If you are interested in planning a trip to The Big Apple, you might like to look at this itinerary of a troop trip to NYC that included a week of service in Maine at Camp Sunshine.

Troop 5152 NYC Itinerary

6/24 Sunday check in 10:30pm for boarding, Delta 856

6/25 Monday  Meet at 7:30pm, leave for the airport by 8pm Tracy, Julie and Michelle will drive (red eye flight overnight) Delta Airlines 856 leaves San Diego at 10:30pm  arrives JFK at 6:50am. Arrive in Terminal 3

6/26 Tuesday (Colleen) – We want to catch the AirTrain to Jamaica cost $5/person and then the E line to the (at Kew Gardens Union Turnpike) F Subway to Lex 63^rd St 30 min ride and lets us off right near the Regency. (We’ll probably arrive around 7:30am.)

TVMs accept credit/debit cards and will also give you the option to add a MetroCard to your ticket. You can add either a $5 MetroCard, which will be valid for one transfer to/from the Airtrain, or you can add a larger amount (with a 15% bonus for cards of $8 or more, maybe we’ll add $10 and see how far that gets us). Note: unlimited-ride MetroCards (i.e., 7-day $29, we’ll have to take 14+ trips to make it worth while) are not accepted for the AirTrain transfer. You will need a pay-per-ride MetroCard.

BREAKFAST – pick up breakfast on Lexington/61st at the Bread Factory. Egg sandwich $1.75 on a bagel, omelet $6.25, French toast $4.50) https://www.breadfactorycafe.com/bfc61/restaurant.php we can order breakfast while we wait at the airport!

Alternative: Oxford Café, 109 East 59^th St (Between Park & Lexington Ave) Egg on a roll 1.75, vegetable  or cheese western omelet $4.75, bagel $1,  Dunkin Donuts is at East 57th and 2nd Ave

REGENCY LOEWS  540 Park Avenue (at 61st Street)  New York, New York, 10065- Check in  and leave our bags at the hotel

[we got a special deal at the Regency because one of our moms works for the Loews Resort in San Diego..lucky us!! ]

NEW YORK HOSTEL  I’ve stayed at the Hostelling International New York Hostel, not on this trip but another time, and I recommend it! It’s $45/night and includes continental breakfast and there’s a kitchen! It’s in a cool big stone building up on the upper west side. There are lots of rooms to chill in and places to plug in your phone and there’s free wifi. The rooms were comfortable and clean.  Pictures will probably help more than having me write a bunch about it so here are some photos from the hostel.

CENTRAL PARK (enter the park at 60th street) http://www.centralparknyc.org/maps/

WALK AROUND THE PARK – printout from Conservatory site in the binder

CARRIAGE RIDE Basic Ride:  10am This ride starts from Central Park South (59th and 5^th) about a mile, and twenty minutes long; consists of Central Park South East Corner with views of Wollman Rink, Carousel, Chess and Checkers House, Dairy, Zoo and the Plaza…$50 for 4 people [We  skipped this, maybe a $20 booking fee + tip, talk to the drivers first to establish fees and length of trip. It just didn’t look worthwhile]

PHOTO OP take a photo at Inscope Arch (Enchanted bridge I think) and GapstowBridge59th street in Central Park, offering one of the best views of the New York City skyline, See the pond from Catcher in the Rye

CENTRAL PARK ZOO – 10-5:30 ordered group tickets ahead, confirmation # 53037, only $5 each for 10 people ($50) instead of $12 each ($108) didn’t have them mailed to us that costs an extra $15 (emailed them 3/5, bought tickets 5/23) on the hour or half-hour to see and hear the dancing animals of the George Delacorte Musical Clock

http://www.centralparkzoo.com/tickets-and-membership/group-sales.aspx

DAIRY and Tavern on the Green: are Central Park’s gift shops

CAROUSEL – $2 per ride. Loved the carousel.

Walk up THE MALL to BETHEDA TERRACE (Enchanted fountain)

Take a photo at BOWBRIDGE When Harry met Sally jog scene.  Look at the middle of The Lake, the one near 73st.

CONSERVATORY WATER see the model boats being sailed (I have a photo of myself here at age 2)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND statue

ROWBOATS: Central Park Loeb Boathouse, Central Park (Between 74th and 75th Street) Weather Permitting, 10:00 AM TILL DUSK $20 Cash Deposit, $12.00 per first hour (cash only) $2.50 for each additional 15 minutes 4 persons allowed in boat – The Boathouse will provide life jackets, Loved taking the rowboats out!

THE DAKOTA- West 72^nd Street and Central Park West. Where John Lennon lived and died, Rosemary’s Baby. Memorial park out front in the park “Imagine” in mosaic.

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (free/donation $14.50 suggested,19.00 for adults) 10:00 a.m.—5:45 p.m. 79th Street and Central Park West , where they shot the party in The Devil Wears Prada. Largest dinosaur. Imax.

DINNER-–  PATSY’S PIZZA Pizzas $12 each cash only, AGRA Indian 807 Lexington Ave, between 62^nd & 63^rd (soups $3.25, breads $3, currys $15),

[Other possibilities OXFORD CAFE, 109 East 59^th Street, burritos, quesadillas, TRUMP TOWER 725 5^th Ave b/w 56 & 57 – good café 8am to 6pm (2 eggs 4.50, pizza $12, sandwiches 11.50, burger 11.50, Delissimo Deli at 39 East 60th 9between Madison and Park) and Cafe Metro at 127 East 60th (between Park and Lexington), Arga 807 Lexington Ave (between 62nd and 63rd) THE SOUP MAN (NAZI) 259 West 55^th Street,FLIP at Bloomingdales, (basement) Burgers for $12 each fun make your own style, ]

DYLAN’S CANDY “BAR” 1011 3rd Avenue, New York, NY10065 (60th and 3rd) Monday-Thursday 10-9pm Friday-Saturday 10-11pm (frozen hot chocolate $8, sundaes $10, dessert pizza $10, chocolate bars $2.95 – take a photo in the lifesize cupcake booth, 12.99 per lb of candy)

6/27 Wednesday (Bianca and Haley) – Great Walking Tour http://www.everytrail.com/guide/wall-street-and-financial-district-walking-tour/map#poi-0

BREAD FACTORY – Lexington/61st at the Bread Factory or Oxford Café.

Subway 59^th Street station heading downtown on a 4-5 train get off at Bowling Green

OR get off at 51^st St and go to Ess-A-Bagel 831 Third Ave., between 50th and 51st streets best bagels in NYC and the SUBWAY GRATING – Marilyn Monroe’s infamous Seven Year Itch subway grating to Lexington Avenue and 52nd Street, Manhattan. Get back on green line and go to Bowling Green stop

THE WALL STREET BULL – take a photo by the huge bull at the corner of Bowling Green park. NYC oldest park where Minuit purchased Manhattan from Indians for $24

Walk down Whitehall Street past the old US Customs house /SmithsonianMuseum of American Indian and past the NASDAQ Stock exchange headquarters to the ferry building

STATEN ISLAND FERRY/STATUE OF LIBERTY – Free, leaves about every 20 minutes. Great views of  the city and statue of liberty. Whitehall Terminal, 4 South Street, NYC, Round trip takes about 1 hour 20 min.

Walk up FDR Drive to the right, turn up Broad Street, right on Pearl St. to

FRAUNCES TAVERN – 54 Pearl St. read historic placards and in Washington booklet

Walk up Pearl St to left on Coenties Slip, right on Stone Street – winding streets paved with stones looking like it did in the 18^th century. Right on Williams, left on Pearl, past Hanover Sq (where elegant homes once stood) to left on Wall Street

LOTS OF TALL BUILDINGS 66 Wall Street is Chase Bank headquarters of Deutsche Bank, 40 Wall Street is the 70 Story Trump Building (for 1 month the tallest building in the world),

FEDERAL HALL NATIONAL MONUMENT 26 Wall Street has some great exhibits about early history of NYC free, self guided tours

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE 11 Wall Street

TRINITY CHURCH  – corner of Broadway and Thames St –  see bronze doors and great stained glass, National Treasure was filmed here

TRINITY CEMETERY the grave of Alexander Hamilton (go through the cemetery) Right on church, left on Thames, right on Greenwich, left on liberty.

1PM  free passes 911 MEMORIAL – GROUND ZERO – WTC Visitor’s Center 120 Liberty Street, Memorial Site 20 Vesey St. got passes at the 911 memorial website.  3/18/12 (if we’re there early go to the southwest corner to the visitor’s center otherwise see that at the end)

IRISH HUNGER MONUMENT (it’s a bit of a walk from here, across the footbridge at Vesey St., past the World Financial Center to the park.

Or walk up Church Street, past the “new” WORLD TRADE CENTER construction site past CENTURY 21 – discount store across from World Trade Center, to

ST PAUL’S CHAPEL – really moving tribute inside to the 9/11 workers. Lots of memorabilia, pews where firefighters slept, photos of people who died. Etc.

Walk down Fulton St. to the SOUTH STREET SEAPORT (lots of old sailing ships) and a cute marketplace

3-8PM  TXTS HALF PRICE TIX At South Street Seaport the corner of Front and John Streets, near the rear of the Resnick/ Prudential Building at 199 Water Street.   Hours:  For same-day evening and next-day matinee performances:
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 6 pm, Sunday: 11am – 4pm (closed Sundays in the winter months) credit card or cash * Matinee tickets are only sold on the day before the performance at TKTS South Street Seaport.
Public Transportation: By subway: J, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton Street or A, C to Broadway-Nassau.
By bus from Midtown: M15 downtown on 2nd Avenue to South Street Seaport.

Walk up FDR Drive to Frankfort St. toward City Hall and get on the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade)

3:30-4 BROOKLYN BRIDGE (walk across the bridge (20 minutes one way) or ride a bike one way and take some photos.)

4-5 GRIMALDI’S PIZZA – under the Brooklyn Bridge, 1 Front Street, voted #1 New York Pizza, whole pies only, coal brick oven, fresh mozzarella & tomatoes and homemade dough, 3 pizzas (1 white, 2 regular) $44,

5-6 EAST RIVER FERRY – runs every 30 min, takes 20 min to get to midtown. Catch it under the bridge at the landing in Brooklyn Bridge Park. $4 per person, drops us off at Pier 11 in Wall Street and we walk back to the green line subway. Or  go north to 34^th St. in Midtown and take free shuttle bus into midtown. (4:30-7pm) to Park Ave, walk 6 blocks north to Grand Central station and take the green line to the hotel

GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL 4, 5, 6, 7 and 42nd Street Shuttle to Grand Central, (take a photo on the staircase) Below the tracks are levels of shopping and dining-from clothiers to florists to souvenir shops. And don’t forget to look up in the main concourse. The illustrated blue-green cathedral ceiling offers a different view of the nighttime sky, with constellations and other heavenly bodies-sometimes highlighted with a periodic zodiac laser show you may be lucky enough to catch.

Discover the famous “whisper gallery” outside of the Oyster Bar, go to opposite corners to try it out.
http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/go/mallevents.cfm?eventsonly=1

CHRYSLER BUILDING 405 Lexington Avenue, Lobby of the Building, Fabulous Mural on the ceiling

OR take the subway to a Broadway show…(if we’re running late) the bus goes right up 6^th ave through Time Square area.

6-7  Go back to the hotel and get changed

Take Subway 59^th Street station heading downtown on a 4-5 train get off at Grand Central Station and walk to our theater

 8pm BROADWAY SHOW!!!

ELLEN’S STARDUST DINER – Everything but the kitchen sink sundae $5.95 each, milkshakes or malts $7.75, singing and dancing waitresses. 1650 Broadway at 51^st Street. Mon-Thu: 7am-12am, Fri-Sat: 7am-1am, Sun: 7am-11pm, might be nice after the theater. (easy to walk to from Theaters)

Get on subway at 7^th ave and 53^rd street, change at Lexington for the green line at 51^st street. To the 59^th street station by the hotel.

6/28 Thursday (Amanda and Briana) Neighborhoods

BREAKFAST – The Bread Factory on Lexington Ave.

Take Green line to Astor Place. Walk east on ST MARKS PLACE to 2nd Ave (funky East Village Shops) then back to University and south (peek in at WASHINGTON MEWS cute row houses) to

WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK Note the Memorial Arch built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration. Watch street performers, chess and checker players, and artists drawing or sketching, burial ground and hanging tree in NW corner, magicians, musicians. The arch is when Harry met Sally when she first lets him off,

FOODIE HEAVEN Walk through the park to Thompson and then walk west, Shopping on BLEECKER STREET between 6^th and 7th to , Porto Rico Importing Company (201 Bleecker), Rocco’s Pastry Shop and Espresso Café (243 Bleecker)– big coffee with steamed milk $1.75 and tasty sfogliatelle (flaky pastry with ricotta), Amy’s Bread (250 Bleecker),  Murray’s at (254 Bleecker),  Faicco’s (260 Bleecker Street) sausages & prepared foods for picnics, Ottomanelli’s Meat Market (285 Bleecker)

OLD HOUSES Left at the corner on Barrow, Left on GROVE COURT (Check out the nineteenth-century houses of Grove Court between Bedford and Hudson streets. Blink and you’ll miss 75 Bedford Street; only nine and a half feet wide, it was built in 1873. Its neighbor, 77 Bedford Street, is some 200 years old. Constructed in 1873 on the site of a Carriage House entrance, the house is only 9-1/2 feet wide. Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived in the building from 1923-24. 75-1/2 Bedford Street. $2.5 million. Chumley’s beloved former speakeasy at 86 Bedford Street, a longtime favorite for writers and intellectuals.

Then east on BEDFORD, north on Macdouggal st. to Bleecker east through NYU and south on BROADWAY (past some stores..) (Pearl River on Broadway great Chinese souvenirs 477 Broadway, SOHO area between Grand St. and Broom St.)

Walk east on Spring to LITTLE ITALY turn down  Mulbury St.

LUNCH – Lombardi’s Pizza (32 Spring St. New York 10012)

Walk down Mott for Gelato and fine pastries at Ferrera’s (195 Grand St. 10013)

keep walking down Mott to Pell St. in CHINATOWN. Try one of the hairy fruits! They’re really good!

Joe’s Shanghai, 9 Pell St (bet. Bowery and Doyers St.) great soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes pots of tea are free.

3-4 orders #10 pork soup dumplings @$4.95

2-3 orders #15 scallion pancakes @ $2.95 (2 cakes cut in 4 pieces each)

1 order #12 sesame noodles @$4.95 big plate

1 order #139 Young chow fried rice @$8.95

1-2 order #128 shrimp noodle soup @$4.95 (comes in a big bowl)

walk back along Pell Street and make your SECOND LEFT onto MOTT STREET.

As Mulberry Street is the heart of Little Italy, Mott Street is the heart of Chinatown. Let’s TURN AROUND and follow MOTT up a block and TURN RIGHT on BAYARD. If you want a special treat, stop in at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (a few doors up on your right – 65 Bayard St). Chinese and American flavors will delight all. Try mango or ginger, but there are plenty of old-fashioned American flavors as well. It’s a small place, keep your eyes open! Go back out to MOTT and walk south Lots of shops and vendors selling knock offs. Mott Street between Pell St and Chatham Square best shopping.

Catch the 22 bus in Chatham Square on Worth St. going west to Church and Chambers Blue line station

Take Blue Line to Chelsea Exit 14th St. A-C-E (8th Ave.)

Walk west on 14th to walk up the Highline (Gansevoort St. to W. 30th)

Check out Chelsea Market 7am to 9pm between 15th and 16th Streets on 10th Ave – Eleni’s (beautiful cookies and cupcakes), Artists & Fleas (vintage stuff)

Stop at Art Galleries along the Highline: openings http://www.artcat.com/openings/allfuture

–PPOW Gallery 6-8pm 535 W 22nd St.

–Luise Ross Gallery 5-7pm 511 W 25th St. #307

–Able Fine Art NY Gallery 6-8pm 511 W 25th St. #507

–Field Projects 6-8pm 526 W 26th St. #807

Dinner- Good Stuff Diner (109 W 14th St at Sixth Ave. 10011) (great looking burgers $7-10 and sweet potato fries $5 and big salads $12)

(To get back to hotel: Gray line (14th St. F-M) to Green line ( 14th St. Union Square)

(To get to Lincoln Center take the red line from 14th and 7th Ave to Lincoln Center at 66th St.)

 

LINCOLN CENTER – 8:30pm free New York Philharmonic Concert at Lincoln Center David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center

To get back to hotel take a cross town bus from 66th on the west side by Lincoln Center to 66th and Park. Walk to hotel

 

 

 

6/29 Friday (Lizzie) ROCKEFELLER CENTER, TIME SQUARE AND SHOPPING DAY

Today Show 9:30-10:30 at Rockefeller Center. Can have an intern take us around 9:30 till 10am to see behind the scenes at the show. [I used to work with one of the producers of the show, so we got really special treatment!]

TOP OF THE ROCK – Rockefeller Center, $225, 9 tickets at $25/each.

Walk down 48^th street and right on 5^th Ave to go to

• Monk Village Thrift shop
• Sephora
• Urban Outfitters
• H & M

New York Palace Hotel – The New York Palace is a luxury hotel at the corner of 50th Street and Madison Avenue, it is directly across the street from St Patrick’s Cathedral, and a short walk from Rockefeller Center and Saks Fifth Avenue. On the CW series Gossip Girl the penthouse atop the hotel is home to the van der Woodsen family and Chuck Bass. In the series the hotel is owned by real estate billionaire Bart Bass. Also in 27 Dresses

ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL  7:00, 7:30, 8:00 am,
12 Noon, 12:30, 1:00, 5:30 pm in bold are the music masses (Music at 5:30 on Mondays and Fridays only)

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY – 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, Monday & Thursday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. take a photo with the lions maybe take a girl scout sash to put on them or something from San Diego, Tuesday & Wednesday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sundays 1 – 5 p.m. (closed Sundays in the summer)Free one hour walking tours Tuesday through Saturday at 11 a.m., Free tours of the Library’s Current Exhibitions at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Grand free exhibits at NY Public Library, 42nd and Fifth Ave., NYC–not all books, many historically fascinating objects–even typewriters of famous writers, Virginia Woolf’s diary, etc
Things to see:    Astor Hall, Gutenberg Bible, Rose Reading Room (3^rd floor?), McGraw Rotunda

BRYANT PARK – boogie woogie piano concert 12:30 to 2:30pm today

 

 

 

 

 

GIRL SCOUT HEADQUARTERS – 420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018. The building entrance is on 37th Street (near 5^th Avenue). Please have photo ID ready and check in at the concierge desk in the building lobby.

Walk North on 5^th Avenue

• American Girl Place – 5:30-7:00 free embroidery cards and victory garden flower pot tonight
• Juicy Couture
• Hollister
• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Prada
• Tiffany & Co. – They hold workshops on What Makes a Tiffanys Diamond: “How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring.”
• Apple Store
• FAO Schwarz

Get on the bus at 5^th and 59^th

Get of at 7^th and 47^th

• American Eagle
• Disney
• Forever 21
• Aeropostale
• Billabong
• Toys R Us
• Levi’s
• Sephora

Get on the red bus at 7^th and 41^st

Get off at 7^th and 34^th

• Macy’s
• Victoria’s Secret

Get back on at 7^th and 34^th

Get off at 7^th and 20^th

Walk down 20^th to Kleinfield Bridal

Walk down to Ave. of Americas and turn right down 18^th

• Shoshanna

 

Get on the bus at 7^th and 17^th

Get off at 7^th and 41^st

TIME SQUARE – see the naked guitar player

• Toys R US with the ferris wheel inside

Dinner at Hard Rock Café or Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. OR Shake Shack 691 8th Avenue

(8th Ave & 44th St) or Toloche 251 W. 50th Street Mexican Food (tacos & quesadillas $13), John’s Pizzaria 260 W 44^th Street (by 8^th Ave) Caesar salad $9.25 pasta $10-15, entrees $15-16, pannini & salad $10,  between Broadway and 9^th is Restaurant Row