What to do on a free afternoon next Wednesday in Manhattan?

April 14, 2014 6:45 AM

Turns out we will have a few free hours next Wednesday (4/23) afternoon in NYC after an appointment and before the bus ride home. Can you suggest interesting things to do for folks who've seen most of the major museums multiple times, like to stroll but not hike, are comfortable with the subway, and are nerdy? Probably don't have time to take train or bus to outer boroughs, unfortunately, otherwise we'd probably just head to the Brooklyn Botanical gardens and look at the flowering trees, which must be revving up about now. Additional points for good but not super expensive restaurants on Upper East or Midtown East to have lunch after the appointment, like all kinds of ethnic foods but avoid pork. Many thanks; I've been looking though lots of listings but always get a bit overwhelmed by Time Out and the like.
posted by aught to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (10 answers total)

The High Line, if you haven't walked it already? It's short (~1.5 miles), pretty, has interesting plantings, and I think the weather should be OK for it on Wednesday.

It does get HELLA crowded but that's part of the fun. Also, there is an entrance to it about two long blocks from Penn Station, so that's nice. You could take the subway to the southern end and walk north along the High Line towards Penn Station to catch your train. Not sure if the food vendors have started up for the year yet, though.
posted by pie ninja at 6:55 AM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]

Agreed 100%. Walking the High Line is the one thing I insist that any friends I have visiting me here do.
posted by AaRdVarK at 7:04 AM on April 14, 2014

I am local and hate, hate the High Line. But it might be your style. If it's a nice day, I would hang out in Central Park, maybe hit the Transit Museum or the Tenement Museum.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:10 AM on April 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'd see a matinee. Lots of Broadway happening on Wednesday afternoons.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:15 AM on April 14, 2014

Best answer: I've personally been meaning to visit the Asia Society Museum and eat at their Garden Court Cafe. Don't know if that's one of the major museums you've already been to or not.

(I was also going to suggest the High Line as well.)
posted by Jahaza at 7:17 AM on April 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Nerdy afternoon in New York? The Strand. If you have any time leftover (which is doubtful if you're into books) you can walk next door to Forbidden Planet.
posted by jbickers at 7:44 AM on April 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I should have mentioned we've been to the High Line a couple times, it really is great.

I love the Strand, and we might head down there if we can't think of anything else. I think I have been to most of the bookstores in Manhattan over the years. I've been branching out to Brooklyn in recent years but I don't think we'll have the time to go over and back on the train and not worry about missing the bus home. I'm actually not so much into comics, so Forbidden Planet doesn't really appeal to me, alas.

Thanks all, keep ideas coming if you have them.
posted by aught at 8:12 AM on April 14, 2014

You might consider some answers from a similar question asked in 2012.
posted by zarq at 9:12 AM on April 14, 2014

Best answer: We've had an especially bad winter and no trees are blooming yet in our parks, for the most part.
Maybe it will be better a week from now but I wouldn't have your activities revolve around that.

On the Upper East, you could have lunch at Lexington Candy Shop (diner).
posted by rmless at 11:36 AM on April 14, 2014

PS Bookshop in DUMBO is my current favorite NYC bookstore and while it's in Brooklyn, it's not that far into Brooklyn.
posted by Jahaza at 1:45 PM on April 14, 2014