Its not long to go now and I am so grateful to you all for the advice that you so freely give. Our intenary includes a day and a half in LA so we are doing the Beverely hills things and Universal, then fly to Orlando and have booked seven nights at WDW, then we have ten days. We were going to do four days New Orleans and four Washington DC (we fly out of Dulles, but I would like to go to New York. As a police officer I am drawn to WTC memorial and I would love the kids to see the Statue of Liberty etc. Can anyone offer an opinion?

If you're doing this trip in August, then you're better off in New York than New Orleans if for no other reason than the weather! It's brutal in New Orleans in the summer.
Having said that, as a New Yorker, there's no question what my recommendation would be. Besides, how can you come to the US and not include New York, one the world's great cities????

I'm a New Yorker who is now a New Orleanian and will agree with Howard. August is too hot in N.O.

Also, the Statue of Liberty is closed for security reasons, you can see the outside (and the gift shop) but can't go in. But regardless I certainly would choose NYC over NO.

Another vote for NY over NO for no other reason than the heat. I can't imagine being there in August.

New York City by far! Unless you like the smell of beer, urine and cigarette smoke! Though NO does have pretty architecture. NYC just has so much more to offer.

New York it is then. The Statue is closed, the White House is closed, is there anything else closed I should know of before we fly all that way? Just kidding. For all those New Yorkers, where/which is the best part of the City to stay? We have three kids, one in a wheel chair. Is there one of those hop on/hop off bus tours for tourists? Is it safe to walk to a restaurant at night? Is it as good as you say?? Any must sees?

With respect to wheelchair access, you might want to post this as a seperate question with 'wheelchair access in NYC' in the title, I'm sure you will receive alot of responses.

As you may be aware, NYC hotels are supposedly quite smaller than average. My guess is you probably want a suite or a one bedroom.

I can recommend the Grayline Hop-on-hop-off tours; I've seen them accommodate wheelchairs, though you might want to call ahead to see if ALL their buses can do so. I'd recommend that you get tickets for the 2-day all-loops tour, so you can get to virtually any place of interest in Manhattan. The buses run frequently and the tour guides vary tremendously, so if you don't like the one you've got, get off and wait for the next one! Their web site isn't terribly informative, but my experience is that once you get there, there are plenty of maps, signs, helpful staff, etc. You'll get to see a lot of Manhattan (and Brooklyn!) that way, though the view from the upper level of the buses (not chair accessible) is best.

Any place in Midtown (well, not too far west) will be convenient and safe for you to stay. Avoid staying right IN Times Square, though, the crowds are dense.

As you probably know, the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in the early 90s, has done wonders for accessibility. You will find that most tourist attractions are accessible and most hotels have accessible suites (wide doorways, bathroom accommodations, etc.) but you must book well ahead and be very firm and clear about your needs.

In DC, other places that are closed to tourists include the National Archives (re-opening in late September after major renovations) and perhaps the FBI tour (which many people find boring anyway, though we enjoyed it). The new Spy Museum gets rave reviews, and is allegedly less crowded in mid-afternoon.

I have fairly limited travel experience outside of the US and I don't know where you are from but the US has pretty good wheelchair accessibility.

I was in England hauling luggage and was astounded at the total lack of accessibility! No elevators, few escalators, no carved out sidewalks, narrow bumpy. It made me very glad it was just luggage I had to haul.

While there is always a bit more effort involved (as I am sure you know) I think (and hope) it is easier here than other countries. Be sure to ask for assistance if you need it - it is the law!

It sounds like you have a fantastic trip planned, best wishes, hope you have a wonderful time!

Hi Trish,

It sounds like you've decided on New York vs New Orleans. Not necessarily trying to change your mind, but a few things to keep in mind:

New York will be much more expensive than New Orleans.

New York is much more spread out than NO. NO is easy to see in 3-4 days. Major mode of transport in NY is subway (underground) which is NOT wheelchair accessible. Yes, buses are.

NY can also be very hot in August (though NO will be hotter & more humid)

Having said that, if you want NY & the main draw for you is WTC & Statue of Liberty (which is closed but still sits proudly) you might want to consider staying downtown near the WTC site.

Because the area was so badly hurt physically & financially and it's not as desirable for most tourists, there are some good deals to be found there-especiaslly over weekends. In fact, weekend rates all over NY should be good. The hotels there are also newly built or renovated so will have up to date amenities. There's a Holiday Inn Wall St & the 1st Embassy Suites in Manhattan. There's also a Best Western at the South Street Seaport.

If you'd rather stay further uptown, the Parker Meridien is near Central Park & is a very good hotel that has a rooftop pool (indoor I think) that the kids might like. They sometimes have good rates posted on quikbook.com although I don't know about booking large family rooms through that site.

Don't miss doing one of the Circle Line boat cruises for a great look at the skyline. In fact, the night time cruise in August might be great (don't take a dinner cruise though-too expensive & so so food). Rnjoy!

As a native New York I can tell you that getting around the city is very easy. I prefer the Murray Hill section, try the Shelbourne Hotel. Or go a little further
downtown to Gramercy Park area. Both offer quiet streets with brownstone buildings and are more residential than
the Seaport area. Must see's include: Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as many others on Museum Mile (5th Ave from about 92 St to upper 60's). Many have pay as you wish nights.
Empire State Building
Circle Line boat tour around Manhattan
Central Park (kids will love the zoo)
WTC pit. Walk over to Battery Park City Promenade to refresh and enjoy the view. Good restaurant is Steamer's Landing. Sit outside and watch the sun set.
See a play. Discount tickets availalbe day of show at 47 St & Broadway (long lines) or South Street Seaport (not sure where the ticket booth is located, but it will be less time wasted standing in line.)If you have a wheelchair, contact the Shubert Theater group. They have offered orchestra seats for wheelchairs at a deep discount during the past.
August can be hot, but every thing is air conditioned.
Many buses are wheelchair accessible, and there are some elevators to get into the subway. Just beware of pickpockets. They don't discriminate.

I have never been to New York but I have been to New Orleans in July and it was miserable. I live in KC so I am used to some summer humidity. But it was just stifling hot and miserable in New Orleans. I say go to New York. Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras sometime or something.

I live in NY and have visited New Orleans in August. I love both, and actually thought the heat in N.O. was not all that bad. It sort of seems appropriate to be sweaty in sultry N.O. But I think your children will get cranky and melt. NY is probably more entertaining for children.

You might consider staying at the Marriott in Brooklyn. It is just over the bridge, and very convenient. The Brooklyn Heights promenade is fantastic, as is the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. The nearest subway stop to the Marriott is wheelchair accessible (very few subway stops are). City buses in NYC are also wheelchair accessible. In any event, you must take your family to Fulton Ferry landing in Brooklyn (just under the Brooklyn Bridge) for the amazing view and for pizza at Grimaldi's - heaven! And then you can top it off with an amazing ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. MMMMMM.

Uptown must sees:
Central Park, Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Midtown must sees:
Times Square (good restaurant in that area for children is Virgil's BBQ - very good food, kid-friendly service)

Downtown must sees:
Greenwich Village, Soho, WTC site, Battery Park (if you don't want to spend the money on the Circle Line, you can always take a round-trip ride on the Staten Island Ferry - very cheap, gorgeous views!) Another good place to eat in Battery Park is Gigino's in Wagner Park. Great views of the statue of liberty and the harbor, and your kids can run around.

How old are your children? If they are younger and it is sweltering, they will probably enjoy cooling off in one of NYC's lovely new playgrounds. I recommend the fantastic playground on the Hudson River at 12th Street. They have lots of water sprinklers - very fun.

Also, it is hard to imagine that you'll stay anywhere that is not safe at almost any hour. NYC is very safe, despite rumors to the contrary. I have seen entire families of tourists (and locals) taking the subway from Times Square at midnight.

THank you all for your help, coming from Oz I didn't think the heat would be a problem for us, but we don't have the humidity where we are. I think New York is the choice now. I was looking at th Embassy Suites in Manhatten, mainly because they seem to be larger than most. I'm glad you say that its mostly safe, we love walking around at night and find there are less crowds so my son ( in the wheel chair) gets to see more. Thank you for your suggestions, other than the Statue, Empire and a few others we didn't know what to see. Its only two weeks now. Can't wait!

That's easy, NEW YORK of course. New Orleans can't hold a candle to NYC. There's so much more to see and do in NYC. Once your out of the downtown area in New Orleans there's really not all that much. I did enjoy the French Quarter (Bourbon Street) but that would not be someplace that I would take my children.

You must also take the kids to the American Museum of Natural History, it's on Central Park West at 81st street. Lots to do -- exhibits, films, planetarium, etc. A full day of fun! Check their web site and plan what you'll do so you can get the right combination tickets.

There's also a zoo in Central Park, not far from the famous FAO Schwarz toy store on Fifth Avenue. The ToysRUs toy store in Times Square has a ferris wheel inside!

I'd suggest a Grayline double decker bus tour as a way to get a great overview of the city. To see Ground Zero go to the Winter Garden inside the World Financial Center.

http://graylinenewyork.com/

Hi Trish, I had to laugh to myself when I read all the "heat and humidity" cautions people were throwing at you LOL
Its Australia NOT Austria you're visiting from! New Orleans in August will be Darwin or Cairns in December with NYC similar to... Sydney in January only Sydney will be 1000 times cleaner of coarse. I dont know where in Oz you're from, but I'm going to guess the weather in NYC wont really phase you?

I've come to your post late and I realie it might be too late to change your plans, but then again you're asking about New Orleans and NYC so maybe... I was just thinking you'll already have seen Los Angeles, which is a huge city and of coarse NYC is THE biggest city do you really need two giant cities on the same trip? Maybe... Boston and environs would be a nicer venue, something different? NYC could be a separate trip in itself. New Orleans isn't usually thought of as a "family" destination (thank God) but I'm not certain NYC is a big family destination either apart from millions of school groups going there etc... I mean its no WDW. It just seems more like a couples destination than families with kids, especially after 17 hours on a plane! Boston and New England might be more of a contrast compared to the rest of your trip? Just a thought.

Have a safe trip!