I'm in a New York State of Mind

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by 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.

Finally, 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.

I agree with you DA but for one (or two) things:
TDF's TKTS booths; one in Mid-town, the other in South Street Seaport.
For cash, luck and some time invested on lines (this is not a secret site any more to anyone) you can get same day tickets to plays both on and off Broadway.
For information:
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56

And if OP is a member of AAA, pick up their New York TourBook.
Free to members and has pages of things to see and do.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by jon1856

I agree with you DA but for one (or two) things:
TDF's TKTS booths; one in Mid-town, the other in South Street Seaport.
For cash, luck and some time invested on lines (this is not a secret site any more to anyone) you can get same day tickets to plays both on and off Broadway.
For information:
http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56

And if OP is a member of AAA, pick up their New York TourBook.
Free to members and has pages of things to see and do.

Yeah. The TKTS booth used to be right in the middle of Times Square, but that has been temporarily closed down due to construction in the area. It's about half a block off Broadway now. The other one used to be at the WTC. I didn't realize it had been moved to the South Street SeaPort. If you're in mid-town, though, that's a subway or cab ride away.

Also, as I said above, there are same day alternatives, even to the biggest shows. As you point out, though, you have to have time to invest. Standing room tickets, for instance, are generally sold mid morning for that evening's performance. Lotteries are usually held in the late afternoon for an 8:00 PM show and you have to be there in person for either.

Most of the stuff I've talked about is trying to take into account using your time efficiently -- not spending it in cabs, etc.

[AlethiaSi]

I'm a big fan of wandering through the Village and if you like fun funky shops, St. Marks is good, the market in Union Square is awesome too (I think it's on Saturday, but it might be sunday), but that's better for farmer's market type stuff, but it's still interesting.