Two days in Manhattan Questions

We are staying in Newark a few days prior to a cruise the first week of November. Our tentative plans for our two days in Manhattan are:

Day 1 Empire State Building (observation deck), Times Square, Rockefeller Center (observation deck), Grand Central Station.

Day 2 Statue of Liberty (Crown tour), Ellis Island, Sept 11 Memorial and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Is this doable/reasonable? The two days we have are a Friday and a Saturday. Any suggestions for which days to do what?

We are staying in Newark a few days prior to a cruise the first week of November. Our tentative plans for our two days in Manhattan are:

 

Day 1 Empire State Building (observation deck), Times Square, Rockefeller Center (observation deck), Grand Central Station.

 

Day 2 Statue of Liberty (Crown tour), Ellis Island, Sept 11 Memorial and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

 

Is this doable/reasonable? The two days we have are a Friday and a Saturday. Any suggestions for which days to do what?

What are your exact dates? What hotel are you staying in? Are you sailing from Manhattan or Cape Liberty? Sunday Nov 1 is the NY Marathon, which should be OK.

Just my opinion, but Empire State Building and Top of the Rock are pretty similar so I might consider only doing one and throwing in something else instead.

Just my opinion, but Empire State Building and Top of the Rock are pretty similar so I might consider only doing one and throwing in something else instead.

With the caveat that I've only been to the top of the Empire State Building, I had the same reaction, particularly given the OP's limited time in NY.

Do folks think Day 2 is too crammed, particularly since the OP will be going up to the Crown and also visiting Ellis Island? Maybe move the 9/11 Memorial to Day 1 in place of one of the buildings? (OP, are you planning a visit inside the 9/11 Memorial & Museum?)

OP, in terms of Grand Central Station, I just wanted to be sure you are aware that there's a guided tour daily at 12:30 PM. Alternatively, you can do an audio tour at your own pace whenever it's convenient for you (between 9AM and 6 PM). Or just walk around and admire the beautiful space (and hit the awesome food market.)

http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/info/tours

Food tip for Grand Central Station: buy black & white cookes at Zaro's. :)

Have a great trip!

Thanks for the tips...

We are staying at the Robert Treat Best Western in Newark. The two days we have are Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31. We leave out of Cape Liberty on Sunday, November 1 so we'll not be impacted by the NYC Marathon.

We plan to take the train from Penn Station Newark to Penn Station NY. From there we would walk for the first day and take the subway to Battery Park on the second day. As far as the two observation towers I like the idea of skipping one. At this point we will skip the Empire State Building and go to Top of The Rock. That way we can get pictures of the Empire State Building and Central Park. Typical tourist :)

Discussing it with my wife we have decided to skip the 9/11 Museum and just visit the Memorial. We've also decided to skip the Crown tour at the Statue of Liberty. We plan to walk a lot but it also depends on the weather. Currently we're dealing with nightly flash floods in Northern Nevada. Just lots of mud but nothing in the house.

Just my opinion, but Empire State Building and Top of the Rock are pretty similar so I might consider only doing one and throwing in something else instead.

This is exactly what I was thinking as well. Same overall view, throw in the Intrepid Air & Space Museum or some such thing.

ENJOY !

Joel

Walking over the Brooklyn bridge you are close to the High Street stop on the A or C Subway (8th Ave Line) that also stops at Penn Station so you do not have to do a round trip "walk". This is the first/last stop in Brooklyn before going under the East River.

Matter of fact I just was at Brooklyn Bridge Sunday http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org great views of lower Manhattan. Just throwing that out there.

Brighton Line - thanks for the link. I was thinking of going down to the park. There is a geocache hidden there.

A couple of more options. St. Patricks Chatedreal and Radio City Music Hall are a short walk from Rockafeller Center.

Thanks for the tips...

 

We are staying at the Robert Treat Best Western in Newark. The two days we have are Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31. We leave out of Cape Liberty on Sunday, November 1 so we'll not be impacted by the NYC Marathon.

 

We plan to take the train from Penn Station Newark to Penn Station NY. From there we would walk for the first day and take the subway to Battery Park on the second day. As far as the two observation towers I like the idea of skipping one. At this point we will skip the Empire State Building and go to Top of The Rock. That way we can get pictures of the Empire State Building and Central Park. Typical tourist :)

 

Discussing it with my wife we have decided to skip the 9/11 Museum and just visit the Memorial. We've also decided to skip the Crown tour at the Statue of Liberty. We plan to walk a lot but it also depends on the weather. Currently we're dealing with nightly flash floods in Northern Nevada. Just lots of mud but nothing in the house.

From Newark Penn Station PATH will take you directly to the World Trade Center for $2.75. No reason to go to lower Manhattan via New York Penn Station in midtown and then downtown by subway unless you are doing something in midtown on the way.

From Newark Penn Station PATH will take you directly to the World Trade Center for $2.75. No reason to go to lower Manhattan via New York Penn Station in midtown and then downtown by subway unless you are doing something in midtown on the way.

Thanks...

If one of your days is a Wednesday/Saturday or Sunday consider a broadways play there are 2pm or 3pm shows on those days and you can get 1/2 price tickets at TKTS. Chinatown and little Italy area is fun to walk around and eat. Also by World trade center there is Trinity church which many American revolution people were buried and also Francis tavern where George Washington gave fair well address ( this is close to statue of liberty ferry), NY pizza and or jewish deli is must. There is a hop on hop off bus that takes to many of the big tourist places mentioned we have never taken it but I heard it was worth the money. WE were just there for 5 days so much to do.

A couple of suggestions for day 1, assuming reasonably good weather and reasonably good walking ability.

Leave Penn Station towards 34th Street. Between 7th Ave and Broadway you'll pass the original Macy's. Continue through Herald Square on 34th towards Fifth Ave and you'll pass the Empire State Building. I agree with doing Top of the Rock instead of ESB; we've done both and the views are probably better at Top of the Rock. Optionally, turn right on Fifth Ave a few blocks to the Flatiron Building. Reverse course back up Fifth Avenue to 42nd Street and the New York Public Library. Well worth a stop if you have time. Turn right on 42nd Street to Grand Central. Take a tour, get a self-guided tour, or just wonder around. Back up Fifth Ave. Rockefeller Plaza begins at about 49th, I believe Top of the Rock is on 51st between Fifth and Sixth. When you finish, Radio City Music Hall is across the street, and if you head back across Fifth, you'll see St Patrick's.

By now, you'll need to check the side streets for little cafes or coffee shops. They get prett rare around this part of town. If you continue on up Fifth, you'll pass a lot of the high end shops (the rest are one block over on Madison), and come to Central Park at about 61st. Get a park map and figure out what you want to see.

Leaving the park, you have choices. You can walk down 7th Ave, and if memory serves Carnegie Hall, to Times Square. You can go back to Fifth Ave and 53rd and catch an E train to either 7th Ave or 42nd Street into Times Square. My personal favorite pizza (we were there today) is Johns on 44th between Broadway and 8th Ave. from Times Square, you can walk back to Penn Station on Broadway or 7th Ave, catch a cab, or take the subway.

That's probably 2.5-3 miles of walking, but it takes you to a lot of Midtown.

markeb...

Sounds good - thanks. Hope the weather holds out. Trees into houses and a plane flipped over at the airport. Strange weather for the high desert of Northern Nevada. ...and we're going camping this weekend???

markeb...

 

Sounds good - thanks. Hope the weather holds out. Trees into houses and a plane flipped over at the airport. Strange weather for the high desert of Northern Nevada. ...and we're going camping this weekend???

One correction: Top of the Rock is actually on 50th. We walked by today.

Above comments are very accurate.

If you have not been to NYC before, I note that the subway is much safer than portrayed in movies and a very fast way to travel, but the sidewalks are indeed very crowded, with an amazing diversity of people.

Enjoy the trip!