American Girl place in NYC - - what to do nearby?

[cookinmamma]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on what else to do w/ my daughters & their friends (ages 6-11) when we go to the American Girl cafe for lunch in a quick day trip next week. The American Girl store is at 5th Ave & E. 49th Street. I know that Rockefeller Ctr is only a block or so away and am considering ice skating there w/them, but am looking for other possibilities w/in walking or short cab ride from this location, to explore w/ the other moms going (4 moms and our daughters).

Our plan is to drive in 2 cars, park near the American Girl store & walk to whereever we go from there. I've never been there before, and it could be that lunch & shopping will take awhile. . . but am wondering what other options there might be.

Thanks for any advice!

[johnmfaeth]

There are many sights and attractions in the area including (all within a modest walk - 10 short (avenue) blocks):

- St. Patricks Cathedral
- Shopping on 5th Avenue - FAO Schwartz, Tiffany's, numerous others
- Museum of Modern Art
- Museum of Television and Broadcasting

You may wish to park just west of 6th Avenue (Rockefeller Center) as their are more garages.

Have a great trip!

[Steamboat Bill]

I took my daughter there two years ago for an American Girl show and lunch with my wife (you need reservations). She was there all day and I went to a bunch of museums by myself.

[cookinmamma]

Originally Posted by Steamboat Bill

She was there all day and I went to a bunch of museums by myself.

That would be my husband too - -so it's just a moms/daughters trip. We have lunch reservations - it should be fun!

Originally Posted by johnmfaeth

There are many sights and attractions in the area including (all within a modest walk - 10 short (avenue) blocks):

Thanks! I've been to NYC plenty of times, but haven't spent much time around this particular area, and don't have a great sense of direction generally . Am trying to get prepared. Will check out the NY parking website for the area you mentioned.

Thanks again!

[mari311]

Originally Posted by cookinmamma

Hello,
....The American Girl store is at 5th Ave & E. 49th Street. ..
Our plan is to drive in 2 cars, park near the American Girl store & walk to whereever we go from there.Thanks for any advice!

Walking in NYC is a great idea, but as for planning to park near 5th and E49, plan on paying a fortune, if you can even find a place!!...and There are plenty of parking lots further west... say 10th or 11th ave... and you would pay a lot less than something near 5th ave. Make sure you check the closing time... You can then walk to American Girl and everywhere else. If your tired on the way back... hop a cab...

Mari

[abc31]

Sony wonder Tech Lab is a good place to kill some time...and it's free! It's a small interactive museum of technology.

You can check out their website: www.wondertechlab.sony.com


abc

[rklein001]

Browse Tiffany's - - 5th Ave and 57th Street

[MULTIZ321]

Cookinmamma,

It's sounds like you're familiar with http://www.nycgarages.com/

If not, check them out for comparing all parking rates and locations in Manhattan. It's a great site, they've also added Boston and Philadelphia too.
So when you get to the home page, click on the New York icon.

Have a good trip.

Richard

[Anne S]

I would recommend the Central Park Zoo. It is a short walk from the park entrance at Fifth Avenue and 60th street. A horse drawn carriage rive or a pedcab ride through the park is also another option.

[ownsmany]

I'm enjoying reading these posts - as my daughters & I are just begining to discover NYC.

My kids loved the wax museum and going to plays. Wicked and Legally Blond. Next week we are going to see Altar Boys.

They also loved walking thru the Toy's r Us store. Giant dinosaur that moves, huge ferris wheel in store you can ride on, and giant barbie house.

We've never been to the American Girl Store. We will have to put that on our list.

[Joe L]

The Empire State Building on 34th Street to the 86th floor observation deck. Short (street blocks). The avenue blocks are the long ones.

[johnmfaeth]

To clarify terminology, when walking along an avenue, the blocks from street to street are the short ones (approximately 200 Ft).

When walking along a street, the blocks from avenue to avenue are the long ones (400 ft min, some are 800 feet - 5th to 6th avenue in midtown as an example).

[mpizza]

Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Center is impressive. Also NBC studios may be fun.

Maria

[luv2vacation]

The Disney Store is also only a few stores down from the American Girl Store (same side of 5th Ave.). It is 3 stories high and has a character (meet-and-greet) room. Check out if anyone's going to be there at that time. Even if not, still a fun place to walk around. Also, there's a very cool Apple store - lots of computers and ipods that the girls can try out and play with - and you go down a glass elevator to get in. (The store sits below street level.) The Apple Store is also same side of 5th Ave. and also only a few stores away from American Girl (but in opposite direction from Disney Store). Also, there's my daughters' favorite, Barnes & Noble - they can spend hours there (even when they were that young!).

[cookinmamma]

Thanks everyone for your ideas!

I think the Toys R Us store w/ ferris wheel & lifesize barbie house sounds amazing. Would also like to check out Rockefeller Ctr. (my 8 y.o. loves ice skating). It depends how much time we have and how chilly it feels tomorrow (47! ). I have the Sony place on my list, as well as MOMA. Bloomingdales and Tiffany's would make us moms happy but I guess we'll just have to sacrifice & hold ourselves back this time . So many options, so little time - especially since we have to make time for the dolls to get their hair done in the salon!!!

MultiZ321, I have the nycgarages in my 'favorites' - - you are right, it's a great website!! And FYI, the Am. Girl Place validates (not completely I'm sure, but I'll take any discount!) at 3 of the nearby Central garages, so it'll only be $30-40 for about 10 hours. Not bad for NYC.

Thank you everyone!!

[cookinmamma]

Great day trip to NYC. Never even needed our umbrellas. Lincoln Tunnel was a bear getting out of the city (but it was rush hour), but other than that , driving was a smooth sail.

Arrived at @11:15, got home at 8 pm.

Lunch in the cafe was a treat both for the kids and us moms. The 3 course lunch was tasty, creatively presented & pleasantly served, serving sizes generous - well worth it at $23/person. The most surprising thing was seeing an older adult couple there dining alone w/ their 2 dolls!

AGP was a huge hit. My 8 y.o. claimed she never had a happier day in her life.

Parked for $30 w/ validation from AGP. A good deal I think.

After shopping, lunch and doll hair-dos, we had time for a stroll to Rockefeller Center to watch the skaters and go to the "top of the Rock" observation deck - the elevator to the top has a clear glass ceiling so you can see the elevator rising as you are riding up from inside - our girls loved it. It was closer than the Empire State building and nice to be able to get photos of the Empire State bldg from there. Also had our "star sighting" - - Richard Belzer from Law & Order SVU was filming a commercial w/ his dog!

All in all a great quickie trip to my favorite city . Wish I could've done everything suggested - - next time. . . . Thanks for helping me plan!

[ownsmany]

we went to AGP today. We couldn't see a play we wanted to, due to the stage hand strike.

AGP was way too crowded. Although my kids seemed to love it there, it was too crowded to really enjoy it. I would recommend going on off days (during the week I suppose).

We ended up going to an impromtu comedy club. Kids really liked it, and it was cheap.