Hello to everybody!
It is the first time when I ask a qquestion in this forum, but I enjoy from a lot time ago to learn and to find a lot of useful info reading the messages here.

We prepare our trip to Austria and Germany in August, and I could not find yet the good answers regarding some of the places that we want to visit:

1. Is it possible to visit the City Hall of Vienna without a guided tour? If yes, what are the visit hours?

2. We are thinking to book the pension hotel Corvinus, on Mariahilferstrasse. Did somebody stay here, and did you like it?
Is this sreet a safe one?

3. We are two families, with two girls, 14 and 16. We want to take the girls to Prater park. In August, when will be better time to go there, during the day or in evening?

4. We have tickets for two concerts, one in Imperial Hall. What will be the dress code?

5. Is it a good idea to spend a evening in Grunzig with our children?
Is a any public transportation from Vienna to there?

Thank you in advance for your help.

I can give you my input on question 4.
Thg Viennese are very smartly dressed at all times and they really dress up well for concerts.
We had standing tickets only to hear the Vienna Philharmonic. As it was on a Sunday morning we just had on our Rockports and thick jackets and trousers(it was cold in early December). Never before have I felt so "underdressed" specially when I went into the cloakroom and saw all the ladies wearing cocktail dresses and fur coats!

HI - I've been in the Vienna City Hall, but only because I was invited there for a seminar. Not sure if there are tours, etc. You should, anyhow, definitely see it lit up at night. Quite sight!

As far as Grinzig is concerned, you could take the U-Bahn line U-4 to Heliginstadt . There are also trams that go there (you would have to switch a couple of times.) Then walk a bit. In the book, "Vienna" by Eyewitness Travel Guides (go to www.dk.com to order this if it's not in your book store), they give you a walking guide of this area and other places to go to nearby. Also tips on transportation.

Although I've been to Vienna twice, I haven't gone to the Prater, but I hear it's best to go there in the daytime.

Hope this helps.

Mariahilferstrasse is a safe street-ggood location.
Check out the Treasury. HUGE jewels which belonged to the Hapsburg kings.

Hello;
Though touristy, Grinzing is a fine place to spend an evening, try Zum Martin Sepp, it is one of the best heuriger in that area. Tram 38 from Schottentor will take you there without any changes, just stay on till the end of the line, about 15 min ride. Prater is good during the day or early evening, Wien will be hot in August, so I would say early evening. Across from Wien Nord station, where you probably will arrive to visit the Prater on the U1 line, is a great place to eat, Gasthaus Hansy, Heinestrasse 42. Great Austrian favorites, few tourists. Mariahilerstrasse is a great location, we prefer to stroll down it to city center, although there are some U-bahn stations along the way if you are in a hurry.

Oops, we did not stay at the Corvinus, we stayed at the Fuerstenhof which is right off of Mariahilferstasse, across from the Westbahnhof, it was absolutely wonderful.

Thank you very much to all of you for the quick answers. As you say that Mariahilferstrasse is good and safe, I shall book Corvinus. We make now the final plans for our vacation, and maybe I'll have more questions later.

Thanks again.

Mariahilferstr is a long shopping street, your teenage daughters will enjoy staying there. My daughter claims that it's the best place for teenagers to shop in Vienna.