NYC Trip January 2019

The Jeff Daniels starring To Kill A Mockingbird should be up by then. So will the new Cher musical. Will have to see if this season’s shows like Mean Girls & Spongebob will still be running by then - there is usually a cull by Labor Day. Other than that, all of the stalwarts will still be there...

If you like the cold, January's a GREAT time to visit NYC, but do take fleece-lined tights and your biggest winter coat.

I'm also going to NY, but in October and I really wanted advice about other things that I should do aside from Broadway musicals/plays.



Like what museum, ballet or anything about ''art'' or some place that I really need to see in NY during this period.



Can someone help me? thanks in advance!

For museum recommendations, it would help to know something about your tastes/preferences in art, but here are some general recommendations.

The two big museums at the top of every tourist's "must-see" list are the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Both charge $25 admission, except that MoMA is free from 4 to 8 pm on Fridays. The admission charge to the Met not only gets you into the big museum at Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, but also the Met Breuer (a few blocks away, where the Met now displays its modern art) and the Cloisters (Romanesque and Gothic art, in a lovely building at the northern end of Manhattan that's a bit of a nuisance to get to). If you're planning to go to more than one of those locations, save your ticket, and be aware that it's good for a three-consecutive-day period.

The Whitney Museum of American Art (which also charges $25 admission) is another popular choice. It's also very close to the High Line, an above-street-level former railroad line for goods-carrying trains which has been turned into a nicely landscaped (and highly popular, so often very crowded) walkway with interesting views.

There are also a zillion (almost literally) other, smaller museums in NYC, ranging from the Old Masters at the Frick Collection to the 9/11 Memorial Museum to the Museum of Sex. If you're interested in design, there are the Cooper-Hewitt and the Museum of Art and Design. If you're interested in Asian art, there are the Asia Society and the Rubin Museum (art of the Himalayas, India, and Tibet). For New York history, there are the New-York Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and the Skyscraper Museum.

Look at a map before you go so that, if you're planning to visit more than one museum in a day, you choose museums that are relatively close to each other. (You wouldn't want to do the Skyscraper Museum and the Cloisters on the same day.) Wear comfortable shoes and, most importantly, have fun.

This is an interesting thread for me too, thanks! I managed to get a place in this year's New York City Marathon (through the ballot), which takes place on Sunday 4th November - so I'm going then for 5 nights and hoping to catch a few shows during this time.

I arrive on Wed 31st Oct, and I've noticed some shows don't have evening performances that day, which I'm assuming is because of Halloween? I'm still in two minds whether to book in advance for anything, but there will be four of us, which makes it slightly more complicated getting last minute tickets. But I think the only thing I would pay full price for would be Dear Even Hansen. But other shows on my would-like-to-see list are Waitress, Mean Girls, and/or Pretty Woman.

In October, New York City Ballet, the Met Opera, the NY Phil and Carnegie Hall will all be in season. You can browse their calendars now online, but single tickets won't go onsale until later this summer. The David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center has a TKTS booth that sells discount, same-day Lincoln Center constituent performances. While the Met Opera House is nowhere near as beautiful as the Royal Opera House, it is an experience. You can also take a tour of the Lincoln Center venues during the day. Carnegie Hall is also a special place to go. Balcony seats are pretty reasonable, with excellent sight lines and acoustics. 

In addition to the museums mentioned above, there's the Brooklyn Museum of Art, which has a mixture of ancient art, paintings and decorative art, and contemporary art. It's a 30 minute subway ride from midtown. The New York Public Library (5th Ave and 42nd St) is a beautiful building, with a free tour and free exhibitions (also free wifi and a place to sit!). The library's other research locations - Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center and the Schomburg Center in Harlem - also have free exhibitions. In October, the Performing Arts Library will have a major exhibit on Jerome Robbins. 


Yes, most likely due to Halloween, since it would be a low-attendance night, particularly for the Disney and kid-orientated shows. Mostly unrelated, there's a big parade in Greenwich Village along 6th Ave. 

For all visitors, be aware that on nights (after 9:30pm) and weekends, there are many subway changes and the MTA isn't great about making those changes clear. It can be confusing to those of us who live here!

January is a cold month, some shows close end of December. However hotels are more than half price than Spring to Christmas and you pick up shows for cheaper.