We are five female college friends from New England age 40 all heading to NY for a long weekend without our husbands or children. Looking for suggestions on plays, restaurants and activities to keep us laughing. Any ideas? Thanks.

Payards for your breakfast, unbelievably yummy pastries!

If you and your friends want to laugh, go see Avenue Q. It's a cross between Sesame Street and South Park. Warning -- it contains puppet sex.

Broadwaybox.com has discounts to some plays and the TKTS booths also sell discounted seats same day as performance. For info on TKTS booths and what's been there lately, go to tdf.org/tkts

There are lots of comedy clubs for laughs not to mention piano bars etc. Give us an idea of what you have in mind, budget (for restaurants) and where you're staying.

I've planned a Girls' Weekend for 10-12 college friends for the past 17 years (sometimes in NYC, sometimes elsewhere). Shows, movies (even television!) are off limits. This amazing time together is so short-we go for maximum interaction. Go to www.timeoutny.com for good ideas. One year we took a belly dancing lesson. The Great Jones Spa downtown has a common area with plunge pools and huge communal sauna and steam rooms-that might be fun for a group. There are bicycle tours of Central Park (www.centralparkbiketour.com)-we had lots of fun with that. Once I called the Chanel make-up counter at Saks and the arranged a make-over session for us. And of course we stop often for food and drink (not too fancy, places where we can be silly). The Time Out NY site and www.citysearch.com has good lists. Such fun!

Well since you asked:

http://www.planetluckychengs.com/

I think it's going to depend a lot on what your friends like to do. Shopping? Museums? Theatre? Sightseeing?

A great spring weekend for me would involve brunch, a stroll through the Conservancy Gardens in Central Park or a run around the reservoir, some shopping, an indie movie or show, drinks at the Metropolitan museum, a great dinner, etc.

What about a Big Onion walking tour? The noshing one is great. This "scavenger hunt" could be fun: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/04...nd.1.html?8dpc

How about group mani/pedi? Or a makeover at the private Bobbi Brown salon on the 2nd floor in Bloomie's?

we went to the play "Naked Boys Singing" for a bachlorette party - and it was exactly was it sounds like (and pretty funny too)

Also you might be interested in Ghenet, an Ethopian restaurant on Mulberry at Houston. Might be something different than i'm assuming you get at home and the food is delicious.