NYC Tourist Stuff
 

I've lived in the NYC metro area my whole life, and as a result, I realized yesterday (while standing outside of Radiocity, the second time in my life) that I really haven't done any "tourist" stuff. Now that I'm moving in the next 3-8months, I want to do some of the things I never did because I've always assumed that I would be around forever.

So, GC, I would like your help. If you live in NYC, what are some of the things you do when people come to visit you? People who have been/want to go to NYC, what are some things you would/did do?

So far, this is my list:
1. Go to the top of the Empire State Building
2. Central Park: to the Alice and Wonderland and Strawberry Fields area and the zoo.
3. Take a picture with my friends in Times Square (as much as I HATE the people that do that)

Anything else? Gimme your suggestions!

Have you ever been to the Statue of Liberty? I've always wanted to go to the UN too because I missed out on a field trip in high school.

Frozzzen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity
Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center
5th Avenue Window displays during Christmastime
Circle Line tour

Have a list on my other computer....hum...spend a day at 30 Rock. Take the tour of the center itself, NBC, and and go to the top which is has great views of NY metro area. Also take tour of Radio City.

I would to the 30 Rock during the day and at night go to Empire State.

Have a pizza at John's Pizza on Bleeker.

Any of the Harbour tours.

Pick of copy of Where to see it, eat and buy it in New York; has many suggestions in it.

Check out www.nyc.com

Get "lost" anywhere in Downtown.

Get "lost" lower East side. East Houston street.

Go to South Street Seaport and see the tall ships. You can go in some of the restored buildings which have been made into museums. Here's the link:
http://www.southstseaport.org/

You can tour the Hudson from there on one of their schooners called "The Pioneer." or you can take "The Beast" which is REALLY fun! I'm not sure if these are up and running right now.. they stop sometime in the fall.

If those aren't going, you can take the Circle Line tour around the island. If you are more adventurous, there are also helicopter rides which are great.
http://travelwithkids.about.com/gi/d...ircleline.com/

Go to Radio City Music Hall, FAO Schwarz toy store (that is REALLY something to see!), Trump Tower, and the Empire State Building.

See a Broadway Show. For a really unique and fun show, check out Blue Man Group.. I've seen it twice! You can get cheaper tickets at the stands that say Tkts. Tkts has a booth in the middle of Times Square that sells half-price tickets to many productions on the day of the performance. They open from 3 PM until the 8 PM start of performances. On Wednesday and Saturday, they open at 10 AM and Sunday at 12 PM for matinee tickets. Go early and take cash or travelers checks, as they accept no credit cards. Be prepared to wait! There are usually long lines of people waiting to purchase tickets at 3 PM because the bargains are amazing!

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is really good. It has restored apartments and shows you how the immigrants lived a hundred years ago. You'll get an understanding of the "sweat shops"

Go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. TIP: don't go on a weekend. Go during the week and get the FIRST ferry out to the island and get off at the Statue first to avoid long lines. Unfortunately, due to 9-11, you can only go up to the base of the statue. You no longer can go up to the crown.

Then, go to Ellis Island and take a self guided tour (you can get the tape recorders and headphones.) Really, really interesting! Expect to spend much of the day there.

If you're into museums, go to the Museum of Natural History, The NY Planetarium and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

You might want to look into "City Pass" which will let you see 6 NY attractions for $63.2006–2007 CityPass includes admission to the following:
• American Museum of Natural History & Rose Center
• Guggenheim Museum
• The Museum of Modern Art
• Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• Empire State Building Observatory

If you purchased these on your own, it would cost you $122.

Make sure to eat a NY pretzel from one of the street venders!

You can take a horse and carriage ride in Central Park-- or just walk through on your own. It's beautiful.

Check out China Town and Little Italy. Walk through Grenwich Village.

Just outside the city is The Cloisters. It's part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has gorgeous pieces of art from Medieval Europe.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Ar...ment.asp?dep=7

Well, I gave you enough to do for a month!

Can I come visit you before you actually move out here?

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Keep 'em coming! I think I'm going start doing one or two things a weekend.

Of course you can! Anytime you want. You can play tourist with me. And then we can go to Colorado Cafe and experience the only thing Nashvilles is missing- the Mechanical Bull. Or we can dance on the bar at Fatsos.

Go to Coney Island. Take a ride on the Cyclone, visit the aquarium, see the sideshow, hang out on the boardwalk and watch people.
Stock up on reading material at the Strand (always the first place I go in NYC!)
Ride the Staten Island Ferry
Wander around Rockefeller Center
Wander around St. Mark's Place

If you do that, watch the Mythbusters episode on dropping pennies from there and also Sleepless in Seattle before you go. ;)


Also I'm not sure if they have this over there now after 9/11, but hire an aerieal tour plane or helicopter if u have the cash available and have a look at various parts of the city from the air. Its amazing how different things can look from above, esspecially harbours, buildings, parks and such. I once did the same thing around Sydney one time and I absolutely loved it. Definately worth the $120 Australian. :D

They still have that.

I'll echo most of what's been said (especially the Circle Line tour, if this is your first trip) and add:

-When you go to Strawberry Fields, turn around to see the Dakota Building, where John Lennon lived and died, and is the background for many movies.

-The Forbes Museum (12th & 5th) is free, and has many Russian antiquities, along with antique toys.

-Katz's Deli (lower East Side), for the atmosphere, if not the food (a must if you're a Woody Allen fan)

~Staten Island Ferry ride...free tho you must exit the boat to go back to Manhattan
~ check out The Downtown Alliance for free maps & guides of lower Manhattan. Fraunce's Tavern is a great museum/restaurant.
~Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
~Free concerts by students @ Julliard
~Botanical Gardens in the Bronx
~Bronx Zoo ...roar!