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Just back from a weekend trip to NYC. Someone requested a trip report so here it is. Usually we take public transportation from the airport but we splurged on a cab from LGA to Midtown. It's a quicker trip than I expected and cost about $25 including tip and tolls, probably more during rush hour. We stayed at the Park Savoy on 58th near 7th. Although the location was great (within walking distance to Central Park) and the price was great for NY ($125 if you paid cash), the bed was uncomfortable and it was fairly noisy at night for a street that wasn't terribly busy. No room service, no bellhops, no cable-truly a budget hotel. It was safe and clean, however. We visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island via ferry ($7, includes admission to both sites). We went mid afternoon so we ended up spending a lot of time in lines (to get on the ferry and to get into the statue). The line to climb up to the crown wasn't moving very fast so we opted for the elevator to the pedestal instead. It might have been better to go early in the morning. Ellis Island has a large museum that is worth the stop. We took in two plays, "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Weir". "Phantom", of course, was quite grand and we had excellent seats. "The Weir" was fairly slow moving and isn't something I would personally recommend. We visited the top of the Empire State Building which has a grand view of the city. On the weekends only the 86th floor observatory is open (the 102nd floor one is closed), but I think that's where you want to be anyway. We visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm sure we didn't scratch the surface of the collections as we focused on the US and European collections. We spent a lot of time just walking around and looking at things-down 5th Avenue, through Central Park, through the Upper East side. Central Park is amazing in size, number of people, and delightful spots. We also took a guided tour with Adventure on A Shoestring through Midtown. We were the only people that showed up and it was truly a bizarre experience. We bought a $4 Metro fun pass at the tourist office for the day we went to the Statue of Liberty. We found it fairly easy to get around on the subway as long as we had a subway map with us. And suprisingly, I never felt like it was not safe. For food we tried the Carnegie Deli (good corned beef, sandwiches are huge and pricey), John's Pizzeria (pretty tasty), Lindy's (cheesecake, not the best I've had), Xunta (Spanish tapas in the East Village, good food, restaurant was very crowded on Friday night) and H&H bagels. We also ate a few slices of pizza from stores in midtown. Thanks to everyone on the forum for their help while we were planning our trip. Some websites I found that were helpful are: www.buybroadway.com to see what's playing www.playbill.com for discount theater tickets www.nytoday.com for sights, restaurants, etc. www.citysearch.com www.ny.com www.nycvisit.com www.cuisinenet.com for restaurants, menus

Kristi: Thanks for the trip report. It's hard as a New Yorker to give advice for tourists, because once you've been here long enough you want to say, "No! Don't go to those tourist traps! My New York is so much better!" But as I recently read somewhere on this forum, those places are popular for a reason, and visitors will feel let down if they don't see and do the traditional things. So I'm glad you enjoyed the Statue of Liberty, etc. I was especially pleased to see that among your more conventionally touristy dining choices you went to Xunta in the East Village, a place in a real New York neighborhood frequented by real New Yorkers (my apologies for who- or whatever led you to Lindy's!). I don't know how Xunta made it onto your radar, but I'm glad it did, glad you enjoyed it, and glad you gave us a report. Oh and also, thanks for letting others know-from the perspective of a tourist-that the cab from the airport and the subway are safe and easy. I can understand how both can seem overwhelming, but they really are excellent - and sometimes the best - options. Judging by the number of questions posted about them here, they are a source of real concern for non-New Yorkers, and sometimes I get the feeling the reassurances we New Yorkers keep posting in response are taken with a big sack of salt. Nice to get some backup from an unbiassed source!

Hi Kristi, great report. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am curious though, can you tell us a little more about "Adventures on a Shoestring"? the name sounds bizarre, I' dying to know where they took you and what you saw. I know the Carnegie Deli is a touristy place, but we always used to go there for lunch when we went to New York. Its really awfully good.

I have to tell you that safety was one of my primary concerns, especially since I come from another big city, Chicago, and I know that there are areas that tourists just shouldn't wander into. I was quite pleasantly surprised at the beauty of Central Park and the fact that it is used by so many for so many different activities and that there really isn't any concern for safety at least during day time hours. I was also surprised by the number of people out walking at any time of the day/night. That's a great way to see the city incidentally, we used the subway only when we were traveling long distances and walked so that we could see all of the buildings and streets we have heard so much about. Since it was my first trip, we did concentrate on the touristy things in NYC but if we go back we will try to go out into the neighborhoods a bit more. I think you have to see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building on your first trip, even if you just pass by instead of going in. I also would like to report that the reputation of New Yorker's being rude is highly overblown. Most of the people we came in contact with were helpful and considerate, tourist area or not. The guys at Perry's deli here in Chicago are ruder than the guys at Carnegie Deli, maybe I got them at an off time.

Hi Beth. I found Adventures on a Shoestring on the www.citysearch.com site. Their tours are $5 a person and the one we went on was supposed to be Haunted Midtown but since we were the only ones who showed up, he really just took us on a walking tour of Midtown. The guy who took us was, I believe, the founder of the group and he kept taking us into buildings to get warmed up and would tell us how things used to be in Midtown. He gave us a little history of the few sites we stopped at but really lacked the gift of telling a good story. It was truly a strange experience, not at all like the other walking tours I've taken in New Orleans where they craft stories, some fact, some fiction, and are highly entertaining. Perhaps if there was a larger group it would have been more of a typical walking tour. Later that day he told us he was going to the George Washington Bridge with a group to sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles on a cake. Maybe some others out there have had a different experience with the group, but for me I will find this to be a good laugh for years to come! We went to the Carnegie Deli on a Saturday around 3:00 pm so there was no crowds and we took our sandwiches back to our hotel room to eat. The corned beef was good (and I'm not usually a fan of corned beef).

Glad you had fun Kristi. My one suggestion is that out-of-towners skip the chains and "tourist restaurants" like Lindy's. This city has tons of inexpensive local restaurants. It's worth it to buy a Zagat's and look up restaurants in areas you'll be visiting. Eat well, like a local for the same price or better than at tourist places!

Kristi -- Thanks for taking the time to post the trip report! My friends and I felt exactly the same way you did about "The Weir" -- I love most plays, but even I thought this particular one was pretty boring. It picked up a bit toward the end but still not worth the price of the ticket. Also agree the subway is a safe (at least in the daytime), and relatively fast and easy way to get around. And cheap! Glad you got to Ellis Island and Central Park. And the Carnegie Deli! Yes, it's expensive, but I just crave their Reuben sandwiches something awful.

As a New Yorker, I was delighted to read your trip report (most especially your comment about how you were treated by New Yorkers). You should be applauded for planning a great itinerary for a first trip. Incidentally, you have to be a tourist to enjoy New York, just like most, if not all, great cities. Just to clear up one misconception: Carnegie Deli isn't only for the tourists. We locals go there all the time, as well!

Kristi, Great report! I'm headed there for the fun freakshow that is Halloween Weekend and you've definitely given some good ideas. I haven't been to the Statue of Liberty in years so I think I might head out there. One question: Did you have a hard time getting theater tickets? Last time I was in New York (March) I had the worst time trying for theater tix the cheap way. Froze my butt off at the 1/2 price booth in TS and couldn't get tix, then didn't get in early enough in the lottery for matinee tix to "Chicago" at the venue. Hoping for better luck this time.

Sabrina-go early to the Statue of Liberty if you're thinking of going and combine it with Ellis Island, even if its just to have a look around. We ordered our tickets from telecharge for "Phantom" because I wanted good seats and we ordered "The Weir" through www.playbill.com at a discounted price. There were discounted tickets for a lot of the shows through Playbill (including Cats and Cabaret) but most had restrictions on weekend shows. The ticket lines at the TKTS booth were incredibly long when we went by on a Sunday morning. I suspect its always that way. Good luck!

We purchased our discount theater tickets from the World Trade Center where you don't have to battle the weather. I don't remember which floor it was on, but just ask. We went early afternoon and there were only a few ahead of us. Apple Greeters is a free tour by native New Yorkers and we had a wonderful gentleman escort us through town. I use the subway each time I visit and feel quite safe during the day. New York is a fast paced city, a wonderful place to visit, but give me good ole Ohio to live.

Yes, many people aren't aware that there are TWO discount TKTS booths -- one in Times Square and one in the World Trade Center. The World Trade Center one is always less crowded and the line goes much faster. Another advantage is that unlike the one in Times Square which only sells same-day tickets, the World Trade Center booth on Saturdays sells tickets for both Saturday and Sunday performances (at least this was still true last time I used it in August '98).