What should I do in NYC and Washington D.C.?

[vermicious knid]

I am going to these places soon, so does anybody have any suggestions?

[sarahw]

There are soooo many cool historical places to check out in DC, and as for NY went Monday and found several Irish watering holes to spend time in and will be returning in 2 weeks to check out the Rock and Roll HOF annex because it is closing up shop soon.

[JWS]

Definitely check out the Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue and the MoMA in Mid Town. I would also see either the NY Phil or the Metropolitan Opera, both at Music Center. (Upper West side near Central Park) You won't be disappointed.

[Amlyn]

My suggestions are all big time NYC tourist hot spots, but still highly recommended. Even though I literally live 2 miles from NYC, I really only get to do these things when people come into town to visit, so I enjoy it.

If you are going to be in NYC before the 2nd weekend in January, you should make your way to Rockerfeller Center to see the tree and then walk up 5th ave to Central Park to hit all the windows for the major storess. It's truly something to experience at this time of year.

I love going to the top of the Empire State Building. If you've never done it, definitely try to make it happen. Just make sure it's a clear day or night.

If you want to try to see a broadway show, I recommend getting tickets via TKTS. You can buy day of show tickets for 25-50% off for lots of show, even some of the more popular ones. But, if you are going to be in town in the next two weeks, you may not have much to choose from.

Good luck and happy travels!

[louielouie2000]

Two of my favorite cities! I love to do things slightly off the beaten path. So my suggestions may not fit all.

If you've never been to DC before, you'll of course want to see all the typical touristy things: Capitol building, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, White House, Washington Monument, and all the Smithsonian museums... all of which are clustered around the giant lawn known as the National Mall. However, since I've been to DC countless times, I avoid all of that like the plague! LOL! I still love to see Arlington Cemetery... I saw Ted Kennedy's grave when I was there 2 months ago, very moving. The whole Kennedy grave area is one of the best places to view the entire city from too. Besides the touristy stuff, I LOVE shopping in the DuPont Circle and Georgetown neighborhoods of DC. Fabulous restaurants and bars in those areas... along with gorgeous old townhomes and mansions, scores of embassies and chanceries and such. When I was in DC a couple months ago I also tracked down the house and giant staircase from the Exorcist movie... that was fun! It's also in Georgetown... one of the prettiest urban neighborhoods in the country. The DC Zoo is really fantastic too. Oh, and use the Metro any chance you get... it's the most efficient and clean subway system in the US in my opinion. Saves you lots of headaches dealing with the insane DC street grid too. Oh, and if you like international culture and especially food... DC is the BEST! I think last time I was there I had Moroccan, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Thai, and several others... all authentic too!

No matter what you do in New York, you'll have fun. My favorite thing was simply just walking around Manhattan and hopping the subways to anywhere I wished. I especially enjoyed walking around the West Village and Greenwich Village... so pretty. Obviously Central Park is gorgeous too... and the buildings lining the park are spectacular (especially the Dakota building, where John Lennon lived and was killed). The Staten Island Ferry is a neat way to get out on the harbor and see the city... it goes past Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the best part is it's FREE! I didn't spend much time in Midtown when I was there... mainly a lot of office buildings and tourists. Lower Manhattan is neater... the Financial District is cool, all the buildings are so tight together, and there are old cobblestone streets. The Trade Center site is in that area as well obviously. I kinda hate I didn't get to venture into Brooklyn when I was there... seems there's so much going on there these days. Lots of art, music, food, and culture. I'll have to hit it next time around. I feel like I'm forgetting so much stuff! Have fun... I'm jealous!! :wavey:

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

My advice is to go up the Empire State at night and Rockerfeller in the day. You get a great view of Central Park from the Rockerfeller

[EnchantedKiwi]

I'm so jealous! Ever since I read that Dan Brown book, The lost symbol, ive wanted to visit Washington D.C! It sounds amazing, even more so after reading louie's post! :nod:

[vermicious knid]

Thanks for the suggestions.

[petep9000]

Try to see a show when you come. You can go to TKTS and get discount tickets for the day of performance, it's a crap-shoot because you never know what might be offered that day. But if you are lucky, maybe you will find cheap tickets for 'Rock of Ages', which was a fun jukebox-musical with a score of 80's pop and lite-metal (Whitesnake, Poison, Lita Ford, etc)

Right now, the Whitney Museum is showing Georgia O'Keefe pictures, it is well worth seeing. The Metropolitan Museum is deservedly world famous, and almost every room has something interesting- the Egyptian collection is very popular including an actual temple which was re-assembled here in NYC after almost being lost in Egypt.

I recommend having coffee and pastry at 'Cafe Sabarsky', which is in the Neue Galerie, not far from the Metropolitan Museum. It is charming.

People gravitate to the night life in the 'Meatpacking District' now, the restaurants are expensive but supposedly they are very in and happening (I don't get down there much).

Take the Staten Island Ferry! It's free, and you get a beautiful view of lower Manhattan.

Take long walks, I highly recommend walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, the view from the Brooklyn side is superb and there is a nice little park there now and some good restaurants.

China town will make you feel like you are really in an Asian city. It is full of shops selling all kinds of things from Chinese herbals and groceries to cheap designer knock-offs. Tourists inevitably pick up (on purpose) a fake Coach bag or Rolex, and generally the police aren't watching this trade very closely. The markets are particularly interesting because you will the widest and weirdest variety of fresh foods being sold.

Little Italy is really just one street now, but it is crammed with restaurants and gelato joints. If you like Italian food, I would say go because the food is very good and the vibe pretty cool.

It's a little cold now, but The Bronx Zoo is supposed to be very good (I've never been there) and if it is open maybe it is worth going wayyyyyy uptown to The Bronx. Oh, but if you are going wayyyyyy uptown then I would suggest 'The Cloisters', which is a recreation of a medieval monastary and has great artifacts and views of the bluffs of the Hudson River (which is actually a fjord)

Times Square is very crowded, but always is a draw for tourists and you should go if only to snap a photo of yourself in the 'crossroads of the world'.

I would also recommend going to Queens, which like The Bronx and Brooklyn is a borough of NYC. In Queens, there is a park called Flushing Meadows which was the site of two World's Fairs. The Unisphere is a massive steel globe with fountains (off this time of year) where you would want to snap a photo of yourself. That's where the US Open happens each year, and it is the site of Citi Field, home of The NY Mets baseball team.
Flushing Meadows has a great science museum and the are actual NASA rockets parked outside (left overs from the 60's).

Central Park is beautiful, lots of people take carriage rides, though I am not a fan of seeing those depressed looking horses. While in the park, try to see 'Cleopatras Needle', which is an actual Egyptian obelisk thousands of years old (thousands of years older than the real Queen Cleopatra, by the way).

Good eats can be found in 'restaurant row', which caters to the theater crowd. Meals can be had for a good price and the service is quick.

It can be exhausting trying to cram so much of NYC in during a short trip, but I know whatever you do it will be fun.

[Lee]

I am going to these places soon, so does anybody have any suggestions?


All I can say is if you're going this weekend, you better take your snowmobile if you want to get around. There could get a blizzard, especially in DC. :laugh:

Lee :)

[LukeA]

When in DC, go to Madam's Organ (http://www.madamsorgan.com/). Deeeeee-licious fried chicken.

[daniellaaarisen]

While in the park, try to see 'Cleopatras Needle', which is an actual Egyptian obelisk thousands of years old (thousands of years older than the real Queen Cleopatra, by the way).



This is the only one of the three restored obelisks that I have not seen in person. I've walked past the Parisian one a thousand times and when I saw a similar one in London, I was really confused until someone told me that there were three nearly-identical obelisks. The needles are sure interesting, though, so I agree with Pete-- check it out.