I'm in a New York State of Mind

[DeltAlum]

There are definitely still carriage rides in Central Park.

I've never taken one, but they look like fun.

I'm finished talking about the Met, except to say that my wife, with a degree in fine arts and a former docent at a fairly major gallery which shall remain nameless, loves it.

That is not to disparage in any way any of the smaller galleries mentioned. Your can get a lot for your money and time at The Met. The comment on crowds at The Met is valid.

Oh, and not everyone has a background or education in art.

I echo the comments on Times Square -- even in the daytime. Be mindful of your purse and/or wallet. We were sitting in a restaurant there with a friend of our son who was in Avenue Q at the time, and her purse was stolen off the back of her chair while we were all sitting at the table! One guy created a diversion and another lifted the purse. For the most part, the area has really been cleaned up and it's pretty safe.

I also agree on the comment on shopping, but I don't like shopping at all. Some people do get a big charge out of shopping at the big name stores, though. My post earlier was considering efficiency of time used. If you're at Rockefeller Center, some of the stores are within a couple of minutes walk.

If you have the time and inclination to see a Broadway show, I'd recommend doing some research on the web and ask friends for advice. Some tickets are nearly impossible to get less than a month or two in advence (Wicked and Jersey Boys for instance) unless you want to pay huge premium prices). Don't expect to walk up to the box office and buy seats for a good show like you would a movie. (You can buy online, but will pay a service fee -- which may be OK for the piece of mind of having your ticket in hand) Also, some of the shows (Lion King for instance) is a lot of glitter. If you like glitter, go for it. If you want something a little deeper, try something like Spring Awakening. I, personally, tend to stay away from the ones who rely on a "big name" TV or movie star. In my experience, needing the "name" is generally a result of a weak overall show.

ETA, please don't let any of us talk you out of seeing something you really want to see or do something you really want to do -- whether it's "touristy" or not. I've been to New York many times as a tourist, on business and I lived in Manhattan for a while supervising the radio and TV engineers at the UN. It's good, I think, to take in the bigger attractions your first couple of times there, and learn some of the things you'd like to see when you go back -- and most people do want to go back.

Have a great time.