We are a couple of sixty-something "hicks" contemplating our first trip to New York City. We've been lost in many major cities in the US and some in Europe. Some how just trying to plan a trip to NYC is overwhelming. Are we crazy, or is there something to fear. I don't mean fear of our personal safety, but are we just going to be lost in space, so to speak.

Can anyone relate to this?

Is there some tour company that will just take us by the hand and show us the city?

Hi Softato1, I am not sure exactly what you are afraid of. If you have managed major cities in Europe you should be just fine.

Do you have a good map of NYC? Are you nervous about the subways. If so you could use taxi's instead.

Well - I'm not sure what you mean by lost. Do you mean physically lost - too big and too uncomplicated? Or do you mean overfaced by things?

If you mean the latter there are a bunch of companies that do tour packages to NYC - but I'm not sure this is really the best/most economical way to go.

You might want to consider Big Apple Greeters. This is an organization of volunteers who will usually give you a tour of a particular area of the city in-depth - things that the usual tourist may not get to see.

But in your case they might be willing to spend several hours with you helping you become acclimatized to the city - how to use transport, how to navigate, where key sights are - and go with you to one or two places to get you started.

As for anything to fear - I can;t imagine what. Despite rumors New Yorkers are friendly, helpful to tourists - although quickly - and there is a huge infrastructure of tour buses, boats, walking tours etc as well as lots of resources available from the city and in every hotel.

If you have specific questions on how things work - you can do a search above - most things are covered (like how to get to and fro airports - ad nauseum). Or you can ask specific questions here - there are a bunch of NYCers active on the board.

If you're interested you need to apply in advance (if it's busy they sometimes don;t have enough volunteers for all applicants).

You can reach them at

www.bigapplegreeter.org

It should ease your fears and apprehensions somewhat to know that New York is an easy city to navigate and get around, since the cross streets are in numerical order, and most of the north-south avenues are also in numerical order.
My grandmother who spoke very little English managed to get around city with few, if any, problems.

First, if you have been in many major US cities & some European cities, I personally think you have lost that "hick" status.

Seriously, I understand your concerns having "been there done that" -- I will never forget our first day in Paris, having gone to the top of the Arch de Triumph, looking out over the vastness of the city & thinking "what have I got us into!". Actually, with lots of pre-planning those 10 days went quite well with lots of special, great memories. So I think with some forethought & planning you'll do just fine in NYC.

As other poster said, except for the lower Chinatown/Wall Street area, NYC is a grid -- numbered streets running East/West; Avenues (numbered & named) running South/North. Get a good map -- one you can read easily. Even though you may never need to refer to it, it's a great security blanket. If the map doesn't indicate the location of major landmarks/museums, make a list for yourself. Great for our senior moments when we aren't sure which cross street Macy's is on.

There are any number of tours which will introduce you to the major attractions -- http://www.nytours.us/
try there if you haven't already googled. The double-decker on-off bus seems to be quite popular. Strongly recommend trying a walking tour if you see one you like that fits your schedule: http://www.bigonion.com/
We done several with them (the eating one - yumm) and they been both reliable and enjoyable. But there are others too -- again, google.

Strongly recommend getting around by 1) walking -- it allows you to stop & pop into that interesting deli or bookstore or whatever.
2) bus -- at least you see those shops & the neighborhoods passing by.
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/bus/
Once you have an idea of where you want to go, that can give you the bus routes.

Also, don't forget to do a search on this board for NYC -- there's lots of info here from past posts.

Enjoy your NYC experience -- may it be cooler for you than these past week has been.

When I saw the title of your post, I had to laugh. My dad, when I was younger, used to warn me off of NYC.

He'd gone there on business multiple times in the 1970's and 1980's and was once mugged of his luggage and briefcase. He had to pay another "street thug" (as he put it) $20 bucks to go run down the theif and reclaim his property.

That story, looking back, gives me a good laugh. I think NYC is a lot safer and more tourist-friendly these days.

There is nothing to fear in coming to visit New York. I am a lifelong NY'er, so I am a little biased, but if you can manage a major city in Europe or any other major US city, you will do just fine here. I have a large dog and a small child and spend a lot of time in Central Park, so I seem to be a favorite target of tourists looking for directions, bathrooms, restaurant suggestions, etc.

A bus tour on your first day here will give you a good idea of what is where and what sites you want to go back and really see. Big Onion walking tours are also wonderful ways to really experience small parts of the City.

New York is a very big place, and takes a lifetime (or two or three) to really get to know. Take it in, but in small bites and you will not feel overwhelmed. Come, visit us, and have a good time.

New York city is one of the friendliest cities I've ever been to--honestly. People are so willing to help/answer questions if you're lost. I felt perfectly safe when we visited for the first time several years ago.

If you're worried about getting lost, go to a Brookstone store (like Sharper Image) and buy a little 4x6'ish fold-out, pop-up pocket map of the city. It shows the major tourist points plus major hotels and really helps you keep where you're at and where you're going in perspective. Really, it's awesome!

My advice: Relax. New York is a big city of lots of small neighborhoods. Just walk around and enjoy -- you can't and won't see it all, so don't create some every-minute itinerary and spoil a good time.

Start with a big red bus tour to get a feel for things, and then pick one or two places to visit per day and explore the area around them.

New York City is the greatest place in the world! Have a great time!

You've gotten some great input in these posts. Don't let planning a NYC trip overwhelm you ... It's really a very "easy" and fun city to visit and get around in. Definitely take a tour when you get in -- That will give you an overall feel for the city. Then just pick a few things you would really like to do and just have fun. Don't try to do it all. I've been to NYC many times and there are still so many things I've yet to do. Everytime I go I try to do one new thing or see one new place, or explore a different area of the city ... There's just so much to pick from to do. So, do a bit of sight seeing. Catch a show. Splurge on a nice dinner somewhere. Piece of advice: Don't try to do an evening show and the "special" dinner on the same night ... too rushed. There's lots of good pre-theater places for dinner, but it's nice to have a special dinner at one of NYC's great restaurants, and be able to take your time and really enjoy it. Do some shopping ... just have fun.

This Australian hick found NYC easy, despite the fears of some impressionable friends and relatives who'd been watching too much NYPD Blue and expected us to be tripping over bodies in the doorways, or possibly join them.

Actually, the Manhattan streetscape was so familiar from long exposure to movies and TV shows that we felt very little sense of dislocation. (Is anyone else out there old enough to remember "The Naked City"?)

We did however find that midtown-downtown Manhattan covers a very large area indeed. I don't know why, as we'd studied the map, but anyway I strongly recommend good walking shoes.

And I agree that New Yorkers' bark is much worse than their bite. The first time we used the subway and sat puzzling over the map we were overwhelmed by commuters eager to make sure that we didn't end up in the Bronx.

Hi Neil, oh yes the Naked City!!!

And when will we get the joy of having you two in San Francisco???

Hi, LoveItaly - on current plans, a while yet, on or about Labor Day next year. Unfortunately NYC isn't on the itinerary this time around.

Hi Neil, never mind about NYC....just come to SF!! I am waiting for you two!!! That invitation to lunch or dinner is still on. Take care.

SOFTATO:
In addition to the above thoughts, with which I heartily agree, you could pick up a couple of guidebooks to get you started. Many of them have suggested itineraries for a given # of days--"If you have three days then..."

Make a list of what you want to see, then plot their locations on a map. Like any big city you don't want to scoot all over on a given day.

If you've been to Europe, Manhattan will not be surprising. Even my elementary aged kids had a blast.

Thanks so much for all the wonderful information. I'm feeling ready to get started on the planning. I'm off to the bookstore to buy a guide book.

Softato1,
I think that Tess is right: NYers are much friendlier than they are generally given credit for. Several years ago I was on a bus on the UES when I discovered that the place I was headed was unexpectedly closed for the day. Three people immediately turned to me to give me ideas for what to do instead and directions on how to get there.

NYtraveler's idea of using Big Apple Greeter is great! I had a friend who did that and really enjoyed her tour. From their websitehttp://www.bigapplegreeter.org/)
"Whether it's finding the tastiest bagel or unraveling the mysteries of the subway system Greeters ensure a personal view of the city as only a native New Yorker can."

Relax, enjoy, and have fun!

Agree with all this advice. My best advice is DON'T stay in midtown and especially don't stay in Times Square where most tourists want to be these days. Even I feel like I'm lost in space there and I worked there for years!!

NYC is really just a collection of neighborhoods. Stay in one and you'll have a familiar place to come home to every night. I suggest the upper westside which has a number of hotel options and easy transport to midtown. The Lucerne hotel is very nice and has a nice french rest. off the lobby for nights when you don't feel like venturing too far. The Beacon is another popular choice and most of their rooms have kitchenettes for snacks or breakfast. (You can also get a suite w/kitchenette at the Lucerne but not all rooms have kitchens).

I would use NY Party Shuttle's 6 hr tour (starts at noon every day) as an overview and then start venturing out on your own.

I found nyc quite easy to navigate, and while very large, it is laid out quite logically, a good pocket map though will do you wonders. you mentioned you don't fear for your safety, which is good as nyc, for a major city, has a pretty low crime rate these days. I can sort of relate to the 'lost in space' feeling, even though I grew up in the 3rd largest city in the US, it is surprising how big that place is (although if you really want to feel 'lost in space', visit Sao Paulo, Brazil, now that overwhelmed me).

Hi Softato1,
You're not crazy, but really, NYC is not overwhelming when you get there. My husband and I are from a small town in the Midwest, and we're almost 60. We were just a little nervous about going to New York, as we didn't know what to expect. We went in July and had a wonderful time! We had thought about taking a tour bus, but decided to use public transportation instead. We were so glad we did! It was really not difficult at all and much more fun


Sandy