Again, thanks to everybody who gave their thoughts! It helped me in my contemplation process and I appreciate all of the different perspectives. :)

Just fyi, you don't need to know any Japanese to go to Tokyo or beyond in Japan. Travel signage is in English in the train stations and enough English is spoken that you are fine without knowing any. I knew none on my first trip and traveled for two weeks with no problem.

Ooooh! You are teasing me!! :)

I have decided on NYC, and now...I am deciding on 5 or 6 days...sounds funny, but true....I thought I had it firmly settled...but now I am still working things out.

I will have everything decided by friday....

if not tonight

:)

Ok, I made my decision and will be going to NYC. I secured a hotel for 6 nights, and airfare from the bay area to lga for around 980 bucks, yay!!!

Now, I just have to work on making sure I take a nap before my flight.... :)

I'm hoping the $980 is not just your airfare ?

no, it is the combined airfare and hotel.

:)

ilove, I have a suggestion for you. since you had such a hard time deciding between Tokyo & NYC for your birthday trip. I want to toss out something to you.

I was in NYC before my first trip to Japan, and I took the oppportunity to stop by the Japanese National Tourist Organization office close to Rockefeller Center. See:

http://tinyurl.com/ncat5

I grabbed all kinds of great brochures and maps and info pages that are not available on their website (and I never could get them to send me anything- they said they would when I called them but they never did).

In the same bldg. on a different floor you can visit the NYC office of Japan Rail, the co. you would buy a rail pass from if you travel in Japan. You can pick up a paper train schedule which will come in handy when you go to plan your Japan trip. See:

http://tinyurl.com/msu8n

And if you have any reason to believe you'd like Japanese woodblock prints, go to a place called Ronan Gallery. I have been there a few times and they have a most excellent authentic antique woodblock print collection. You might find something to buy yourself for your birthday, to remember the NYC trip and look forward to the one to Japan. I have bought woodblocks there for $100 and they even have ones for less than that (of course, they have ones that are in the thousands). Their displays are beautiful, beyond words for me.

http://www.roningallery.com/about.php

Emd---thank you so much for all of your tips and advice! I am going to check out your suggestions and hopefully get a taste of Tokyo while in NYC.