NYC trip in May. Recommendations?

If you want to go to a Yankee game don’t worry about it taking too much time. We went to one during the last year of the old Yankee Stadium while the new stadium was being built across the street. We took the subway from Manhattan and it drops you off right by the stadium. It was a night game but we had late dinner reservations and left before the game was over.

Go to Serendipity III, even if its for a quick dessert. Very eclectic place and famous for Frozen Hot Chocolate.

Yankees game is good to check off the list. Subway ride is long but not a deal breaker.

Visit Grand Central Station. Go see the Flatiron Building.

Walk through Times Square, get a slice of Jr.'s Cheesecake.

We spent some time in SoHo last time I was there and enjoyed it more than TS, but TS is a must on your first trip.

Ride the subway everywhere. Anyone saying don't ride it has never left Louisiana. Keep your wallet close and enjoy yourself. It is a great city

I studied this subway guide ahead of time and was able to easily use the trains on arrival. I also used the bus system, along with the CityMapper app (Google maps has similar features in cities) to get around.

Put your hotel address and spots you want to visit in CityMapper. Pull it up, select destination, and it will tell you which bus to get on at what stop, or which entrance to the subway to use and how many minutes until train arrives, etc. Huge time saver.

The Absolute Beginner's Guide to the New York Subway

Others here will be better with standard tourist recommendations. Since it's your first time in the city, I doubt you'll go, but let me know if you're planning on Brooklyn. Dad and sister live there, so I've gotten to know it well (Williamsburg, specifically).

I don't spend too much time in Manhattan, but I have a couple cousins in West Village, so that's where I hang mostly. In the neighborhood, Blind Tiger is a great craft beer bar, LB is my favorite cocktail bar, Joseph Leonard is my favorite restaurant, and John's is my favorite pizza (think many agree). Speaking of pizza, I maintain the most-underrated slice in Manhattan is NY Pizza Suprema. It's on the SW side of MSG / Penn Station, so it's easy to miss, but I try going for a slice whenever I fly into EWR.

Regarding the Subway conversation, I'd approach it like any other big city - just be aware of your surroundings. Personally, I've never felt unsafe on the MTA, but I tend to stick to the Subway during daylight and prime dinner hours.

I live close enough to NYC to go frequently on day trips and also will go with friends to spend the night and take in a show or two. I haven't been since covid lockdown because shows were closed, restaurants closed etc. Now I hear daily about the horrendous crimes --crime is up significantly. I never used to be very concerned about safety but I have no desire to go there right now. Even the mayor admitted people are waiting for trains with their backs up against the wall until the train arrives and then running for the train because they're so afraid of being pushed off the platform. It's a real issue. As an older white woman, it makes me nervous.

That said-- the Crowne plaza Times Square is lovely and in a great location. My favorite show recommendations would be Wicked or Phantom of the Opera.

It's worth a visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral, also going to the Top of the Rock offers a fabulous views of the city from one end to the other and lots of interesting history on the way up. Metropolitan Museum is fabulous but you need a lot of hours to devote. The Intrepid is fabulous--aircraft carrier museum on the water. So much to see and do! Enjoy!

in TODAY'S DailyMail news.....(link) but I see local city news daily and things like this are happening more and more frequently, in areas that used to be relatively safe, and in broad daylight.

LINK

Oven never been to an actual in new york Broadway show. Just booked 3 in 6 days. Music Man with Hugh Jackman, Beetlejuice (love that movie) and Book of Mormon (feel the kids are old enough for it now)

Lots of Statute pedestal tickets are open so doing that too.


Though I'm also looking for other things. Wife hates heights so observation decks are out.


What are the boards thoughts into going into the Real Little Italy in Bronx? Looks great for people who like Italian food. As the Manhattan little Italy seems to shrink every year.
I've never been to the Bronx. Only borough I haven't been to.

My wife and I visited New York this past summer...we stayed for about 4 days, so we had a little more time to work with than you did. Here was our takeaways.

1. While the trip had its good, we will not return. Of all of our vacation locations, this was our least favorite. We spend 4 days in Boston, followed by 4 days in New York. Boston was a thousand times better. We were amazed at how trashy NYC was with the homeless everywhere, trash bags stacked up 10ft high, and just litter everywhere in general. Boston was a much cleaner place...more high class feeling. NYC is just bombarded with tourists who don't give a shite and we felt like that's what led to us not liking it quite as much.

2. We took the subway or walked everywhere we went. We never once got in a taxi or on a bus at either city. We thought it was incredibly easy to figure out, especially using Google Maps or the Map App on iphone. They both do a good job of telling you where to board, which train, when to swap trains, etc. The New York subways were newer looking and cleaner than Boston's. We also booked a hotel that was near Penn Station, since it has access to all parts of the city via subway. We were within 150 yards of Penn Station so walking to/from the subway was easy...just really convenient in general.

3. For food, skip the street vendors. They suck and are overpriced. You're gonna pay no matter what you eat in NYC (unless you're just searching out cheap/fastfood areas)...might as well get quality. We found local diners and such for most meals. Don't be afraid to ask locals for suggestions...they will send you to smaller locally owned places which aren't so commercialized and are usually pretty dang good. I specifically remember John's of Bleecker St (pizza joint) which was awesome. We ate at Keen's Steakhouse one night which was very nice. When in Chinatown, the best place we ate was Shanghai 21. I've never had real Chinese like that...it was great.

4. We spent one day exploring the scenic areas and shopping. We walked about 12 miles this day, all the way from our hotel up to Times Square, then walked over to Fifth Avenue and did lots of shopping there. Finally took the subway back to the hotel. We left the hotel that morning and made it back around 6 or 7pm, then went to eat.

5. We spent one day in the Bronx. We went to the Bronx Zoo, then went and saw Yankee Stadium. They were having an away series, so we couldn't catch a game. We did go into a few of the local bars near the stadium and ate/watched a game on TV with some of the regulars, who were very cool and gave us some other areas to check out.

6. We spend one day in the southeastern section of Manhattan. We saw the 9/11 Memorial, went to the Trade Center Mall, rode out on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, then walked around Battery Park, Tribeca, Soho. Just checking out local stuff and seeing what we can see. We aren't huge fans of the big bright lights and commercialized areas you think of when you think New York. We preferred just seeing how the regular folks around there live.

7. We spent one day exploring ChinaTown in the morning/lunch time (my personal favorite part of the whole NYC trip) and walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Chinatown was very clean. The people were friendly (though you will have to tell 100x people you don't want to buy their fake Louis Vuittons and such). The food was good, even the little snacks and noodles we got from street vendors. After walking the bridge, we took the subway from Brooklyn to Coney Island (long arse ride), got some Nathan's hotdogs, walked the beach some...once again, we were turned off by the quality of people there.



So long story short, we just weren't that amazed by all of the lights and attractions most people think of...we were turned off by the trashiness and some of the people we encountered. Lots of good found if you look in the right places. Way too much to see and do. you've got almost no chance of getting it all in 2 days.