One Day Itinerary:
East Side

Starting Point:

Grand Central Station: 89 E. 42nd St. at Park Avenue

Breakfast:  Near your hotel OR head to Columbus Avenue in the 70s -80s.  I would try any of these places:

• Solid State Coffee:  104 West 71st Street (Near Columbus Avenue)
• The Viand: 517 Columbus Avenue, Opens at 7AM (85th Street)
• Broad Nosh Bagels : 314 W 58th St or 86th and Broadway (order online if you want to save time)
• H&H Bagels:  526 Columbus Avenue (Around 85) – Also one near Penn Station.  They are all over the city and I LOVE THEM! Everything bagel, double toasted with Lox Spread.  But that’s me.

Next Up – Pick one in any order

1. Museum of Natural History:  200 Central Park West ( between 77 and 81) – 10AM to 5:30PM, buy tickets online.  You can easily spend a minimum of 2 hours there.  Don’t ask me what to see, because it’s all pretty amazing.  My favorite is the prehistoric and dinosaurs. Hayden Planetarium is very cool, though!
2. Children’s Museum of Manhattan:  Small museum for kids up to 6 (212 West 83 Street)
3. Central Park – I am not a pedicab person- but others like it (and NO to the abusive horse carriages.  They get boxed in a tiny stall all day and then hooked up to a carriage. I know people make their money this way, but people make money in a lot of bad ways that I don’t support.)  Download the free App and discover places to see. This can take 2 hours
4. Stroll up and down Columbus Avenue for shops and places to eat. Usually Open at 10AM

Depending on what you pick first, you can select one of the other options next (obviously).  **If you end at Central Park, I would recommend eating at the Boat House.  Make reservations -you will have crossed the park onto the east side. But it’s only about 1/2 mile (according to Google). After lunch, you can stroll back west, or continue to East Side things.  (coming soon.)

Staying on the West Side: depending on the time of day and what you want to do, you might want dinner first.  At Columbus Circle Mall — there are restaurants and quick bites.  Everything from Michelin (Per Se) to Hamburgers (Shack Shake).

1. Go to Columbus Circle – and check out the gorgeous Mall with Shops AND events.  Lots of Holiday Happenings are going on.
2. Lincoln Center: Many events now through January, including the Big Apple Circus, Films, and the Metropolitan Opera (they have subtitles on the seats.)
3. See a show on Broadway: Evening start times: 7 PM or 8 PM, Matinée days – Wed, Sat-Sun – Start time 2 – 3 PM.  Pick up cheaper tickets at TKTS
4. Meander down the streets and enjoy the sights.
5. If none of these suits your fancy, you can head to Bergdorf Goodman (10% on 57th and 5th and check out the gorgeous Christmas decoration floor or Rockefeller Center to see the tree, Saks Fifth Avenue Light Show (5th Avenue and 52nd Street), on 57th Street.
6. Top of the Rock –  Buy tickets in advance.
7. If you’re up for it, the Rockettes.  Buy tickets in advance. 6th Ave (Ave. of the Americas) and 50th Street.

Dinner (every time I write about food, I get hungry and want to eat even though I just ate.)  You will eat before a show, most likely, but you can eat after a show as well.  If you don’t want any fine dining, there are Pizza places (6th and 7th Avenue) and other casual places.  I can’t vouch for the yumminess of it, though!

• Jams (at 1 Hotel Central Park):  1414 6th Ave
• Quality Italian: 57 W 57th St
• La Grande Boucherie: 145 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019 – I went here – a bit pricey but good
• Lodi (Rockefeller Center):  1 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020
• Serafina (Times Square / The Time Hotel):  224 W 49th St, OK Italian
• The Terrace at Times Square 1568:  Broadway, New York, NY 10036
• The Modern:9 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
• Quality Bistro: 120 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Restaurants near Times Square – if your hotel is near times square

Gallaghers Steak House – 228 West 58th Street – between now and New Year’s very early or after 9 available
Gui – Upscale Korean- 8th Ave and 47th Street
Golden Hof – Modern Korean – 16 West 48
Ichiran – Japanese 152 West 49th St
Katsu Hama Japanese 11 East 47
Din Tai Fung Soup – Chinese Dumpling Chain – 1633 Broadway – (on 5oth Street between Broadway and 8th)
Cuerno – Mexican: 50th Street between 6th and 7th avenue
Jupiter – Italian – Inside Rockefeller Center – Rink side
Santi– Italian Prix Fixed 11 E. 53rd Street
I am Donut? 154 west 45th