Things to do in New York

king_of_inismac

Hey guys,

I'm off to New York in a few week with the g/f and I want to pack as much into my time there as possible.

I've been looking up the intraweb a good bit, but I'd prefer to get peoples opinions on "what not to miss",

Thanks in advance,
Martin

Lord Nikon

A Knicks game in Madison Square Garden, they certainly put on a good show.
Go see a Broadway show, I didn't want to see one but my girlfriend persuaded me to. i saw Fame, it was deadly.
Go see Ground Zero, at least to say that you where there.
Can't think of anything else. Have fun, it's the best.

babaduck

Circle Line harbour cruise (the sunset one is fab)

Liberty Helicopter trip over Manahattan (book in advance!!)

www.bigapplegreeters.com for a free walking tour of Manhattan with a local volunteer

Buy cheapo tix for a show from www.tkts.com - use the office at South Street Seaport rather than Times Square

Eat at Les Halles on Park Ave

Times Square is fab & also v. safe since 9/11

www.nycvisit.com is a fab resource for things to do in NYC - apply for their visitors guide now & you should get it in time for your trip
http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=11

We did all of this & loads more on our honeymoon last year and we had an amazing time (although we did spend money like it was water!!!)

BANZAI_RUNNER

Take a Gray Lines Tour Bus , its very interesting , and you can get off the bus whenever you like , then just get back on another one
Also the helocopter tour of manhattan , but i guess they got enough bad publicity a few weeks back when one crashed

Samson

Take the (free) ferry to Staten Island and back, good views of the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan (not as good without the WTC). Don't bother with the statue itself, it's overrated and too crowded.

Go up the Empire State building.

Have a steak in Smith & Wollensky's on 3rd. Go into the grill (entrance on 49th) rather than the restaurant (same food, same building, better atmosphere and no need to book a table).

Visit the Met.

Spend some money in Bloomingdales and/or Macy's.

Visit Times Square at night.

Go for a walk in Central Park.

Go for a pint in the Penthouse bar at The Waldorf.

Visit the Village and Battery Park.

Visit Chinatown (around Canal Street) and buy a fake Rolex.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with Ground Zero, it's just a building site really.

Lord Nikon

Don't know when your going, but i went in December, and there's nothing better than iceskating in Central Park. brilliant

magic roundabou

go to NY most years in November for the last 10year and must admit to my shame that i have yet to see any of the "sights" as its a shopping trip and the shops stay open late so no time for anything else !! lol
so if you ( or your girlfriend who will be doing the shopping!!!) want advice on shops just let me know and i will be able to help you on that

zAbbo

neuromancer wrote:

A Knicks game in Madison Square Garden, they certainly put on a good show.

Seasons ended.

Go see an IMAX 3D film if you can or if theres no 3d films on, try any imax experience ones(hmmm Batman)

pokermonkey

hey
was in new york on my j1 last summer.
what a place, you are in for a treat.
i was living out in montauk, but went into ny 3 times, once with the girlfriend.

as far as accomodation goes. the pensilvanian is very central and realy handy but therooms are crap. i also stayed in the milllenium hilton opposite ground zero, which is WAY nicer, but a bit out of the way.

as for places to see.

empire state is a must see, but be in for a good long que, but that really really has more to do with the time of year i guess. great views. was there at night and during the day. think i prefered the night one though.

ground zero is eerie, but to be honest, its a bit dull(i do not mean to cause offence to anyone who has any links to the site), and while you're down there go visit wall street, its just around the corner. again, not much to see accept loads of armed guards, but at least you can say you were there.

time square is SOOOOOOOOOOO amazing at night! it really has to be seen, but buy nothing there as everything is soooo overpriced.

battery park in the south is a good place to see the statue of liberty, but dont bother going out to the island, its a wast of time. also, there are tonnes of people selling rip off of stuff there so if you want a rolex for a fiver, you can get it there. lol.

central park is very nice and a good place for a ramble but dont wander around there at night.

if you're into art, you'll be spoilled, with places like the googenheim(def not spelled that way), the met and many more. but these will eat away at your time.

and of course, see a show. in time square you can also get tickets for the tonight show and the likes, which is not quite the same as the theatre, but i thought id throw the idea out there anyway.

if she's into shopping (and boy was mine) bloomingdales is the place to go. you can skip macy's, there's freck all there. if you want to go all out, there's a place called woodbury common. its got 220 stores, and everything is discounted (but you will be searching hard for stuff you like) check out www.shortlinebus.com/Day_Trips/wcday.htm . and abercrombie which is down in the se of manhatten.

for electronics, go to J&R electronics down near wall street. i got a dig camera and ipod there FAR cheaper than here.

eh, to be honest, just explore as much as you can and wander around. there's too much stuff to see.

anyway, enjoy your time there, i know i did,

niall

Lord Nikon

pokermonkey wrote:

.....there's a place called woodbury common. its got 220 stores, and everything is discounted (but you will be searching hard for stuff you like) check out www.shortlinebus.com/Day_Trips/wcday.htm .
niall

I was here too, it's a bit of a distance out from the city, but has loads of stuff at hugely discounted prices.

solice

go for dinner in virgils (you will not be disappointed). i would go back to new york just to go to virgils,

idontknowmyname

Does you g/f like Sex and The City? If so, she'll really appreciate the Sex and The City tour- and it'll earn you big time brownie points!!!

magic roundabou

" there's a place called woodbury common. its got 220 stores, and everything is discounted (but you will be searching hard for stuff you like) check out "

have been there but was not into it much , its good for designer stuff but i much prefered paramas park/garden state plaza, its also in the outskirts you get the bus from the central bus station, only a few $ unlike the woodbury which is more expensive. great range of shops and there good places to eat as well

Culchie

magic roundabou wrote:

" there's a place called woodbury common. its got 220 stores, and everything is discounted (but you will be searching hard for stuff you like) check out "

have been there but was not into it much , its good for designer stuff but i much prefered paramas park/garden state plaza, its also in the outskirts you get the bus from the central bus station, only a few $ unlike the woodbury which is more expensive. great range of shops and there good places to eat as well

I've been told by my wife that " Jersey Gardens" is the new chic shopping mall complex now.
I have credit card receipts to prove it !!

solice

magic roundabou wrote:

" there's a place called woodbury common. its got 220 stores, and everything is discounted (but you will be searching hard for stuff you like) check out "

have been there but was not into it much , its good for designer stuff but i much prefered paramas park/garden state plaza, its also in the outskirts you get the bus from the central bus station, only a few $ unlike the woodbury which is more expensive. great range of shops and there good places to eat as well

I liked woodbury, had intended to spend 4 hours day, 9 hours later we were snowed under in bags full of stuff. There are quiet a few Armani and Versace type shops but there are some good reasonable ones too. It might be a bit too far north though

Healio

Smith and wollenksky's steak house, where the steaks are as long as your forearm.

drrnwbb

get the free (well, if you have a metrocard) cable car to roosevelt island. upper east side. http://www.nycsubway.org/nyc/ritram/

threebeards

Wherever you go, bring ID. Since Sep 11, a lot of tourist attractions insist on seeing ID. Don't get caught like I did at the Empire State Building, queued for ages and then told I couldn't go in cos I didn't have ID with me.

Do a tour of Madison Sq Garden. They happen hourly through the day for about $13 I think. You get the tour of the main arena, dressing/locker rooms, VIP Lounges etc. Just make sure you bring your video camera.

I'm goin to NY again in a few weeks and can't wait

pokermonkey

wierd, i went up the empire twice last year, and never got asked for id.

were you carring any weapons of mass destruction? ( only kidding )

maybe i just got lucky. the only place that asked me for id was the hotel and the odd bar.