A group of fun loving ladies from Minneapolis just got back from New York City. We stayed at The Drake (Swissotel) in Midtown and the room was great, very large and a great location. We saw a couple Broadway shows, The Full Monty, which made us laugh from start to finish and The Sweet Smell of Success, which was very good as well. The view at night from the Empire State building was awesome and the tributes near the WTC were very moving. We also ate some very good food, Roxy's Deli in Time Square makes a HUGE turkey sandwich and tasty cheese cake. We had a great meal in Little Italy and met some wonderfully friendly people. We tried to cover as much of Manhattan as possible and put alot of miles on our feet. At the end of our trip we all agreed that the trip was a huge success and that we all LOVE New York City. We will be back someday!

Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. Come back soon!

My 21 yr old daughter and I are going to NYC late July. We've both been before, but would like to know more about visiting the WTC area. Should we go? Does it feel like gawking? Or does it feel more like a tribute to visit this "memorial"?

Also, we usually see theater and stick around Midtown. This time we want to take some time to wander to Soho/Tribeca. Subways easy to use? Cab it?

Many thanks.

Lu,

I feel it was more of a tribute to visit the WTC site and very moving to see the many messages from people who had visited the site. They do not allow people to get very close to where the towers actual stood, which is as it should be and everyone seemed to behave in a respectful manner. When it came to getting around New York we used the sub-way without any problems. The attendants in the sub-way stations were very helpful telling us what train numbers we needed to take to get to certain areas. There are maps on the trains showing the different stops so you call follow along to see when your stop is coming up. Remember to ask what platform you should be standing on, this can be helpful if there is more than one. We did not ride the sub-way late at night but felt perfectly safe during the day. Hope you and your daughter have a good time in NYC.

I was just part of the "closing" ceremony at the WTC site and I'm not sure how much longer the observation platform will be up. It is completely cleared now and ready for building.

From Midtown (8th Ave 50st or 42nd street) take the E train to Spring Street and start walking East towards West Broadway and then Broadway - the heart of Soho. Eat, browse galleries, shop, walk around, look at the people. Find a sidwalk cafe and watch the world go by. Nothing better in my mind.