Draft Itinerary - Its getting Closer!!! HELP

Hi all,

I have posted a proposed itinerary below for our visit in early Jan. Could you please look over it and make any suggestions or comments (about restaurant selection et) also any advice regarding subway routes and any other tips you think might help. I%26#39;ve tried to do this based on numerous trip reports I%26#39;ve read but some of it may be too ambitious! My only other question is whether the Double Decker Bus Tour is worth it in early Jan? Many thanks.

Mon 9 Jan

Arr LGA @12:59

Transport to Intercontinental Barclay (Limo - Carmel)

Explore Times Square

Dinner at Joe Allen

Drinks at O鈥橪unneys

Tue 10 Jan

Breakfast at Comfort Diner

Double Decker Bus (2 hr Heritage Tour/Hop on-Hop Off)

Lunch at Juniors Grand Central Station (Cheesecake)

Chinatown, Canal Street, Soho, Little Italy 鈥?Sights and Shopping!

Top of the Rock (topoftherocknyc.com/1.877 6928439)

Dinner at Rothmann鈥檚 Steakhouse and Grill

Drinks after at Houstons (53rd St)

Wed 11 Jan

Breakfast at Brasserie

Liberty Helicopter Ride (reserve?)

Ground Zero and St Paul鈥檚

Water Taxi/Subway to Brooklyn

Grimaldis for Lunch

Walk over Brooklyn Bridge 鈥?approx 4pm

Dinner at Cinema

Drinks at Connolys (47th St)

Thu 12 Jan

Breakfast at PK鈥檚 Place

5th Av Shops - Macys/Tiffanys/Rockefeller Centre/Diamond District

Pizza at John鈥檚 West 44th (Times Sq)

See Flatiron Building followed by ESB at 3.00 pm

Walk Down 34th St and 7th Av #1 train to 50th St

Early Dinner at Ellen鈥檚 Stardust Diner on Broadway @51st

8pm Show 鈥?Chicago (through broadwaybox/ticketbooths?)

Drinks after at Houston鈥檚 (153E 53rd)

Fri 13 Jan

Breakfast at Raffles

Last Minute Indecision Shopping!

Lunch at Jerry鈥檚 (Soho Diner)

Dep Hotel at 14:30 for LGA (Flight at 17:25)

Draft Itinerary - Its getting Closer!!! HELP

I must say, that is a tremendously packed itinerary. Be careful that you don%26#39;t try and do too much because then the trip just becomes an exhausting marathon instead of being a fun vacation.

As for the hop on/off bus, I personally wouldn%26#39;t recommend it for January. On my first trip to NY a few years ago, I booked it for my son and myself. It was April, and it was definitely COLD, especially during the night tour that we went on. It was very useful to us though. I think I bought a 2 or 3 day ticket and we used that as our transportation to get to the far off places like the History Museum and Battery Park. I think it will be too cold to sit on the top in the open, and you just don%26#39;t get the same feel by sitting on the inside...

Draft Itinerary - Its getting Closer!!! HELP

Thanks Demilo

If I take the bus tour out that leaves me with a morning - how can I break the itinerary up logically and spread it out a little?

I actually thought the Heritage tour was a great idea. I%26#39;ve never paid attention to it but it%26#39;s not the same as the regular hop on/off tour and the photo they use shows a smaller bus that%26#39;s not double decker. It%26#39;s also a better price ($25/person). I think it%26#39;s a good idea and I%26#39;d try to do it your first day rather than the 2nd. For others reading this, the info is here

鈥iator.com/brochure/product_show.jsp鈥?/a>

I do agree I wouldn%26#39;t do a typical hop on/off. If you don%26#39;t do the Heritage tour consider Marvelous Manhattan or NY Party Shuttle.

Overall, the other comment is you%26#39;ve got yourself going downtown and midtown several days in a row. I%26#39;d try to do all day downtown and all day midtown. I especially wouldn%26#39;t bother going to Soho on your last day for Jerry%26#39;s unless it%26#39;s your plan to shop down there.

I don%26#39;t know some of your restaurant picks but you%26#39;ve obviously spent a lot of time researching choices. I%26#39;ll just mention there%26#39;s a Bobby Van%26#39;s steakhouse right near your hotel (46th %26amp; Park) that rates just as good as Rothman%26#39;s food at about the same price. I wouldn%26#39;t bother with Ellen%26#39;s Stardust unless there are kids in your party. I%26#39;d do John%26#39;s pizzza or Joe Allen before the show.

Hope you have a superb trip. You deserve it!

I noticed you have drinks a couple of nights at Houston%26#39;s. That%26#39;s actually a semi-national chain (not that there%26#39;s anything wrong with that). However, you might want to head over to 2nd or 1st Ave. on the other night and check out some of the pubs there. I don%26#39;t know any in particular, but there are a few Irish-style pubs.

Also, if you%26#39;re interested in a bagel breakfast, the Barclay is not far from Ess-A-Bagel, Third Avenue between 50th and 51st. I think Raffles is the restaurant of another hotel--don%26#39;t know if it will offer you anything particularly interesting.

Finally, I believe the Flatiron building is still covered in scaffolding. You can still see its interesting shape, but just wanted to let you know.

An amendment to my earlier post: another good bar in the area of your hotel is PJ Clarke%26#39;s, on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 55th Street. Old place, recently renovated but still has the old look about it.

Instead of the double decker bus why not wander around Central Park (which should really not be missed)

Then head on down to GCS as in your plan...

Thank you all for the very useful info so far. I have already changed a number of restaurant choices and we are going to do Central Park instead of the Bus Tour. Could someone help and organise my itinerary into midtown and downtown so it makes more sense. Once again thanks to all and keep your suggestions coming!

Seems like you need 2 downtown days. Here%26#39;s a try.

arrival day-stay midtown

I%26#39;d do some sort of tour/ then walk around Times Square. Dinner at Joe Allen or John%26#39;s Pizza.

Tues 10 Jan

midtown

Do 5th ave. shops, Top of the Rock, Central Park. Steak dinner.

Wed 11 Jan

downtown

stick with your current Wed plan. I%26#39;d have breakfast downtown rather than going to Brasserie.

Thurs.

See flatiron building on your way downtown to Chinatown, Canal St., soho etc.

Fri.

Stay midtown. Do a farewell lunch maybe at Junior%26#39;s.

nywhiz - thanks again for the useful info. Will I have enough time on the first day for a tour? - I wasn%26#39;t sure how long it would take me to clear the airport and get into the hotel - I do not have to do customs as I am coming from Canada and will already have done so.

Also I may get a BAG on Tue but I will worry about that when I find out - do they let you know in plenty of time?

Finally (for now!) you say have breakfast downtown - assuming I et the Helicopter ride where would you sugest for a bacon and eggs breakfast?

Thanks as always

You have a lot to do. What I can tell you is that the food is excellent at the Barclay, let me clarify the room service is excellent and you will not want to get out of the beds they are very comfortable. When you go to Houston%26#39;s if you like spinach dip, make sure you order it, it is amazing. Also there is a double decker bus that goes to downtown brooklyn right across from the water taxi stop. You might want to look into that one and maybe you can knock out Grimaldis %26amp; downtown brooklyn in one shot. Liberty helicopter tours do require a reservation, I%26#39;ve only dealt with the one on west side highway but they have increased security measures after 9\11. I hope you enjoy yourself,, bring some comfortable shoes. Also try to visit Bloomingdales if you can (59 %26amp; Lex)