Staying in Manhattan is your best bet. Allthough I have not traveled to New york City alone, I have been many ,many times with my husband. Most of these trips are business for him so I spend a lot of time on my own. I feel quit safe walking downtown. You have lived and traveled to other major cities so you no doubt have some street smarts. Get yourself a travel book and check out the hotels in Manhattan along with the sites and have agreat time. It's my favorite city to visit.

See the mole people posting for futher info

I've traveled to NY many times on my own. In spite of the recent news about the incidents in Central Park, NY has never been safer. You do need to use big city common sense. Dress conservatively. If you dress to invite attention, you'll get it. Stay in a hotel on a major street in Manhattan. I would stay away from 8th Avenue. Anywhere around Rockefeller Plaza would be fine - there's activity all the time. Wear your handbag close to your body and be aware of who'se around you.
This is advice for any major city. Have fun.

Hello fellow Canadian! Lulu, I used to travel alone to NYC frequently but have not done so for about 10 years. So, what I say may be somewhat dated (others
please jump in here!). I stayed @ The Dorset & always felt safe. I don't even know if it's still there! Older,charming smaller hotel. Thinking back, I DO recall that I was usually the only
woman in the dining room for breakfast!
I wld. hope that that has changed in 10 years! Anyway, I walked everywhere & grabbed cabs when I had to! The concierge @ The Dorset was always able to secure tickets for Broadway. I sometimes went by myself. My family
thought I was crazy but I never felt threatened in any way! I love NYC & wld.
go back alone (& will when I get the chance!)! I'll be interested to see what other posters have to offer. Interesting
thread!

As a woman who lives in NY, I just want to add that it *is* safer than ever, and you should really feel fine (using your city smarts) in all the places you'd be likely to want to go, up through the mid-evening, and later in midtown. However, you probably would not want to stay in the Times Square area, not just for comfort level, but also because despite the "cleanup" of recent years, it's still not that nice an area. Good areas to stay include Rockefeller Center area, as noted above, Upper East and West Sides (in the 60s), lower midtown East (30s) and Gramercy Park areas. All those are more residential areas than around Rock. center and will have lower-priced lodging as well as lots of restaurants. You should feel fine about using public transport--bus and subway--during the day and early evening. Eating alone should not be a problem; many upscale places serve food in their bar areas, either the regular menu or a different one. On www.journeywoman.com, there is a good article about great places in NYC for a woman to dine alone. This is a great site all-around for woman travelers, with lots of great tips.

I have been to New York numerous times by myself and other times with friends or to visit someone. Actually, in some ways I enjoy visiting New York alone more than when I'm with others, because I can do all the things I truly want (and there are so many wonderful things to do). I have stayed at the Hotel Edison several times and it is very safe, centrally located in the theatre district, and moderately priced (nothing fancy). This is where I prefer to stay when I'm planning on seeing lots of plays (it's very close to all the theatres and the half-price ticket booth in Times Square). By the way, I have stayed in London by myself and find New York to have a comparable feeling -- both are easy to navigate alone and feel safe due to the fact that there are always other people on the streets at all hours.
The Edison is convenient to the subway and is also walking distance to lots of sights in midtown -- Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art, 5th Avenue shopping, etc.
The Carnegie Deli is a favorite for lunch and I love Joe Allen's for dinner before a show.

Go for it!