Tips for A First Trip to NYC — Page 2

If you stop abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk and look up while pointing and exclaiming something inane about how tall the buildings are, you will be hit in the back of the head with an umbrella/laptop case/baseball bat.

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We just went for the first tie last week. It was a dream come true. I'll tell you what we did.

We went mostly because we love MUSICALS.
We spent 3 days

Day 1

Walked around Times Square
Saw "Fidller on the Roof"
Went to Radio City and Rockefeller Center at night to see all the lights
Went to "Avenue Q"

Day 2
Walked around some more in the Theater District
Saw "Wicked"
Went to Central Park and took a Carriage ride
Saw "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"

Day 3
Went and did Top of the Rock (a must go and see. It the top of Rockefeller center and you can see all of NYC its better than Empire state building.)
Saw "Hairspray"
Went to Time sqaure for New Years..got cold
Went to see "Chicago"
Went back to times Square at 44th and Broadway and watched ball drop.

We stayed and the Sofitel on 44th. The staff is amazing. The hotel is great and right around the corner from it all.

I left my heart in NYC

Have a blast!!

ClassicBohemian, the lines start before it opens, but I've usually found I don't have to wait much longer than 10 minutes during the day. I've also heard that some theatres release their better seats around dinner time that they couldn't sell at full price earlier in the day. I haven't been to the TKTS booth at the seaport but maybe someone can give you an idea of what it's like there - I believe it's the same ticket selection but a much shorter line. (Maybe go there the day you see the Statue of Liberty?)

And check out Greenwich Village and Chinatown. Good fun!

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I usually recommend the Elllis Island tour BUT u have to be willing to commit 3 hrs @ a minimum to see the exhibits.

I would strongly recommend going to the TKTS booth at South Street Seaport. You can take the A or C lines to the Broadway-Nassau stop or the 2,3 (and a few others I think) to the Fulton Street stop. Just walk east on Fulton Street to Water Street. One more block down Fulton Street is Front Street and the TKTS office is just one more short block south on Front. There are a lot of nice things about this office - with the best being very fast moving, short lines. That is IF there are any lines at all. It's much easier to see their board (in the window) to see what shows are available too.

When you're finished, you can walk over to Pier 17 for shopping or eating or just for a beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the river.

If you walk back up Fulton to Broadway or Church Street, you can then meander up the Avenues and see some of the neighborhoods. Get on and off the buses (or subways - your subway pass will work on both of them) and see Chinatown and Little Italy and Greenwich Village and so much more.

AND I WISH IT WAS ME!!!!

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The first time I went to New York, we did the bus tours--we did the south part one day and the north part the next so we had time to get off and explore at the different stops. We also did a lot of walking around on our own on the other days (I was with my mom and we're both pretty adventurous). I would suggest leaving time for just exploring on your own. If you do take a bus tour, sit up top if it's dry. It was mid-march the year I did the buses, so it was chilly, but worth it to be able to see better. Plus, up top you aren't crammed in with people standing in the isles.

I second (or twenty-second) the MOMA! I would also suggest checking out the United Nations tour (or at least make your way over there during the day when all the flags are up).

The other thing I would recommend is, if you get in after dark, take a cab ride through Time Square--that was the moment that I fell in love with New York!

Oh, and they make these maps--I don't remember what the company is, but they have them at most travel type stores, train stations, airports, etc., and even Walgreens in cities. Anyway, I call them "pop-up maps". They have them for most major cities. They fold up to around index card size, but they unfold really easily, and the New York one even has a small map of the subway system. They're really helpful, and are a little more subtle than pulling out a huge map or tourism book.

Edit: I just realized how long this ended up being! Sorry!
PS: If you want to stand outside TRL, then by all means, do so, but if you don't want to, then I would suggest avoiding that block in the afternoons--just crossing the street helps. I ended up right in the middle of it one time, without thinking about where I was standing outside of. I was so confused as to why all these people were screaming in my ear behind a baricade!!

Updated On: 1/11/06 at 11:03 AM