As a New Yorker who has now lived in the South for along time, I am often asked a lot to put together a suggested New York itinerary when people are going there. Often times they have never been there, or only been there for work. This list is just a starting point that can be adjusted based on interests (e.g. shopping, museums, history) and travel companions (e.g. kids' ages). Hopefully you will find this helpful as well. 

London is gorgeous in Autumn. Our boys' fall school breaks are usually the second week of October, which is a perfect time to visit. 

Here is a suggested itinerary to make the most of your time there if you only have 4-5 days.  
 
If you do have more time, I would recommend a day trip to Greenwich, or to Windsor if you are more of a Royalist.

Day 1 (Friday):
Overnight flight – arrive by 9am in London
Stay near Westminster or the Strand (our favorites are St. Ermin’s and the Savoy)
Queue for changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace – Changing of the Guard is generally at 10:45 (get there 30 minutes early for a good spot), but check the website for any updates.
Go to a proper British Pub for lunch (suggestions include: The Feathers, Buckingham Arms, or the Ship & Shovell )
Mid Afternoon: self-guided tour at Westminster Abbey.
Late afternoon: at Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms
OR
Take the tube to Kensington for the V&A Museum
Dinner in Covent Garden at Mr. Foggs Tavern or SushiSamba

Day 2 (Saturday):
If it’s a Saturday, it’s great to start the day at the Portobello Road Market. Don’t miss the Notting Hill Jacket Company and the Notting Hill Tote Bag for souvenirs, for yourself and for others.

Follow that with lunch at the Instagram famous Churchill Arms near Notting Hill.
 




We are big football (soccer) fans, so we’ll try to grab a game it we can.  You'll want to try to arrange for those tickets as soon as you plan your trip. But if footie is not your jam, then I would suggest the British Rail & Postal Museum.
 
For dinner, I suggest either Ivy in the Park or Masala Zone.
 
And if you are a theatre person (and I definitely am!) then purchase your show tickets around the same time you book your airline tickets, and then head to the theatre after dinner.​

Day 3 (Sunday):
In Autumn, you want foliage. So to me that means two choices – either head to Hampstead Heath for the day, or to Richmond. For our most recent trip we chose Richmond.
 
Once in Richmond, be sure to stop and see the following:

• Paved Court (the Ted Lasso store is here, and the front door to his flat.)
•  Brewer's Lane
• Richmond Green 
• Richmond Park (deer)
• White Cross Pub (floods on each high tide, and has been there for 187 years!)

 
After spending the day in Richmond, we headed back to Paddington to pick up our reserved boat at GOBoats London and captained our own boat through the canals all the way to the London Zoo and back. No boating license is required, and each boat can hold up to 8 people. We loved the unique perspective on the city, seeing all the quintessential long boats, and the autumn water views. It was fantastic, and I highly recommend it.
 
For dinner, I recommend grabbing a bite in Chinatown.

East London:

6. If you are on the east side of the city and love some good history and pirate lore, then I recommend the Prospect of Whitby. The Prospect of Whitby dates back to 1520. It has had many names over the years including the Devil’s tavern because of the pirates and criminal would meet here in the shadows to make their plans.
 
Bankside:

7.  If you have spent the day on the South side of the river at Borough Market and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, then you should make time for Anchor Bankside. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1676,  This pub is the sole survivor of the riverside inns that existed here in Shakespeare's time when this district was at the heart of the theatre district. It was frequented by many actors from the local playhouses, including the Globe, the Swan, and the Rose. It was frequented by Shakespeare, Dr Samuel Johnson, and diarist Samuel Pepys. who wrote about the Great Fire from this location. If that's not enough, it was also a favorite place for river pirates and smugglers. Over the centuries it has been used as a tavern, a brothel, a chapel, and a brewery.​

​It is amazing to think about the vast history in the very center of the financial district in London. The Romans called it Londinium, and there is still a lot of their history around for you to see. And it is all FREE!. So if you want to take a different look at the city on your next visit, I highly recommend this list I've put together. It's part scavenger hunt, part education, and you can stop into a Pret and get a tea or coffee anywhere along the way that you'd like. Enjoy! 
 
1. Roman Wall and Statue of Emperor Trajan (wall dates AD190-225)
Located just outside the Tower Undeground station - you can't miss it.
​
17 minute walk to:

2.  The London Stone
111 Canon Street (dates back to AD1100)
The London Stone was considered so important that laws were drawn up on top of it, and oaths were made over it. The myth is that if it were removed from the city, the city would collapse.

5 minute walk to:

3.  London Mithraeum: the Temple of Mithrae (free)
Located in the basement of the Bloomberg European HQ. This museum has fantastic reviews, and it is FREE!

8 minute walk to:

4.  Guildhall Art Gallery (free)
Built on top of a Roman Amphitheater you can see in the basement and there is a museum.

18 minute walk to:

5.  St. Bride's Church (free)
There's roman walls and pavement here that dates to 180AD, and there is a thorough museum in the crypt. Plus, the design of this church is what inspired the design of the modern wedding cake.


Optional:
20 minute walk from St. Bride's is

6.  Next to Monument Station - wooden part of the original Roman bridge from 2K years ago
where London Bridge now stands
(note: This is back towards the east, closer to Dunstan in the East)

and a 25 minute walk in that same direction is
 
7.  Leadenhall Market
In the basement of the Nicholason & Griffin hair salon is part of the Roman basilica it is built on top of, but you can only see it if the salon is open.

I often get asked for recommendations of what to do in New York City, especially from people who have never been there before.

I suggest staying in Midtown for a first visit since it is close to all the tourist hot spots.

And as a Broadway Baby, I have to suggest getting tickets to a show for the first and/or second night.  The rest of the schedule can fall into place around the times for the show(s).

So here is the outline that I suggest for a long weekend itinerary for New York City:

 
Day 1: Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and 5th Avenue
 
If you arrive in the morning, drop off the bags at the hotel and head to Times Square and then grab some lunch. For an authentic experience, get something from one of the Halal trucks. I like the one just south of the New York Hilton.
 
After loading up on some lunch, I usually tell friends with kids to go to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. That will take up most of your afternoon.
 
If that doesn’t sound exciting, then I’d head right to MOMA, followed by a stroll up and down Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. If you need a snack along the way I highly suggest a knish from one of the street carts.
 
For dinner I suggest the super cool and top secret Burger Joint made famous by Anthony Bourdain. It is hidden inside the Thompson Hotel (formerly Le Meridien) at 119 W 56th Street, near Carnegie Hall. Best burger in the city and the fries are yummy too. 
 
Another idea is to head to the Empire State Building (weather and view permitting) first, and then explore.
 
OR – if you have tickets to a show tonight (and I hope that you do!) then I high recommend having dinner beforehand at at Victor’s Cuban Café at 236 W 52nd.  It’s a family favorite for us.
 
Day 2: Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, Central Park Zoo, and the MET
 
After grabbing breakfast at a local deli (the best in the area is Pastrami Queen at 1125 Lexington Ave) I suggest heading to the Central Park Zoo or the Museum of Natural History for the morning, then stroll through Central Park and have lunch at the Central Park Boathouse (around 72nd in the park) before spending the afternoon at the MET.
 
If this is a Girl’s Trip, then after the MET I highly suggest grabbing afternoon tea at the Plaza, or at one of the Laduree locations (of the three I prefer the one on Madison, followed by the one on lower Broadway with it’s pretty courtyard).
 
For dinner, I suggest Red Rooster Harlem. If you watch any of the cooking shows, you may recognize the name Marcus Samuelsson. He and his sister were born in Africa but adopted by a Swedish family, so he was raised in Gothenberg. His food is a blend of both cultures, plus the American South. The desserts are all Swedish-inspired, which remind me of both of my grandmas.
 
 
Day 3: The Highline Park, Chelsea, the Village, and Brooklyn
I always suggest to pick one day to head toward the Vessel and Hudson Yards, and then walk down the Highline. Check out the Whitney if art is your thing (I love it, and the Whitney is fabulous!).  The Whitney also has a great lunch options at their Frenchette Bakery Cafe. Outside of the museum, I really like Barbuto for some fantastic Italian food.
 
After wandering through Chelsea and the Village, you could check out the Edge New York and/or continue downtown to One World Trade and Calatrava's Oculus.
 
If you want to find some hidden gems in Manhattan, especially lower Manhattan, then do what I do and try to find some weird offbeat things to do, like find the oldest sewer cover in the city (which is in the village) or find the mews new NYU (one of the prettiest blocks in the city). There are a lot on this list of “778 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in New York” from Atlas Obscura.
 
If you need a dinner place after shopping and exploring, and you are in the Meatpacking/Chelsea area then I recommend Buddakan (you may recognize it from SATC – they went there a lot).
 
OR
 
IF you’re feeling adventurous you could walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (great Instagram shots!) and have dinner in the DUMBO neighborhood. But it’s a little bit of a walk from One World Trade, so I’d take a cab from there and have them drop you off at the entrance for the bridge.
 
Here’s a great link to the Best Restaurants in DUMBO.

As you can see - three days is just not enough time. But I hope this is a good sampler tour for you!