Itinerary - can you help?!

I have to say the more time I spend time on this forum the more addictive it becomes!

My boyfriend and I are visiting for his 30th birthday and I%26#39;m looking for some help planning our itinerary! We arrive Fri 4th March at lunchtime and leave on the evening of Tuesday 8th March - we%26#39;re staying at 31st and Madison.

We would definitely like to squeeze the following in to our visit - this is in no particular order!

Skating in the Park, Carriage ride, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero (to pay our respects), Broadway show, ESB (got advance tickets), a spectacular dinner (Bettina suggested River Cafe, I like the sound of it but the food may not suit the boyfriend - his favourite is good old plain steak!), Flatiron, Greenwich Village/Soho and of course shopping (I can just about manage to work this one out!)

Hoping you guys can perhaps come up with something, I%26#39;m struggling as there%26#39;s just so much to see and do! And, of course, if there%26#39;s anything that you think is a %26#39;must see%26#39; then feel free to let me know! Thanx.

Itinerary - can you help?!

Take a look at www.rivercafe.com -- they%26#39;ve definitely got steak on the menu! Of course, there are great steak houses in New York too. The most popular seems to be Peter Luger%26#39;s in Brooklyn, but I don%26#39;t understand what all the fuss is about. I like Del Frisco%26#39;s in midtown, and Spark%26#39;s on the east side.

Though it%26#39;s not a steakhouse, Balthazar in SoHo serves a particularly fabulous steak. In fact, all their food is marvelous.

Please also take a look at www.saintpaulschapel.org -- This historic church was used as a refuge for rescue and recovery workers after 9/11/01, and I recommend you pay a visit after viewing the World Trade Center site. It%26#39;s just a block away.

Itinerary - can you help?!

Thanks for the info regarding the restaurants, some more names for me to investigate. As for St Pauls - we will definitely pay it a visit.

Hi!

Are you staying near times square? I heard it is a must see at night. I am going the 28th-the first of april with my 2 best girlfriends. We are in the same predicament with too much to do!! What show are you going to see? We are going to see ';chicago';. I heard the metropoliton museum of art was a must see, although i am not into art, it is supposed to be very impressive. Ummm taveren on the green in central park looks absolutly gorgeous for lunch, or dinner. Maybe after your carriage ride through central park, it would be the perfect romantic birthday spot.

I think you should have a day where you don%26#39;t plan anything, but just walk around and do spur of the moment stuff.

Oh yeah bleeker street in greenwich village is supposed to be a must see. Well, have fun, and i hope to hear all about it when you get back!

jenny

Hi Redhairgirl - we%26#39;re not too far away from Times Square, a fairly short walk. I know what you mean about too much to see and do - I think you could always find something new to do every time you visit! Hope you and your girlfriends have a fabulous time - I%26#39;m sure you will!

If you get a nice afternoon, don%26#39;t miss the South Street Seaport. Plenty of things to see and eat and drink, and you might be able to fit in a sail. You can get an idea of what this like by starting here...

http://www.nyctourist.com/seaport1.htm

Pjk

Best thing in terms of an itinerary is to group things together that are in the same geographical area. With that in mind...

Friday. Based upon where you%26#39;re staying, I%26#39;d say the first stop should be Macy%26#39;s for a little shopping. It%26#39;s just a short walk from your hotel. Remember, foreign tourists receive an 11% discount. Just show your passport at the courtesy desk. Then, around sunset, do the Empire State Building. By then a bit of jet lag will set in so just call it a night.

On Saturday, visit Ground Zero. Then take the boat trip that goes to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Personally, I think Ellis is streets better than the Statue which is, after all, a statue. The same boat ride gets you both. This is much better than simply taking the ferry to Staten Island and back just to see the view of the Statue. From there, you can walk over to Greenwich Village and then wander through Soho. Believe it or not, that%26#39;s a whole afternoon. That night, if you don%26#39;t have tickets to your show, there%26#39;s a delightful, small Spanish restaurant called El Pote not far from your hotel. It%26#39;s on 2nd between 38th and 39th. You%26#39;ll need a reservation. Excellent food. A great neighborhood place. If you do have a show that night, go to Keen Steak %26amp; Chop House, 74 West 36th for your husband%26#39;s steak. Go around 6 and you%26#39;ll be at the theater in time for curtain.

Sunday, walk up to Grand Central Station in the morning and browse around. It%26#39;s a great place. Then walk up 5th to see Rockefeller Center (you can also skate there) and St. Pat%26#39;s. Onward to Central Park. Wander around a bit. Have lunch at the Boathouse. Go ice skating. Top if off with the carriage ride.

I know you have tickets to a Broadway show. Assuming they%26#39;re for either Saturday or Sunday, you%26#39;ll go to the show and eat at Keen%26#39;s one night and have dinner at El Pote the other. Itinerary interchangeable.

Monday. Do your final shopping in the morning and drop your packages off at the hotel. Grab a bite of lunch. In the afternoon, if he agrees with the River Cafe--and you have my permission to hit him if he doesn%26#39;t--take the subway to Brooklyn (Borough Hall, Clark St or High Street depending upon which line you take) and explore Brooklyn Heights. Beautiful old brownstone homes on tree-lined streets in a landmark neighborhood. Make sure you walk on the Promenade. Best views in the city. Then walk over to the River Cafe for dinner and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan after dinner.

Have a terrific trip.

Ruffian - what can I say?! I cannot believe that I could print your post and that%26#39;s my itinerary fixed! Thanks so much to you and the others who have replied to my post. We%26#39;re both sooo excited about visting New York and can only hope that everyone we meet in person will be as helpful as those of you on this site. Will post a trip report once we%26#39;re back!