouldn't be visiting during a service (you can still visit during the service, I think, they just prefer no pictures during mass so you're not bugging anyone). Times Square is a little zoo-y and there are a lot of mass-market shops here, but it's still worth a look for the "huh. Okay, so that's what it looks like....okay, I'm done" factor. (Times Square warning: you may be approached by people in costume offering you the chance to take your picture with them; they will expect a tip if you take them up on it.)
Central Park: The whole park is gorgeous. If you're worried about finding your way around, i would stick to the southern end, which has a lot of things to see and do in it but is still close enough to the rest of the city that you can orient yourself to the point that "well, if I walk that way I'll get OUT of the park and from there I can figure out where I am...."
The Met (very quick visit): there is no such thing as a quick visit to the Met. Also, note that the entrance fee they post for admission is a "suggested donation", and you can get away with paying less.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:40 AM on July 26, 2017
I have particular Opinions about both New York and travel, and will try to issue the disclaimers if necessary.
(1) Are the scheduled (optional) outings worth while? Or is there something else I could do with my time to better see/experience NYC?
I usually am not a fan of organized outings while traveling, but these aren't bad - the trip to Roosevelt Island is actually a pretty cool idea. There isn't a major amount to do out there - it's an island in the East River alongside Manhattan, overlooking Queens, which is mainly a residential community with a couple historic buildings and some great views. I'm guessing that you'd be picnicking at the south end, becuase that's where the "Four Freedoms park" is - this is just a small park that is set up as a memorial to FDR. But right close by is a historic building (behind a fence) that is also cool to peek through the fence at (do NOT try to go in - it was a smallpox hospital). TA walk around the perimeter of the island would take a little over an hour, but would give you some good views. There's a subway stop right in the middle of the island, so even if you stay after the rest of your team has left you can still get back to the hotel easy.
The "Water Taxi Tour" could also be good - it sounds like just a round trip on the Water Taxi, which is one of a couple ferry services that circulate between the Wall Street area and a couple stops in Brooklyn. If you wanted to be a little more independent, you could check out one of the other ferry sevices instead; it mainly goes between Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Red Hook, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, and there's even a ferry that goes out to New York's Rockaway Beach (which is becoming The New Hotness). That ferry is fairly inexpensive and would give you a chance to get to some up-and-coming neighborhoods that aren't always easy to get to by subway (Red Hook's ferry stop is especially well located - you get out one block away from an indie art space, and two blocks away from the Main Drag in the neighborhood, right by an artisinal gelato maker).
(2) When does it get dark and is it safe to walk around in the evening/after sunset alone as a mid-20s woman? Are there areas that I need to avoid in Manhattan?
It gets dark-dark at about 9 or so these days. And staying safe in NYC isn't necessarily a matter of avoiding neighborhoods so much is it about keeping your wits about you - the one time I was mugged, I was right on 5th Avenue. I was just doing something kind of dumb (I'd obviously just been grocery shopping so I had my wallet on me). Sticking to well-lit streets where there are a good number of people is generally a good idea.
(3) I should have a metro pass while I'm there. Are there things I should know about the metro system? Non-obvious things to avoid? I lived in Berlin for a while and am comfortable using metro systems in continental Europe, but I've heard that NYC's is the most complicated one in the world. I will not have mobile data - are there offline apps I can use to help navigate the city and transit system?
I think there are a couple...but honestly, the system isn't much more complicated than Europe. There are a lot of stations that have kiosks with computerized maps where you can plot out where you're going, which is great because it can even tell you when the next train you want would arrive at the station you're in ("to get to your hotel, you'll need the N train....and the next one arrives in 3 minutes.")
Good general metro tips -
* it's an old system, so there will be a lot of talk about how awful it is, but that's more a function of too many people trying to use a system that is too old more than it being confusing or whatever. Allow extra time during rush hour and you'll be fine.
* For a 4-day trip, consider getting an unlimited card for the four days you'll be there (or maybe for a weeks' time) so you only have to worry about fussing with the card purchase machine once.
* You can use your card to transfer free between the subway and the bus, and vice versa. After you get off the subway, you have 2 hours to use your card on a bus, and it will count as a free transfer.
* Consider the buses as an option as well. They go more places than the subways go, and you can see cool things out the window as you're going.
(4) Are there any quicker (i.e. no 2 hour sit-down) places I should eat at? I'm planning on being on-the-go, so I would like mostly on-the-go food to match. I've heard I need to try Junior's cheesecake and Shake Shack. Recommendations for a pizza place would be very nice.
There are a couple of Juniors' places in Manhattan, but consider coming to the original spot in Brooklyn. There are a couple subway lines that stop right by it.
Katz's Deli is a classic institution that would let you eat quickly - the order system is a little weird (it's a lunch counter, but they give you a ticket when you walk in and your order is marked on your ticket - and god SAVE YOU if you don't have that ticket in hand by the time you get to the cash register), but it's a landmark, and they have marked off the table where they filmed That Scene in When Harry Met Sally.
(5) I LOVE walking. It is my preferred mode of transportation when travelling. Are there certain streets/areas that I should walk through near my work/hotel? Are there neat things to see/do in the early morning (06:00 - 08:00) before my meetings?
You actually could walk from your hotel to the UN on Thursday, or at least most of the way, if you're able to get up and going at 6 am. There is a pedestrian-and-bike walkway that goes along the East River, up to as far north as about 38th Street; you'd only be a few blocks from the UN at that point. It has been constructed in kind of a piecemeal fashion (a few blocks is a park that was built in the 70s, and then they built a walkway to connect it to this other park a few blocks north in the 90s, etc.) so it isn't always scenic; and in parts you would be walking alongside the FDR expressway (albeit behind a barrier, but that may be disconcerting). But it would spit you out right by a spot where a lot of other people would be getting off a ferry and heading into work in Midtown themselves, so you wouldn't be trying to dodge traffic alone while you're getting out of the walkway and into the rest of the city. ....Check out the "East River Greenway" for maps and more info.
Another thing that would just be a cool walk is the High Line - this is an above-street park that was constructed on top of a disused railway overpass. You would have to cross to the far west side of Manhattan to get to its start, but once you get there then it's just a matter of following the path (which will be obvious, because you will be 3 stories above ground). It goes about 20 or so more blocks north.
(6) Below are some things I'm interested in seeing/doing. Please let me know if you have other recommendations or if something on my list is a miss. I'm a go-go-go person/traveler so a busy schedule is perfect.
Point by point:
Chelsea Market: Maybe. This is actually within a block or two of one of the access points for the High Line, so I would combine it with a High Line walk; you may not spend long there, though.
Walk around Greenwich Village: This could take you a while, but it would be fascinating; a lot of gorgeous buildings, and a lot of historic landmarks from about four or five different points in the city's history. Be advised that there are actually three neighborhoods that could fall into what you mean by "Greenwich Village", though (they were all kind of one thing for a while, but gradually have been developing different identities):
* the Washington Square Park area is where you'll find a lot of scenic buildings on Washington Square Park. This is where a lot of the old genteel townhouses are located; they are now campus offices for New York University, however (Washington Square Park is the unofficial quad for NYU). The park itself is always a good mix of people and things to see.Visit a Trader Joe's: I mean....if you want to? There's one near Union Square, but it's just a supermarket, really. Stop in after you've checked into your hotel and get like a box of cereal or something, so you can eat breakfast in your hotel for cheap, and that's all you'll need to do. It isn't really a tourist-thing.
* A couple blocks east of Washington Square is Broadway, and east of that is considered the East Village. It used to be a lot like "Rent" (in fact, that's the area that "Rent" was about) but is gentrifying like whoa. But there are some old punk/hippie/etc. holdouts still here, alongside some even older Polish and Russian establishments. (Incidentally, the "Lower East Side" neighborhood is direclty south of the East Village and is also worth a walk.)
* The West Village starts a couple blocks west of the park. Also historic-gone-gentrified, but there's also an active LGBTQ scene there, and the older-historic establishments are folk rather than punk, and Italian rather than Polish. (Cafe Reggio may be worth a stop - it's an old coffee shop that claims to have introduced cappucino to the city. It's also got a nicely affordable menu of sandwiches, salads, and pastries.)
Fair warning that while you will notice that most of the rest of the city follows a rather orderly grid pattern with its streets, the West Village street layout goes absolutely haywire. ...there is a spot where I saw that one street actually crosses itself.
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge: The views would be nice. Fair warning that on the Brooklyn side, the pedestrian pathway spits you out at a somewhat busy intersection, and you may need to have a plan in mind for which direction you're going to go when you get off. There's stuff to see in that general area in Brooklyn, but you kind of need to be ready to move and get walking away from the mouth of the pathway because you'll be right on the street where people trying to drive onto the Brooklyn Bridge or the Brooklyn-Queens expressway are also going to be congregating. You could, of course, just turn around and walk back to Manhattan (the manhattan entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge is a bit more pedestrian-friendly).
St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square: These are actually not right next to each other, but they are fairly close (within about 15-20 minutes' walk between). If you want to take pictures in St. Patrick's, check the Mass schedule first to make sure you wouldn't be visiting during a service (you can still visit during the service, I think, they just prefer no pictures during mass so you're not bugging anyone). Times Square is a little zoo-y and there are a lot of mass-market shops here, but it's still worth a look for the "huh. Okay, so that's what it looks like....okay, I'm done" factor. (Times Square warning: you may be approached by people in costume offering you the chance to take your picture with them; they will expect a tip if you take them up on it.)
Central Park: The whole park is gorgeous. If you're worried about finding your way around, i would stick to the southern end, which has a lot of things to see and do in it but is still close enough to the rest of the city that you can orient yourself to the point that "well, if I walk that way I'll get OUT of the park and from there I can figure out where I am...."
The Met (very quick visit): there is no such thing as a quick visit to the Met. Also, note that the entrance fee they post for admission is a "suggested donation", and you can get away with paying less.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:40 AM on July 26, 2017
The subways are more complicated this summer with all sorts of route changes, especially on the weekend, than ever before and google maps may not be up to speed. Check mta.info before you head out.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 11:00 AM on July 26, 2017
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 11:00 AM on July 26, 2017
Best answer: You're getting good advice, so I just wanted to weigh in on a couple of things.
Have you seen billboards? Crowds of people? Cool, you've seen Times Square. No need to subject yourself to it.
Shake Shack - we have lots of them now! No need to go to the original one in Madison Sq Park, as that one will likely have a long line, and they all have the same food.
Navigating in Central Park - I am a New Yorker with a decent sense of direction, and I once tried to cross the park and ended up emerging ten blocks uptown on the same side of the park that I entered. The important thing I learned is that the paths in Central Park just kinda meander around, and you can't trust that they're going to take you where you want to go. A good strategy if you don't have gps is to pick a tall building that you can see from the park and use it to orient yourself ('I want to walk West, so I need to keep the Empire State Building to my left').
Subways - all stations have free wifi. I don't find the system to be more complicated that the London Underground. That said, if you can avoid being on the subway between around 4:30pm - 6:30pm, you'll have a better experience all around.
Bonus subway tip: if you decide to go to the Natural History Museum, or anywhere on the Upper West Side, and you want to take the B train, be sure you take the B train and not the D train. This is the most unforgiving mistake you can make on the NYC subway system, as it will rocket you past stop after stop, finally depositing you at 125th street and having to take the local train back down to where you were trying to go.
posted by Ragged Richard at 11:05 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Have you seen billboards? Crowds of people? Cool, you've seen Times Square. No need to subject yourself to it.
Shake Shack - we have lots of them now! No need to go to the original one in Madison Sq Park, as that one will likely have a long line, and they all have the same food.
Navigating in Central Park - I am a New Yorker with a decent sense of direction, and I once tried to cross the park and ended up emerging ten blocks uptown on the same side of the park that I entered. The important thing I learned is that the paths in Central Park just kinda meander around, and you can't trust that they're going to take you where you want to go. A good strategy if you don't have gps is to pick a tall building that you can see from the park and use it to orient yourself ('I want to walk West, so I need to keep the Empire State Building to my left').
Subways - all stations have free wifi. I don't find the system to be more complicated that the London Underground. That said, if you can avoid being on the subway between around 4:30pm - 6:30pm, you'll have a better experience all around.
Bonus subway tip: if you decide to go to the Natural History Museum, or anywhere on the Upper West Side, and you want to take the B train, be sure you take the B train and not the D train. This is the most unforgiving mistake you can make on the NYC subway system, as it will rocket you past stop after stop, finally depositing you at 125th street and having to take the local train back down to where you were trying to go.
posted by Ragged Richard at 11:05 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Shake shack
There's a Shake Shack on East 86th near the Met.
posted by Diablevert at 11:06 AM on July 26, 2017
There's a Shake Shack on East 86th near the Met.
posted by Diablevert at 11:06 AM on July 26, 2017
for people short on time and interested in Western European paintings and decorative arts, I often recommend the Met's Lehman Collection
Cut it out! I need that part all to myself!
I don't understand why anyone bothers with Junior's. Or Shake Shack if there's the slightest line. OP, if you actually want a delicious American burger, you are staying not horribly far from one of NY's best. It's walkable in my opinion, but you may want to save the time, so, go to 14th St and catch the 14D bus headed to "Lower East Side." Get off at Avenue C (the cross-streets will go 4th-1st Ave, then A-C). Turn right and walk south a mere four blocks to 10th & C, enter the bar called Royale, enjoy burger bliss not surrounded by tourists seeking out chain experiences. For ten years they have managed to sustain an amazingly consistent and delicious burger. This trip combines nicely with any intended wander around the East Village.
If you're European, you may not find our cathedrals enormously impressive.
posted by praemunire at 11:17 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Cut it out! I need that part all to myself!
I don't understand why anyone bothers with Junior's. Or Shake Shack if there's the slightest line. OP, if you actually want a delicious American burger, you are staying not horribly far from one of NY's best. It's walkable in my opinion, but you may want to save the time, so, go to 14th St and catch the 14D bus headed to "Lower East Side." Get off at Avenue C (the cross-streets will go 4th-1st Ave, then A-C). Turn right and walk south a mere four blocks to 10th & C, enter the bar called Royale, enjoy burger bliss not surrounded by tourists seeking out chain experiences. For ten years they have managed to sustain an amazingly consistent and delicious burger. This trip combines nicely with any intended wander around the East Village.
If you're European, you may not find our cathedrals enormously impressive.
posted by praemunire at 11:17 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
You've gotten great advice so far (and seriously, don't be scared of the subway, it's not any more complicated than Berlin's, just slightly different).
I will argue with the people telling you not to go to Trader Joe's. Yes, there will be an awful line unless you get there right as they open (and sometimes even then), but it does have a pretty amazing array of well-priced snacks. I really love going to groceries stores in other countries, and Trader Joe's is one of the more entertaining US stores, so I say go for it.
I also strongly second the Tenement Museum recommendation. Combine that with a walk around the lower east side and east village (both neighborhoods are filled with restaurants and bars).
I would also skip Junior's and Shake Shack, but I'm not the target audience for either of those, so you should make your own decisions there.
posted by snaw at 11:35 AM on July 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I will argue with the people telling you not to go to Trader Joe's. Yes, there will be an awful line unless you get there right as they open (and sometimes even then), but it does have a pretty amazing array of well-priced snacks. I really love going to groceries stores in other countries, and Trader Joe's is one of the more entertaining US stores, so I say go for it.
I also strongly second the Tenement Museum recommendation. Combine that with a walk around the lower east side and east village (both neighborhoods are filled with restaurants and bars).
I would also skip Junior's and Shake Shack, but I'm not the target audience for either of those, so you should make your own decisions there.
posted by snaw at 11:35 AM on July 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
The only reason to do the Roosevelt Island thing is if the tram itself sounds like fun. The island is just a street with a bunch of apartment buildings, but the tram is sort of high up with good views. If that's your thing, go for it.
Walking from Union Square to the UN area is a perfectly reasonable walk through pleasant streets -- should take maybe a little more than a half hour?
Nothing wrong with a quick visit to the Met -- don't imagine you're going to come close to exhausting it, so just enjoy it for the amount of time you have budgeted.
All of the advice about Central Park being something that you want to navigate by using landmark buildings outside the park is right. I've lived here all my life, and spent most of high school wandering around Central Park, and I'm still hopeless. If you're planning to explore the park, I wouldn't have a tight plan depending on getting out on time or where you thought were going to.
And if you're familiar with cities at all, don't worry about your safety. There aren't any meaningfully dangerous neighborhoods in Manhattan at all. And no reason to worry about being out after dark. Minimal ordinary caution (holding fistfulls of cash loosely in the air is probably ill-advised) is plenty.
posted by LizardBreath at 11:47 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Walking from Union Square to the UN area is a perfectly reasonable walk through pleasant streets -- should take maybe a little more than a half hour?
Nothing wrong with a quick visit to the Met -- don't imagine you're going to come close to exhausting it, so just enjoy it for the amount of time you have budgeted.
All of the advice about Central Park being something that you want to navigate by using landmark buildings outside the park is right. I've lived here all my life, and spent most of high school wandering around Central Park, and I'm still hopeless. If you're planning to explore the park, I wouldn't have a tight plan depending on getting out on time or where you thought were going to.
And if you're familiar with cities at all, don't worry about your safety. There aren't any meaningfully dangerous neighborhoods in Manhattan at all. And no reason to worry about being out after dark. Minimal ordinary caution (holding fistfulls of cash loosely in the air is probably ill-advised) is plenty.
posted by LizardBreath at 11:47 AM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
So Ragged Richard alluded to this, but I find the tricky part of the New York Subway system is the whole Local vs Express train thing. The stops are coded on the map by the type of dot, so you can see whether you need to make sure to get a local. A few trains will run along the same line through Manhattan, but split further out and one will be an express.
I ended up at 125th St station by mistake on about my sixth trip to NYC. It had to happen sometime, I suppose. :)
posted by TORunner at 11:53 AM on July 26, 2017
I ended up at 125th St station by mistake on about my sixth trip to NYC. It had to happen sometime, I suppose. :)
posted by TORunner at 11:53 AM on July 26, 2017
I'd be in the skip Trader Joe's category but there's one right in Union Square on the south side of the park so you can do it quickly if you're ISO a bucket list item.
A very quick visit to the Met is almost impossible - there are long lines to get in and the place is huge. Expect it will take a few hours.
Go in the south entrance off 81st (bottom of map here (PDF). It's not the glamour of the main hall, but there's almost never anyone on that line and you can quickly get in/out. Link is full map and you can plan what you'd like to see if it truly needs to be a quick visit.
Subway is easy to use since you speak/read English. I think the rep it gets is for those who struggle with the language. I find Madrid and DC's much more complicated.
posted by TravellingCari at 12:01 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
A very quick visit to the Met is almost impossible - there are long lines to get in and the place is huge. Expect it will take a few hours.
Go in the south entrance off 81st (bottom of map here (PDF). It's not the glamour of the main hall, but there's almost never anyone on that line and you can quickly get in/out. Link is full map and you can plan what you'd like to see if it truly needs to be a quick visit.
Subway is easy to use since you speak/read English. I think the rep it gets is for those who struggle with the language. I find Madrid and DC's much more complicated.
posted by TravellingCari at 12:01 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Here's a good tip on walking: count on each street north/south to take one minute of walking (e.g. 24th St. to 25th St.); and going east/west from one avenue to another to take three minutes of walking (Park Ave to Madison Ave: 3 minutes). So, if you were going 20 blocks up and 3 blocks over, it'd be 20x1 + 3x3 = 29 minutes of walking.
posted by xo at 12:23 PM on July 26, 2017
posted by xo at 12:23 PM on July 26, 2017
Best answer: 1) Those options are pretty dull but make for really good skyline photo ops. If you want to get Manhattan skyline photos, you have to either not be on Manhattan (so Brooklyn, Queens, NJ or on the waterways) or high up (I prefer Top of the Rock for a skyscraper trip).
2) You'll be fine any time during the day or evening. I mean, as a 20-something tourist I wouldn't walk around after like 1am anywhere, but otherwise you are fine in all the locations you will be, especially on the weekend nights.
3) There are a LOT of things about the New York subway that most of us who live her completely forget don't make sense to someone who has never used it before. Here are my useful tips from a previous post. And yeah, there is wifi on the subway platforms (NOT in the tunnels) now so you can pull up google maps on your device.
4) Almost any place other than fancy places that cater to people who have long expensive business lunches or dinners will get you in and out in two hours. Tons of places around Union Square, less but still ample around City Hall, and still less right directly near the UN, but that's only because it's on the river--just walk in toward 1st and 2nd Avenues and you'll find plenty. Skip Juniors and Shake Shack. They are both just glorified fast food mostly.
5) Walking is the best:
Near Union Square: If you have free time, walk over to the smaller side streets in the West Village like Barrow and Bedford and Grove. They are so pretty. Also walk up around Gramercy Park--gorgeous little pocket neighborhood though access to the park itself is limited. St Marks Ave is also kind of a fun couple blocks to walk, but it's mostly corporate and tourists now but hey whatever, you're a tourist.
Near UN: Walk up into Tudor City--it's a little neighborhood that is raised up above the rest of the city and has cool architecture and a nice park to sit in. Also if you want to take the train back to Union Square from the UN, you can go through Grand Central, which is really worth looking around.
Near City Hall: Brooklyn Bridge obviously, but like, you don't really need to walk the whole thing. Just walk halfway and turn around. Though if you take the A/C to High Street you can walk down around Dumbo (nice waterfront area) on the Brooklyn side and then walk back over toward Manhattan. I'm also a fan of South Street Seaport on the Manhattan Side. If you want to know what old Boston looks like, go to South Street. There's also the 9/11 Memorial Park on the other side that you can walk around in.
6)
Chelsea Market - It's okay. It's really crowded but there is some cute shopping and food. Though I would just take it out and above and walk the High Line.
Walk around Greenwich Village - Yes. Make sure to get into the West Village too--it's a little quieter and quainter.
Visit a Trader Joe's - Why? It's a grocery store where you'd have to wait in line for an hour.
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge - See above. It takes a solid 45 minutes to go from one end to another bc of the crowds.
See St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square - The cathedral is lovely. And I guess you have to see Times Square once in your life, but try to go at night. It's much more spectacular.
Central Park - It's pretty. I would walk up the Mall to Bethesda Fountain.
The Met (very quick visit) - This is impossible to do in a very quick visit, like really, truly. It's further uptown from where you will be and it's huge. Just walking in and out will not be worth the trip.
Shake shack - I mean this is fine for one of those quick meals that you want, but not worth a special trip at all. It's just fast food.
Junior's Cheesecake - Again, meh. I would go to Venieros in the East Village instead. Kitschier and tastier.
Also recommending the Tenement Museum--even if you don't book a tour (which you really should) it has a great New York centric book/gift shop and it's in the Lower East Side which is a great place to walk around (during the day, only because at night it becomes party central and annoying).
Have fun!
posted by greta simone at 12:38 PM on July 26, 2017
2) You'll be fine any time during the day or evening. I mean, as a 20-something tourist I wouldn't walk around after like 1am anywhere, but otherwise you are fine in all the locations you will be, especially on the weekend nights.
3) There are a LOT of things about the New York subway that most of us who live her completely forget don't make sense to someone who has never used it before. Here are my useful tips from a previous post. And yeah, there is wifi on the subway platforms (NOT in the tunnels) now so you can pull up google maps on your device.
4) Almost any place other than fancy places that cater to people who have long expensive business lunches or dinners will get you in and out in two hours. Tons of places around Union Square, less but still ample around City Hall, and still less right directly near the UN, but that's only because it's on the river--just walk in toward 1st and 2nd Avenues and you'll find plenty. Skip Juniors and Shake Shack. They are both just glorified fast food mostly.
5) Walking is the best:
Near Union Square: If you have free time, walk over to the smaller side streets in the West Village like Barrow and Bedford and Grove. They are so pretty. Also walk up around Gramercy Park--gorgeous little pocket neighborhood though access to the park itself is limited. St Marks Ave is also kind of a fun couple blocks to walk, but it's mostly corporate and tourists now but hey whatever, you're a tourist.
Near UN: Walk up into Tudor City--it's a little neighborhood that is raised up above the rest of the city and has cool architecture and a nice park to sit in. Also if you want to take the train back to Union Square from the UN, you can go through Grand Central, which is really worth looking around.
Near City Hall: Brooklyn Bridge obviously, but like, you don't really need to walk the whole thing. Just walk halfway and turn around. Though if you take the A/C to High Street you can walk down around Dumbo (nice waterfront area) on the Brooklyn side and then walk back over toward Manhattan. I'm also a fan of South Street Seaport on the Manhattan Side. If you want to know what old Boston looks like, go to South Street. There's also the 9/11 Memorial Park on the other side that you can walk around in.
6)
Chelsea Market - It's okay. It's really crowded but there is some cute shopping and food. Though I would just take it out and above and walk the High Line.
Walk around Greenwich Village - Yes. Make sure to get into the West Village too--it's a little quieter and quainter.
Visit a Trader Joe's - Why? It's a grocery store where you'd have to wait in line for an hour.
Walk across (some/all) Brooklyn Bridge - See above. It takes a solid 45 minutes to go from one end to another bc of the crowds.
See St Patrick's Cathedral & Times Square - The cathedral is lovely. And I guess you have to see Times Square once in your life, but try to go at night. It's much more spectacular.
Central Park - It's pretty. I would walk up the Mall to Bethesda Fountain.
The Met (very quick visit) - This is impossible to do in a very quick visit, like really, truly. It's further uptown from where you will be and it's huge. Just walking in and out will not be worth the trip.
Shake shack - I mean this is fine for one of those quick meals that you want, but not worth a special trip at all. It's just fast food.
Junior's Cheesecake - Again, meh. I would go to Venieros in the East Village instead. Kitschier and tastier.
Also recommending the Tenement Museum--even if you don't book a tour (which you really should) it has a great New York centric book/gift shop and it's in the Lower East Side which is a great place to walk around (during the day, only because at night it becomes party central and annoying).
Have fun!
posted by greta simone at 12:38 PM on July 26, 2017
Best answer: You've gotten a ton of great advice so far. When I was there in March, I used the Transit - Real-Time App for Bus, Subway & Metro (made by Transit App, Inc - on the Apple App Store and Google Play) and it was a GODSEND. I'm directionally-challenged and subway-averse even when my wife, who is NYC-savvy, is escorting me. (True story - I once got lost walking around Times Square.) With the Transit App, I simply entered where I was, where I was going and it pretty much did the rest. I even took a subway alone from Long Island City to The Strand.
Have a great trip!
posted by Tardis_Spin at 1:23 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Have a great trip!
posted by Tardis_Spin at 1:23 PM on July 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Redirect/expounding/clarification:
Walking from Union Square to the UN area is a perfectly reasonable walk through pleasant streets -- should take maybe a little more than a half hour?
I actually proposed walking along the East River, which would give you some interesting views of the river. LizardBreath here is proposing walking up 1st Avenue, it sounds like, which is an equally fine option. You'd be just a couple blocks from First Avenue, and the UN is on First Avenue, so that could be a good way to make sure you stay oriented - just walk from your hotel to First Avenue, then turn left and walk straight north until you get to the UN.
Upon reflection, if you're looking for early stuff to do each day, then getting up and walking to your various work places wouldn't be a bad idea. You can get to the NY City Hall area by just walking right down Broadway, which is actually a FASCINATING walk, because Broadway passes through several neighborhoods and it's interesting seeing them change. They estimate about 40 minutes from Union Square to NY City Hall walking down Broadway.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:26 PM on July 26, 2017
Walking from Union Square to the UN area is a perfectly reasonable walk through pleasant streets -- should take maybe a little more than a half hour?
I actually proposed walking along the East River, which would give you some interesting views of the river. LizardBreath here is proposing walking up 1st Avenue, it sounds like, which is an equally fine option. You'd be just a couple blocks from First Avenue, and the UN is on First Avenue, so that could be a good way to make sure you stay oriented - just walk from your hotel to First Avenue, then turn left and walk straight north until you get to the UN.
Upon reflection, if you're looking for early stuff to do each day, then getting up and walking to your various work places wouldn't be a bad idea. You can get to the NY City Hall area by just walking right down Broadway, which is actually a FASCINATING walk, because Broadway passes through several neighborhoods and it's interesting seeing them change. They estimate about 40 minutes from Union Square to NY City Hall walking down Broadway.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:26 PM on July 26, 2017
There are apps that consist of nothing more than the subway map (some don't even have ads). That's pretty much all you need specific to the subway. The zooming is a little more convenient that keeping a PDF on your phone. That multiple lines come together and share huge stretches of their routes is kind of unusual compared to many cities (where they'd be one line that forks), but it's not really confusing as such. Seriously, knowing which way round you want the Ringbahn is more confusing.
Be warned that when you click a station on Google Maps, it shows you all the lines that stop there, including the express train that only stops there when it runs local overnight. It's almost inevitable you'll screw that up once and end up having to backtrack (even if you're reading the subway map and not trusting Google). If you ask Google Maps for directions, it does know express trains exist. (It does tend to overestimate walking time and underestimate subway time, but I don't think that's specific to New York.)
One non-subway navigation thing that is perplexing to me is that street numbers are independent of the grid system. If the address is 1000 10th Ave, that tells you nothing, except that it's somewhere on 10th Ave. Which exactly how every city without a grid system works--a priori you have no idea where 1000 Smith St is either--but my brain expects numbered streets and numbered avenues to add up to a coordinate system and it doesn't. (In contrast, you could, if you were so inclined, convey a precise location in Chicago to someone without even naming streets.)
Skip Chelsea Market. If you're in the vicinity and hungry, it has many of options, but it's incredibly crowded (because they've somehow convinced people it's a tourist attraction) and frankly overwhelming. There's not anything you couldn't find elsewhere, as far as I know. (The High Line is also an inexplicable tourist attraction, but it's a nice enough walk, especially if you hit it when it's not crowded.)
posted by hoyland at 7:35 PM on July 26, 2017
Be warned that when you click a station on Google Maps, it shows you all the lines that stop there, including the express train that only stops there when it runs local overnight. It's almost inevitable you'll screw that up once and end up having to backtrack (even if you're reading the subway map and not trusting Google). If you ask Google Maps for directions, it does know express trains exist. (It does tend to overestimate walking time and underestimate subway time, but I don't think that's specific to New York.)
One non-subway navigation thing that is perplexing to me is that street numbers are independent of the grid system. If the address is 1000 10th Ave, that tells you nothing, except that it's somewhere on 10th Ave. Which exactly how every city without a grid system works--a priori you have no idea where 1000 Smith St is either--but my brain expects numbered streets and numbered avenues to add up to a coordinate system and it doesn't. (In contrast, you could, if you were so inclined, convey a precise location in Chicago to someone without even naming streets.)
Skip Chelsea Market. If you're in the vicinity and hungry, it has many of options, but it's incredibly crowded (because they've somehow convinced people it's a tourist attraction) and frankly overwhelming. There's not anything you couldn't find elsewhere, as far as I know. (The High Line is also an inexplicable tourist attraction, but it's a nice enough walk, especially if you hit it when it's not crowded.)
posted by hoyland at 7:35 PM on July 26, 2017
If you like books at all, you need to go to The Strand. It's one of my favorite places in NYC and it's just a couple blocks from Union Square Park.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:53 PM on July 26, 2017
posted by SisterHavana at 8:53 PM on July 26, 2017
Great advice here so far, so I just have a couple specific comments.
First, count me as another vote for skipping the Roosevelt Island trip. It's just not that interesting.
I actually really like Shake Shack food, but I have never found one that was not extremely crowded, with a long wait on line. But if you go early or late -- outside of normal mealtimes -- it could work. I don't think of Junior's as a must-visit.
The Trader Joe's near Union Square is actually a bit to the west, on 14th St. near 3rd Avenue. It might be worth a quick visit, but only if you go when it first opens to avoid crowds and long lines. (Their lines do move quickly, though.)
A good source of ideas for things to do is Time Out New York.
posted by merejane at 10:59 PM on July 26, 2017
First, count me as another vote for skipping the Roosevelt Island trip. It's just not that interesting.
I actually really like Shake Shack food, but I have never found one that was not extremely crowded, with a long wait on line. But if you go early or late -- outside of normal mealtimes -- it could work. I don't think of Junior's as a must-visit.
The Trader Joe's near Union Square is actually a bit to the west, on 14th St. near 3rd Avenue. It might be worth a quick visit, but only if you go when it first opens to avoid crowds and long lines. (Their lines do move quickly, though.)
A good source of ideas for things to do is Time Out New York.
posted by merejane at 10:59 PM on July 26, 2017
"One non-subway navigation thing that is perplexing to me is that street numbers are independent of the grid system. If the address is 1000 10th Ave, that tells you nothing, except that it's somewhere on 10th Ave. Which exactly how every city without a grid system works--a priori you have no idea where 1000 Smith St is either--but my brain expects numbered streets and numbered avenues to add up to a coordinate system and it doesn't. (In contrast, you could, if you were so inclined, convey a precise location in Chicago to someone without even naming streets.)"
This is only true for the avenues (and the number generally goes higher the further north you go), the numbered streets do have a system, but it's kind of a weird one. 5th avenue is the "central" avenue. East and West start from 5th avenue. And the addresses go up from the middle. So 50 West 45th St is between 5th and 6th ave. 50 East 45th St is between 5th and... I dunno, Park or Madison? Like I said, it's a little weird. But 340 East 52nd St and 340 East 9th St will be between the same avenues (in this case, 1st and 2nd ave). Also, on streets, even addresses are on the south side and odd addresses are on the north side.
Another navigating tip: On Even numbered streets, cars drive East. On odd streets, they go West. Of course, this is thrown off by the few major streets where there is two way traffic (14th, 23rd, 34th, etc).
Also, fun fact: There is only one time you will ever have to specify to a cab driver the Street or Avenue if you give them two numbers (ie "45th and 5th" can only refer to one intersection). The exception to this rule is "1st and 2nd", in which you'd have to specify if you meant 1st avenue and 2nd street, or 1st street and 2nd avenue. But really, if you're going there you should just tell the driver to take you to the nexus of the universe and walk and hope they're a Seinfeld fan.
posted by Grither at 5:36 AM on July 27, 2017
This is only true for the avenues (and the number generally goes higher the further north you go), the numbered streets do have a system, but it's kind of a weird one. 5th avenue is the "central" avenue. East and West start from 5th avenue. And the addresses go up from the middle. So 50 West 45th St is between 5th and 6th ave. 50 East 45th St is between 5th and... I dunno, Park or Madison? Like I said, it's a little weird. But 340 East 52nd St and 340 East 9th St will be between the same avenues (in this case, 1st and 2nd ave). Also, on streets, even addresses are on the south side and odd addresses are on the north side.
Another navigating tip: On Even numbered streets, cars drive East. On odd streets, they go West. Of course, this is thrown off by the few major streets where there is two way traffic (14th, 23rd, 34th, etc).
Also, fun fact: There is only one time you will ever have to specify to a cab driver the Street or Avenue if you give them two numbers (ie "45th and 5th" can only refer to one intersection). The exception to this rule is "1st and 2nd", in which you'd have to specify if you meant 1st avenue and 2nd street, or 1st street and 2nd avenue. But really, if you're going there you should just tell the driver to take you to the nexus of the universe and walk and hope they're a Seinfeld fan.
posted by Grither at 5:36 AM on July 27, 2017
Oh, and I'm only referring to Manhattan in the above comment.
posted by Grither at 5:40 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by Grither at 5:40 AM on July 27, 2017
The Shake Shack on 86th btwn Lexington and 3rd is probably your best bet if you do end up going to the Met (also agree the Frick is a good choice for quicker visit). It's in my neighborhood so I end up there alot. There's never a long line and they have a nice outdoor area to sit and eat.
Seconding the Tenement Museum. I would skip Roosevelt Island.
You'll be fine on the subway. Get a 4-day pass and Google Maps is your friend!
posted by elvissa at 7:29 AM on July 27, 2017
Seconding the Tenement Museum. I would skip Roosevelt Island.
You'll be fine on the subway. Get a 4-day pass and Google Maps is your friend!
posted by elvissa at 7:29 AM on July 27, 2017
Best answer: Update - I actually went to Roosevelt Island last night! I also recommend skipping it. I actually found it super fascinating, but that was as a New Yorker reacting to the slight oddity of the place as compared to the surrounding city. For a non NYer, it's just going to be a bunch of apartment buildings.
posted by Ragged Richard at 8:55 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Ragged Richard at 8:55 AM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Quick correction from my earlier post: I said that "The Trader Joe's near Union Square is actually a bit to the west, on 14th St. near 3rd Avenue." I should have said that it's a bit to the east.
posted by merejane at 9:44 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by merejane at 9:44 AM on July 27, 2017
Best answer: Also, sorry to keep popping in, but -- I see Trader Joe's is not getting a lot of up votes, but I would say that depending on exactly where your hotel is, it might be a quick five-minute walk away. If so, and if you can get there early, it could be a great source for snacks that would be much better, and less expensive, than what you can get from the mini-bar in your hotel room!
posted by merejane at 11:05 AM on July 27, 2017
posted by merejane at 11:05 AM on July 27, 2017
You'll be fine on the subway. Get a 4-day pass and Google Maps is your friend!
There's no such thing, you need a one week unlimited pass or a pay per ride.
posted by TravellingCari at 12:15 PM on July 27, 2017
There's no such thing, you need a one week unlimited pass or a pay per ride.
posted by TravellingCari at 12:15 PM on July 27, 2017
I actually disrecommend Google Maps for subway directions; in my experience, it proposes really bewildering things (like telling my intern to switch trains when the first one was going to exactly her destination, though I guess she did still make it there after the pointless transfer). If you have Apple Maps, or perhaps can get a designated app, use that instead.
posted by ferret branca at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by ferret branca at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm over in NYC a couple of times a year for a week each time and often have the same must-get-the-most-out-of-this notions.
Truth is, you *can* go to the big headline attractions...Central Park, Met, Times sq etc but they're kinda meh. I live in London and feel the same way about St Pauls, Oxford Street, and Trafalgar Square. You go, you see it, you leave. There's rarely anything major to keep you there longer than 10 mins.
IMHO the most interesting times I've had on my brief visits have been just exploring. If you love walking then plan a route to a destination that's 20 mins away, stay for a bite to eat somewhere (you should be able to find somewhere that you can just drop in on), visit a bar for a beer, pop into some shops, then walk back to your hotel.
En route you'll see some cool stuff and you'll get to know the neighborhood better. Last time I was over i did just this and spent an hour in a music shop i just happened to drop in on, talking to the shopkeeper about the differences between european and american acoustic guitars. Sweet!
Another option - but only for the brave - would be to hop on one of their Citi bikes (same as Boris bikes over here) and take a spin around Manhattan. It's a good way to see all the headline stuff like Time sq and Central Park and to cover a lot of ground. Major caution advised though - cycling in NYK is not like cycling over here. It's scary as hell, frankly, but an experience? Definitely!
Good luck, happy travels, and have a pleasant visit.
posted by 5imon at 2:41 AM on July 28, 2017
Truth is, you *can* go to the big headline attractions...Central Park, Met, Times sq etc but they're kinda meh. I live in London and feel the same way about St Pauls, Oxford Street, and Trafalgar Square. You go, you see it, you leave. There's rarely anything major to keep you there longer than 10 mins.
IMHO the most interesting times I've had on my brief visits have been just exploring. If you love walking then plan a route to a destination that's 20 mins away, stay for a bite to eat somewhere (you should be able to find somewhere that you can just drop in on), visit a bar for a beer, pop into some shops, then walk back to your hotel.
En route you'll see some cool stuff and you'll get to know the neighborhood better. Last time I was over i did just this and spent an hour in a music shop i just happened to drop in on, talking to the shopkeeper about the differences between european and american acoustic guitars. Sweet!
Another option - but only for the brave - would be to hop on one of their Citi bikes (same as Boris bikes over here) and take a spin around Manhattan. It's a good way to see all the headline stuff like Time sq and Central Park and to cover a lot of ground. Major caution advised though - cycling in NYK is not like cycling over here. It's scary as hell, frankly, but an experience? Definitely!
Good luck, happy travels, and have a pleasant visit.
posted by 5imon at 2:41 AM on July 28, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks for all the great advice!! I'll probably give both scheduled outings a miss and do other things instead. And, a quick visit to the met will only be ~3 hours.
For those wondering why on earth I would want to go to TJ's - I read Metafilter almost everyday and TJ's seems to pop up on the green a lot. As a non-American, I've always wanted to go just to see what everyone was talking about. Interest in TJ's > interest in Times Square. Also, cookie butter.
Edit: I've marked some best answers, but everyone's advice was helpful!
posted by Robocat at 8:50 AM on July 28, 2017
For those wondering why on earth I would want to go to TJ's - I read Metafilter almost everyday and TJ's seems to pop up on the green a lot. As a non-American, I've always wanted to go just to see what everyone was talking about. Interest in TJ's > interest in Times Square. Also, cookie butter.
Edit: I've marked some best answers, but everyone's advice was helpful!
posted by Robocat at 8:50 AM on July 28, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
2. It gets dark around 8:15ish in August; and you are 100% safe in Manhattan as a mid-20's woman walking around.
3. The subway system has free wifi in any station that is underground; googlemaps has the transit lines on it. if you ever get lost, pop into a subway station, get on the free wifi and then proceed as necessary. You may love to walk, but you may not quite be up to how much walking NYC leads too... if you have an unlimited pass your world just OPENS up.
4. most of NYC eating does not have a 2+ hr wait and in fact most places will try to get you in and out as fast as possible.
5. You're in a great neighborhood for walking; just walk around your neighborhood in the morning and get a pastry at Breads Bakery. The NYC greenmarket will be active on wed and Friday mornings, and that is always fun to walk through in the mornings.
If Trader Joes are completely foreign to you, then yes I guess check one out? but it's a supermarket... I wouldn't go out of my way to visit one. You can spend less than 10mins in Times sq and be fine with it- it's kind of awesome in an overwhelming sense, and there's a Juniors Cheese cake that just opened up there on 48th st. so that would knock two things off your list in one quick go if you really need a jr.s cheesecake (personally I'd pass, but some folks love it)
The Met needs more than a quick visit- it's a VERY large museum, so I'd look up things you find interesting ahead of time and just beeline for those.
BONUS: pre download maps to google maps and you won't need to use data to figure out where you are.
posted by larthegreat at 9:38 AM on July 26, 2017