Itinerary Suggestions for short weekend: Jan 14-15th

Bf and I (ages 35 and 28) have been to the City many times, usually doing the Times Square and Theatre District thing. We%26#39;ve only ever done one tour, back in 2001 to get oriented to the lay of the land. However, we%26#39;re open to doing another at some point- if it%26#39;s a good one!

We LOVE to walk, and we%26#39;ve spent many visits going through Central Park and just wandering the streets of Manhattan. Generally speaking, we enjoy thrift shops, people watching, museums, parks, comic book shops, bookstores, musicals, plays, movies, libraries, live music, shopping, street festivals, farmer%26#39;s markets, or other places that locals might frequent on a weekend...

Since we%26#39;re only going to pop in for a short weekend, I was wondering if anyone can suggest some ideas:

any fabulous thrift shops or consignment shops you would recommend?

We%26#39;ve never done the Empire State Building thing, so we might do that early Sunday morning.

Have a favorite deli, or cafeteria style restaurant that you would recommend?

We%26#39;re mostly trying to stay low budget on this trip, so seeing a play/musical is probably out.

Thanks everyone!

Itinerary Suggestions for short weekend: Jan 14-15th

Although I have never been, I have heard some good things about the Hell%26#39;s Kitchen flea market that takes place on the weekend. If you google it, you will find a website that will tell you all the details. It might be fun to check out.

As far as a cafeteria style restaurant, there is a restaurant that is actually called Cafeteria, located at 17th Street and 7th Avenue. The prices seem very reasonable and I have heard the macaroni and cheese is delicious!

Have you walked the Brooklyn Bridge? Been to all of the museums? If you have not been to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum I highly recommend it. There is a farmer%26#39;s market in Union Square which is always fun to browse. Have you been to the United Nations and taken the tour there?

There are just a few things I can think of now. Have fun!

Itinerary Suggestions for short weekend: Jan 14-15th

Here are a few ideas for you.

After the ESB head south on 5th Avenue towards 23rd St. You will see the Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park. Go left (east) towards 3rd Avenue on the north side of the street. There is a Housing Works Thrift Shop that has some of the most beautiful window displays I have see. From there, walk towards 2nd Avenue and on the north side of the street there are 3 thrift shops, a Goodwill, a Salvation Army, and a NYC Opera shop. You never know what you will find. Head back to Third Avenue, make a left (south) and on the north side of the street is one more thrift shop whose name escapes me.

Head south on 3rd Avenue to E 20th Street, make a right, and you will be in Gramercy Park, a beautiful enclave of apartments %26amp; town homes, and the only private park in NYC. Have a walk around, and then head south again on Irving Place, very pretty, towards 14th Street, where the street ends.

Go right, you will pass Union Square Park, and on the other side of the street, Virgin Records, Whole Foods, DSW %26amp; Filene%26#39;s and lots of shopping around the park.

On Broadway, continue south past a movie complex and on the corner of Broadway %26amp; 13th is Forbidden Planet, a great comic book store. I block further south @ 12th Street is the Strand Bookstore, you have to check this place out, just great.

Lots of places to eat in the Union Square area, try the still trendy Coffee Shop @ 29 Union Square West. Good for a salad or burger.

For deli try Ben%26#39;s, W. 38th @ 7th Avenue.

And if you haven%26#39;t done Top of the Rock I highly recommend that as well.

Thank you for the great suggestions. We%26#39;ve actually stopped into Forbidden Planet on many visits. It is a great store. I look forward to checking out the other places.

I also recently got a Canon Rebel XTi, so I%26#39;m hoping to take many pictures during our trip!

- Megan

If you like walking and are interested in doing another tour, I would highly recommend Big Onion Walking Tours (www.bigonion.com). They have dozens of walking tours and are inexpensive ($15 per adult). The tour guides are extremely knowledgable (usually graduate students in US History, focusing on NY history). I took the Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour which takes you through Chinatown, Little Italy and the Lower East Side, stopping at various places to sample the ethnic food (this tour is $5 extra for the food) - it%26#39;s awesome. A great way to see parts of the city you probably wouldn%26#39;t normally wander through - and you%26#39;ll learn a ton (and eat well!) in the process.

Enjoy your trip!

If you love book stores, you should check out the Strand. It is seriously the biggest book store I%26#39;ve ever been it. They advertising as having ';eighteen miles of books';. They%26#39;re on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway.

If you haven%26#39;t done Top of the Rock, it%26#39;s a much nicer experience than ESB.

Have you taken the STaten Island ferry (free!) to see the STatue of Liberty.

Not sure why you%26#39;re asking about a cafeteria style restaurant, but options that come to mind

Ess-A-Bagel for breakfast and great bagels (2 locations)

Katz%26#39;s deli on the lower east side

There%26#39;s a free walking tour of the lower east side every Sunday morning at 11 am that starts at Katz%26#39;s deli.

If you like farmer%26#39;s markets the one in Union Square might appeal to you. Chelsea market is another to check out and near the flea market.

There are a couple of FREE walking tours that might interest you:

Lower East Side Free Weekly Tour

www.lowereastsideny.com

';Take a journey down historic Orchard Street and discover the origins of New York%26#39;s first discount retail district. The two-hour tour highlights the integral role that the shopping district has played in the history and development of the Lower East Side. Sundays at 11 a.m (April - December). Meet in front of Katz%26#39;s Delicatessen at the corner of East Houston and Ludlow Streets. ';

No reservations required.

Free Wall Street Walking Tour

http://www.downtownny.com/walkingtour/

';Don%26#39;t miss this FREE 90-minute guided walking tour, weaving together history, events, architecture and people of Downtown 鈥?the birthplace of New York, the financial capital of the world, and the hottest new neighborhood in the city. Stops include the U.S. Custom House, Trinity Church, Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange and other architectural and cultural sites.';

Date: Every Thursday and Saturday, rain or shine

Time: Noon

Place: Meet at the front steps of the US Custom House, One Bowling Green

Cost: Free

Reservations are not required for individuals, but are required for groups. Please call for details (212) 606-4064.

For discounted same-day theatre tickets, check out the TKTS booths. The one in the South Street Seaport opens at 11 AM, earlier than the one in Times Square.

www.tdf.org