I will be coming from BWI on Amtrak. I will have about 30 hours in New York and would like to see the following:
Empire State Building
Statue of Liberty
Times Square
World Trade Center Memorial
Broadway show

How close are these to each other. Can I ride the subway once I get there? What station would be best to arrive in from BWI? What part of town would you recommend that I stay in to be in a central location? New York kind of scares me, due to the unkown and how popluated. I'm a little overwhelmed!

On Amtrack there's only 1 stop and that's Penn STation on 34th St. The station is only a couple of blocks from the Empire STate Building so easily walkable.

I'd suggest staying at the Raddison which is just across the street at 34th and 8th Ave from there you have access to the subway right across the street down to lower Manhattan to see the WTC, and Statue of Liberty.

Get off the train around City Hall, and stop and see St. Paul's Chappel and then around the corner to the WTC site, which is now a construction zone. As you face the site to the right is the story of 9/11 up on the fencing, which you might want to take a look at as well.

From there walk over 1 block to Broadway and walk down (turn right) and head to the Staten Island Ferry which will give you a GREAT view of the SOL. You will also walk by Wall St and Trinity Church. IT's about an hour ride back and forth and the views of the city on your way back are beautiful.

From there hop back on the subway #1 train and take it to Times Square (42nd ST) see the sites there and then walk back to your hotel.

Hope this helps.

First, do not do the ESB - the lines are hours long and your time is very limited. Do Top of the rock instead - you can get timed tickets in advance and wait only a few minutes.

To get ticekts to climb the Statue you need to buy them far in advance from the official seller (you need 1) tickets for the ferry and 2) tickets for the statue). It may be possible to get ferrytickets even if the statue tickets are gone, sine the ferry also goes to Ellis Island - the Immigration Museum is brilliant. If you do the Sol and Ellis Isond with the ferries to and fro it will take 6 or 7 hours (and expect airline-type security lines - probably an hourlong - to get on the ferry).

Or you can take the free Staten Island ferry (every 15 or 20 minutes 24/7) to get a farily close view of the statue and a gret view of the skyline on the way back.

You should get a map of the city and the subway since the sights you want to see are spred out over mid and lower Manhattan (an area perhaps 5 miles long).

And no location is central to everything - just too many places too far apart. I don;t like the area near Penn Station - too tacky during the day and fairly deserted at night since it's primarily a business district except for Macy's. But it does have wasy subway connection to the places you want to go - or just walk 10 blocks north to Times Square.

the subway is fine--get yourself a map ahead of time and study it as to where you want to go,and what trains you need to take.If confused, ask anyone--especially folks at the tarin station.The token sellers may help you depending on how busy they are.Ask a transit cop too.There are lots of sites selling discount broadway seats--if you know what show you want, buy the tickets on line from a reputable broker--see if telecharge or ticketmaster have tickets--i just bought 4 for South Pacific in the 4th row for face value!!have fun, eat anywhere tha looks interesting--take a cab ride, its part of the fun of the city--get a slice of pizza, eat a deli sandwich,talk with people, theyre friendly

maps.google.com is pretty easy to use and will show you how far these things are from each other. I think to help you we need to know WHICH 30 hrs. you're here, what day of the week and whether you have a specific B'way show in mind.

What exactly are you afraid of?

Thanks for all the help. We are looking at landing at BWI on a Thursday evening, taking the high speed train the next morning to NYC. Acela leaves at 7:34a, which would be ok. Arrive at Penn around 9:45. Drop bags off at at hotel and go see the sites. Spend the night there. Leave around 10:00am the next morning. I guess 24 hours is about the time. Would that work? Look at January 13 & 14.

It's not that I'm scared. I work at a prison. I guess a little overwhelmed about seeing the big city, riding the train, with connections, the subway, etc.

It's not that I'm scared. I work at a prison

You are a natural for New York. And do not worry about the subways, always ask. NY'ers who do not know their first name know the subway system below 86 Street and 99% of all tourist destinations are below 86 St.

If you make a mistake the worst thing that can happen is that it will cost you an extra $2.25 and you will wind up in Brooklyn.

Busman's holiday. Be sure to pass the Tombs and the Metroplitan Correctional facility. The Tombs is famous for holding many a famous criminal and The Metropolitan Correctional is a federal facility where, I believe they still hold some Al Qaeda.

If you aren't already doing so, look at a map. Just peruse it from time to time to get an idea of the layout of the city and what is near what

The distance between lower Manhattan (WTC, ferry dock) to Broadway/Times Sq is about 4 miles.

NYC is actually a very safe and friendly city. It's not like a prison....if that's what you're thinking????

Everyone rides the subways. My son took the subway from lower Manhattan to the Bronx every day to attend high school. It's all perfectly fine. Just don't ride alone at 4am, and you should have any problems at all.

There is not one central location. There are many. Many tourists stay in the Times Sq area, although, it is much more chaotic, noisy and crowded the the rest of the city, and lacks the "local" appeal. It's mostly chain stores and chain restaurants with lots of congestion.

If you specify your hotel budget, trip date, people here can make some recs. The subway system is extensive and most locations have fairly easy access to one or more of the lines.

NYC is the safest large city in the county - and tourist areas are about as safe as anyplace can be. Subway are fine to ride 24/7 - but we usualy take a cab after midnight - just because it's faster (trains run every 15 or 20 minutes then versus every 4 or 5 minutes durng the day).

Can't imagine anything in NYC to be afraid of - even if you're not a prison guard.

Jeez. He's not scared. You might not get it if you live in NYC but just due to size and congestion it can be pretty intimdating on your first visit.

You might not get it if you live in NYC but just due to size and congestion it can be pretty intimdating on your first visit.

My point exactly! Thanks for putting it in the right words for me. I live 2 miles down a dirt road in Texas, so the idea of NYC is intimidating!

the idea of living down a dirt road is intimidating to some.

You should be able to get good hotels deals in January. Plug you info into Kayak.com to get an idea of the prices. Then check the hotels' own websites. If you have AAA or similar deals for special rates, usually that's better than any price on one of the booking sites.

Hotels in neighborhoods such as Murray Hill, Gramercy Park and Chelsea are fairly close to Penn Station, but are much nicer areas than near the train station, or Times Sq.

kory, New York is very easy to figure out once you're there. Don't fret about it!

Agree - my grandmother grew up in Manhattan and was never comfortable anyplace that didn;t have full street lights and sidewalks. She felt there was a chance of being attacked by either a wild animal or one of those axe murderers that seem to haunt the woods.

Now, doesn;t that sound silly?

Just as silly as being intimidated by NYC.

I moved to NYC when I was 21 from the midwest part of the U.S.A. I figured it all out myself and rode the subways etc. and never ran into trouble. NYC is so much more safe than it was back in 1992 when I first arrived. Studying your maps will benefit you. People are usually very helpful, if you need someone to point you in the right direction just ask.

Most of all have fun! Soak it in! Walk around a lot and enjoy! I still remember the first time I walked on the streets of Manhattan -- it was like magic!