Susnshinegirl-I hope you read my trip report. Our plans were modest but we couldn't do it all. I am a good walker, but it takes time. I don't think cabs or buses can move much faster in the traffic. Next time I will learn the subway. Have fun. Take it easy

For the Plantar fascitis-stretch out beforehand and take anti-infammatories

Diet Dew can be ellusive

There is a book on bathrooms of NY

I am going to take a nap now.

HopStop can be set for subways, buses, walking or taxis - you just need to click in the appropriate spot.

Mountain Dew isn;t popular in NYC - it's more a southern thing. You will find it in some places but by no means all.

For bathrooms use LARGE hotels, department stores or Barnes & Nobles. Coffee shops/restaurants won;t let you use theirs unless you're a patron.

Love this advice! We are Michiganders and live on our diet dew but perhaps we will have to take up something new in NYC! Good advice on the restrooms! I was thinking I would get a lot of shopping in as the MEN in our group are the ones who need the restroom the most! TMI I know!
I know aduchamp1 would like one more thing to worry about before naptime so here goes...day2 we are going to Ellis Island by ferry then plan to do Brooklyn Bridge and China Town but not sure which to do first....first we were going to do China town then BB but it seems the other way is better if going to Battery Park area first? Any opinions? And what area of Chinatown does one go to? Streets or will we know we are there when we get there..naptime!

The main streets of Chinatown are Mott St and Mulberry St south of Canal St, and the side streets that intersect. I think your order is dependent on where you want to eat and what time you finish with Ellis Island.

Chinatown has grown considerably over the past twenty years but the basic tourist area is from East Broadway to Broadway. (Ignore the names they have little to do with each other.) The northern boundary is two or three blocks above Canal Street and the southern boundary is Worth Street. Whereever you eat be sure to go the Chinatown Ice Cream factory on Bayard Street for excellent store made ice creams.

Favorite places Big Wong, yes that is the real name
Joe's Ginger and Joe's Shanghai
Goldern Unicorn for dim sum
I also like Jing Fong for dim sum but only if you are an adventurous eater.

And you will probably like Pearl River on Broadway for things for yourself and souvenirs. They even have genuine dragon heads for the celebration of your choice.

And I absolutely have no opinion about which to do first-six of one.

I am going to put on the snooze alarm in case you have another question.

I just got up, any messages for me?

Well good morning..actually I am still contemplating the
travel between CT..BB and EI as to which is best time wise.. DEfinitely going to EI first thing in the am like 8 then??? BB then CT or CT then BB? Our hotel is Affinia Dumont..trying to save the poor feet... still 6 of one?

Hey sunshinegirl53, DH and I took the duck in Baltimore and had a really silly but fun time. A lot was a function of our driver/pilot though. OP poster didn't like the DC one. I didn't read every single word above-did anyone say they'd taken the NYC Duck???

I must agree with poster who said get the first boat out to Ellis Island if possible. It will be a time eater. DH and I were so touched by Ellis Island visit. I think we used 1/2 day for it. We were there for the week so not so pressed for time but we were so moved by what people went through to come to this country.

We also saw "Mama Mia" and even DH enjoyed it.

Also check online for regular nyc busses. We took a north/south from Tiffanys to Little Italy area if memory serves me correctly. Hop on/off bus is great in theory but you can waste time waiting for the next one to come by.

Have a great time!

Thank you again for responses!11 days til we get there! Warm and sunny weather I am predicting! Im sure I will have other questions so dont go far!

aduchamp1..you still sleeping? what shall we give up if it rains all day and do the boats go to Ellis Island rain or shine?

I am an insomniac so I am up.

What shall we give up if it rains all day and do the boats go to Ellis Island rain or shine?

Since they are boats not baseball players, I assume they will be working in the rain.

Activities for rainy days

Buying an umbrella
Museums-Besides the major museums, there are many small and/or qurky places.
Indie movies
Art galleries
Shopping or wandering about the small indpendent NY stores
Eating a leisurely meal

Taking the Number 6 Lex local downtown to Brooklyn Bridge but do not get off (gainst conductor's instructions). You will pass the now unused but elegant City Hall station which one of the original subway stops as it turns around to return for the uptown trip. NB-if does not turn around go to the consuctor and tell them you are a tourist.

My wife and I made our first trip to NYC, for 5 days, two weeks ago. Unbelievable, though we weren't there nearly long enough. Can't wait to get back! (By the way, if you get a chance, any chance, see "In the Heights", it is utterly amazing!)

One bit of advice for the subway. While we loved it, and it was really fun learning the system (by day #3 we felt like locals, but were only so in our own minds), as noted above the trains will run very differently on weekends and holidays. We were there Wed-Sun, and thought we had it figured out by Friday. Well.....we go down to Union Square for the market Sat morning, stroll up Broadway to 23rd, which was blocked off for vendors, then try to jump the #1 train to South Ferry. Well.....Long story short, the trains tend to run on different tracks, make different stops, etc. on weekends and holidays.

I'm sure a New Yorker could explain this much better than me, and it's mentioned briefly above, but just to give you a heads up.....

Changes of service for weekend and night hours are posted inside the station, usually on a wall near the token booth (Is it still called a token booth?). They are letter-size white notices featuring a large letter or number of the train affected with the service-change details noted. Sometimes they same notices will appear posted on the actual train platforms. These are considered temporary changes, though they may affect weekends or nights for a number of days or weeks while the track repairs are completed.

Good to know! I am wondering if we would save time and footsteps by taking the taxi most of the time...we will split cost between 2 families and if we bought the 7 day subway ticket it would be 100.00 for the 4 of us....will the downtown traffic be horrendous on the weekend? Only 1 more day ....can't wait!

There are many traffic problems. There are street fairs from the spring to the fall, plus there some sort of a parade almost every weekend during the same period plus bike tours, etc, etc. Thus traffic jams will arise where the stricts are restricted. This is in addition to the usual trouble spots like Canal Street.

As noted there is always work on the subways on the weekends and at night, so read the postings as Ellem instructed.

Except for early weekend mornings traffic will still be substantial. Cabs may be OK for short distances (but New Yorkers would usually walk) - but for longer ones subways are faster. IF you have questions on subway changes call the NYC Info line - 311 they have answers for all the usual things.

Again, greatful for everyone's advice!

Had an amazing time! See our trip report for more insight and reviews of our trip!

Can't wait to read it. We went there also-wonder if we passed each other!