New York City on a rainy day ?

We are 2 ladies in our mid sixties and will spend 3 days pre-cruise in New york in the beginning of September, staying at the Row NYC Hotel.

Any suggestions on how to spend our time if it should rain.... We are on a very low budget, given the bad exchange rate of our currency !

Sincere thanks.

Jasjas.

There is always window shopping. Go to museums. See a show.

The excellent tour of the NY Public Library is free.

Some museums allow you to "pay-what-you-wish", although I encourage you to pay as close to their regular admission price as possible.

The Staten Island Ferry is free and has indoor areas.

Chelsea market and Eataly are free and fun to poke around.

I would see a show, you can but half price tickets a few blocks from your hotel at TKTS, Broadway shows have afternoon shows Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. You are also just a block from restaurant row on 46st between 8th and 9th several reasonable restaurants there my favorite is Becco. On Broadway and 50th there is Ellens dinner which has singing waitress and waiters, who are out of work Broadway performers.

No charge to visit Grand Central Station, which is a very beautiful building. And for a small charge, you can do an audio tour. Also a neat food market there as well (free to look :) ).

Thanks for all the GREAT tips...we will surely make use of it...

Jasjas.

Staten Island Ferry to have a great view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan--you never need to get off the Ferry--just ride back and forth.

Manhattan is definitely an expensive city.

But here is a link for free and pay what you wish museums which are great for rainy days.

http://www.nyc-arts.org/collections/35/free-museum-days-or-pay-what-you-wish

You could spend a day in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Don't be embarrassed to pay what you wish. People do it all the time. The suggested donations can be quite hefty particularly if you are on a tight budget.

Staten Island Ferry to have a great view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan--you never need to get off the Ferry--just ride back and forth.

You do have to get off, but then you can just walk around and get right back on.

You do have to get off, but then you can just walk around and get right back on.

Yes TurckerDave, and if I remember rightly, you have to do it fairly quickly to make the return sailing. Line up to get off early so you are near the front of the line and make a quick re-entry. Personally, I would rather do this on a not-so-rainy day.

There are so many gorgeous churches and cathedrals to visit. St Patrick's Cathedral and St John the Devine are the two most famous.

Also subscribe to Travel Zoo. They will send you special deals which might work for your dates

I would see a show, you can but half price tickets a few blocks from your hotel at TKTS, Broadway shows have afternoon shows Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. You are also just a block from restaurant row on 46st between 8th and 9th several reasonable restaurants there my favorite is Becco. On Broadway and 50th there is Ellens dinner which has singing waitress and waiters, who are out of work Broadway performers.

Half price tickets are always half price on the modt expensive tickets. You can get cheaper from box office if you are ok with balcony. We did Les Mis Sat Matinée two days ago - $47 for balcony vs $80 from tkts - we did go for the tkts tickets but nearly double.

911 memorial is free. Although not free I would recommend the 911 museum. One of the highlights of last year's holiday (my 7th trip to NY so had pretty much done most things multiple times)

Staten Island Ferry to have a great view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan--you never need to get off the Ferry--just ride back and forth.

You must leave the Ferry at each terminal per Coast Guard regulations post 9/11. Boarding does not start until the mate reports to the Captain that the boat is clear, the Captain signals the Dock boarding can begin. At South Ferry if you are in the front by the window of slip 1 (and low tide) you can see the Captain wave from the pilot house (they use the radio as well).

That said you can make the same boat you just got off by passing through the terminal. This is also how they get a passenger count, not specific to how many per trip, just per day.

From Manhattan right (starboard) side for the Statue, from Staten Island left or port side in the direction of travel. If you are on the wrong side, you can watch all the tourist run to the other side when they realize they are on the wrong side. Sometimes on weekends I swear the list of the boat changes. ;) :D:eek:

911 memorial is free. Although not free I would recommend the 911 museum. One of the highlights of last year's holiday (my 7th trip to NY so had pretty much done most things multiple times)

On Tuesday evenings, entrance to 911 is free from 5:00 pm to closing. Get in line very early to secure tickets. Even if the line seems excessively long, it moves rather quickly. Just be patient. I was there at the beginning of June. It is truly an intense and humbling experience. I thought I was prepared for the visit after touring concentration camps in Europe, etc. I was not.

Spend the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Although it says "suggested price $25.00", most New Yorkers just give a small donation. It is a magnificent museum and even if you're not into museums, you're guaranteed to find something you like! Enjoy!

It rained a lot on our trip 2 years ago and my sister tried to do a museum and it was so crowded with long lines to get in.

It rained a lot on our trip 2 years ago and my sister tried to do a museum and it was so crowded with long lines to get in.

There are several different entrances for many of the big museums.

We are 2 ladies in our mid sixties and will spend 3 days pre-cruise in New york in the beginning of September, staying at the Row NYC Hotel.

 

 

 

Any suggestions on how to spend our time if it should rain.... We are on a very low budget, given the bad exchange rate of our currency !

 

 

 

Sincere thanks.

 

 

 

Jasjas.

The metropolitan museum of art!!!!!

Lexington ave subway 4/5/6 train to 81st or is it 79 th? I don't pay attention as I know where the museum is

Also......the museum is FREE

It is a suggested donation NOT a mandatory fee

Pay as little or as much as you want or nothing at all and they will still be cordial to you and let you in

Also....pay no attention to the posters who will now admonish me for suggesting you can pay zero

I'm no bleeding heart..... I just let those that want to pay or overpay for the museum do what they want..... I prefer to just pay $10 for my family in total.... Be it 2 of us or all 6 of us

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Staten Island Ferry to have a great view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan--you never need to get off the Ferry--just ride back and forth.

You most certainly do need to get off

However you can also get lucky and just walk on to the next ferry.......or you may have to wait 30 minutes in the terminal.... Which is actually quite pleasant

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Macy's herald square will keep you occupied as it takes hours to maneuver that store its huge

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My daughter told me not to miss Macy's...although it is not good for my budget...

Thanx !

Jasjas

I second the suggestion for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I went there on a rainy Saturday last fall, and although the line was long to get in, and the lobby very crowded, once you are in this vast museum, it didn't feel that crowded. I am not a great art lover, but there is so much more there than paintings (although those are fantastic!). I was incredibly tired at the end of the day, but I am so glad I went, and will do it again, given the opportunity.

I second the suggestion for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I went there on a rainy Saturday last fall, and although the line was long to get in, and the lobby very crowded, once you are in this vast museum, it didn't feel that crowded. I am not a great art lover, but there is so much more there than paintings (although those are fantastic!). I was incredibly tired at the end of the day, but I am so glad I went, and will do it again, given the opportunity.

Yes, you can easily spend a day at the Met. It is one of the largest museums in the world. Some of the items you will find inside the museum aside from paintings, photographs and sculpture include: musical instruments, American and European furnishings, a costume institute (clothing), an Egyptian temple (the Temple of Dendur) and medieval armor.

To avoid the crowded lobby on a rainy day use the ground floor entrance. It is located on Fifth Avenue (around 81st Street) to the left of the stairs, that lead to the crowded first floor entrance.This is also an accessible entrance for those with mobility issues. There is a cloak room located here (where you can leave your wet umbrella). There is also a cafeteria located on this level, which is the least expensive option for a meal within the museum.

MOMA is another good museum and it's located in midtown. Walk to third avenue for non touristy lunch.