Trip to New York City?

My friend, if you don't like the heat nor the snow, the best time to come to New York City is either in the Spring (March 21 to June 20) or Fall (Sept 21 to Dec 21), that when the weather is a lot cooler.

Thing to do and see in NYC

Landmarks

-Empire State Building

-Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island

-Rockefeller Center and the Top of the Rock Observation Deck

-Times Square (no trip is complete without a visit to the"Crossroads of the World")

-Broadway Show

-Lower Manhattan/Wall Street Area

-United Nations

-Central Park

-Brooklyn Bridge (you can walk across it too)

-Grand Central Terminal (largest railroad terminal in the country)

-A Ride on the Staten Island Ferry (its free and you can see the Statue of Liberty as the ferry crosses the harbor)

-Sightseeing tour on a Double Decker Bus

-Conference House (scene of the only Peace Conference during the Revolution, Lord Howe versus John Adams and Ben Franklin)

-Bronx Zoo/New York Botonical Garden

-Yankee Stadium (2008 is a big year for the Yankess Baseball team. This will be the last year their playing at the Original Yankee Stadium)

-Governor's Island

Museums

-Museum Mile (Fifth Avenue from East 86 to East 103 Streets)

-Museum of Natural History and the Rose Center for Earth and Space (formerly the Hayden Platerium)

-MoMa

-New Museum of Contemporary Art

-Madame Tussaud Wax Museum

-Brooklyn Museum

-Milk Gallery

-American Craft Museum

-Museum of American Folk Art

-Museum of the Moving Image

-The Paley Center For Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio)

-The Municipal Art Society

Shopping

-Macy's (West 34th Street and Broadway in the heart of Hearld Square)

-Bloomingdale's (Lexington Avenue at East 59 and East 60 Streets)

-The shops along Fifth Avenue (just don't max out you credit cards)

-Lord and Taylor (5th Avenue at East 38th Street)

-Chinatown/Canal Street Area (if you want to go on the cheap for the stuff you can't get on Fifth Avenue)

-NBA Store (for the basketball fan - 5th Avenue at East 52nd Street)

-The Apple Computer Store (East 59th Street and Fifth Avenue)

-The Time Warner Center (West 59th Street - Columbus Circle)

-Hershey Store (for those with a sweet tooth)

-M&M World (49th Street and 7th Avenue)

-Grand Central Terminal (for the shopping)

-H&M

-Century 21 Department Store (Church and Cortlandt Street)

-forever 21

-Barneys New York (660 Madison Ave)

-Abercrombie & Fitch (5th Avenue @ 57th Street and Water Street between Fulton and John Streets)

-American Eagle Outfiters (4 locations in Manhattan)

-Urban Outfitter (8 locations in Manhattan)

Restaurants

-Second Avenue Deli

-Carnegie Deli

-Stage Deli

-Junior's Cheescake (home to their World Famous Cheesecake)

-Mickey Mantle's Restaurant

Among others

Now, most of the attraction listed here are with in walking distance from you hotel, that depends on what what hotel you're staying in. While other, like the Staten Island Ferry and Yankee Stadium will required the used of the subway.

Now, the subway system is very safe, as well as fast and effiencient. Since you're in town for 5 days, you can purchase a 7-day unlimited ride MetroCard for $25 a person. With this card you can get unlimited ride on the subway and bus for 7-days.

I hope this information is very helpful. If you have any questions or need travel directions while in town, just drop me a line by clicking on the avatar and e-mail icon in the profile. I'll be glad to help.

Good luck

Native New Yorker

Absolutely, you should go. New York may have a terrorist threat because the United Nations is there, it is one of the most populated places on the face of the planet, and it is a desirable place to hate as witnessed by the attacks of 9/11. However, it is one of the most visually interesting and exciting places that everyone should experience. As a creative person, you are bound to see or hear things that stretch you as a person. Go for it and don't worry about the threats. Life is full of uncertainty and if we base our decisions on threats, we will never make decisions. There is an H1N1 flu covering the country and I am sure New York is now exception. If you get sick, some of the best hospitals are right there. Teaching ones where they can study you and educate future doctors. Go for it. Look around at all times and be aware of your surroundings. Stay in a group or with another person. Take more money than you think you will need. During the day use your feet and the subway, then take a taxi at night.

okay there's a lot of questions there. lol

1. you're best time is late September/early october (for the temperature you want)

2. Central Park, Strawberry Fields, the dakota (where john lennon lived and was shot), the Metropolitan Museum, Catch a Broadway show, times square, shopping on Canal Street (cheap designer knock offs). Museum of Natural History, tours of Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden. Empire State building, staten island ferry (nice FREE way to see the NYC skyline). Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island. oh the list goes on. tripadvisor.com is a good place to start looking at what there is to do.

3. It is VERY easy to get around the city. Although the subway looks confusing it's not bad at all. You'll get the hang of the maps within the first day. Subway passes are $7 per day for a ride all day pass (but there are deals for longer periods of time too) If you are really going to plan out your trip check this site out http://www.hopstop.com/?city=newyork it will give you subway/walking directions to and from and in between all your different stops.

4. If you don't have a hotel already I would recommend the Holiday Inn in Soho (on Lafayette). It was affordable (under nyc standards) clean, I felt safe, literally a block away from Canal St. and all the shopping, and a couple blocks from Little Italy. Also has 2 or 3 subway stops VERY close by. Although it is tempting to stay in Jersey (hotels are cheaper) I would NOT recommend it. I did it one time and the cab fare into Manhatten (3 miles away) was $70 and back it was $95. Crossing state lines they will charge you insane amounts cause neither state can charge them. You'll more than make up for the hotel price in cab fare this way. or check out hotels.com for some more options.

Good luck, you'll have a BLAST

if you need anymore information feel free to contact me. NYC is my true love (shh don't tell my fiance. lol). I want everyone to love it as much as I do and will be more than willing to help out.

Autumn definitely has the best weather in general, but it could suck at any time of the year. I'm sure other sources will give you plenty of touristy things, but if by "5 main areas" you mean the five boroughs you may want to tone down your plans a little. If you try to see everything in only a few days you will end up seeing less than if you concentrated on a smaller area. And the things most tourists want to see are in manhattan below 125th street anyway. If you do want to see more of the boroughs (which are all unique and well worth it) you will have to spend more time on the subway and more time in general. New York City is a pretty big place.

I am a life long resident & own my own travel agency , so I would love to help you with your trip . I think September is the best weather month here in NY , so that is when I would suggest you visit . Visit Ellis Island , the Statue of Liberty , the top of the Empire State Building , see a Broadway play , check out some of the best museums in the world ( the Met , Guggenheim , Museum of Modern Art , Natural History , etc. ) , go to Ground Zero , see Times Square . If you need help , you can email me ( gerry@snapshottravelagency.com ) , I will be glad to take care of your trip for you ...Best Regards , Gerry Donnelly , Snapshot Travel

here are some suggestions and tips from our personal experience:

we went to NY for a week and stayed at the Hilton Embassy Suites.

we had a blast!!!

you should visit Serendipity for dessert :)

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2008/03/day-1-aug-30-2...

there's a book called Lonely Planet (NYC)

it is a really really helpful book for tourists like us because it includes walking tours, etc, and places to eat.

by the way, instead of waiting for hours in line to get to the statue of liberty, you may opt to have the NY waterway tour instead. This way, you will save enough time to tour other parts of the city :)

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2008/03/touring-new-yo...

there's also the famous BULL at the financial district :)

you should also try the yummiest Pizza Margherita at 'Lil Frankie in East Village ^,^

if you have more time, try walking the stretch of Brooklyn Bridge.

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2008/03/traveller-in-n...

this serves as an exercise too.. hihihi

also, do visit Saint Patricks's Cathedral at 5th avenue.

don't miss to go inside.

it's wonderful!!!

we also went to Top of the Rock instead of the Empire State Building to avoid the long line hihihi because we were afraid we won't have enough time to see other parts of NYC :)

for shopping, you may want to visit Century 21, just across the former WTC.

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2008/03/livin-as-new-y...

you should have lunch/brunch at Cafe lalo!!! or at Sarabeth's :)

we chose Cafe Lalo hihihi because of the ambiance and because it's famous.

To relax, try having a picnic at Central Park.

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2008/03/labor-day-in-n...

we chose to eat at the top of one huge rock there to have e good view of the whole central park :)

then, we went to MET (entrance is by donation only, you don't have to give 20 USD)

if you're a techie like my friends, you may want to visit the MAC store. it is now a tourist spot because of its unique architecture :p

DON'T MISS eating at PARADOU!!!

it's a MUST!!!

trust me on this!

you also gotta watch a broadway show! definitely!

there's WICKED and SPAMALOT :)

http://jotan23.blogspot.com/2008/03/goodbye-new-yo...