New York - things to see

Soldato
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Travelling to NYC in a week or so with parents and there for 3-4 days. Would appreciate any tips on things to do and see (and places to eat) there.

Will be staying very near Times Square. Key constraint - anything with too much walking is out, unless it is wheelchair accessible (ideally with wheelchairs provided as well).

Also - how do cabs (cost wise) compare to black cabs?
 
Buy a subway ticket so you can get around much easier - loads of subways meaning very little walking needed. Things to visit in those 3-4 days

Empire State / Rockafeller Center
Times Square
Central Park
Ground Zero
Statue of Liberty

All well worth seeing if you ask me.
 
Cabs are reasonable but don't use them at peak times as te traffic means you'll spend a fortune going nowhere!

Other things definitey worth seeing, the modern art museum, the MET and the Gugenheim (SIC)
 
Intrepid air craft carrier, is a museum but is closed due to hurricane damage at the minute, not sure when you go it might re-open.

If you want to go shopping take a bus out to woodbury common from port authority, i hate shopping in the uk, but will happily spend a day walking around this place as you can pretty much replace your entire wardrobe.
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7
 
If you want to get into the Christmas spirit we went to see the Christmas show(Rockettes) at Radio City last year. Its recommended if you want to see a show but not the typical west end/broadway...
 
central park zoo is small but awesome :)

I was slightly disappointed with it when I went. I think I had in my mind I was looking forward to seeing the snow leopard but it wasn't there when we visited.
Macys was another big let down.

The American Natural History Museum was worth a visit along with the NY library and Grand Central.

Damn I wish I was going again!
 
Also - how do cabs compare to black cabs?

They don't smell great but on the plus they are more buoyant.....

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I was slightly disappointed with it when I went. I think I had in my mind I was looking forward to seeing the snow leopard but it wasn't there when we visited.

i went in 2005, and a few weeks before i read in the sun newspaper that they had a pair of gay penguins. can't say i noticed them :p

it's got a good variety of animals there, and it's a nice little place to get away form the bustle of the rest of NYC. i say that because after about 4/5 days there, i found it quite fatiguing (we did a lot of walking) so it made a nice change of pace.
 
Thing is, the best place to see require walking, you can get a cab but they will cost you a small fortune if you keep taking them. The subway is not wheelchair friendly. I mean Central Park is lovely but that's lots of walking. Walking down 5th avenue will take you through everything from FAO Swartz, Empire State, Tiffany's, Trump Tower, Time Square, Rockefeller, radio city, New York City Library and all the way to near China Town.
 
If you like Thai food, Pong Sri on West 48th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue is excellent. Very cheap during the day for lunch and the portions are good.

Top of the Rock is a worthwhile experience, as you get a good view of Central Park and all of Manhattan.
 
One thing you have to do is go up the Empire State in the day time. There are two price ranges, the 82nd floor and the 102nd floor. Don't bother with going up to the 102nd floor, the view isn't really any different. I did it because I wanted to say I had, but really, I wish I'd kept the extra $20 it cost me and spent it on something else!

Then, when it's dark, the real views begin. Do the Rockefeller Building by night. It's truly breathtaking, and it's a flat fee. Raymond Lin recently did it too, and here's a breathtaking photo he took.


Thats the activity(ies) that I insist everyone does. Rockefeller by night, not by day. I wholeheartedly prefered it to the Empire State, you're somewhat more amongst the buildings that gives a much more intimate feeling to the views you're looking at.

Times Square is an obvious one, too.
 
New Jersey, its great this time of year.

So much to see and do, especially at this time of year definetely at this time of year.
 
Top of the rock do a ticket that lets you go up twice in a day, so you can do day and night. I agree with the others to go up and night.
When I went I was on the Empire state before dusk and hung around a while and then had the double entry ticket for top of the rock.

USS Intrepid is worth a look, the missus might get a bit bored though!

Statue of liberty was closed when I went, but Ellis Island was open and was quite interesting to walk around and read all the information.

Most of all just take a walk around, there is lots to see on every street!
 
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