1st time trip - Help!

Hey Everyone - I%26#39;m back after several months. I started making reservations and plans in February but life in Florida starts in March and nothing else matters but the beach. After a week from hell at Longboat Key - boat problems, being in an accident with a drug dealer being pursued by police..... - I%26#39;m ready to start planning our NYC trip again.

HELP! I don%26#39;t even know where to start. Our Grease tickets are for Sunday matinee. We will be arriving on Saturday around noon and staying until Thursday AM. As GWB knows I don%26#39;t do the subway. Where to go - Where to eat? We are leaving on August 2nd and I am getting very nervous about what to plan. I hav applied for a BAG but the seem reluctant since I don%26#39;t do the subway.

Need help planning days. We like people watching, old buildings, EATING, shopping (with 16 year old fashion queen).

We are staying in the UES on 62nd between Park and Lexington.

Please Help

BIGS

1st time trip - Help!

Wow, that sounds pretty harrowing, whatever it was! Be that as it may....

First thing you need to do is get out of the sun and take a deeeeeep, cleansing breath! ;o) It%26#39;s all going to be ok.....

Second, check out the FAQ sticky at the top of the forum. At the bottom of the FAQ are collections of trip reports by travelers. Browse the one labeled ';families traveling with teenagers.'; Find inspiration and steal an itinerary.

Third, have you considered using our buses? Have you informed BAG that you will not ride the subway? I%26#39;m sure your guide will design walks or will take you on buses if you request it. As my father-in-law always says, if you don%26#39;t ask, you won%26#39;t get.

Fourth, have you considered taking a basic tour? Search this forum for ';Marvelous Manhattan';

5th - You need to tell us your budget, food likes and dislikes, etc. The more we know about the you, the easier we can give specific recos. (Please note that in NYC, free soda refills are NOT customary.) Does the ';fashion queen'; like to shop? If so, what%26#39;s your budget? Take a look at the shopping maps listed in the shopping posts in the FAQs.

In other words, load up the printer with scrap paper, print out a bunch of stuff from thus forum, spread out on the boat or chaise, and enjoy your research!

1st time trip - Help!

LOL...the subway seems pretty tame after the drug dealer incident!!

If you haven%26#39;t already done it, you might want to try the Grayline HopOn-Hop Off tours---sit up top and you will see all the amazing old buildings......one of our guides was really interested in architecture and knew lots of details..... It is also a good way to check out places the fashion queen might like to go back to for shopping (or you can ';hop off'; right then)

She sounds like she would like Legally Blonde too!!(my 19 yr old Gator girl did!!) we now have an annual mother - daughter NYC trip that I hope will continue until she has to push my wheelchair around (YIKES!!)

Good advice from QB. You also had lots of good preplanning from your original threads back in Feb. You should reread them.

If you%26#39;re into old buildings, you might want to take a walking tour that focuses on architecture. The Municipal Art Society does some good ones. Here%26#39;s their calendar for August.

http://mas.org/calendar.php?m=8%26amp;y=2007

nywaterway.com does a cruise focusing on architecture using a guide from the NY Historical Society on Tues. and Sat.

nywaterway.com/tour/鈥istorical-society.shtml

There are dozens of previous posts on shopping with teens. Your b %26amp; b is steps away from Bloomingdales (make sure to register as a visitor at their service desk for 11% discount card). There are loads of other teen friendly shops around Bloomies including

H %26amp; M, Diesel, Levi%26#39;s, Zara etc. Daffy%26#39;s is a discount clothing place on 57th st b/w Lexington %26amp; Park.

Good people watching in Central Park. Go to the meatpacking district for lunch or brunch (Pastis is good outside) for more good people watching.

Thanks everyone for your help. QB your info on the trip advisor trip reports was great! There is so much info I won%26#39;t even have time to come back and ask questions for a couple of days! I%26#39;m taking your advice - burning up the printer and heading for the chaise.

I think I am just overwhelmed at all there is to do and the distance between everything. We love to walk but just don%26#39;t know distances yet. Our daughter (even though a teen) really loves American Girl Dolls and we have just started buying collections for my husbands granddaughters so that is surely on our list.

As far as budget I don%26#39;t really know. Accomodations and theater tickets were paid in full when booked so that leaves a little extra spending money. I won%26#39;t have a budget for food. I love to cook so we don%26#39;t eat out but maybe twice a month. So I%26#39;m letting the hubby splurge on anything he wants. He%26#39;s a meat and potataoes man. I have been printing menus from menu pages and so far it looks like our steak night might be Mark Joseph Steakhouse. Any comments? Also Amy Ruth%26#39;s, Carmines, Carnegie Deli, and Luigi%26#39;s have been recommended. I would like to try Tavern on the Green and The River Cafe but the menus look kinda wild so don%26#39;t know if it would be worth the money. Grimaldi%26#39;s is also somewhere I would like to go.

As far as shopping again no budget. I won%26#39;t being buying $300.00 jeans but could settle for $100.00. I just have no idea what to expect. My daughter likes Juicy bathing suits but can%26#39;t find any around here she likes so that will something we will look for. It just is a case by case scenario as to how much I am willing to spend on each purchase. She also wants to visit Tiffany%26#39;s but I think she already has everything that we could possibly afford - maybe just go and look for fun.

Thanks again,

Bigs

PS - I have informed BAG that I will not be riding the subway - I think that is why they are hesitant. I spoke with them on the phone and did not get real good feedback.

so funny that you said that....my 19 year old was ';over'; American Girl the last few years that we have gone to NYC, but this year we spent almost two hours in the AG store on Fifth Ave............go figure.........it is a great store!!!

mrl - oh my! two hours in one store! Also thanks for the tip on Legally Blonde. Someone else had also recommended it. I just don%26#39;t know if two shows in 5 days will do my husband in although my daughter really wants to see it. My sister also does mother daughter trips to NYC with her 19 year old Auburn girl. But I say GO GATORS! We are huge fans and have a son that lives and goes to school in Gainesville and this is our first family vacation without him. He is taking summer classes and can%26#39;t go.

nywhiz - thanks for your advice. Ironically, there was an article in our local paper today about the NY waterway tours but it says the architecture tour is on Sunday and Thursday at noon. Sunday is grease day and Thursday is departure day. I will go to their website and research. My daughter is thrilled that Bloomingdale%26#39;s is around the corner - they carry juicy. Are you familiar with our b %26amp; b? Is it in a good location for walking to Central Park and other shopping? Is it close enough to walk to Rockefeller Center?

Thanks for everyone%26#39;s help!

Bigs

I%26#39;m familiar with the location and the good reviews of the b %26amp; b but not the place itself. You can walk to Rockefeller Center in about 15 minutes. Do you know about hopstop.com? It will help you figure out transportation from a to b (and estimate walking time and even taxi fare).

According to the nywaterway website the arch. tour is

Schedule - 90-Minute New-York Historical Society History Cruise

Departs from Pier 78 @ W. 38th St. %26amp; 12th Ave.

Tuesday 10:00am %26amp; Saturday 12:00pm

June 23, 30

July 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31

August 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28

September 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29

October 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23

nywhiz - thanks again for your help. Are any of you by chance BAG%26#39;s? If not just let us meet up for cocktails and we should be ready to tackle NYC

BIGS

also nearby is Serendipity(Frozen Hot Chocolate, YUM)......go in and although it will seem like there is a long line, they will give you a time to come back...in the meantime, check out Dylan%26#39;s Candy Bar.

I am anxious to hear how you like the B %26amp; B....trying to talk my husband into coming sometime!!!

You can try to call the Palace Theater (couldn%26#39;t reach them today) to find out about student tickets to Legally Blonde....there was a discussion recently about whether that included High School students....don%26#39;t think we ever got an answer.......but the tix are about $26.

you are going to LOVE NY!!

and finally....go gators!!