We are planning our trip to NYC for 3 nights in July. We are planning on walking and using the subway to get around. We want to see a Yankees game, and of course, ride the subway to get there. Would you recommend a metro card, and if so, how much do they cost? Also, are there any specific areas of NY to avoid with a group of 5? I was asked this at our group meeting and didn't have an answer. We don't plan on being far from the hotel at night. Thanks for all your help.

The subway is perfectly safe in any area that tourists would visit - including the area of Yankee Stadium at game time. You have no choice but to get a Metro Card - cash is no good on the subway. Since you are here only 3 days you can get Metrocards with minimum amounts and add more money if you need to.

(You can get Metro cards in any amount you want. There are unlimited daily cards, but they are per person only, and you might not ride that much. I would get a $20 card and when you want you can add more. (With this kind of card several people can go through the turnstiles in quick succession.)

Although, I loved having the unlimited metro pass (one per person) -- that way we could hop on a subway even for a short distance without thinking twice. Of course, last time we were there, it was cold and short hops on the subway were warranted!

Although no one can assure another's safety, NYC is the safest large city in the US.

The subways are safe and they have great undercover cops on the trains.

You will surprised by the number of people on the streets of Manhattan. But if there is ever a question take the north/south Avenues and the main cross streets until it is necessary to walk to your final destiantion. The main cross streets are Houston, 8th street, 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, 57th Street.

Thanks for the reassurance. Where can I purchase a metro card(s)?

You can Metrocards at any subway stations. All entrances have machines, most have have a booth.

You cannot buy am Metrocard on a bus. You can also buy Metrocards at some stores but there is no rhyme or reason as to whcih stores sell them.

You can also get Metrocards at almost every newsstand or stationary store.

As long as you are going to ride the subway at least 4 times in a day, it's worth it to get the 1-day fun pass, which costs $7.50 per person. Otherwise,single rides cost $2. If you think you will ride less than 4 times a day, you can load up a single metro card with anything more than $7, and you'll get a 15% bonus. Everyone in your party can share one card, and you can just burn it off as you go.

Depending on your specific travel plans, your "3 nights" could end up being 4 separate days with Metro travel; in that case, you might be better-off with the $25 pass for 7 days of unlimited rides. It can't be shared, though, so some advance calculating is in order.

An additional consideration is that if you just buy everybody a 7-day pass at the outset, then you won't have to hassle ever again about updating or refreshing passes. And at the end of the trip, you can choose a worthy-looking person to donate it to for the 3 unused days.

(Quick arithmetic: 5 of the 7-day passes would cost $125. For that same $125, you could buy pay-per-ride tickets, with the 15% bonus, for about 70 rides, which is 14 rides per person. Or you could buy 15 of the $7.50 unlimited daily passes with enough left over for one more ride each on day 4.)

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm