# Please help: NY attractions/itinerary/tour companies



## CCinLA (May 28, 2015)

I'm taking my 9-yr-old son to the east coast from Ca in June.
We'll be in N.Y. for five days, and then take a 6-day tour from N.Y. to Boston through Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Niagara Falls.  I need help planning activities before our tour begins, please.

    Our paid 6-day tour includes visits to the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, city tour in N.Y. I would like to take my son to visit the following places on our own:

--Museums Visits:  Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMa, Guggenheim, 9/11 Memorial & Museum

--Tours:  Slavery & Underground Railroad Tour, Central Park Bike Tour, maybe a bike ride tour over the Brooklyn Bridge (We'll visit the Statute of Liberty, too.)  Any particular tour is better/more convenient?

     Should I purchase Hop-on-Hop-off tour bus tickets or should I use the city public transportation?

     Should I purchase a NewYorkPass or find Groupon deals for some of the tours I have in mind?

     Also, I need help organizing these activities based on their locations so that we won’t be running all over town every day.

     Any help and suggestions are greatly appreciated!!


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## DaveNV (May 28, 2015)

You're asking a lot from a 9 year old in a five day span, if you're expecting to do the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and a city bus tour, in addition to seeing all those museums, bike rides, and doing those other tours.  You may want or need to scale back your expectations a bit, if only because of travel times and such between venues, and the wait times to get into the more popular places.  

In September of 2011 we waited in line more than an hour to get to the top of the Empire State Building, and then a few minutes later they closed it due to thunderstorms in the area.  No refunds.  

The line to get on the boat to the Statue of Liberty was about 90 minutes long.  By the time we'd traveled out there, saw the Statue and Ellis Island, and made our way back, it was about six hours.

The 9/11 Memorial site was free, but required registering in advance to get on their list.  It required selecting a specific tour time, with lines queueing up to be available at the planned time. Plan ahead, or you may not get in when you want.

The art museums you've named will each take a half day or more for even a cursory viewing.  Most would take a full day to see more in depth.  They are scattered around the city, and traveling between them takes a bit of time.  We didn't try to do more than one a day when we were there.

We bought the NewYorkCityPass for (I think) $79 each, and it got us into most of the things that charged admission.  We paid extra to book tickets into things we wanted that didn't fit into the pass options.  It was pretty convenient, as I recall.

Transportation is easiest on the subway.  When we were there they had an unlimited use 7-day pass for $29.  (They may have something similar for less than seven days.) It was easy and very convenient.  The NYC subway system is great, and once you figure out how it works, you'll be an expert in no time.  The hop-on-hop-off buses run on their own schedules and fight street traffic, so may not be as convenient as the subway.

Plan ahead to maximize your time, but factor in extra time for unexpected delays and waiting in lines. Have fun, and enjoy your trip!

Dave


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## brigechols (May 28, 2015)

I think the double decker buses are great for touring the city above ground. 

Your 9 year old may enjoy the adventure of riding the subway. Perform your own "hop on  hop off" tour by selecting a couple of locations to visit along the subway route.

Take a look at the NYC travel guides on Trip Advisor. There are many suggestions for touring the city over a three day period and lots of family friendly tours.

BTW, there is more to Brooklyn than the Brooklyn Bridge  Prospect Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Museum, grab a slice of pizza, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, visit DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) sigh


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## Deb from NC (May 28, 2015)

We were in NYC in April and spent a full day at the Met..could have easily stayed longer.  The 9/11 Memorial and Museum also took a full day for us.  We got a 7 day subway pass for $31...so glad we did...it was easy to get around.  I also recommend downloading the free HopStop app if you're not familiar with NYC..it was helpful for us in figuring out which subway line to take !


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## WinniWoman (May 28, 2015)

The Museum of Natural History might be more interesting for a 9 year old. They also have a Planetarium.


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## Marathoner (May 28, 2015)

I live in New York City and have four kids, one of whom is 9.  There is no way my kids could handle that kind of museum and touring schedule. 

My advice is to drop all the art museum and tour ideas that you have not paid for already. 

I would do the following based on experience with my kids:

Visit the Museum of Natural History.  It has dinosaurs and other attractions that appeal to kids. It is also massive and will take hours (similar to any other museum you have listed) 

Visit the Intrepid Museum. This is a WWII aircraft carrier with jet fighter planes and space shuttle.  There is also a submarine as well. 

Go to the Lion King musical. It is great. 

If you really want to go to Brooklyn, then visit Coney Island and the amusement park rides that they have. 

Visit Central Park. Rent and ride a bike around the park. Buy a baseball and gloves and just play catch with each other on the lawn. 

Relax and eat good food.  There are many great and cheap restaurants.  Take taxis and the subway based on your mood. 

Watch the people from a sidewalk cafe.  Walk around Time Square. 

Don't worry about seeing everything. It is not possible and you can stress too much.


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## rovitm (Jun 4, 2015)

Marathoner said:


> I live in New York City and have four kids, one of whom is 9.  There is no way my kids could handle that kind of museum and touring schedule.
> 
> My advice is to drop all the art museum and tour ideas that you have not paid for already.
> 
> ...




I second many of the suggestions here.  I would think the Museum of Natural History would be of more interest for your son than the Met or MOMA.  I would find places that appeal to your son.  If he likes trains go to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn.  If he is a big Avenger fan check out the Marvels Avenger exhibit at Discovery Times Square. The Intrepid is terrific as well.  

Lion King, Aladdin and both playing on Broadway.  If these don't appeal to him then maybe something like Stomp would be of interest. There are so many things to do that would be of interest to you and him.


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## dwojo (Jun 4, 2015)

In Niagara Falls do the cave of the winds tour, the Maid of the Mist tour and bring a passport to go to Canada.


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## Marathoner (Jul 29, 2015)

CCinLA said:


> I'm taking my 9-yr-old son to the east coast from Ca in June.
> We'll be in N.Y. for five days, and then take a 6-day tour from N.Y. to Boston through Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Niagara Falls.  I need help planning activities before our tour begins, please.
> 
> Our paid 6-day tour includes visits to the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, city tour in N.Y. I would like to take my son to visit the following places on our own:
> ...


Would you mind sharing with us what you ended up doing with your son in NYC and how much you both enjoyed it?


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## zora (Aug 23, 2015)

I will be taking 2 teenagers for 4 days in March, 2016 and appreciate everyone's input.  4 days is not a lot and so it's a matter of what can I cut off my list?
Even if the OP hasn't returned, I'll let you know my thoughts when I return.  Thank you!  :whoopie:


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## raygo123 (Aug 23, 2015)

Don't do hop on hope off

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## falmouth3 (Aug 23, 2015)

To all the people who recommended the museum of natural history, I heartily agree.  Unless the 9 year old is intensely interested in art, the natural history museum is a far, far better choice.

Wait times will vary with the season.  DH and I were last in NYC for a February visit.  We had zero wait time for the Empire State Building.  Also, we called two days ahead of time to get reservations to go to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.  But it was really, really cold when we were there!


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## Luanne (Aug 23, 2015)

raygo123 said:


> Don't do hop on hope off



Why do you say this?


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## raygo123 (Aug 23, 2015)

I'm disabled and one block north of the bike rental going north about 68th St it started to rain on and off, one of those that only the upper level has seats, they kicked all off and told us to get off.  Said go too 100th St in front of a church, and catch the next one.  I told them I was disabled and was btold to catch a bus or catch a cab

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## Marathoner (Aug 24, 2015)

zora said:


> I will be taking 2 teenagers for 4 days in March, 2016 and appreciate everyone's input.  4 days is not a lot and so it's a matter of what can I cut off my list?
> Even if the OP hasn't returned, I'll let you know my thoughts when I return.  Thank you!  :whoopie:



Zora,

I don't know if you are looking for restaurant recommendations in NYC but here is a short list I wrote a few weeks ago in a different thread.  These are somewhat upscale restaurants so can be pricey.  There are a large number of good, cheap restaurants in NYC as well and there are plenty of searches in Google that will display them.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1786253#post1786253


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## Blaaamo (Aug 26, 2015)

zora said:


> I will be taking 2 teenagers for 4 days in March, 2016 and appreciate everyone's input.  4 days is not a lot and so it's a matter of what can I cut off my list?
> Even if the OP hasn't returned, I'll let you know my thoughts when I return.  Thank you!  :whoopie:




Skip the Empire State Building and go to The Top of The Rick instead. No lines and a better view, also a view of the Empire State Building which is impossible to get from on top of it.


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## VegasBella (Aug 26, 2015)

I vote subway and cabs. The cabs are inexpensive compared to almost everywhere else in the country so if you really need to get somewhere just take a cab. The subway is great, so long as you can read the maps well and figure your way around. The only downside would be that most lines are underground so you won't see much of the city. But those busses just seem so slow annoying. I don't think I could do it.



BMWguynw said:


> You may want or need to scale back your expectations a bit, if only because of travel times and such between venues, and the wait times to get into the more popular places.


Agree with many others that you should prioritize and just pick one or two things each day. 

My first visit to NYC was one day and I spent the entire time at the Met and a pizza place.
My second visit I participated in some political stuff (which was the point of my visit) and then had time for one museum and a stroll through Central Park (I had a weekend). 
Even when I lived there, it would take most of the day to go do something special. There are just soooo many people, so many vehicles, so much... it just takes a while to do anything.



mpumilia said:


> The Museum of Natural History might be more interesting for a 9 year old. They also have a Planetarium.


Besides just being a really cool place to visit, this museum was also in movies the 9-year-old might have seen (Night at the Museum) so that will make it extra fun. I enjoyed myself when I visited (multiple visits - I lived in NYC for a few years). I don't know if you like Neil DeGrasse Tyson or not but he works at that museum and narrates some of the Planetarium movies.

One thing that's not be great for the 9-year-old but maybe if you have a sitter for a night: go see some comedy. That was my favorite when I lived there. NYC has the best comedy clubs on the planet and it's always a good time. The regular shows are just so much funnier, so much more interesting than the regular shows at comedy clubs anywhere else.


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## zora (Aug 27, 2015)

Marathoner, Thanks for a great list.  I'm thinking we'll travel by subway/metro.  It seems safe enough.


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## SMHarman (Aug 27, 2015)

Pick parts of the city you want to explore and plan around that location.  
Downtown Battery Park / Wall St / WTC / SI ferry
Midtown Rock Cntr / TSq / Theater / Intrepid
Central Park / Museums / Boats / Bikes. 
Brooklyn, Prospect Park / Bridge / Coney Island. 
Soho / Chelsea / Village 

Aim to stay near an area for the day and get about that area by bus or foot. 

Subway is great up and down the island. Getting across is bus / Cab / uber. 

Tour company's and their passes are usually poor value as they tout the savings based on visiting three attractions a day. Add eating and there is barely time to sleep!


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## Marathoner (Aug 27, 2015)

zora said:


> I'm thinking we'll travel by subway/metro.  It seems safe enough.



Yes, safe and reliable.

Uber and yellow cabs are plentiful and convenient as well.  Don't get caught in the surge pricing of uber (expensive) or try to hail a yellow cab when its raining (near impossible).

NYC buses are ok too.  Just slow and alot of people are not familiar with the bus routes.


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## SMHarman (Aug 27, 2015)

Or try to get a Cab around 4pm. Handover / shift change time. 

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