Trip Report, New York City, Family of 6
My husband and I found that we just love New York! Our 4 girls ages 15, 17, 18 and 21 found it to be a great place to sightsee and shop (and they found they prefer to shop). I think I will just tell what we did day by day so people can get an idea how much you can or cannot do in a weekend without a paid tour.
Friday, July 1, 2005
Picked up daughter from work at 11:45 AM. Drove to New York City from Cleveland, Ohio. Arrived at Embassy Suites Hotel NYC at 7:30 PM. Checked into the Embassy Suites Hotel. (A great place for families, full breakfast included, large 2 room suite that sleeps six, see review I Posted of hotel and how we got around, if interested) Walked around the World Finacial Center area then drove over Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn found parking and walked a ways to Grimaldi%26#39;s Pizza Waited in line then got a table and had great pizza. Then walked to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory right down Old Fulton and had ice cream and ate outside by the water and looked at the Brooklyn Bridge. then we walked halfway over the Brooklyn Bridge (about 10:40 PM by now) My husband said he would go get the car and drive over the bridge and meet us at the other side so we could walk all the way across. Great view of the city from the bridge. Felt safe but be careful to stay on the walking lane of the bridge %26#39;cause bikers come across in the other lane and some speed by.the walkway of the bridge runs right down the middle of the bridge and is elevated very cool one of our favorite things we did in New York City! It would also probably be fun in daylight and probably more safe. It was also kind of tricky meeting up with my husband at the other end of the bridge. There was no easy place for him to pull over and pick us up. There are many one way streets in New York City and a lot of fast driving cab drivers so I would not recommend driving around in NYC. My husband had trouble finding how to get on the Brooklyn Bridge from both sides mainly because of one way streets and wrong turns he took.
We then drove around the Times Square area and got back to hotel about Midnight.
Saturday, July 2nd, 2005
Everyone was tired from the drive and previous night%26#39;s adventurs so slept in until 9:00 Went down to the great Embassy suites Breakfast. After everyone ater and got ready we walked to the Subway station and bought our one day pases for $7 each and took subway to Penn Station. Walked to Herald Square and through Macy%26#39;s and started walking toward the Empire State Building when the girls saw and H %26amp; M. We walked through ands they decided they would like to shop for awhile.
I had not planned on splitting up at all in NYC or on letting the girls out of our sight at all until we realized the girls agenda for the weekend was quite different than what my husband and I planned. Also my oldest daughter reminded me that she had just spent a semester of college studying and living in London and had traveled by Bus, Tube, Train, Chunnel and foot all over London and had also traveled to Rome, Italy, Venice, Munich, Austria and Paris without our supervision. We compromised and let the girls shop in the H %26amp; M and Forever 21 near Macy%26#39;s after they promised that all 4 of them would stay in the same store and they would all go to the other store together. Also two of the girls had cell phones and I had one and my husband had one so we could check on them every 15 minutes. the girls thought that was excessive but I kept checking on them anyway. While they shopped, my husbandand I walked around Bryant Park and The Public Library and the Chrysler building, Grand Central Terminal (where I picked up a great bus schedule of all the Manhattan buses showing all their routes) and walked to the United Nations area.
I took a taxi back to meet up with the girls and my husband looked around the United Nations building. Then we all met up at the Rockefeller Center. We looked in Radio City Music Hall then went to Ellen%26#39;s Stardust Diner and had hamburgers, french fries and split milk shakes and root beer floats. The atmosphere was fun with the waitresses and waiters taking turns singing. Our waiter Archie took a turn.
From there we walked down 5th Avenue and went into FAO Schwartz Toy store Its huge! We walked over to the Plaza which was closed and watched some guys breakdancing for a crowd in central park We walked partway through Central Park when one of the girls flip flops broke and she couldn%26#39;t walk anymore (very well) It was about 4:45 and we needed to go back to the hotel and shower and get ready for All Shook Up so everyone but my husband took the subway back to our Embasy Suites Hotel in lower Manhattan. My husband said he only needed 15 minutes to get ready for the show so he stayed in Central Park and got to see the Roller blading Dance party they have on Saturday afternoons in Central Park He loved it!
We ended up taking taxis to the show because if you have teenage girls you know how long it takes them to shower, straighten hair, get dressed etc. We sat in the balcony The tickets were only $19.55 each regular price and the view was fine. If you have the money it would be nice to have closer seats, but if not, don%26#39;t go broke. Buy the balcony seats and enjoy the show. You will end up leaning forward a little to watch but it will be fine. We all liked the show especially the girls. There is singing , dancing and Elvis songs. It is a lively fun show. (not a serious story line). After the show we walked around Times Square under all the bright lights through the crowds on the sidewalks. It is exciting. then we took the M20 Bus back to our hotel. Everyone was hungry so we split some meals and appetizers at the Applebee%26#39;s restaurant attached to our hotel. Didnt get to bed until at least 12:30 AM again.
Sunday, July 3rd, 2005
We didnt get our hoped for 8 hours of sleep because we wanted to see the Empire State Building before the lines got too long. We didn%26#39;t make it Got there at 9:30 AM and the lines were already out the door and then there were more lines inside and more lines upstairs. We bought our tickets online so we avoided that line but I think we paid an extra $1.00 or so more per ticket than the price posted at the Empire State building.
We all enjoyed the view from the top of the Empire State building. We were lucky we had a day with a very clear view. I paid extra for the audio tour and my husband and I listened to it and liked it. It pointed out a few things from each viewing area and gave some history. The kids used the big maps they had to locate buildings. There is also something you can buy that shows the buildings but we did not see it until after we finished viewing I don%26#39;t know what it was called but it had 360 degrees in the title. We were back on the ground after viewing at about 12:00 noon. (So figure 2 and a half hours minimum to visit the Empire State Building, more if the line is longer and it got longer as it got later in the morning and afternoon. I dont know how crowded it is at night.)
After the Empire State Building we decided to walk all the way to Chinatown down 5th Avenue. We wanted to walk through Madison Square Park, see the Flatiron building, Union Square Park, Greenwhich Village/Washington Square Park/ NYU, Littte Italy and Chinatown. We had hoped to see the parade in Chinatown but knew we probably would not make it if we walked and we did not make it. We ended up stopping at the University Cafe at Washington Square for slices of pizza and water then ended up taking the subway to Chinatown. We walked down Canal Street in Chinatown and it was packed. We could hardly move. By then we were all very tired and just wanted to get back to the hotel. We took the subway to the hotel and all took a nap. My husband and I slept for an hour The girls were still tired and wantred to shop at century 21 by the hotel when they got up. My husband wanted to drive around and I wanted to go to Upper West Side to see the 91st Street Park in Riverside Park, Zabar%26#39;s, Cafe Lalo%26#39;s and other places where You%26#39;ve Got Mail were filmed. My husband dropped me off by 91st st and Riverside and I walked around. I loved the area! I stopped into Cafe Lalo%26#39;s and had berries and cream. I wasn%26#39;t very hungry but it was a refreshing treat. THe cafe is small and very cute. I loved it. Zabar%26#39;s was very interesting too. especially the 2nd floor with all the household and kitchen gadgets like waffle makers , irons etc. I had not expected that. I went to Barnes and Nobles to look at their maps. I love Mapeasy Guidemaps. I already had the Midtown Manhattan Map so I bought the Upper and Lower Manhattan Mapeasy Maps. I also found a Manhattan Movie and TV Map that showed 179 famous shooting locations It was only $5.50and was from 1996 so it did not have You%26#39;ve Got Mail sights but had a lot of others. My husband called and said he was finished driving around and came and picked me up. He wanted to tour the aircraft carrier but missed the last tour so we headed back to the hotel. I had been trying to call teh girls the whole time I was out and finally got ahold of them. It was 6:30PM and they had all slept for 4 hours straight and never went shopping. My husband said to me I never really minded having all girls before but all they want to do this weekend is shop and sleep!
We got everyone up and moving and took the free Connection bus out in front of our hotel down to the South Street Seaport. We watched some more bresak dancers, looked around and then ate in an Irish restaurant. The Seaport was pretty neat. I t made me feel like I was in Baltimore at the Inner Harbor, not in Manhattan. Manhattan has so many different areas that look and seem so different! We then took a bus over to the Staten Island Ferry. It was almost 9:30 PM
We took the Ferry and saw the statue of Liberty WE couldn%26#39;t believe how many people the Ferry held. The waiting area is huge and has bathrooms and drinking fountains and is really very nice.
The only time we felt a little unsafe was after the Ferry ride. We probably should have taken a taxi to our hotel or at least to a bus stop but we walked to our bus stop and had to walk through a dark construction area by Batterty Park. We were fine but I don%26#39;t think it was a good idea. Other than that we felt very safe in New York City. We reached our hotel about 11:30 PM.
Monday July 4th, 2005
We were going to leave around 9:00 AM but the girls wanted to shop a little more and I wanted to see some of the sights from my new Manhattan Movie Map like the Cosby%26#39;s stoop and the friends apartment and the chess tables in Washington Park from Searching for Bobby Fischer. My husband wanted to drive around some more and to eat at a cafe. We took the girls to SOHO. There was an H %26amp; M, American Eagle, Old Navy and many other stores near each other on Broadway between Houston and Broome St.
While the girls shopped we went and found the Cosby Stoop and tehn parked by Washington Square Park, walked through the Park and found the chess tables. My husband was tempted to get involved in a chess match but really wanted to find eat at a cafe. We walked down MacDougal Street past several cute cafes and came upon Le Figaro Cafe. We were lucky because a table outside, right on the corner of MacDougal and Bleeker STS opend up and we were able to sit down and had a great view both ways down both Bleeker St and Mac Dougal Street. The table was under an overhang on the building so it was shaded and there was a nice breeze blowing. This ended up being the highlight of our trip. (also my husband loves Bob Dylan - our first date was a Bob Dylan concert and the menu said that this cafe opened up about 30 years ago when Bob Dylan and Bill Cosby were in Greenwhich Village(we saw Bill Cosby live in Cleveland when we were first dating as well)).
It was so pleasant and relaxing just sitting there people and bus and bike watching. We recapped our trip while we ate and talked about how great it would be to live in New York for a whole summer or a whole year or at least for a whole week. We made a list of all the things we did not get to see so we can see them on our next trip (hopefully next year!) It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend in Manhattan. Just as we finished eating the girls called up and said they had had enough shopping and were ready to head for home. The girls were spending their own money so they really only bought a few things each and found some good bargains.
We headed out about 3:30 PM. Got lost somewhere in New Jersey looking for a Wendy%26#39;s restaurant for the girls. We were surprised to find out that New Jersey doesn%26#39;t have self serve Gas Stations. We arrived home about Midnight.
I love New York Trip report July 1 - July 4, 2005, family...
Wow, you had a great if quick trip! And I%26#39;m glad you all arrived back safely. I too get a bit nervous walking around business areas at night, because they really are deserted. Believe me, I%26#39;m a native and I wouldn%26#39;t do it, no matter how safe everyone keeps saying the city is. That%26#39;s why I recommend people stay in a residential area, there are always lots of people around. Next time you might consider staying in the ';You%26#39;ve Got Mail'; upper west side neighborhood.
Come back soon!
I love New York Trip report July 1 - July 4, 2005, family...
Am happy to hear that u and u%26#39;r family had such a lovely vacation. I plan on a 2nd trip to NYC in a few weeks. This time round we plan on driving to NY. Needed to know how expensive and difficult the parking situation was. Plus did Emabssy Suites offer onsite parking and if so at what rate.
I think it is $55 for 24 hours though the hotel We did not use it. My husband found a spot near a school where there was no parking on school days. We were there on a holiday weekend so we did not get a ticket. Once he moved the car someone else took the spot so he parked in a parking garage a few blocks away for about $32.00. Parking can be a problem if money is not an issue I would use the hotel parking. I had seen posts about a lot for $21.95 but we did not find it It might be closed. there was a fenced in area near by that could have been a lot but it did not appear to be open.
Sounds great! Glad you had such a great time.
FYI, the same people who designed the Seaport designed Baltimore Inner Harbor, which is why it seemed familiar-good reason, right?
Wow, you guys are very efficient travelers! Im so impressed how much you got done! That was also a very nice, concise synopsis, thanks!
I thought I noticed some similarities with the shopping area at the seaport and the one at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Now I know why! Thanks for the info and thanks to everyone who gave us tips and feedback before our trip.
hi, great report, we are staying at the embassy suites was the applebees an ok place to eat? and was there anywhere else around open at night, also did you see the cinema there as apparently it is meant to be within the complex. Just wondering as we are thinking it may be nice to leave my 16...wilbe almost 17 yr old in the room with the others to babysit so my husband and i can pop to the cinema one evening ie close but alone!!
We ate at Applebee%26#39;s after we went to the Broadway show All Shook Up. My daughter%26#39;s love Applebee%26#39;s. We have one by us. The meals we wanted were about $17.95 - 18.95 so we split three meals and got potato skins and chicken wings.
I think Applebee%26#39;s was open until 1:00 AM. We did not eat at Chevy%26#39;s the Mexican restaurant but I think it was open late as well. We walked by the movie theatre to go to Applebee%26#39;s. The movie theatre and both restaurants are all attached. It looked like a nice movie theatre. The staff at the front desk of the Embassy Suites can tell you which doors to go through to get to the movie theatre and Applebee%26#39;s.
Have a great trip. We really enjoyed the Embassy Suites and New York City.
kitten, www.applebees.com is a national chain which is like an upscale dinner. Check out their web site for the menu. I%26#39;d say okay food with the attachments of being a chain restaurant.
I am going to be driving from New York City to Hudson Ohio and was curious to find out if the times on map quest are accurate. They have posted that it will take about 7 hours and we plan to use I80 the Ohio Turnpike. Can you tell me how long it took you and what the driving was like? Thankyou in advance.
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