ok, we have 10 hrs to kill-how easy is it to get to the city, any itinerary suggestions? How about restaurants? We will reply on public transportation...thanks to all.

There are busses that will take you to/from EWR and The Port Authority (42nd St. and 8th Ave.)... cost is ~$12 each way or so (depending how many you are, it may be cheaper to take a cab into midtown, ~$30). You can then go to Times Square which is right near there. If money is an obstacle, post a reply to this message, and i'll give you some less convenient ways to make the trip but will save you a few dollars.

The trip from EWR to NYC should only take about 35-45 minutes, HOWEVER, going from NYC back to EWR, i would plan on 2 HOURS! It most likely will not take you that long, but sometimes you can get caught in traffic so bad leaving NYC that you can wait an entire hour to get thru the Lincoln Tunnel.

Two places to eat around there are Carmines (best for a large group, family style portions), make a reservation before you leave for you trip. Another place (nothing fancy) is John's Pizza which has GREAT thin crust pizza, and is located in a renovated church (make sure you sit in the back room of the restaurant). I believe both are located on 44th St. (b/w 7th and 8th ave).

If you have only one or two people the Olympic Shuttle to Port Authority is the best bet - about $10-12 per person (I think) and runs about every 20 minutes. It will take 25-45 minutes to Manhattan under most circumstances. If you're going in or out of the city at rush hour (7:30-9:30AM or 3:30-7PM) you should add on 30 minutes to be safe. Port Authority is only a few blocks from "restaurant row" on 46th Street but also a quick cab or subway ride to Chelsea, the Village or the mid to upper east side. Itinerary depends on interest but you could probably fit in a walk through the glitz of Times Square (cheesy but fun to see), a walk through of the Frick Collection (one of the finest small museums anywhere and housed in a remarkable old mansion - easy to do justice to the whole collection in two hours), and a walk through of the Village or Chinatown with some time left over for a casual meal. The observation deck at WTC or Empire State Building are also possible in that time frame but only if you leave something else out - wiating times to get up and down for both can be lenghty - could take a few hours or your time. Get a $4 "funpass" allows unlimited subway rides and bus transfers for the day.

A taxi is going to cost more than $40 each way. The Olympia Bus is $11 a person and it takes you to 42nd and 8th Avenue. A third option is the New Jersey Transit bus #302 to the Path subway. The bus is $2.50; the Path train $1.50. If you take it to the last stop you will be at 32nd and Broadway. Taxi is fastest and the bus/Path combinatioin probably the slowest. I have not done this but I would allot at least 1 1/2 hours each way - will probably take less time. However you decide to get to the city figure at least 6 hours to sightsee. Indicate what you think you would like to see and suggestions can be made on how best to utilize your brief visit to the city.

While not as exciting as a trip into NYC, if you want to kill sometime a little closer to the airport, there is a free shuttle to the Jersey Gardens Outlet Center. They have recently put in a movie theater, so you could spend some time shopping, movie watching and they have some restaurants as well.

Some basic questions:
*What day? What time does your first plane land and what time does your next plane take off?
*Have you been to NYC before, or is this your first trip?
*Why sites, if any, do you want to see?
*How much do you want to spend on meals and what type(s) of food?

Howard-we should be at our hotel around 1:00pm, and leave the hotel at 5:00am next morning. Yes, 1st trip. Probably $80 for dinner (for 2). Thinking of WTC, Grand Central, Statue of Liberty. Will be doing this same trip a total of 4 times during the month of July-arriving on Friday and leaving Sat. Thanks for your help and to everyone who has contributed.

Kate, since you'll be here four times, I'd suggest four itineraries based on geography. Since you have to leave your hotel at 5 a.m., I'm eliminating a Broadway show, since you wouldn't get back to your hotel until about 1 a.m.
Here are four suggested itineries (in no particular order):
1. Lower Manhattan--a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (it's free) which offers an excellent view of the Statue of Liberty and the NY harbor; a visit to the top of the World Trade Center; a stroll over to the South Street Seaport for dinner.
2 & 3. Mid-Manhattan--so much to see in this area, I'd recommend you do it in two visits. Among the sites: the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, Central Park, etc. For dinner, you have literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from.
4. Greenwich Village and Soho--just walk around two of New York's most interesting areas for an afternoon or evening. You'll have a host of charming restaurants to choose from for dinner.

One more request--I know I am pushing the envelope. How about a couple of restaurants within 10-15 min cab ride. No chains please-local with good atmosphere and not over $12/pp-thanks.

Do you mean within a 10-15 minute cab ride of EWR? If so, I suggest Newark's Ironbound District. It's chock full of great Portuguese restaurants and most will have complete dinners in the $10-18 pp range (not incl tax and tip). Ask about sharing a dinner by paying a plating charge - the portions are so huge that I always take home the leftovers and have enough for another dinner and a lunch (just from the leftovers of my paella!)