It looks like it will be raining next week when I make my first visit to NYC. I am just wondering if I will still be able to do all the same tourist spots..Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, walking the neighborhoods, etc. Are there any changes I should make based upon the liklihood of rain/snow showers?

museums are so great in bad weather! You can spend all day in the Natural History Museum or Met.
Theater is also great, matinee shows are cheaper and take up some time during the day.


and my I suggest NOT going to the top of the empire state building when its cloudy out. It takes FOREVER to get to the top, its shockingly expensive, and observation deck is out side. You won't be able to see anything in the rain or snow.

I wouldn't go to the Statue of Liberty rain or shine. If you must, take the Ferry and see it from the boat (below, covered). You can't go up it very far and the security line takes an hour - tho in the rain, perhaps not as long.

Agree - The Met, Shows, and there is always Macys', which takes a full day. Also, the weather can change. We were there this past week and the predicted weather and what really happened were different.

You should change your plans. Who wants to go and walk around in unpleasant weather? Go to plan B and visit the museums. NYC is a place you can endless return to and never see everything.

If you get a break in the weather, that is when you could try the ESB, but, remember, you won't be the only person with that idea.

I was in NYC last week and there was NO line at the ESB. I didn't go because (a) I've been and (b) I was on a familiarization tour for tour directors and no one wanted to go. We did go as a group to Top of the Rock. NO LINE there either. You get a wonderful view of Central Park from Top of the Rock in addition to being able to take photos of the ESB. So, that is an alternative if the line at the ESB is too long.

I didn't go to the Statue of Liberty, because I found it more worthwhile to take a walking tour of the financial district and see some things I had not seen. Some people in the group did take a cruise that went around the Statue though (the free tour that you get when you buy the Grayline package).

It's too soon to believe what the weather forecast is for next week! Plus, chances are it won't be pouring rain every day you're there. Just have a rain plan as back up.

We've had on and off drizzle this week. Some neighborhoods get more than others. There's still plenty to do. Just pack an umbrella. It's almost Spring and like other posters have said, there is still a lot to do here! I've found it to be nice weather this week because you can walk around in a coat and not be freezing!!

Well - first of all, you're lucky it's rain and not snow.

Second, this time of year you may get fairly steady rain (when I would do mostly indoor stuff) or you may just get showers (in which case just make sure your shoes are waterproof and go ahead and do whatever you want).

Separately I do NOT reco the Empire State Building - the lines can be hours long. Do Top of the Rock instead so you can buy advance ties tickets. Pick a non-rainy day and go up around sunset so you can see the city in daylight and lit up at night.

Second for the Statue of Liberty you need to buy advance tickets for the ferry - or that can be a very long wait. As it is you will have to wait on the security line to get on the ferry (like airline security) and then another line on Liberty Island to get inside the Statue. You need to figure at least 4 hours to see the Statue. I would settle for a photo op from the ferry and go on to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum- which is brilliant!

You know, the weather people have been predicting mostly rain here for the past week, week and a half, and it's barely rained. They can be so wrong.

yk, aren't you in NY already? What are you doing on Fodor's instead of out on the town?

You can do your original itinerary if you just dress for it. As noted above, weather forecasts are not accurate that far in advance. I would recommend that to the extent possible, plan your itinerary with some days' activities suitable for nice days and other itineraries for rainy days; then check the forecast each evening and pick the itinerary for the next day. The ESB will be a huge disappointment if it's foggy!

I'm waiting for the sun to come out!

Do you think a tour bus like the grayline package would be a good alternative if the weather is bad or is there really little you can see from those tours?

Tammied8 , you need to stop worrying so much!
It may or may not rain, and probably not every day of your trip.

Do you come from a place with very little rain? If so, it may not be obvious to you that NY gets rain all year long, and except for very rare occasions, people do whatever they were going to do if it weren't raining.

Of course, if it rains very hard, you wouldn't walk across the Brooklyn Bridge or go to the top of the Empire State Building that day. Chances are the weather will be more suitable another day. What other activities do you have planned?

If you take a tour bus, you will see the same rainy streets that you would see from a regular city bus or by walking

Yes, I am worrying too much! This is my first trip to NYC and I have spent plenty of money on a hotel, airfare, etc. I would like a nice pleasant trip! =) I am coming from Texas...we have not seen rain in years! Just kidding...its raining right now. I just know that NYC is a walking city and that may be difficult if it is raining hard.

I guess you are saying the tour busses are useless, huh?

The Gray Line tour buses are double-deckers that are open on top. You don't see much from the bottom level. The topside ride is very entertaining for anybody who enjoys architecture, since you get to see stuff that's not apparent from the regular pedestrian's perspective. It's also good for getting an overview of the city.

The topside's have had a covering on them...at least the ones I see going up broadway.

Another don't worry about the weather, we usually do not get steady rain, just showers on/off. Just dress right and carry an umbrella, you'll be fine. If you forget an umbrella, there's plenty of "opportunists" selling them for $5 on the street

I went to the Gray Line web site for a reality check, and apparently the transparent covers have been added since my last trip to NYC. They have photos with and without them. A good idea in many types of weather.

Tammied8 , some people like the tour buses, some don't.

My comment is really more basic: getting around with a tour bus, will not be any easier --or drier--than getting around using regular buses or subways, just more expensive.

The tour bus routes MAY take you exactly from place to place, so you think you'd be walking less in the rain, but the stops might be a block or 2 away, or more, from where you want to be.

Regular city buses also come more frequently than the tour buses,and on some streets/avenues there are several bus routes so that the wait between buses is really just a couple of minutes.

If you use the subways, as long as we're not having an unusual flooding rain, the system runs quickly and frequently and you're not outside getting wet!

As people here have mentioned, just try to sort the things you want to do on this trip into "need great weather" activities, and "everything else" and you'll be fine.

If you go to the Met. Museum you can get a great view from the roof garden, obviously a different perspective (and not as high) than TOTR or ESB, but still a great way to get a view and not fight crowds or pay a lot of $ to look at a cloudy city if you weather is less than stellar.

I think the roof garden is seasonal, opening in May?