New York - what is a must?

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ney001

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Hi guys

Thought I'd have loads of time to plan trip to NY but instead had crazy week in work and no time to plan or search anything so i am looking for just some quick ideas about what to do - Flying tonight and first thing I guess is what should we do tomorrow? don't want to start shopping straight away as we will have a couple of days to do that - so can people recommend the 'must sees' and any tips you might have. Appreciate it thanks

also, looking for a good bar/club etc for a night out -we are staying on Broadway if that helps - all girls
 
The hop-on/hop-off downtown sightseeing tour is a great way to pass a day and to get your bearings. You can buy tickets from the vendors on the street.
 
Would second the recommendation for the hop on hop off sightseeing bus tour thingy! And also Empire State building and Times Square at night! I would add Brooklyn Bridge to that list - I would consider those four musts!

If you have extra time maybe add Central Park, a broadway show etc.
 
The Night time trip on the hop-on hop-off tour brings you to brooklyn, fantastic view back into New York from the Ice cream store that the tour stops at, central park, the church at ground zero. Catch a show. Enjoy
 
Ney, my sister lives in NY and last year I asked her to recommend some places to eat and drink for a colleague that was travelling over. I still have the e-mail and it might be of some use to you.

FOOD - easy to find good places, but here's a few suggestions.

http://www.thesunburntcow.com/brunch.php
all you can drink brunch place - food is good (not amazing) but all the mimosa cocktails
you can drink.. there are two places. The SunburntCow and Bondi Road…

http://www.ottopizzeria.com/
really nice pizza and wine restaurant, close to washington square park

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/barbossa/
cute little brazilian resturant, very relaxed, on the same street there is
a cuban place called Havana's, excellent, cheap, but always a queue.

http://freemansrestaurant.com/
nice and very trendy restaurant, tucked away down one of the few alleys in NY.
you'd never stumble across this place.

DRINK - most cocktail bars only open at 6pm

http://www.room18ny.com/
this is a 3 min walk from barbossa restaurant, so the strongest $10 cocktails in Manhattan.. deadly

http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/675_bar/index.php
new-ish retro bar, gets a young crowd, in meatpacking area which is good for restaurants, although pricy.
It's a basement bar, easy to walk by, there are steps to basement that looks like a storage room
from the outside..

http://nymag.com/listings/bar/The-Back-Room/
another one that is easy to miss, a true speak easy type bar.. wine in tea cups, bottles of beer in paper bags
you walk down what looks like a lane to the back of an empty building, but some fire escape steps and knock
on the door (if it's not open)
 
Lads - that's a super start much obliged!

Will have a cocktail for ye all at the Rock! :D
 
I found the boat trip out to Ellis Island fascinating. You would need a half day to have a bit of time there.

I found ny great grandmothers name on the list of imigrants!
 
I would not bother with the Empire State Building and do the Top of the Rock instead where you get a great view of the Empire State Building and the city on a number of levels. Go in the late afternoon when you get to see it in the light and dark. - PS I have done both Empire State Building and Top of the Rock.
Statue of liberty and Ellis Island is also a must see.
I found the MOMA interesting.
Times square and also would recommend doing an off Broadway show - I went to A Behanding in Spokane It's a Martin McDonagh play and was superb with Christopher Walken in it.
Walk around Central Park, Apple Store at central park and 5th ave.
 
* For a taste of real NY pizza head to [broken link removed] on Bleeker Street.

* Make sure you do Top of the Rock in the Rockefeller Centre at night

* Take the free Staten Island Ferry from south street ferry terminal

* Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

* Take in a show, and i'd also recommend going to an off Broadway show and get all your tickets at one of these tkts locations

* Take a walk around Ground Zero and pay a visit to Ladder and Engine 10 fire house

* Times Square at night is great, really buzzing.

* Talk a short walk around Central Park

And finally, enjoy NY, its a great city, some really nice people, especially if you wander off the main tourist paths. Its a pretty safe city too but just take the usual precautions.
 
Statute of Liberty but be prepared for long queues; you can't get inside it (and certainly not to the crown) without a special ticket which you really have to book weeks in advance; the normal ticket allows you access to the island and that is it (and Ellis Island as well).

Empire State Building : I have gone up about an hour before dusk and then enjoyed the view of the changing colours across the city while the sun sets and darkness falls; highly recommended

Broadway Show: there is a ticket booth on Times Square where you can get cheap tickets; best to do your research and know what shows you would like to see as you may not get tickets for your first choice.

Times Sqaure

Central Park: an escape from the madness of the city
 
If you don't have time to visit Ellis or Liberty Island just take the Staten Island Ferry as it's only 15 minutes each way. If you like Indian food go to East 6th street and 2nd ave. There's a load of restauarnts there, Timali East is very good. Bring your passport to Macys as you can get a 8-9% discount card if you're a tourist. Enjoy
 
tkts booth at Southstreet Seaport opens earlier (11am) than one in Time Square (3pm) and sells matinee tickets too. Found it better to use that one than waiting til later for the one in Times Sq to open so you can make the most of the day.

Also, most shops stay open til 10pm so for the first few days you'll probably be awake really early with the time difference so make the most of the sight seeing then and save your shopping til later, unless you plan to do an outlet trip. If you're doing an outlet trip best to go early and come back early than coming back from 4pm onwards as you'll reach rush-hour traffic on way back and can spend about 2 hours getting back.
 
If you are a shopper the international card in Macys is a must. 10% additional discount. It is available at customer service desk when you show your passport.
 
The Metropolitan Museum is the best museum i've been to in the world, stunning range of art and artifacts, you could spend a week there and not see it all.
 
Just thought of another one - how about a "ride along" with the NYPD? you are supposed to apply in advance, but we did it with just a couple of days notice - interesting. Nothing like speeding up 4th Ave (even if it was only for a shoplifter!) We should have booked in advance & gone to the Bronx or somewhere. Look up the nyc.gov website for info.
 
TLC,

How did you get the ride-a-long? Just looking at the website and it looks very difficult to get onto it.

Cool idea though .. any others!
 
My favourite place for breakfast. Love it, love it, love it. I used to work in teh sister pizza joint on 71st and Columbus way back when. Always go back for breakfast or for a slice of pizza or two. I worked there in 1986 and its still going strong.
Its a bit out of the way but just get the local subway uptown to 79th and Broadway and head south for 3 blocks. You can always check out Filene's Bargain basement on 79th as well
 
Hi Tilly&Milly - it was a couple of years ago, but what we did was go into the NYPD website, type in "ride along" in the search box & complete the form. We went down to 1 Police Plaza (very Law & Order!!) made our application - you need your passport for ID & they guy there fixed us up. I think it would have been better submitting our application in advance then you could perhaps pick the precinct you want to go to - we were just mid-town, but maybe the Bronx? The 2 guys we went with were very nice but their area was tiny - square mile - & we did go on a couple of calls with them. But as I'm not a speed freak the drive up 4th Ave with the siren on was a bit hair-raising, but good fun (once I got out that is). A visit to the NYPD museum is sobering - they have items taken from the World Trade Centre - brings it all home to see everyday objects flattened to almost nothing. What do you think - will you have a go?
 
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