What are the MUST DO's in New York??

exel1966

Once you've been bitten by NYC, you'll want more and will return again !!

I'd advise a 15minute helicopter ride around the city. It's not cheap, but for the memories and photos you'll get, you'll think it was worth every penny when you've got your feet back on terra firma. Once you're up i the air you'll be so taken aback by the view that you'll lose your fear of heights immediately.

You said you already have a booking for broadway, but don't let that stop you taking in an additional show. In the centre of Times Square is a heavily discounted ticket supplier (you can't miss it) which opens at 3pm daily with discounts up to 75% on that evenings shows.

As others have said :-

The Empire
The Rockafella Centre
The Open top hop-on hop-off guided tour Buses for about $50 for 48hours.
The Metropolitan Museum (It's HUGE)
Carneigies Deli (famous for MASSIVE pastrami sandwiches) and a few Hollywood movies. (min charge $25)
Central Park (walking, boating, eating, skating, John Lennon memorial shrine)
Tiffanys, Macys, Bloomingdales

lily_the_pink

furrypig wrote:

Wow you guys are fonts of NYC knowledge, I am getting sooo excited reading these posts and think I will manage the Empire State building from what you have been saying!

THANKS!

My OH suffers badly with heights - (very very badly though he can do ski lifts :rolleyes: ). He did the Empire State building no problem so I imagine you will be OK.

I do find it strange that he cant do a small lift tower in Lisbon (or rather did but decided to come down when we were half way up) but did the Empire State Building and enjoyed it. (He said that there is plenty of protection so no poss of accidentally falling over the edge).

As an alternative to the New York Pass there is the City Pass - $63 until beginning of October then $53 after. This includes the Museum of Modern Art, Empire State, Circle line , Guggenheim, and American Natural History Museum . You have 9 days to use this pass from the first time you use it. You can bypass queues at the Empire State (and I suspect at the Moma, and the Guggenheim but not sure about this). http://www.citypass.com/city/ny/new.html

consultant31

Ooh you lucky thing - I loooove New York and have to wait till April for my next trip :j :j
Everyone else has told you the best places to go see the sights (and believe them, the height of the Rockerfella & Empire State is not a worry when you're up there, I prefered the top of the Rock, did it in daylight and again after dark).
Two fab places to eat - Red Lobster and Bubba Gumps, both on Times Square. Unless you can eat for 3, don't order a starter and a main course, they're HUGE portions and don't try to go at the weekend, they get packed with locals eating out as well as tourists. Red Lobster do a starter which is a mix of shrimp & cheese in a bowl made of bread (all edible) it was the best thing I've ever eaten, yummy!!!
If you've got a digital camera, be sure to buy a big memory card - you'll probably take a couple of hundred photos over the course of a week.
Definitely take a bus tour and do it again at night - it's amazing, but wrap up warm, it gets very cold after dark.
We bought a New York City digital picture postcard which was well worth the price (under $10) and I look at it all the time, it's excellent.
Won't bother to tell you to enjoy yourself - you couldn't fail to :rotfl:

consultant31

Forgot to mention, you can (if you've time) do a day-trip to the Niagara Falls (http://www.city-discovery.com/new-york/tour.php?id=526)

It takes 12 hours out of your holiday, but looks fabulous. Depending on the time of year, you get a trip on the 'Maid of the Mist' or a 'Behind the Falls' excursion. We're hoping to book it for next year.

Viking_Man

Go to the Metropolitan Opera if you can - you can get really cheap tickets standing at the back, and if the seats aren't all full you can move down into an empty seat after the show starts. You can buy them on-line before you go:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/home.aspx

*flutterby*

We just got back from our first trip to New York yesterday and we miss it already...

Most people have recommended the places I would have said...

We did the top of the rock in the day and the empire state building at night... you can't see central park from the empire state building so thats why we did it this way round... the views from both are breathtaking!

I second all the posts about the New York Pass - buy it online and save 20%

and def the Grayline Bus tours.... Look for a good guide, the ones originally from New York are the best as they tell you great places to eat and non tourist places to go for a real sight of New York! The others just tell you history of buildings etc, what they are told to say basically! You can also decide what you want to see for yourself... If you're on with a good guide stay on the bus the whole way round and then go round again to get off as a lot of the guides were not as good as others!

There is a fab ice cream place called cold stone creamery on 42nd street. They blend the ice cream infront of you on a granite top and sing while they do it... you chose your basic ice cream flavour and whatever you want in it... banana, nuts, berries, sauces etc... the choice is huge and the ice cream delicious! Ggggrrrr - why don't we have these places in the uk! *sob*

We were there for 10 days and stayed at Amsterdam Court - which was just perfect and right round the corner from Times Square... towards the end we were very tired of all the hub round there so we got the tube to Grenwich Village which is lovely in the day and evening and where the true 'New Yorkers' hang out! I went for a New York manicure there and sat in the window lined up like dolls waiting under the blowers for my nails to dry!

It took a few days for my bf to convince me to go on the subway but once he did there was no stopping us, it took us minutes to get all round New York, compared to the much longer trips in taxis and walking! I always thought I was too good for using them but no such thing, you see everything from business men and women to well the total opposite! $2 per ride, multi-ride tickets available too... REALLY quick and easy to buy tickets... absolutley nothing to worry about!

We also went to the Bronx to see the Yankees which was a fab experience!

Canal Street in China town is great for LV, Gucci, Dior, Chanel etc copies... go with the people who ask you if want purses etc and they will take you to paradise!

We saw 3 shows on Broadway and got all our tickets at 50% off from the TKTs booths, the only problem is you can only get them on the actual day you want to see the show, they que up outside from about 2 and open at 3 but if you're not too bothered about where you sit leave it till about 4 o'clock and the ques will have gone! When you come out of the theatre there's bike cabs waiting, if you've never been on one - you must go... it's fab wizzing back to your hotel or for dinner on one and if there's a few couples the riders will probably race who can get thier first - lots of fun!

I'm sorry for waffling! If you want reccs for where to eat please PM me, we tried everything from delis to diners where the waiters got on the tables and sang, to the most yummy pizza I've ever tasted to the worst pasta!

*flutterby*

I've been asked for some more info so decided to post the answers on here as I feel it will help a few people...

We did go for the carriage ride through central park, it's a standard $37 for approx 20-30 minutes... all the carriages take the same route... It was nice to do as I've never been in a horse and carriage but I wouldn't say it came in our top 10 of New York... I wanted to go on it as it was down as one of the top 10 most romantic things to do in the eye witness book for New York but I wouldn't say it was romantic. We went during the day, I would have thought it may be a little better in the evening but not much. You also see horse and carriages around times square in the evening so this may be another alternative... although I enjoyed the bike cab a LOT more!

Places we ate were... (that we can remmeber the names for)

Chevvy's, 42nd Street, Mexican food, nice atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff and good food

Dallas BBQ, 42nd Street, Ribs/steak/chicken, HUGE portions and good tasting food

Ellens Stardust Diner, Broadway about 2 blocks from Times square, great atmosphere were the waiters and waitresses sing and dance on the tables and good food

Johns Pizzeria, Bleeker Street, Grenwich Village, a few of the bus tour guides recommended this place, was gorgeous, not touristy at all and pizza's cooked in a brick oven - they tasted delish! But Pizza and a few pastas is all they do, no starters or coffee or deserts but we could see why when people were queing up outside as we left! It's not the place to while away the night!

On Bleeker street there are 2 patisseries next to each other, they have the most amazing cakes to look at and to eat and lovely coffee so if you do go to Johns, go there after!

Our best breakfast was at Pennyfeathers also in Grenwich Village, lovely welcoming place and very friendly staff.

The Stage Deli, this has got a good reputation and is a direct competitor to the Carnegie Deli (didn't get to try there) HUGELY dissappointed with the Stage Deli and this was the first place we went so we had nothing to compare it to even... It supposedly the best sandwiches, yes the meat is piled quite high but had very little taste and the bread was very dry... The ammericans don't appear to use butter or margerine on anything

The Duke cafe on Broadway in Soho, it was a deli so great for lunch, we went twice really tasty food

There is also restaurant row, I think was on 47th Street around 8th Ave

The breakfast and food from the carts which are on every street corner is very good, esp the bagels!

We're warned off The Olive Garden in Times square a few times and it does kind of call to you but avoided it

The only things we were craving when we got home was good bacon and eggs, the bacon there is streaky or warm cooked ham and a hot and spicy curry! Not many indian restaurants that we could find anyway!

I guess it all depends what you're after, I really believe the best places are the ones out of Times Square area!

Our whole objective for the holiday was to try and do as much and many different things as possible, we didn't try the helicopter trips but feel we have some excellent pictures from the bus tour to Brooklyn (over the bridge) our free trip to the statue of liberty (New York Pass) and the views from the top of the Empire state building and Top of the Rock

Will keep reminising and post again if it will help anyone but please feel free to ask any questions, more than happy to help

rubia1409_2

South Sea Port is worth a visit, also Canal Street for your fakes but barter.
The subways are fine, i use them all the time and have never had any trouble. The village is worth a visit especially on a sunday for brunch. Finally shop shop shop! What else would you do in New York! If you want something different to the usual Banana Republic/Club Monaco places try around 21st street off 5th there are aome great places there, and don't forget Crate & Barrel for your householdie stuff

Ivrytwr3

i want to go now.

Nobjocki

You mujst have a drink here.
It's possibly the greatest bar in the entire world.

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/listings/bar/ear_inn/