Looking for suggestions, Mrs and I are taking a short holiday on our own for the first time in nearly 9 years. we’ll be staying by Grand Central. Have already looked at tickets for the following
NYY vs Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium
Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (hopeful for this one)
SNL tickets (what a process, probably not)
Guggenheim Museum
Empire State Building
Times Square
Museum of Modern Art
Katz’ Deli
Gloria’s Carib.
May not be the best use of your time if you’re interested in the toursity stuff, but buming around chelsea for a breakfast or lunch and walking the high line is well worth it
I’d heard of it, seen it in a video game before but didn’t know where it was. definitely an early AM breakfast walk. Thanks, will add it to the list!
The highline is great. Take the Statton Island ferry. It’s free and you get great views of the Statue of Liberty. The 9/11 museum is worth a vist. Think from 4pm it’s free. The Met museum is great too. Not sure if Jersey Boys is on in Broadway. Great show, love Frankie Valli’s music.
Hot dogs and slices of pizza overated but cheap.
6 hours was enough for me, but it was the middle of August and over 100° which was a killer to my enthusiasm.
I liked getting the Staton Island ferry.
High line is well worth it as others have suggested together with the Chelsea markets. Empire state is on everyone’s list and you kind of have to do it but in my opinion the views at the top of 30 Rock overseeing Central Park and the Empire state is better. Also downtown has has an observation deck now at old 9/11 site - the one world observation tower. Its the tallest deck in NYC and get great views of most of NYC. Its more expensive but great views and has more interactive displays. That downtown area around world financial center has had bit if a revamp of the last decade.
If you do want to see a B’way show and you are flexible you can usually get way cheaper seats on the day. They sell them in times square. The really big shows are sold out months in advance anyway.
Watch out for the ridiculous guys dressed up in disney characters around time square too…, they will rob you blind. lol
If you’re a foodie head to Soho and Greenwich. There are food hop tours that take in a few speakeasy’s too.
Also there is a rooftop cinema right in Midtown for something different to relax after walking around for 9hrs!
thanks for the tips, much appreciated. Mrs wants to see a Broadway show (I can’t be bothered) but that may be the tradeoff for going to watch the Jays/Yanks if I can make it work. I’m hoping for Fallon tix…
Agree with the Highline. That’s a lovely wee walk. Staten Island ferry is nice, too, especially if you’re not fussed about actually visiting Liberty Island.
If you make it to Katz’s, I’d go to Ray’s Candy Store afterwards and try an egg cream. It’s opposite Tompkins Sq, just a five minute walk or thereabouts. Veselka is worth a visit, too. Good Ukrainian food, and profits are helping people out in Ukraine.
I would also advocate the SI Ferry.
Also, I would get off Manhattan for a morning/afternoon and go to Brooklyn, you can walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. There are a million places over there for a drink/meal, it’s great.
Can also confirm this, having walked it recently
Agree with this too. Great views walking the bridge. subway it back.
I always feel very claustrophic in Manhatten, getting over to the ferry was enjoyable as it felt like I had some breathing room for the first time and the views are great.
yeah, especially around time square! there is shitload of people here! lol
I nearly had a break down the last time I was in midtown in the evening, but there are other parts of the city that while still busy are no where near like that.
But every restaurant is a challenge
speaking of which, is it true that reservations are required weeks in advance to get a table?
No. There are some high profile restaurants that require this (see the scene from American Psycho), but there is no end of quality restaurants where this wont be the case.
The challenge I was referring to was how cramped they tend to be
Feck that, go see the NY Rangers @ MSG, ice hockey is so much better.
Do the Top of the Rock, the view is better, as it includes a view of the ESB (I’ve done both).
Katz’s is in the arsehole of nowhere and not worth the effort unless you’re in the area anyway.
Don’t miss the SoL (crown if you can), Strawberry Fields (Central Park) and Joe’s Pizza (Bleecker St).
Enjoy… so not jealous 
ahhh got it. I’m a fan of Bourdain so I will likely be visiting a few spots he has referenced in the past.
I’m a bit of a baseball fan (my son plays, I played) so seeing the Jays at Yankee Stadium would be fun. Empire State Building purely from an architectural standpoint, I’m a Frank Lloyd Wright geek so I will have to go by the Guggenheim and the Met Museum.
I like just wandering through a city and feeling the vibe. The company I work for is based there and the first time I went up the corporate offices I got a train in grand central (mid town) and walked back to my hotel in Tibeca (south). About half way back I stumbled upon a little Lebanese place and decided to stop for lunch and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
6 months later I went up again and my CEO took me out to dinner. She was Israeli and wanted to take me to somewhere that had food like she has at home. It was the same restaurant. It it apparently very well regarded and so was busy, but we got in with a reservation made only a couple hours before