Ok...so i have actually booked 2 rooms..and will decide which one we want for sure as they both don't have to be cancelled til 4:00 pm the day b4 arrival...So i've booked the Millenium UN Plaza for 199.00 AAA rate...Have also booked the Michelangelo at 249.00 per night..Still prefer the W at Time Square, but currently is still too expensive..So what hotel would u go with??

And now what to do in NYC for 4 nites and 3 full days..We don't arrive til abot 7:00 p.m.

Interests are...

Statue of Liberty
Ground Zero
Empire State Bldg
Rockefeller Centre (maybe a tour of NBC)
Central Park
Shopping (perhaps Macy's, where else??)
Live Taping of a show (if i can get tickets)
MTV

Can u help me arrange these to fill up 3 days, with still time to relax..

No museums or Broadway plays..

One dinner we will have Indian at one of the recommended restaurants.

One dim sum...

The rest we will figure out, and would like to also just eat at cheap eateries..

Where for the best Hot Dog or Pizza?

Any suggestions...We don't like classy restaurants,(where u have to wear a tie!!) prefer good food but casual atmosphere..

Buy a flashmaps of Manhattan and break it down by area ... downtown/battery park ... midtown (probably 2 days based on your list) ... etc.

NYC is a walking city, so take your time, relax & enjoy.

Dump the Millenium. The location is out of the way for what you want to see and the Michelangelo is the nicest mid range hotel in New York.

I would substitute Top of the Rock for the Empire State Building - since the veiws are at lest as good and without the intermnable lines.

Also - you can view the outside of the Statue of Liberty free from the Staten Island ferry (from a distance) - or from up close if you take the ferry to Ellis Island Immigratin Museum (which is brilliant). Don;t reco the Statue itself since lines are - again - interminable - and you can see very little of the inside - since it's closed for safety reasons.

MTV will take a half second. It is in Times Square and you can't miss it.

Go to the Late Show With David Letterman's website and sign up for last minute tickets. You almost always get them.

Statue of Liberty (ride the Staten Island Ferry for the best views)
World Trade Center Site
Shop Century 21

Rock Center
Empire State Building
Macys (I prefer Bloomies, Bergdorfs, Barneys)


Central Park
Metropolitan Museum of Art
drink at Mandarin Oriental

I have stayed at the WUnion and WTimes and Michealangelo.

The only one I would return to is Michelangelo.

Millenium never even hit the radar.

I think it is Johns Pizza that I like in the TimeSQ hood. But I adore Grimaldis and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge bettah!

I have been reading all these posts and am coming to New York for the first time April 12-15. I have rooms booked at The Muse (supposedly a 4*). I have not seen it mentioned or recommended. Does anyone know anything about it? Looking for pretty much same kind of Itinerary but with a Broadway show. How best to see everything in 2 & 1/2 days?

There's no way you can see everything in NYC in 2.5 weeks - never mind 2.5 days.

Without knowing your interests it's hard to do specificis. The OP said no museums- which I thik is a majot error in NYC - at least do the Met (even if only a few departments you like best) and the Ellis Island Immigration Museums (which is incredible).

I would drop shopping -esp Macy's - which is just bigger - but no different than any Macy's in any mall in the US. If you want to do unique shopping do bargains at Century 21 - or the designer boutiques on Madison Ave or downtown - that you WON'T find at every mall.

For a show have a look at broadwaybox.com to see who is offering discounts (you can often get orchestra seats for only $60), use the code on the show's official web site to get tickets. Much better than wasting time here standing on line at the TKTS booth to get a discount.

I have stayed at the Michelangelo many times, and consider it one of the best places to stay in NYC. That would be my #1 recommendation for lodging...and your rate is very good.

Have a great time!

LisaG

Just a comment of the restaurant thing. There are lots of fantastic restaurants that are kind of high end, but definitely not "tie" type places. The fantastic restaurants are one of the best things about NYC and you'd be missing out if you didn't hit one of them. Some suggestions are Balthazar, Pastis, Nobu, Babbo, Union Square Cafe, Gotham Bar and Grill. I like to hit some of these places and to avoid the wait to get a table, grab a drink at the bar and a bite to eat. A great way to enjoy some of the great restaruants New York has to offer.

The one thing that the Milleneum UN Plaza has going for it: if you get a room on a high floor, the views are absolutely stunning. And if you're lucky enough to experience a sunset while you're in the room, it's really something special.

As for shopping, I have to disagree a bit with what was said earlier. The choice and display of merchandise at Macy's New York, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Ave. and Lord & Taylor are far better than just about any mall version of these stores anywhere else. And the grand nature of the stores themselves make visiting them worthwhile. As for neighborhoods to walk and shop in, Madison Avenue is fun if you're a millionnaire or want to see how they shop. However, these days, since SoHo has, essentially, become a large open air shopping mall and scene, it's a lot more fun. There are lots of restaurants and a few cafés, should you need to stop to rest and eat. On a nice day, it can make for a wonderful afternoon.