I can't believe our trip is only 3 days away now--we'll arrive Fri. afternoon, and I'd appreciate a couple more answers from all of you helpful people. We're staying in Times Square. What subway should we take to get to the Met, and what subway should we take to get the Museum of Natural History, also leaving from Times Square? (The map I have at home has only some of the subway routes.)
And one more. . . as a birthday gift, my husband wants to get me something special in NYC. We won't have a lot of time for shopping, so I want to have a few things in mind before I go and not waste a lot of our vacation looking for something. We will be walking to Herald Square and probably up and down 5th Ave. to see store displays etc, so I'm wondering what you guys think I should buy. (The only thing I've thought of so far is a cashmere sweater, not because I can't get one here, but because I can never bring myself to spend that much on a sweater. I am a jewelry fanatic, so that's a possibility too.)I'd love to hear other ideas of what to buy and where to find it? The price range is up to $225.

Thanks in advance for any help!

The days of having to go to a specialty store for cashmere are long gone. You can find a decent cashmere sweater at the Gap for under $150. The the best quality at a decent price, Banana Republic.

Also check Century 21, Bloomingdales and Macys.

For quality, make sure the sleeves and neck are knitted to the body of the sweater and not sewn on.

Here is a link to NYC MTA subway map:
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm

Check to make sure the subway (A for example) stops during the hours you are visiting. If in doubt, consider taking a bus by clicking on the bus link on the above site, with a bus it is easier to figure out where your at though it may be slower than the subway.

Your jewelry budget will work if you go to Fortunoff on 5th Ave.

Buy him something that will remind him of the trip. Get a fake rolex from a guy off the street. No matter what they say, don't offer more than $20 for a man's, $15 for a woman's. They will last about 1 - 1 1/2 years and even look good. And every time he looks at it, he will remember the trip.

As far as the subway is concerned, why bother? NY is too much fun. Walk it.

As for the cashmere sweater, my wife actually found some very nice ones in Bloomingdales that she loved--under $100 each. Not sure how many they have left now, but definitely check it out (they're on the 3rd floor).
The watche is a good idea, and if you're going to be downtown, go to battery park--you'll see the guys selling them from briefcases. I bought a fake Tag Heuer for $10 (talked him down from $20) and it's still going strong almost 3 years later.

I would not suggest walking from Times Square to the Museum of Natural History unless you are a serious walker -- it's about 35 blocks.

gaffannie, ask your hotel which subway to take to those museums. They can direct you to the closest subway entrance from your exact location. (Actually, a bus may work better for the Met.)

Now I think it is a great walk! Since twenty blocks equal a mile, it isn't a two mile walk. Great weather, beautiful walk. Check out all the pre-war buildings on the Upper West Side. Walk up Broadway to Columbus Circle, walk up Central Park West. Museum of Natural History is on 77th and Central Park West.

If you can, walk back at night. Duck in Tavern on The Green for a look see while it is lit up. Check out the lights of Times Square!

Speaking of Tavern on the Green, you can duck in to use the bathrooms, the best public bathrooms in NYC. Many people don't know this, but the bathrooms in Tavern on the Green are in fact public, and you can walk in off the street to use them. This is required by the city since Tavern is in a city park.