10 Hours in New York

[skiiipi]

So I'm making a detour on my upcoming trip to Chicago and coming back through New York.
I managed to secure an award booking in cx889 from jfk to yvr in F so I'm willing to do this detour just to try out CX F for the first time...even though 6 hours is way too short to properly experience a F flight experience.

Now I have almost a 12 hour layover in New York and probably a little less than 10 hours to actually explore.

I arrive at jfk at 9:26am, plan is to store my luggage at the airport and then head into Manhatten. My flight home departs at 9:10pm and since the BA lounge at jfk sucks, I plan to be back at the airport for 7:45 to 8:00pm.

So far the only thing I have planned is a lunch reservation at Jean Georges. I originally had a 530pm reservation to EMP but feared that it will be too rushed as dinner will take usually 2 to 2.5 hours so I might miss my flight. So instead I opted to go for lunch at Jean Georges. I'm looking into the possibility of doing the Signature dinner tasting menu during the lunch seating and will see if they can accommodate.

So my question to you guys is....lunch aside what else can I do in my short NYC stay?

Top of the rock?
911 memorial?
Time square?
5th Ave? (just to look. .don't wanna shop with current exchange rates)

I also want to try some street food for dinner...was thinking maybe new York halal plate from one of those carts?

I've never been to NYC before so I really don't know what I can fit in within my schedule so any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you

[nabs]

Top of the rock and 911 memorial takes a long time individually. You can do times square, check out 5th Ave. Basically all you can do with your time there since you have a lunch reso is to see things and not do the activities. Food carts are awesome!!!

[Great68]

You won't have much time to really do fuck all.

I was in NYC last may, and actually did a similar red-eye cathay flight (great, comfortable flight). Flight landed at 7:00am, was 8:00 by the time we got out of the airport.

From there, it was a $60 cab ride to Manhattan, which took 2 HOURS because it was in the middle of rush hour.

Once we finally got to the hotel @10am we were so bagged out from the travel that we slept for a few hours.

If you really want to do something, I'd just recommend sticking to times square and the surrounding area. There should be enough to do and see for the few hours you have without wasting your time in line-ups.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by Great68

From there, it was a $60 cab ride to Manhattan, which took 2 HOURS because it was in the middle of rush hour.

My previous experiences have been similar but in off-peak traffic. If it's not a traffic jam, something's wrong with the subway, or bus route, or WHY. You have to be prepared for all sorts of situations in NYC. Having 10 hours can really limit your options so you have to remain flexible.

[ZN6]

Plane departs at 9:10pm? So 8:40pm boarding time? I'd be leaving to go to the airport at 5pm sharp and no later. From 5pm-12am, if you are still stuck in a taxi trying to leave Times Square for a flight at 9:10pm, good luck. Traffic stands completely still 15 minutes at a time, pedestrians do NOT give a fuck and will crowd on to the street and not even acknowledge what a sidewalk curb is. If they see the traffic standing they will walk no matter what, which leads to more congestion when the lights change for the cars to go.

Most of those "Go to the top of" only goes up at certain intervals and you have to line up for tickets. No way you can go to one of those and not have to leave after for a flight.

Not sure if you get the scope of how busy New York actually is, but I wouldn't be too optimistic on seeing anything more than one attraction especially when you have a lunch reserved.

[skiiipi]

If it makes a difference I'm going on a Sunday

[bcrdukes]

No day will make a difference.

[Teriyaki]

I did this almost exact same itinerary but from yvr to jfk on cx, but the concept is the same.
I've been to nyc once before so it all made a little more sense to me. A few pointers I'd have is:

The stored luggage place is slow as molasses. There is literally one guy at a hole in the wall in terminal 4 that does this. Cash only of course as well so be ready.

Taking the subway into the city is actually quicker than a taxi in my opinion. No traffic to deal with, and a heck of a lot cheaper.

In my one day, I did a walking/bike tour through central Park that spanned about 2 hours. Grabbed some lunch at some random places the guide recommended nearby to the park.

Headed over to Brooklyn on the subway then walked over the bridge back into Manhattan with an awesome view. Walked over to the 9/11 memorial. Finished it all of with some power shopping at century 21 before schlepping back to the airport to grab luggage at t4. If you plan it out, should be able to accomplish quite a lot.

[skiiipi]

I wonder if I can just check my luggage in as soon as I arrive at jfk that morning. Usually it's 6 hours prior to departure but wonder if they'd make an exception.

I'll take the advice to subway to Manhattan...make sense it would be faster than taxi.

I guess I'll skip top of the rock. ...I do wanna check out 911 memorial though so maybe I'll try to fit that in somehow.

[Teriyaki]

Not sure if CX would allow you to check in that early. Could always try, especially since you are flying CX F. Emirates turned me away when I tried to check in luggage same day but about 10 hours before flight.

Mind you, I did not actually do the actual 9/11 museum that is indoors. I just went to the giant fountains where the buildings used to stand. Already quite an impact I must say.

[ZN6]

Originally Posted by skiiipi

I wonder if I can just check my luggage in as soon as I arrive at jfk that morning. Usually it's 6 hours prior to departure but wonder if they'd make an exception.

I'll take the advice to subway to Manhattan...make sense it would be faster than taxi.

I guess I'll skip top of the rock. ...I do wanna check out 911 memorial though so maybe I'll try to fit that in somehow.

Just to warn you, even taking the subway to Manhattan takes about an hour or so.

Budget your time very wisely. Remember pretty much everything you do in New York has a line up that you'll have to wait for.

To be very honest, I would go to the 9/11 tribute museum rather than the 9/11 memorial; I've been to both. While being at Ground Zero gives you a good sense of how the city came together to rebuild, the 9/11 tribute is very much a time capsule of everything that happened and has many, many haunting artifacts that give you a sense of what people actually saw. At the time, they had a piece of the plane that crashed. When I went, the tribute museum was a tiny place, like maybe 350-400sqft but I spent 4 hours there just going around to each piece and listening to what each piece represented. It was my time well worth spent.

[skiiipi]

so I ended up getting the following done

Landed a 9:30, got out of airport by 10, that included storing my luggage
Took a sedan to Rockefeller center, was up to top of rock by 11:15pm
Shopped around 5th ave after, more just took in the sight and sound, spent about 45min in Niketown (since I work in the sporting goods retail industry) and about 15min in uniqlo buying some stuff for a friend.
Then took a taxi to Columbus Circle, checked out the Time Warner center
Went across the street for lunch at 2pm at Jean Georges
lunch took until 430pm
Then took a cab to Time square, look around a bit, then taxi to 9/11 memorial
spent 15min looking at the pools....got a bit emotional here actually
Then walked to the wall street bull, took a photo
and then went to Battery park, took a photo of the Statue of liberty
took a cab to airport
was in airport by 7:30pm
took a shower in the lounge and boarded my flight shortly after 8:30

super packed day
lucky that there wasnt much traffic and no lines
got to do a lot more than I had hoped

[Lomac]

You got lucky. I've been stuck in traffic for a good couple hours between JFK and DT before.

[nabs]

Wow that's a lot!!! Awesome time management. Surprised you were able to get to top of the rock that fast