To complicate our travelling matters, there are 3 adults and 3 children in our party. Embassy Suites is the only hotel (as far as I know) offering us the option to stay in the same room at an affordable rate. That's the main reason why were going with lower Manhattan.

Though I'm not sure why it's necessary for all 6 to stay in the same room, that's your choice. Still, just because you're staying there, why are you limiting yourselves to seeing only attractions in lower Manhattan? Public transportation will get you easily and cheaply to any place you like.

Is there a purpose to your visit other than vacation? If so, maybe share more of what your schedule actually entails. If not, I think you're severely limiting your enjoyment to not explore the rest of Manhattan.

This lower Manhattan stop is part of a family vacation from Chicago to D.C. to NYC. Because our oldest son is 18, and considered an adult now, it's probably going to be our last vacation where all of us will be together. We're staying in one big suite -- versus two rooms -- because we're not on an unlimited budget. Two rooms, in most of the hotels I checked out online, are nearly twice as much as the one big suite we're going to be in at Embassy. I appreciate everyone's input so far. You've been very helpful.

There are other suite hotels that would allow 6 to the room. The Best Western Hospitality and the Salisbury are just 2 in midtown. But there's nothing wrong with the Embassy suites and it's newer than the ones I mentioned.

I think your location will be fine as several of the places you may wish to visit (Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero) are close by. No location is close to everything most tourists want to see. The subway system is very convenient and so easy to use that I wouldn't limit yourselves to just what is near the hotel. I think you'll enjoy your hotel and think it makes good sense for you. Have a great trip!

In Penn Station, near the GNC Vitamin store is a Tourist Info Booth that is personed. Pick up 'IN New York", the Museum Guide w/coupons in it (While $8 off the $29 Madam Touseau's Museum doesn't cut it) for you there are others. Also MAPS, and other bookets on NYC Plus Theatre Flyers.

READ everything you pick up & if you wish to see a play the South Street
TKTS 1/2-off booth is where you should go which has a shorter line.

There is a horde of info there that will
enhance your NYC experience & the
folks are employed by the 34th Street
Partnership & quite helpful.

While there's plenty of information on this site, a good guidebook would be a beneficial investment. You'll find maps to show where everything is located. Tick off what you wish to see in the various areas, besides just near/around the hotel, then every day venture further afield.

You can spend a day downtown, another in/around the Times Square/mid-town areas, then the museums up on Fifth Avenue with Central Park and then over the west side. That should take in plenty during your four days.

Buy the Metrocards which work for subways and buses and pick-up both bus and subway maps.

You'll have a wonderful and safe trip. Happy travels.

Fitz: There is a Doubletree Suite hotel right in Times Square in case you are considering moving uptown.

It is still confusing whether or not you are planning on ONLY touring lower Manhattan. What's the scoop?

You might visit the Tenement Museum:
http://www.tenement.org/

Here is the downtown branch of a restaurant I like on Park Ave:
http://www.leshalles.net/ny_downtown.php

There is a Double Tree Suite in Times Square. We stay there every summer. You could get a suite with two queen beds and the second room comes with a fold out couch. We have teens and that works really well for us. There is always so much going on. MTV is across the street. Some years the kids could watch what is going on at MTV from our suites window. We really like the location because is it close to everything and a subway connection is also right there. There is no street noise at all. We have stayed there 6 summers is a row and not have had a bad experience. The rooms have gone up in price and are getting I feel a little spendy. But, we do keep going back. Good Luck and have a great vacation. New York City is wonderful!

You guys are awesome ... thanks for all the informative help!

Three kids age 10-15? and an 18 year old is your oldest? Plus two adults?

Hard to make it five top places and there is no need to spend a lot of money on attractions in NYC.

1) Statue of Liberty (or just look at it from Battery Park if you don't have time, money or inclination to go out there for free)
2) World Trade Center (free)
3) Times Square (free)
4) Put a toe in Central Park (free)
5) Top of Empire State Building for the view, if not too long a wait or look at it from ground for free.
6) A half priced ticket to a Broadway musical for kids if you can afford it and if any are available at TKTS on Time Square.
7) If your kids know what Rockefeller Center is go there. (free)
8)NY Public Library Lions, recently recoiffed and ready for their photo-ops (free)
9) Grand Central Station (free)
10) Walk around West Village for the 15 and 18 year olds and get a meal there.

Unless your kids are really into science or art etc. or have never seen a museum before I'd skip the museums.Plus they can be very expensive. It just cost me $22 to see the Darwin exhibit at Natural History. The kids also could be really bored quickly. If they like NYC they'll go back on their own someday.

Get discount subway passes $1.50 per ride and $1.00 on weekends. Ten dollars buys $12.00 of riding. An experience in itself! Print out a subway map or ask your concierge to tell you exactly which trains to take then follow those directions. It's a fairly simple system to navigate that way.

Buy the Timeout Guide at a newstand when you get there and they will list all the special activities going on day to day. If there is a street fair near you can try that.

Above all if you are going in the summer it can be deadly hot, stop for drinks fequently and wear the most comfy shoes on the planet or you will be sorry.

Haven't read all the posts but since you are staying downtown, the very best part and most historical part of Manhattan, check out this site: www.DowntownNY.com .

Free tours, free transportation and free guides.

So much to do downtown; Walk the Brooklyn Bridge, visit City Hall, World Trade Center, St. Paul's Chapel, Federal Building (where George Washington was sworn in as first President of the US), Trinity Church (where he prayed afterwards), South Street Seaport, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry to Statue of Liberty, Holocaust Museum, Museum of American Indian (I like) just to name a very few things.

That's just the tip of the iceburg.

Bardo, not sure what you mean since everything you listed is downtown.

fitz asked for things to do with 10-18 year olds. There are lots of things to do in Lower Manhattan but I think I'd be drawn and quartered by an angry mob of teens if I took them to some of the more obscure places down there.

I'd spread the visit out over the city and hit the places that they might be able to relate to.

Ah yes, MTV is always a big hit, fitz and if you can't find tickets to a musical you can take them to a movie at the multiplex on Times Square and experience the nightlife when you come out.

Obscure? Out of curiosity, what is obscure downtown?

More obscure?

<i>Walk the Brooklyn Bridge, visit City Hall, World Trade Center, St. Paul's Chapel, Federal Building (where George Washington was sworn in as first President of the US), Trinity Church (where he prayed afterwards), South Street Seaport, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry to Statue of Liberty, Holocaust Museum, Museum of American Indian (I like) just to name a very few things. </i>

For instance, out of this list, I think teens would probably be interested in the site of the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty/ ride out there on the ferry.

Things like City Hall and the Federal Building probably are not at the top of teen lists of things to do in NYC.

You have gotten some great advice and you are going to have a great time here in the city.

Since this is your first trip to our fair city, I thought I would add a couple of hints.

Manhattan is not that big and everything is fairly close and easily accessable by subway/bus/taxi/walking.

Manhattan is only 20 miles long and you are probably only going to be seeing things south of West 79th St (which is where the Museum of Natural History is on Central Park West) and 86th and 5th Ave on the east side.

Manhattan is split by 5th Ave, everthing to the east of 5th Ave is called the east side and everything west is called the west side. Central Park starts at 59th ST and goes up to 110th St. Really above Central Park Manhattan is mostly residential.

I would suggest getting a map of the city so you have some bearings before your trip. Also get a few books for the kids to read so they can see some of the things they are interested in seeing as well, that gives them the feeling of &quot;owning&quot; the trip as well.

The Wall St area does have alot of tourist attractions, from Battery Park to Canal St is probably a mile or so and you may want to see:

The Staten Island Ferry
Mother Elizabeth Seaton's Church
Fraunces Tavern
Customs House
Battery Park
Museum of Jewish Heritage
Trinity Church
Wall St
Federal Building
South St. Seaport
Ground Zero (World Trade Center)
St. Paul's Chapel
City Hall
Woolworth Building
Chinatown
Little Italy

All of those are doable in a day, just walking around the area.

If your kids like Asian food, Chinatown would be fun for lunch (Dim Sum), the best place is either HSF on The Bowery or Mandarin Court on Mott St.

Little Italy is just a block away from Canal and Mott St and there are tons of spots there for desert and trinkets.

Getting to your hotel, the #1 train right at Penn Station would probably the easiest and most affordable. IF you buy a couple of metro cards, put at least $20 per card and you will get 2 free rides. Also you can get free transfers from subway to the bus, which will help keep costs down as well.

Manhattan is laid out in a &quot;grid&quot; so the Av. are North South and the streets go east west. The streets N/S are 20 blocks to a mile so you can figure out how close things are to you.

I also wanted to suggest a day in Central Park to see the Central Park Zoo and if you buy a family membership, you will get a monthly magazine for a year at home, and have free admission to the Aquarium at Coney Island as well as the Bronx Zoo, which will also save a bit of money and you have something to look forward to when you get home, the Magazine is very good.

Have a great time and let us know if you have any other questions.

Have you been downtown?

I'm sorry but my at the time teen stepkids and nieces and nephews loved the area.

Go,

I didn't quite understand the rest of what you wrote but I think you were addressing me. I was in Lower Manhattan last week and have been there many times.

I doubt there are any teens lurking about on this site but I'd love to hear what they'd think about going to City Hall and the Federal Building for their vacation.

It's a lovely idea to walk around and look at different neighborhoods in NYC but no physical way to do that in four days. You have to pare it down.

We are going to New York in November and have similar issues. Kids ranging from 7 to 16 years. I have seen several great suggestions on this discussion. Very helpful. We are thinking of buying Citypasses for our group. They include several of the musuems mentioned plus a harbor tour and Empire State building tour. We figure that we would at least like to peek inside the musuems even if we lack time and energy for a complete tour. The pass is $53.49 (adult)on the Costco site. Is there a locally done package that is a better deal? We used the citypass in LA and couldn't have put together anything cheaper there. But it never hurts to ask!

Don't take a car- did somebody say that already ; ) and definitely see ground Zero. Have a blast. It's the best city in the world, IMHO.