My travelling buddy and I have reserved Holiday Inn Express Manhattan West but can only stay 5 nights and 4 full days. We want to take a tour the first day and we want to do so many things that we are totally overwhelmed. Since this is our first trip to New York we realize we can't see everything, but could anyone advise on what could practically work from the location of that hotel. For instance, could you do Central Park and The Memorial 911 and Ground zero in one day, then dinner and theatre that night? Can anyone recommend any restaurants near this hotel? Thank you.

That location is just fine. It's about 2 blocks to the subway lines that run up/down 8th Ave. You also have the option of a taxi, which can get you around the city quickly, especially north/south.

What you can "do" in one day all depends. Do you mean go glance at Central Park for 10min, then to to the WTC site?

Are you 2 ultra-marathoners in your 20's and used to being on the go all day long, or mobility impaired seniors who need extra time to cross the street?

Personally, I think you should leave more time for slowing down and smelling the roses. I find that dinner + theater makes for a along evening, so on theater nights prefer to grab something simple & quick.

I suggest getting a guide book and a map. Select the sights that most appeal to you and plot them on the map (on-line or paper) so you can plan your days in a geographically logical fashion.

For example, I'd pair the American Museum of Natural History, the Intrepid, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or MoMA with Central Park and visit the 9/11 Museum and Memorial (terms preferred to Ground Zero) with the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, walking the Brooklyn Bridge.

Be aware that for the SoL you MUST have advance tickets - or risk being shut out of the site and standing on line for an hour or more to get ferry tickets. Get them now - since you have your dates - at the web site of the National Park service. and gof of the earliest time of day possible to avoid delays on line. Get to the ferry about 45 minutes before your departure time - since it takes a while to board due to the airline type security (and no large backpacks are allowed). Allow about 5 hours for the whole process - from arriving at south ferry to return from Ellis Island.

For the museums check out the exhibits in advance so you know which you want to see (they are too large to see everything unless you devote a couple of days).

And agree not to do a large, special dinner before a show. You will have to eat too early and be rushed. Either do a big lunch and snack dinner before the show - or wait and have dinner afterward. No good to sit there for 3 hours with a stuffed stomach.

Sorry - please remove "Ground Zero" from your vocabulary - this is very painful for a lot of New Yorkers - WTC site or 911 memorial is fine - but to those of us who lost friends or family Ground Zero can be very callous.

Thank you for information. I am very sorry. About the ground zero . I am so glad you told me, I would never mean to offend anyone. It is talked about in that manner in magazines and papers etc. so didn't realize it shouldn't be used if you are respectful to all the tragedy. Peace!

Onboardtours.com does a good one day overview that covers a lot. Plot things on a map like maps.google.com and group things that are near each other in the same day.

If you go to the box at the top of this page where it reads "View By State" and click on New York you will scores of suggestions on these very topics.