New York... things we must do and see!!

[footymum]

Going to New York on Boxing Day (hooray) and coming back at New Year (boo)...has anyone got any ideas for things we MUST see or do? got our 13 & 15 year old sons with us so ideas for teenagers would be helpful.
Also,been told to buy tickets for trips and sites before we leave UK..any thoughts on that?
and lastly,does anyone know whereabouts in Times Square the really cheap ticket stand is for Broadway Shows which sells that days available and cancelled tickets? Thanks

[Eve]

The bus tours are great for seeing a lot and some of the guides are fantastic with what they know.

I did all of them in one day on the main lines (Uptown inc Harlem, Downtown, Brooklyn and Night Tour).

http://www.citysightsny.com/category.php?id=-1

FAO Schwarz could be a big hit with the kids (massive toy store)...

http://www.fao.com/index.html

Proper diners are great for breakfast, we went here every morning and it was great for the traditional waffles and pancakes and such...

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/the-red-f lame/

There is also Planet Hollywood to eat in Time Square...

http://www.planethollywood.com/restaurants_new York.htm

You could also see if anything is on at Madison Square Gardens. A baseball or icehockey game is also possible.

The Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) at night is a must, amazing view!

Empire State is one to do early as the queues can get a bit mad.

Weather is also a consideration as it may well be freezing and possibly heavy snow.

There's a Madame Tussauds.

[footymum]

Thank you very much Jenna1978.....great web sites and just what we needed.

[loonytunes]

You have to go to Macy's store and see the Christmas windows. Have lunch later in the basement, very good value.

[BigBadRoz]

A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge is a MUST!!!

We went to a great 50's diner on Broadway called "Ellen Stardust", it has singing waiting staff (Really good too) and has the most excellent atmosphere with fab food!

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_Ame rica/United_States_of_America/New_York_State/N ew_York_City-841252/Restaurants-New_York_City- Ellens_Stardust_Diner-BR-1.html

Ice Skating in Central Park or Bryant Park is so good at Christmas time, really magical!!

As above - FAO Schwartz will be a huge hit with kids of all ages (Im 29 and loved it ha ha)

So so much to do there.......I will post some more as I think of them and im VERY jealous you are going

x

[BigBadRoz]

Oh by the way, if your sons are fans of any tv shows or films, have a look to see if there is a tour for it, I went on the Sex and The City one and they are very cheap and lots of fun, will keep them occupied for a few good hours......!!

http://www.screentours.com/

[BigBadRoz]

Me again!! :)

As Jenn1978 recommended - I would also see what is on at Madison Square Gardens, we went to see a Knicks Game on the Sunday afternoon, EXECELLENT!!!! I got our tickets off ebay (electronic tickets) for �15.00 each, it lasts about 2.5 hours, you can get food, drinks and just sit back and take it all in, there are almost always some celebs there watching the game too - unreal atmosphere!! Even My 56 yr old Mum loved it! :)

[BigBadRoz]

Oh and this :)

http://www.nyctourist.com/xmas_rockcenter1.htm

x

When we went last Christmas it was -7 so take lots and lots of warm clothes / under clothes just incase, It literally took our breath away when steeping outside and no amount of walking seemed to help Brrrrrrrrrr

[footymum]

Thanks loonytunes n bigbadroz xx...just what we needed!!! can't wait to get there!!! love snow and ice skating so thanks for the warm clothes pointer!!! thought about a hop on/off bus ticket- is it worth it and if so, should we buy before we go or get tickets for everything when we get there?? any more info u can give us will be really gratefully received ... thanks again xx

[Twinkle17]

We wouldnt have seen half of the places we did if we hadnt done the bus tour so I definately recommend it,.....we went with the link below....
http://www.citysightsny.com/

We didnt book in advance we just turned up at one of the many start places and got our tickets there, however, you may want to have a look at their website as there are lots of different routes to choose from and its well worth planning before you get there due to all the choices you will be given!

Ice skating you dont need to book in advance either, but if you decide on any film / tv tours, I would pre-book your tickets for those, as they start from specific places so you would need to know where to go to get on.