Yoshi212

You'll be fine and I'm sure she'll enjoy her first trip to NYC as much as you had your first time. If you need suggestions for meals, entertainment or anything feel free to ask. My brother just took out a 20 year mortgage in Brooklyn so I can only imagine how good it feels to pay off a business mortgage.

Out of my Element

It was quiet in Union Square this past Saturday around 5PM

Analise

Yup, we were there. The green grocers were packing up. The pretzel guys however weren't!

PsiFighter37

As others have alluded to, it is the day of the inauguration of the next president. I would be SHOCKED if there are not protests that day.

As others have mentioned, Union Square is a likely hot spot for protests. Washington Square Park is another possibility. Both have a lot of space for people to congregate at. I would bet solid money on there being a march right up 5th Avenue to Trump Tower and creating an absolute mess traffic-wise.

That said...stick to public transit, don't hop off the subway at trouble spots (which I would venture to guess would most likely be the southernmost exits at 14 Street/Union Square, the F stop at 57th Street, and the N/R/W stop at 59th and 5th), and you should be fine.

As for me, I have to figure out how to cross 5th Avenue in Midtown coming home from work that Friday...not sure if the protests will be done by 5-6 PM...

rpjs

There was a Black Lives Matter protest at Grand Central Terminal a few months ago, on the main concourse, but it didn't affect people using Metro-North or the Subway: indeed I passed through GCT while it was going on and only found out about it on the news the next morning.

turnleftbrighteyes

It's usually parades that cause this problem for me. (I have grown to truly hate parades.) Depending where in midtown you are, just using the tunnels for the E train at 53rd has become my most reliable way to get across 5th.

(Parades are way more annoying than protests. To the OP and others, stay where you want! And yell at--and tell them you will not be tipping-- any cab driver idiotic enough to try to drive south on 5th Avenue from the Upper East Side through midtown.)

And, editing to add after returning from a quick trip to midtown for an appointment: it's really not protesters you need to be concerned with. It's just that midtown in the 50s is an absolute pit of despair (more so than it was before, I mean.) I had a very chatty Uber driver-- once I could find said Uber driver, given the number of streets blocked off--who talked nonstop re how bad it now is to navigate in midtown. And the situation in Western Sahara, which was an odd development of that conversation, but "abandon all hope, ye who enter here" is an apt description of midtown now.

cbastian

Assembly for protests is usually at Union Square (walk downtown to Financial District), Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (near the UN) or Zuccoti Park (home of Occupy Wall Street). I can guarantee that a march up or down Fifth Avenue past Trump Tower is not likely to be allowed by the Police.

RooseveltL

If this helps you - I've encountered more disruption and challenges traveling globally on May Day or May 1st in Italy, Germany, and Belgium vs. any disruption during major protest scheduled in NYC.

Fortunately or unfortunately, NYers don't really assemble for the cause as too much other stuff to do so outside of New Years Eve at Times Sq, St. Patricks' Day parade and Thanksgiving Day parade - most every other thing is a minor disruption for a few hours.

Eastbay1K

Now that "the weekend that shall live in infamy" approaches, what (and where), if any, particular protests/marches/demonstrations are planned this Fri-Sun 20-22 January?

FlyinHawaiian

I would avoid midtown, roughly north of Grand Central to Trump Tower on Saturday starting around noon and until sunset.

https://thehumanfirstsociety.org/faq/

KENNECTED

Here are a few protests
http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/01/nyc-...arch-2017.html

KENNECTED

....... accidental posting

Blumie

The link that FlyinHawaiian includes shows a map of the route the march will follow. And although the anticipated size of the march could affect areas beyond just the march route, I can't imagine it's necessary to avoid the entire swath of midtown from Grand Central to Trump Tower. (In fact some of would urge you to seek out that area and to join in the march! And irrespective of one's politics, it is likely to be an historic event and worth seeing.) But just be aware of the march route and the fact that it could at times be very difficult, or impossible, to cross the march route.

AMflier

Also keep in mind that the last group is scheduled to start marching at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 4:15. Assume that the route will be clogged up until well into the evening.

FlyinHawaiian

Notification issued 1/20/17 at 6:45 PM. Due to protest activity, expect possible traffic delays and intermittent street closures throughout Lower and Central Manhattan, including the areas of Foley Square, Wall Street and Broadway, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time.