My 24 yr. old daughter and I arrive Dec. 19 for three full days of mom-daughter sightseeing--her first trip and my third. We are staying in midtown, and I am a pro at showing her the typical tourist sights, but I'd like to spend at least one day checking out some of the neighborhoods we have come to know and love in movies and on TV! Any suggestions(street locations, cafes, shopping) for the Upper West Side (we loved Meg and Tom in "You've Got Mail"--Riverside Park, Zabars, etc.)? Where can we go to get the feel of "Friends"? "Sex and the City?" "Seinfeld?" Is Soho the place to shop? Which streets? With my trusty Streetwise Manhattan Guide, the subway, and your advice, we'll surely have a great time. Pray for clear weather (cold is okay--we're leaving San Diego to experience a NYC Christmas)! Thanks for the help.

The Seinfeld character lived on West 81, but the exterior of Tom's Restaurant, the coffee shop they frequented, is up by Columbia U, at 112th and Broadway.

Meg & Tom met up at Cafe Lalo in "You've Got Mail" it's at 201 West
83rd St (at Amsterdam Avenue). http://www.cafelalo.com/about.htm

Easy enough!

Sex and the City

Charlotte:

Lives: Park Avenue between 65th and 72nd. Shops: Madison Avenue between 60th and 72nd.

Samantha:
Lives & Shops: West 14th Street, West of 8th Avenue all the way to the river.

Miranda:
Lives: 7th Avenue in Brooklyn between Union street and 9th Street.

Carrie:
Lives: 3rd Avenue between 72nd and 86th. Shops: Madison Avenue beween 60th and 75th. Jimmy Choo, Barneys and Prada can be found there.

Many of the bars and restaurants mentioned in the show are real and still in business. Check citysearch.com for exact locations. In general though, the ladies eat at the types of places typically found on Park Avenue South between 14th and 23rd Streets, and on West 14th Street, West of 8th Avenue.

'Friends' wasn't filmed in NYC but on a soundstage in LA so you aren't going to find the feel of 'Friends' in NYC.

You can find Carrie's beloved Manolo Blahnik Showroom on West 54th in Midtown.

Thank you for the info. We can't wait. Besides the Rock Ctr. tree and Macy's window displays, any must-see recommendations for Holiday happenings(caroling, displays, marketplaces) from the 19 - 23rd? In other words, where do locals go to get into the holiday spirit? Thanks again

My favorite windows are usually Lord & Taylor, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Barney's (note Macy's not in this list).

I'm not usually a fan of tours, but with only 3 days, have you considered the movie/tv tour that would show you places from all these shows in a few hours? Here's one
http://www.screentours.com/
I'm sure there are others.

There's good shopping in parts of Soho, Chinatown, lower east side, the village. Depends on what you want.

I noticed a fun looking performance listed as follows:

"Nut/Cracked"
This performance by David Parker and the Bang Group combines comedy, contemporary dance, and non-traditional recordings of Tchaikovsky's score by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and Fred Waring.
• December 15-22 at 7:30p.m. and December 18-19 at 2p.m.
• Dance Theatre Workshop, 219 W. 19th St.; between Seventh and Eighth Aves.; 212-924-0077; dtw.org
• $20.

Lots of christmas markets

http://newyorkmetro.com/urban/guides...ents/fairs.htm