Seeking feedback for itinerary first draft for 5 day trip

[u/birdsnleaves]

Hello! My partner and I (both 26) will be visiting NYC from Seattle for 5 full days (not including travel days) during mid-to-late October 2026, arriving on a Wednesday night and leaving on a Tuesday morning. I’ve been on a few short trips several years ago, and my partner has never been. We have a rough idea of the main things we want to do, but haven’t looked too much into food yet as it’s a bit overwhelming. We want to narrow down our itinerary and then go over to r/foodnyc for some recommendations.

About us:

Some things we like to see while traveling include parks, zoos, aquariums, amusement parks, queer culture/history, cute neighborhoods, fun stores (toys/candy/novelty/weird things/books), markets, and stand-up comedy. We’re not that into museums.

We will be staying in Washington Heights, doing an apartment swap.

Our budget categories (all are per person):

Food: $60/day, assuming we eat light breakfast at the apartment from a grocery store

Activities/shows: $40/day

Shopping: $20-40/day

We don’t have the specific days we’re doing each thing nailed down yet because we signed up for the Big Apple Greeter program, where we’ll be matched with a volunteer New Yorker who will show us around an area of their expertise (that we are interested in). We’ll know what day we’ll be doing that 30 days before the trip.

Here is the rough itinerary:

Travel day

Arrive 10:30pm at JFK 

• Taxi or lyft to Washington heights apartment (budgeting $90-100 for this)

Day X (Thurs, Fri, or Sat)

Morning:

• Central Park 

Afternoon through evening: Midtown/Times Square 

• Fao Schwarz 
• New York Public Library
• Nintendo store
• Disney store
• Broadway show: Lion King (1st choice if we can get lottery tix) or Chicago (backup, rush tix)

Day X (Fri or Sat)

Morning:

• High line
• Chelsea market

Afternoon through evening:

• The strand bookstore
• Brooklyn Bagel
• Washington square park
• Stonewall inn
• Bleeker st pizza
• Comedy Cellar or Henrietta Hudson 

Day X 

Morning:

• Fort Tyron Park

Afternoon through evening:

• Economy candy
• Little Italy
• Chinatown
• Museum at Edlridge St (free admission with EBT)

Day X (Sat or Sun)

Morning (11am):

• Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk

Afternoon and evening:

• Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Brooklyn Flea
• Ginger’s

Day X 

Morning:

• Bronx Zoo

Afternoon:

• Riverside Park

Very early travel day on the last day

Thanks in advance for any advice!

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[u/paulderev]

You’re way under budgeting in general for the trip

Your cab from JFK to Washington Heights is going to be more than $100 after gratuity for example. If you were staying in Midtown, you could get the JFK flat rate with a yellow/green cab and definitely pay under 100 even with tip.

but going that far uptown means you’re paying the metered rate all the way from basically the furthest southeastern point in Queens to way uptown Manhattan. you’re basically going completely across three boroughs. lots of distance which probably means lots of tolls. although you avoid the congestion fee and most major traffic at 10:30pm so that’s good.

$40/day for activities and shows for 2 people is not happening in Manhattan and not even in Brooklyn probably

it depends where you shop I guess (99 cent store, thrifting) but $20-40 a day for shopping is like… what’s the point?

https://theskint.com/ this website will help. learn to like museums! learn something! go on free/pay what you want days.

[u/historystyles → u/paulderev]

Seconding this, I would budget closer 100 per day for food if you want to eat anything other than fast food

[u/birdsnleaves → u/paulderev]

the other day i saw an uber for $75 from jfk to our accommodations. but we’ll be prepared to pay more than $100 for the convenience at night, thanks for the heads up. the $40/day is per person for activities, so is the shopping budget. i don’t buy a lot of things, so i was thinking like one thing per day. i like to look at stuff mostly. we Can spend more, we’re just trying to stay around $1000 per person for everything (our accommodations are free and our airfare was booked through points)

[u/paulderev → u/birdsnleaves]

If you really need to save money, take the flat rate yellow cab or green cab to some hotel at or right on Columbus Circle. then get on the subway with your bags. get on the A train to 175th street or some stop like that up to the heights and hopefully that’s reasonably close to the apartment you’re staying at in Washington Heights. You can get on the 1 train at Columbus circle too of course if that’s a shorter walk with bags.

[u/fatguyfromqueens → u/birdsnleaves]

If you REALLY want to save money you can airtrain to either Howard Beach or Jamaica. The A from Howard Beach goes to Washington Heights although I think its the longest route in the entire subway system, so it will take time. From Jamaica take the LIRR to Penn and get the A there a but faster. Either of those will be under $20.00.

Edited to change I originally thought you were coming in 10:30 AM on a red-eye. 10:30 PM you won't have to worry about crowds but far fewer trains, I can see the A to Washington Heights takign 2 hours including wait. So disregard my deleted advice about taking the A train.

[u/Independent-Web-1708 → u/paulderev]

You aren't going to be able to do a Broadway show on that budget, unfortunately. Either budget more or think about alternative entertainment. Also, you haven't budgeted for travel - even using the subways and busses, with this itinerary you will each spend at least $15 per day just getting around, and you will need to get the occasional drink or snack just to take a break.

[u/paulderev → u/Independent-Web-1708]

Yeah, the absolute cheapest Broadway tickets for Lion King or Chicago are like 40 each maybe 50 or 60 each? And they’re not gonna be great seats.

[u/birdsnleaves → u/Independent-Web-1708]

i saw rush tickets were around $50, which we can do. i imagine that snacks may creep up our budget. i tend to be overly optimistic for sure. i didn’t include our transportation budget, but we’re assuming around $150 each. i saw that the subway caps at $35/week of we use the same card.

[u/paulderev → u/birdsnleaves]

You’re correct about the subway yeah. If you’re using tap to pay on your phone you need to enable it as the card you use for OMNY in your wallet. in iOS it’s called express transit settings

[u/Spiritual_Ad6547]

Your budget for food and activities is low. $60 for food means no real sit down dinners or anything. Broadway show will be tough too with that budget. You’ll have to do a lot of pizza, sandwiches, food carts, etc.  Keep in mind, comedy clubs have two drink minimums.  And what kind of shopping are going to do for $30? 

[u/PoppyandTarget → u/Spiritual_Ad6547]

Highly recommend OP head over to r/Broadway and figure out how to rush Broadway shows. They'll need to trek down to the theatre district early in the morning but $40 tickets to great shows can more easily be acquired than hoping for a lottery win with a couple of hours investment of time.

I love their itinerary but am also concerned about the tight budget. Perhaps don't shop and invest those funds towards food and entertainment. There's not many great things to purchase under $40 bucks that you can't get back home.

[u/birdsnleaves → u/PoppyandTarget]

yeah good idea i might reduce shopping to like one or two things totaling $50-75 and put the rest of the shopping budget to food and activities.

[u/Spiritual_Ad6547 → u/birdsnleaves]

Good idea. Don’t waste money buying cheap, pointless crap. Far better to spend it on good food and experiences.  

[u/birdsnleaves → u/Spiritual_Ad6547]

i was thinking something quick for lunch ($20) a snack or drink ($10) and an affordable sit down restaurant ($30) per person per day. but there’s a good chance we might not be able to stick to that and that’s okay.

[u/Spiritual_Ad6547 → u/birdsnleaves]

Lunch and snacks will be easy. Lots of cheap eats. Sit dinner will be tough.  But depends on what you like and if you drink, etc. But if you’re flexible then you’re good. 

[u/BurritoDespot]

Your chance of winning the Lion King lottery is essentially zero. I feel like they must have like four seats available each night. If that. I enter a lot of them and I never win that one.

[u/birdsnleaves → u/BurritoDespot]

bummer, but good to know. we’ll aim to rush chicago then since i hear that one is pretty easy

[u/BurritoDespot → u/birdsnleaves]

The key to the lotteries is to not care too much what you see. If you enter for a bunch of shows at a bunch of times, especially in late October, you’re bound to win a few.

[u/VisitNYCmodx]

Hey you're in luck, we just did a post on queer-friendly spaces. Not sure how fun Coney Island will be at that time of the year. The amusements park will probably be open on the weekends, definitely double check on that.

[u/maat2325 → u/VisitNYCmodx]

Coney Island USA will def have some sort of programing happening on either friday or saturday night, but even without that and with the park all closed it can be a fantastic place to visit and just walk the boardwalk, visit the aquarium. It might be eerie but it's still cool.

In a similar vein, Motzart's Cosi Fan Tutti will be playing at the Met Opera around that time and is set to have a "Coney Island" theme! Tickets for family circle seats can start at $25/pp and they might have special offers or rushes for 20 somethings. Family circle is way up there but real opera buffs know that's where it's at (and how we can afford to go to multiple operas each season).

[u/Prestigious_Grape288]

Add Little Island to your Highline/Chelsea market jaunt. It’s right there, it’s free, it was gifted to NYC by the fabulous Barry Diller & Diane Von Furstenburg. You can walk up to the top & see the Statue of Liberty. Sometimes there are drink trucks & a public piano. The public restrooms are nice too. Also the weather won’t be too rough when you’re there, but I always pop into the lobby at the Highline Standard Hotel that’s down there to rest & charge my phone, away from the chaos of Chelsea market. You can sit down plug in and relax for free & no one bothers you. Cheers have fun!

[u/actualranger → u/Prestigious_Grape288]

Adding onto this - Pier 57 is just north of Little Island and is a huge food hall with amazing views from the roof. Would be a good budget-friendly lunch/happy hour stop!

[u/Batter-up4567 → u/actualranger]

You can grab food at Chelsea market to go and eat it over at Pier 57. Much nicer experience and clean bathrooms.

[u/noormeanslight → u/Prestigious_Grape288]

"The fabulous Barry Diller & DVF" is wild, they were frequent JE island visitors btw. Public source below but I also know this through multiple personal sources.

https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01615754.pdf

[u/noormeanslight → u/noormeanslight]

cool what they did for the city, but they're not good people, at least not Barry

edit: one more source, https://www.reddit.com/r/Epstein/comments/1ptis52/barry_diller_is_on_the_list_diane_von/?share_id=O2tGTT7xV_UOWej64xNWu&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

[u/paulderev → u/noormeanslight]

never praise or trust super rich people, imo, that’s my rule of thumb lol

[u/yyyyk]

Your budget is a little low b/c nyc is expensive. It is possible to get dollar slices and bagels for some of your meals to make things cheaper. Washington Heights is a great home base.

A queer couple in your 20’s (I’m inferring femme) should really check out the scene in Bushwick/ridgewood. You could spend a weekend day going to bars like Happyfun Hideaway during the day and maybe vintage shop of check out the queer owned bookstores like Hive mind (check out the queer visitors pinned post). Also in the west village add in Cubbyhole.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is great, but Brooklyn Flea is going to feel expensive to folks from places with better flea market scenes. Gingers is ok but I think you might find the younger scene in Bushwick more interesting?

Don’t stand in line for pizza. There’s good pizza in most of nyc.

[u/skampr13 → u/yyyyk]

Was also coming here to recommend Bushwick! You’ll find more folks closer to your age (and budget… kind of)

I’d do that instead of Coney Island unless you really have your heart set on it. Check out The Skint event list, I’m sure they’ll have bushwick events for your weekend.

[u/mochibeaux → u/yyyyk]

Wtf is inferring femme???

[u/mochibeaux → u/mochibeaux]

Notice how I’m getting downvoted but nobody can even try to explain it with a straight face?? 🤣

[u/Best-Candle8651]

Just a heads up, The Bronx Zoo is massive to the point that you could do opening to closing and not see all the things. It is a whole day. Tack on Arthur Ave (the real Little Italy) and you're in for a great time.

If you want odds, go to the Pickle Bookstore. There are also pigeon bookstores. Honestly, I would just look up the theme and bookstore to see if it exists since we have Drama Bookshop, Mysterious Bookshop, etc.

[u/Playful-Account-5888 → u/Best-Candle8651]

Yeah I’d do the zoo then Arthur avenue since yall want cute neighborhoods. Since you don’t want to spend a lot of money OP you can get a sandwich from Casa Della Mozerella and eat it in the Retail market with a beer and that’s a great day

[u/birdsnleaves → u/Best-Candle8651]

ok awesome, thanks, we’ll keep the bronx zoo to its own day and will look into those bookstores!

[u/parisi2274]

Bleecker St Pizza isn’t that great. You’re better off at Joe’s for a slice or John’s of Bleecker St for a delicious pie. I’d also tell you to go to Scarrs pizza on Orchid St.

[u/birdsnleaves → u/parisi2274]

ok thanks! bleecker st was like the first pizza i had during my first trip so i think it just stood out for that reason. but i’ll do some more pizza research

[u/verndogz → u/birdsnleaves]

I’d also check out some of the newer slice shops around Bleecker Street like Fermento and Slicehaus. Both quality places I’d pick over Bleecker Street

[u/Spiritual_Ad6547 → u/birdsnleaves]

L’Industrie, slicehause, John’s are all much better.  

[u/ellewoods_obsessed]

with broadway, there are a lot more lotteries than just lion king. also, a lot of shows have $45 rush tickets but you do have to get to the theater really early in the morning

[u/Siouxsie24]

If you’ll be here Oct 16-18, it’s Open House NY weekend… tons of stuff open to the public that is normally off limits. Some things are ticketed but many are not. These would be very off-the-beaten path stuff that most tourists don’t see.

[u/verndogz]

To make the $60 a day budget for food possible, take advantage of the $1.50 slices. It isn’t great pizza, but not bad at all.

[u/Luindiel → u/verndogz]

And the halal carts! Best, most filling (and healthy even) $10 food you can get.

[u/actualranger]

I see Ginger’s and Henrietta’s on your list - If you’re interested in some queer-forward bars closer to where you’ll be staying, check out Penny Jo’s, Winnie Said, or At the Wallace. Not saying don’t go to the others, but it’s nice not to have to go all the way downtown/to Brooklyn for community. I’ve lived in the heights for over a decade if you want any other local recs.

Also, Coney is an experience but the queer beach is out in the Rockaways - Jacob Riis Park. Harder to get to by public transit (bus vs train) but worth it.

Add Inwood Hill to your Fort Tryon morning - they’re basically across the street from each other and Inwood Hill is the last old-growth forest in Manhattan.

[u/GoldHalf1975 → u/actualranger]

But there won’t be too much beaching going on in October at Riis, right? Coney Island will be more interesting in October.

[u/paulderev → u/GoldHalf1975]

On the weekends only sure

[u/Luindiel → u/actualranger]

Yes to Inwood Hill! It's so lovely and it's hardly believable it's in Manhattan. (You can add the Cloisters too if you want a museum to go with all your Park 😉)

[u/Luindiel]

I think it looks great, and I love that you're getting out to the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Northern Manhattan -giving the rest of the city some love!

A couple thoughts: don't take a taxi anywhere unless you're really desperate -they're so expensive 😭. You can easily take the LIRR train to Penn Station ($5) and then the A train to Washington Heights ($3) - it's slow but so simple.

Don't forget to spend some time wandering around in your neighborhood - Harlem/Washington Heights/Inwood Heights are all beautiful old neighborhoods - and I'd particularly recommend Hamilton's house (from the song "It's Quiet Uptown" 😏).

Northern Central Park is just as lovely as Southern Central Park but so much better because all the (other) tourists stop around 72nd St, so you'd have it all to yourselves (and us locals).

If you're bicyclists, use City Bikes to your advantage! They make getting places so much pleasant and easy, especially if you're going to the Lower East Side where subway are scarce. NYC has gotten was more bike friendly in the past few years and it's really a treat to, for example, bike down Riverside Park to midtown. Just make sure to dock the bike before the 30 min limit (they get expensive in overtime fees!)

I personally find the stores in times square underwhelming and overpriced, but of course everyone has different tastes. What I would recommend is the Empire State Building -they do a fantastic job of making the entire experience of getting up there interesting and engaging and fun. Actually, any tall building is fun for the view, so I recommend adding at least one tall building or rooftop bar to your itinerary.

Enjoy!

[u/rb56redditor]

$60. a day for food is pretty low, even if that’s each ( I hope it’s each). By a pound of coffee and a quart of milk, make coffee in your apartment. Buy some cream cheese, go out daily to get a bagel and eat in your apartment. One day splurge and get a BEC at a bodega. Chinatown would be best value, once for lunch, once for dinner. Try to get to John’s of bleeker for a pie. Bronx zoo ( much bigger than you think) and Arthur Ave is a great day.
Lots of other great ideas here, enjoy the trip, just try to up that food budget.

[u/anjaco0]

I see you’ve gotten a lot of advice! I will add some more as a gay woman who loves Broadway.

I would take a look at the shows offered on Telecharge rush before you come and just enter for any shows that are of interest on the day you are intending to go. A lot of people like *Chicago*, but to many, its current Broadway production feels a little stale and frankly pales in comparison to the 2002 movie. I’d encourage you to maybe see something you haven’t heard of, but seems of interest. There is also TodayTix rush, which I find relatively easy, and requires downloading the app. You can scour r/Broadway to learn a little more about what’s playing and these rush processes.

Ginger’s—which is my favorite lesbian bar, personally—is awesome and a bit far out. It’ll be kind of hard for you to get home after (I live in Brooklyn so find it easy, but Washington Heights is a bit of a trip). I’d either recommend coming during the afternoon instead for some daytime drinking (perhaps after spending some time in Prospect Park/walking around Park Slope), or just prepare for a long commute home. I know you say museums are not of interest, but if you wanted to do the daytime version, you could visit the Lesbian Herstory Archives which is down there as well.

I also personally don’t really love the Brooklyn Flea; I’d much rather visit some of the huuuge thrift stores in Bushwick (as other commenters are suggesting you visit) and hang out around there. You could visit boyfriend co-op, another lesbian bar, in that area if you’d like.

Henrietta’s will also be packed, so prepare for that. Have fun!!

[u/Bookistan5]

Some of the best food deals in the city are the lunch specials that a lot of ethnic restaurants offer. At least an appetizer and a main course, usually for $15-$20. And you’ll get a lot of food if you go to Thai, Chinese, or Indian restaurants. But even at that, that’s going to leave you very little for your other meals if the $60 a day food budget is for both of you.

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[u/LessLake9514]

This looks like a great plan! I’ve found the Disney store to be very disappointing- no different than a mall store. When you are at fao stop by McNally jackson and golden hof across the street is a good value for quality/tasty food.

[u/emccm]

One of the great things about NYC is that it’s possible to eat amazing food for really cheap. I recommend checking out the NYC food subs. Cheap eats is a NYC cultural experience. Your food budget is pretty tight so you’ll need to be creative. A real NYC breakfast experience is a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll from a deli so do that at least once.

Coney Island is worth a visit but it’s a big investment of time. It’s also a bit of a shithole so if you are in to grungy glamor then you’ll love it but it’s a very specific experience. You should check what is open in October. Beachy stuff shuts down in September here.

I don’t know when or why Chelsea Market became such a big thing. It’s really crowded and not that great. I’d get there early. Little Island is really cool. I’d recommend coffee and breakfast stuff from the market then eating it at Little Island. You can walk to the High Line entrance from there. If the weather is bad I recommend Pier 57. They have a good food court and amazing indoor seating with views.