starrs

The book series offering alternative choices made me think about choices I make in NYC.

Here's one of the books - http://www.amazon.com/This-Thousands...ref=pd_sim_b_5

What about our personal NYC "swap" choices?

The first that comes to mind is...

Top of the Rock, not Empire State Building!

No waiting in line
Can buy tickets ahead of time
Great views - even OF the Empire State Building

ellenem

Almost any neighborhood Italian restaurant, not Little Italy

mclaurie

Broadwaybox or Playbill discounts by phone, online or in person- not TKTS booth.

Can buy ahead of time and avoid uncertainty and long lines.

Margo_Chester

Eat at small independently owned restaurants, not national chains.

Chance to try new/different foods in an unique atmosphere.

travelbuff

TKTS booth in lower Manhattan, by the South St. Seaport no lines and opens early and few tourists even know about it so shhhhhhh..........

Graziella5b

Hi, I am leaving today to New YOrk, woke up too early, I wish to thank all for a lot of good advice, and I am taking note of any italian restaurant but Little Italy which no doubt it has a lot of syntesis power....

Vttraveler

Ellis Island not Statue of Liberty

K_brklyn

Union Square not Times Square. Union Square has more of a real NY character and there's always something interesting happening.

K_brklyn

A few more:

Pastrami sandwich: Ben's Best not Katz

Manhattan bus tour: public bus not the Hop on Hop off buses. Here's a suggested tour on the public bus: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/11/23...23weekend.html

missypie

Shop for clothes in Nolita, not 5th Avenue.

missypie

Here's another: Real designer bags at discount at Century 21, skipping the illegal knockoffs on Canal.

Aduchamp1

K Bklyn

Ben's pales in comparison to Katz's and for some reason people forget 2nd Ave Deli which overall is better than them all.

bachslunch

Have had pastrami at both Ben's and Katz's, and I much preferred it at the latter. In fact, I'd put Ben's behind places such as 2nd Avenue Deli, Carnegie Deli, Stage Deli, and Artie's Deli. In many other cities, Ben's would be the top dog deli, but it's not in NYC at least to my taste.

My "do this, not that" options would be:

--see the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry. Not on the officially offered tour.

--eat foods that are considered NYC specialties (thin-crust pizza, Jewish deli, bagels, bialys, maybe Nathan's or Gray's Papaya hot dogs, that sort of thing). Not things you can get at home that are done just as well as in NYC -- like pub grub, for example.

MFNYC

for Italian pastries and cappuccino, not Ferrara's in Little Italy, but Veniero's in E. Village.
for Pizza by the slice, not Sbarro's or Bravo or Dominos or any other chain, but Joes on Carmine St.
For a good cup of coffee, not Starbucks but Grey Dog or Cup of Joe or Cafe Grumpy

MFNYC

oops...that's "Joe the art of Coffee" not "Cup of Joe"

MFNYC

here's another, for books, Strand (on B'way and 12th St), not B&N's

starrs

topping

Aduchamp1

Topping

I swap meatballs for pepperoni.

Bowsprit

1. Subway or bus, not cabs.

2. Anywhere but Times Square.

debsnj

Said already but worth repeating: Staten Island Ferry not Statue of Liberty

Pre-theater prix fix when available at "better" restaurants.