Thanks everyone for your advice on food. This is great to be able to ask locals questions. First we will be arriving Sat around 6 to 7pm depending on airplane. Since I have never been to NYC where would I go where its sate to walk around Soho, Greenwich
Village or downtown?? Are shops open on Sat nite. Any advice on when to go to Statue of Liberty to try to beat crowds???

Janet I would suggest getting a map of the city so you get an idea of where everything is in relation to your hotel.

You could walk around the Village, (east or west), upper east side, upper west side, chinatown, little Italy. Some of the shops stay open late on the Upper West side and in the Village.

You might head down to the Village south of Washington Square Park and try a restaurant there and then have coffee at one of the cafes in the area.

Have a fun time while you are here.

tweedy

The only way to beat the crowds going to the Statue of Liberty is to get there first thing in the morning and catch the first boat out. I'm not sure what it leaves, but get there before 8:30-9.

Janet,
I would say that on Sat. night, downtown is likely to be empty. (I am defining "downtown" as the Financial District/Wall Street area.) Soho and Greenwich Village will be lively. I would suggest heading to the Village, as there are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat, and lots of places for a drink where you might catch some live entertainment. Depending on your musical tastes, you might want to try the Sheridan Sq. area for traditional piano bars, or maybe Bleeker St between 6th and Bway for folk and more modern stuff.
Just be forewarned that both areas on a Sat. night will be crowded and noisy.

Ditto catching the first boat out. Also, do not stop at Ellis Island. Or if you do, don't stay long. We got there early and spent a couple hours, then were caught in a huge line (hours)trying to get the ferry back to NYC. We felt like the immigrants waiting to get into the US. This was in April.

Yes,its quite safe. I suggest Soho, near
Spring. Lots of neat cafes, people watching, cool stores open till 11pm.
But where is your hotel? You might not get into the city until 830pm & until you
check in etc.. . if you are near 42nd st
you migth get a kick out of strolling around there & seeing the billboards etc. How about an evening cruise on the liberty line boats? Get to the libery boat line by 8am---believe me, there will be tons of Japanese tourists on line!
Maybe just go to sleep early & set out nice & early to explore the city when it is quiet! Enjoy! How about a trip report?

I'll have to disagree with Kathy and say that Ellis Island is definitely worth a visit. A fascinating place, especially if your ancestors passed thru there when they came to this country.

If you are not positively certain you want to walk next to or up the Statue (up the 353 or so stairs inside her 'skirt' to the crown. The view from the crown is very limited), consider taking a boat by/around the Statue rather than docking and walking around the island.

As mentioned, the ferry stops at Ellis Island then the Statue (they are adjacent islands). It can easily turn into a 6 hour affair, or more. The park service has limited climbing of the crown to passengers on the first few ferries. The statue sits on a pedestal, which has a viewing deck, is always accessible and has elevators. When we took friends, at their request, it took us 3 hours to just climb up to the crown. We literally took one step, waited, one step, waited, etc.. for 3 hours.

Boat ride options include, among others, taking the Staten Island Ferry (go to Staten Island and back), the Circle Line Tour, The Spirit of New York (lunch, dinner and evening cruises), or a private operator that offers sightseeing. Fancy-schmacny would be a helicopter ride. The boat tours are geared for tourists so you will not only see the statue but also Brooklyn Bridge, good perspective of the skyline, and much more depending on the length of the ride.