We are FINALLY going to NYC and even though I have been to some big cities around the world (Cairo, Delhi, Beijing, etc.) I find New York very intimidating. We have three full days (Sept 12-14) and I would like to cram in as much as possible. Decided on the Mariott Residence Inn, near Times Square, although still recovering from the sticker shock! Looking for ideas about where to begin. I was thinking the hop-on hop-off bus tours to get an idea of the layout and then go from there. Looking for the "stereotypical" New York experience...Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, etc. Anyone have have recommendations on an itinerary? I don't know what's wrong with me...I can plan trips everywhere else but for some reason when it comes to New York I turn into an idiot. Any help greatly appreciated. Or if you want to pick me up at my hotel and tour me around for three days, I'd go for that too!

The hop-on-hop-off bus tour is a good start, even if you never hop off.

Another good start is to read the recent NYC threads on this board; there have been a few very recently with good itineraries.

Who is "we"? Adults, teens, kids? Any special interets?

Assuming adults I would bag the bus - have found these a waste of time everywhere.

IMHO - my must dos

Top of the Rock (vs Empire State - shorter lines)
Ellis Island Immigration Museums (and see SOL from the ferry)
The Met (pick a few departments in advance or you'll never get out)
MOMA
Central Park (if the weather co-operates either bike or boat to get off your feet)
At least one Broadway show (get tickets with advance discounts from Broadwaybox.com)
On the other evenings explore one of the "real" neighborhoods: village, upper west side, lower east side (do dinner, stroll and window or real shopping - all have some shops open til midnight anyway - then stop in a afe or a casual club for a drink)

Or - if you're feeling trendy have dinner in the meatpacking district, have a drink in the roof bar of the Ritz Carlton Battery Park City and try to get into Butter or Bungalow 8 (Fri and Sat are off nights, Sunday is much more lkely to be celebs - but also much harder to get in)

"for some reason when it comes to New York I turn into an idiot"

Are you sure you're going to NY, not Washington DC?

LOL, Faina!

Despite expertise with other big cities (London, Paris, Mexico City, etc.) and being a lifelong urbanite, I also used to feel intimidated. Have now been 5 or 6 times since younger daughter moved to Brooklyn (helped set up her apartment, and folks, you have not lived until you have taken the Port Authority bus to IKEA in New Jersey, and returned on bus and subway with much of the loot!), and I now feel free to say: I LOVE NEW YORK!

In no particular order, here are some of my tips for enjoying your stay. Get over the idea that you could possibly ever see all there is, or all you ought to. Read and research and try to define things you would like to see in some sort of logical order, remembering that, as they say in the song, "the Bronx is up and the Battery's down."

Consider staying somewhere besides midtown, especially if theater is not the focus of your trip. I've now stayed in the Village, Chelsea, Murray Hill, and two different parts of Brooklyn and have enjoyed them all. Because I like to have more space than the typical NYC hotel room affords and also I enjoy neighborhoods, I've done 3 stays from craigslist, with pretty good results.

The main thing is just to get out and see stuff, because hopefully you WILL be back. Recent favorite things have included the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, the foodie walking tour of the Village, and a pizza tour of Brooklyn. Baseball at Yankee Stadium has been another highlight, hoping to get to Shea Stadium and a Cyclones game sometime soon!

I was the same way until I started working in Manhattan about six times a year.

Nothing screams, "I'm NOT a tourist" like the eureka moment you'll have when you figure out the subway. Once it clicks, it clicks.

The Bronx is up/uptown and Brooklyn is down/downtown.

How is your memory? I have an almost photographic memory so I memorized maps of the areas I'd be in.

Forgot to add that the hop on hop off bus is an excellent way to get a city overview.

I felt exactly the same way when I started researching for our trip to NYC. There is a ton of information here about almost any question you may have, but it is not always easy to find. In fact, there is so much information it can be overwhelming to someone unfamiliar with the area. The thing that helped me the most was getting ahold of a map of the city and having it as a reference for the different areas of Manhattan while planning the trip. Also look at the street layout (it is very easy once you understand it). I got the maps online. We had a pocket street map book that we bought at Barnes and Noble (there are many of them available) with each neighborhood in a fold out map -- easy to read -- and we found it extremely useful while there.

I would start researching one thing at a time so it isn't as overwhelming. We had figured we would do the Ellis Island and Empire State thing for sure and ended up not doing either because we didn't want to spend time in line, or half a day at Ellis Island. Still want to go there, but will save it for another trip. It depends on what is important for YOU to see or do. That's what I like about Fodors -- so many different opinions allows you to make your own choices.

We liked the Grey Line Tours for our first visit. We stayed on the uptown tour for the whole tour and hopped off and on the downtown one. Probably depends on the weather too -- and you can get tickets for it without any problem on most of the street corners, so I wouldn't book it ahead.

You got some great advice above to get you started -- once you are there, it is a very friendly, clean city -- you won't be intimidated at all.

I was lucky - I went to NYC a few times before the travel bug really hit me, because I lived close enough for day trips via commuter rail. We just went and had a good time. No trouble, no worries!

Now that I'm more traveled and have learned to love the planning, my trips to NYC have become more planned - in that I have so many more things I want to do sometime, not that every moment is planned.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - go, enjoy. You will have fun, no matter what!

Do read trip reports here to see what others have done, and get a guidebook with suggested itineraries (and look at the suggested itinieraries under "destinations" in the toolbar above. You still have just over a month to figure out the technical details of what, where and when. Plenty of time to build an ubelievable amount of excitement to see this fabulous city!

Thanks so much for the tips...the "we" is my husband and myself.

loru,

Most of us are complete morons when it comes to NYC!!! I have worked and lived there for over a month, and I visit 4 times a year....still, I get lost and then find my way! I have never gotten so lost that I feel unsafe. I often like to wander and enjoy wherever my feet take me. Search this board for thousands of tips and good advice, and then just let it fall together. One thing I have learnt is that a cab from midtown to Babbo in the Village or Union Cafe in Union Square is much easier and not that much more expensive than getting lost on trains! Good times indeed!

You've already gotten fabulous advice!

i live in nyc with my hubby and toddler daughter, and mostly we travel to other cities as we are not beach people... NY is tons of fun, you are coming at a great time... if you have any questions about neighborhoods or locations, please feel free to ask. We just went to Vancouver and had a great trip with the help of a local.
One "out of the ordinary" stop you may enjoy is taking the A train uptown to 190th street (about 20 min). When you come out, take the elevator up to the street, and make a right, you will be at the entrace to Ft. Tryon Park. Unbelievable views of the GW bridge, and at the end is the Cloisters, a stunning museum. Off the beaten path but really special. Good luck (and please tell me, how was Beijing, one of the places I can't wait to get to!)

Try to avoid most of the restaurants in Times Square, they are awful, except the Blue Fin in the W hotel - nice enough. If you are staying near Times Square and want to eat where the locals go, head over to 9th avenue, tons of restaurants all pretty good, some better than others, Zagat reviews are pretty head on. That's if you get stuck with no reservations, nothing truly phenomenal on 9th but plenty of very good, inexpensive places. Milos, on w. 55th has fantastic greek food. For my most absolute favorite nyc restaurant experience of all time (can you tell I love it?) try Gramercy Tavern. IMHO, it is untouchable (although I debate all the time with my aunt, who believes the best is Union Square Cafe. They are owned by the same person, I enjoy the warmth of the decor at Gramercy better). If you have absolutely no worries about $$$ go to Daniel. Take the subway from times square down to W. 4th street, get out and walk around the west village. A lovely secret place (nobody share if you are reading this!) is The Pearl - lobster rolls to die for. Ok, i could go on and on all night, sorry to be food obsessed since you probably would like to see things as well as just eat your way through nyc.......
Lori

Purchase the Frommer's day-to-day tour book. It's a fabulous guide and will give suggestions for the number of days you're going.

I am officially volunteering as a tour guide while you are here. I would be happy to meet up with you somewhere and show you around town for an afternoon, if that works in your schedule. Pick an area of the city you would like to see. I know the downtown area very well and of course midtown, and since I live way uptown, I would also suggest seeing Ft. Tryon Park and The Cloisters. There's also a GREAT Indian restaurant by the museum that I highly recommend.

So let me know if that sounds like it might be fun.

Wantsomesun

My DD and DSL just moved from waaaaay up town (across Riverside Dr from FT Park)... I've spent a lot of time up there.

My brother lives waay downtown on 7th St. My dearest cousins are on E 95. DD used to live in dorm on W 27. Oldest friend just sold a place on W 10. We spend all our trips to NYC moving around a lot. Metro cards and subway for us.

Loru100: You have a lot of great suggestions here. My only advice as a frequent visitor to NYC is to study a map. The grid system is very easy to get a handle on. It will help you understand where the various neighborhoods, are, too.

loru100,

Here's a link to my trip report for starters;

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34778469

You'll find details about the hop-on hop-off bus tour as well as some of the obvious sights.

Jim