Good places to visit in New York?

Doodee

Since im heading over next december I was just wondering where there any really really good places of interest and general amuesment over there?

I'll only be there for 7 days so time would be a limiting factor.
Help appreciated.

kaimera

Given the current economic state o the US...maybe you should avoid Wall Street!:p

Amm...it's been a good while since I was there tho..butt...crap!
atm, I canent remember any good sites aside from..well...those two are gone now so...

bucks73

If you are a sports fan I would recommend a day at Yankee Stadium during the summer but a night of ice hockey is pretty good too.

http://www.newyorkrangers.com/tickets/schedule.asp?Month=Dec

Also well worth doing Empire State, Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, ferry around Manhattan and helicopter tour.

http://www.esbnyc.com/index2.cfm
http://www.ellisisland.org/
http://www.nps.gov/stli/
http://www.libertyhelicopters.com/
http://www.NYCtourist.com/

Dr. Loon

The Empire State is cool, but it takes a good while to get up there... because of queue's, and The Statue of Libery, is probably not even worth waiting in queue's for, when I was there, we got the boat around the Bay - The Circle Line, or you can get a thing called the beast -- a speedboat around. I preferred the Circle line, cos you chill out and look at the views and have a beer.

We also did the Grayline bus tour around the place. Which is a good way to see things. Probably one of the best things we did was have drinks in the windows of the world - bar at the top of the WTC. Petty they're gone

Borzoi

Firstly, be prepared foor biting cold. I have never been as cold in my life as a January trip. -3C on the ground, -19C with wind chill. And those streets act like wind tunnells. Birrr!

The places, defintitely do Ellis Island (and stroll round Battery Park), the Statue is overrated IMHO, and yoiu get to see it fairly close from the ferry. The history museum, and the Metropolitan ( both by Central Park) are good places - but as they'd take a day each to do comfortably. Empire State is fun, but weather and bad light could be a problem - it was for me. Likewise with the Eisenhower(?) which is an aircraft carrier/aeronautics museum - but again a lot of it is open on the flight deck.

Check out Times Square and Grand Central station - good contrast, don't go specifically to either, but if you find yourself nearby have a look.

As for eating and drinking, the food is big, starters are usually bigger then a main course here, so watch out for that. But is cheap and good.

The only bar which I'd say must go: McSorley's, doen around 47th St, very famous, only serves their own beer, two types - light and dark. Sawdust on the floor potbelied stove belting out heat dust and cobwebs everywhere. Oh, and order beers by two's - or they tend to throw you out!

HAve fun, it's a great place.

Vexorg

Go for the Greyline Tours, they cover most of Manhatten, you can jump on and off, they are not cheap, but cover most of the major sites.

When you have a good idea what you really want to see, use the subway system, you can get unlimited use tourist tickets or a day and longer for a few dollars.

Sights to see, Ground Zero, its just a big hole now, last april you could still get a sense of how it affected people.

Empire State, Ellis Island museum errie place, you can read many of the ships passanger lists, funny feeling reading the ships carring Irish passangers. Times Square....

Grab a lonely planet and rough guide to New York in easons, they give you a good idea of what to expect. Everything from getting a Taxi from JFK to Manhatten, where to eat, what to see, where to shop.

Its a great place with loads of Starbucks....

Vex.

koneko

The Statue of Liberty. Corny, old, but still good. Mainly it's a nice little boat trip over.

Also, if you can, have a helicopter ride (I think they're about 15 mins or so) over the city). Absolutely amazing, and you'll get a better view of the city in all it's glory than you could have any other way. Times Square is pretty damn neat, especially late in the evening (if you're big into pretty lights . Central Park.

If you're into the flicks, go to Planet Hollywood there. I wish I had, apparantly they still have some of the props/statues from Aliens/Alien 3. Don't forget to buy some wacky stuff you can't get here. Like spray cheese. Urgh. Take some pictures of cops and run away like a little girl.

I would have said the WTC because it was pretty damn different alright, but alas... no more...