Help my son & I do NYC right

May 14, 2008 9:07 PM

Dad and almost 15 yr. old son will be visiting NYC from Fri. May 30th-Mon June 1. He's the sporty type so museums and MOMA type things aren't turning his crank. What are the 'don't miss', the 'should try and take in' and the 'at your own risk' things we should do/avoid ?

As a 14th birthday present he was allowed to choose a trip anywhere in North America so I want to make his first ever visit to NYC memorable. Staying at a friend's place in Hoboken. He's mentioned Spamalot and the Mets (any tix ideas?), he's into cool clothes, music, comedy and sports. Any tour/restaurant/event advice you can provide? Appreciate the help.

posted by pman78 to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

nyc craigslist and stubhub are probably your best bets for getting great seats to mets games, but new york being new york and this being their last season at the current shea stadium, expect to pay a premium.

what kind of clothes is he into, exactly? and what kind of food do you both eat? we've got so much to see and do and eat that specificity is your friend!
posted by lia at 9:18 PM on May 14

For Mets tickets, try StubHub if you can't/won't go through the team.

BroadwayBox has the standard discount tickets for shows (a million other sites do, too, and they're all the same discounts). There's also the TKTS booth, if you're willing to wait till the day-of and chance things.

There are obviously tons of places for clothes, so if he has any store/brand preference it'll be easy to hunt down where to go ahead of time.

Unfortunately, a lot of music venues and comedy clubs aren't minor-friendly (liquor is too important). You might try calling ahead at the more sketch/improv-oriented places (like UCB Theatre) and see what shows might be all-ages.

On your first day there, buy that week's TimeOut at a newstand and just let him flip through it to see what catches his eye.
posted by aswego at 9:22 PM on May 14

This may seem obvious, but it's the last year of Yankee stadium. EVAR. Try and get tickets if the Yanks are in town and you can manage it. Now on reading your question more closely, I see he's a Mets fan, but still it's the last chance to see the house that Ruth built.
posted by bananafish at 9:26 PM on May 14

You must take him to BOTH a Mets game and a Yankees game. It doesn't matter if he's a fan of either or neither, the key is that it's the last year for both venues, and there's no do-overs if you miss them.

There are still lots of available tickets for almost all games, except Red Sox visits and the final week of each park.
posted by rokusan at 9:38 PM on May 14

A very helpful and timely post from the inimitable Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture.
posted by Kibbutz at 9:49 PM on May 14

The Mets will be in town that weekend, playing two day games against the Dodgers, but alas, the Yanks will be in Minnesota.

If he wants to see the Mets, take him. It's not a terrible hardship to get tickets, especially if you buy them right now.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 9:59 PM on May 14

Doc Suarez is right, no Yankees. I didn't check the dates. Bad me.
posted by rokusan at 10:01 PM on May 14

You absolutely must go to see the Mets and tour Yankees stadium.
posted by Pants! at 10:32 PM on May 14

The north fields in Central Park almost always have rotating games this time of year, mostly corporate teams, local school groups, amateur leagues. If you're really lucky, you might be able to snag an extra spot on one of the teams - just walk up and ask if they need any extra players.

Giving way to popular opinion, you should probably also take him to see a Mets and/or Yankees game.
posted by puckish at 12:01 AM on May 15

For you:

The sports Museum of America just opened in Battery Park (downtown NYC)-- I've never been, YMMV, but check out their website to see if you'd like it.
Or try lunch at Mickey Mantle's restaurant and Sports Bar on Central park West-- lotsa memorabilia and decent Pigs In Blankets to boot!

For your child:

Maybe he'd enjoy an NBC Studio Tour, the Empire State Building Observation Deck, and a "movie tour" of Big Apple locations in film, by On Location tours.

Send a postcard!
posted by Dizzy at 4:18 AM on May 15

If he likes comedy, you could take him to the Asssscat 3000 show at the UCB Theater on Sunday night. It's absolutely hilarious, although it can get a little racy, so be forewarned. If you don't want to wait in line for the free later show, I'd suggest buying tickets to the earlier show pronto.
posted by saladin at 6:45 AM on May 15

How about something like the Chelsea Piers (I have no idea how that works for visitors or if it's worth visiting, but it might be an interesting glimpse of how the big city handles recreational sports) or the Trapeze School?
posted by yarrow at 7:03 AM on May 15

I know you said "no museums", but the Metropolitan Museum of Art's costume wing is having an exhibit on "superheros and their influence on fashion". If he's really into the whole superhero thing (at 14, that may be dicey, but if he still has a comic book collection, it's a thought), there's "Forbidden Planet" on 13th and Broadway, and the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. for interesting souvenir options. On the other hand, if superheros and comic books are too "geeky", skip it.

You can rent bikes at the Hudson river Waterway, on the extreme west side of Manhattan -- I think at about 43rd Street on the western shore. It's in the middle of a bike-and-pedestrian promenade along the western edge of Manhattan, so you can ride safely straight down south along the water all the way to the tip of Manhattan Island -- passing Chelsea Piers sports center on the way, as well as a spot where you can go kayaking in the Hudson for a couple hours. There's also a small putting green along the Hudson somewhere, and Battery Park is down there -- which is where you catch the ferry to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. (Beware, though, that there's a long wait for the ferry, partly because of its popularity and partly because of increased security.) Chelsea Piers also boasts batting cages, bowling, and a driving range in its facilities.

Any of the parks are good for impromptu sports or even mini-concerts. Unfortunately you're JUST too early for the free "Summerstage" Central Park concerts, but lots of spontaneous buskers are strolling about.

There's a section of the TIME OUT NEW YORK magazine devoted to sports as well -- that may be worth a gander while you're there (they are pretty exhaustive in terms of listings, both for things to watch and things to do). TONY also has an exhaustive comedy listings, although many acts do tend to work blue. (The Upright Citizens Brigade, though, with its improv sketch comedy, may be a very good choice.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:52 AM on May 15

Is the Intrepid back yet? If so, it's pretty damn cool even if you're not a military buff. The sheer scale of the thing is like... woah.

If he likes sports, this looks like a pretty cool opportunity to go to the movies, too.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:56 AM on May 15

Thanks all- some great stuff in here and lots we had not thought of.
We'll check out a lot of what you all have suggested.
Thnx a ton.
posted by pman78 at 11:44 AM on May 20