First time in NYC for both of us, 8 days in early September, staying in Astoria (Queens), two adults.
Two constraints worth knowing before you judge the plan:
- One of us has a knee issue. Walking 20β30 minutes at a stretch is fine, then we need a short break. Stairs are not a problem. Long continuous walking and standing in line for 30+ minutes are the problems.
- One shellfish allergy (shrimp, lobster, crab, etc.). Fish is fine.
We're prioritizing free stuff and trying to keep each day geographically tight so we're not crossing the city twice. Here's the plan β no fixed times, just the order.
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**Day 1 (Thu) β Arrival + Astoria**
Land at JFK early afternoon, AirTrain + subway to Astoria. Settle in, walk 30th Ave and Ditmars, Astoria Park at sunset, dinner in the neighborhood.
**Day 2 (Fri) β Midtown + Broadway**
Top of the Rock (first slot of the morning) β St. Patrick's β walk down 5th Ave β NY Public Library (Rose Reading Room) β Bryant Park β Grand Central β TKTS in Times Square β Times Square β dinner in Koreatown β Broadway musical that evening.
**Day 3 (Sat) β Central Park + The Met**
Grand Army Plaza / The Pond / Gapstow Bridge β Central Park Zoo β The Mall β Bethesda Terrace β Bow Bridge β cross the park east to The Met for the rest of the afternoon.
**Day 4 (Sun) β Coney Island**
N train straight from Astoria. Luna Park paying per ride rather than a wristband (Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, maybe one more), Nathan's, then the boardwalk and beach.
**Day 5 (Mon, Labor Day) β Brooklyn + Chinatown**
Brooklyn Heights Promenade β DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park β walk the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan β late lunch in Chinatown β walk through Little Italy.
**Day 6 (Tue) β Statue of Liberty + Lower Manhattan**
First ferry of the day to Liberty Island (pedestal ticket, not the crown) β Ellis Island β back to Battery β National Museum of the American Indian β Federal Hall / Wall St / Stone Street β NYC Ferry from Pier 11 back to Astoria in the evening.
**Day 7 (Wed) β Natural History + Chelsea**
American Museum of Natural History in the morning β subway down to Chelsea β Chelsea Market β Little Island β High Line north to 23rd β dinner in Chelsea or the West Village.
**Day 8 (Thu) β Queens + fly out**
Gantry Plaza State Park and MoMA PS1 in Long Island City in the morning β check out. Leave early afternoon.
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**What I'd love feedback on:**
Is walking the Brooklyn Bridge on Labor Day a mistake? Should we move it to a weekday morning instead?
Is Day 2 overstuffed? It's the one day I keep second-guessing.
Astoria food recs?
Anything here that's a tourist trap we should cut, or something obvious we're missing that fits the "flat, benches, not a death march" criteria?
The days we arrive and leave are pretty empty. Any recommendations?
Thank you very much for reading c: <3