I will be in NYC for one week on business. I will be tied up in meetings from 9am to 7pm except for
one free day, December 3rd. and I am looking for recommendations... but no shopping. Perhaps a play/musical on Broadway and/or anything else that might be special going on in NYC at this time of the year. I have not been in this city for over 15 years and I am so excited.
I will be located in the Times Square area.

December 3 is a Thursday, so if you want to see a Broadway play, it will have to be an evening performance. Since you have limited time, buy your tickets in advance ... as in now. Then plan the rest of your day around your interests. The holiday decorations will all be up around NYC, including the tree at Rockefeller Center. You may want to see Top of the Rock so you can see the city from on high, but you need to allow at least 90 minutes for that during one of the busiest weeks of the year. For the rest, since you don't say what your interests are, I have no idea whether to recommend museums or other attractions. Needless to say there are plenty of things. Since this is one of the busiest times of the entire year, the more you can arrange in advance, the easier your day will be and the more you'll be able to see. Plan on using the subway to get around to maximize your touring time.

Agree that if you give us an idea of your interests we can do a much better job of making recos.

For the b'way show go to broadwaybox.com to see if any you are interested in are offering discounts and use them to get tickets now for best choice of shows and seats. If you want to see a hit show you really must get tickets now or risk having to pay a fortune to a scalper.

By the time you arrive, MOMA will have timed ticketing for the Picasso Sculpture exhibit. Membership has its privileges. If you want to start your day early and explore midtown and or Central Park and then head to MOMA for members hour, you might want to see what my alter ego SusanK at AnyGuide dot com can do for you.

December 3 is a Thursday, so if you want to see a Broadway play, it will have to be an evening performance.

Unless you want to to to Phantom of the Opera or the Radio City Christmas Show, which have matinees that day.

HTtY

Picasso Sculpture exhibit sounds awesome and will definitely check out SusanK. GroundZero is a must so I will start doing my homework. Thank you all.

I was at the Picasso exhibit @ Moma on Oct. 6 and there was no timed ticketing.

The show was absolutely gobsmacking awesome!

There was a sculpture on view of a little girl on a swing made from objects Picasso found at a Paris flea market that overwhelmed me.

Do not miss this show!


Thin

Maybe The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center.

Find an excuse to go to the Baccarat hotel and splurge on a glass of Champagne in the bar or for afternoon tea. It is so gorgeous and dressed up for the holidays, I imagine it is truly spectacular!

They are starting timed ticketing next week especially since there will be a new Jackson Pollack exhibit as well.
A Guide Named Sue

"A Guide Named Sue"

That was the Johnny Cash song that wasn't a hit.

<there will be a new Jackson Pollack exhibit as well.> Thanks for the heads up Sue . One more thing to look forward to!

I can't think of anything more interesting to do in Manhattan than to take a nice long walk. For instance: The Highline, West Village, Washington Square, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center. The terrain is flat.

HTtY

I'm with happytrailstoyou all the way! Of course, the weather will play a major role in whether it'll be a good choice!

Me too! We can easily spend the day walking 8-10 miles in Manhattan. You can cover a lot of territory - just wear comfortable shoes.

Sorry, it is Girl Skipping Rope by Picasso @Moma, not Girl on Swing.

Boozy Beelzebub must have been whispering in my ear. Again.

Manhattan is a zoo during the holiday season. Walking around the city is challenging.

Thin

Manhattan is a zoo during the holiday season. Walking around the city is challenging.

The neighborhoods I listed have walkability scores of 99 or 100.

I enjoy the throngs in the Rockefeller Center area at Christmas time.

The crowds in Times Square are never pleasant to negotiate. They can be zoo-like, but they don't discourage me from going to the theater.

HTtY

Once again, htty I'm with you. this time concerning the Times Square crowds and how they don't disoourage me from going to the theater!

Thinking of taking a shuttle from Newark airport to hotel and back. Any recommendations based on your own experience.

Weather will definitely be the deciding factor in how I spend my day Special thanks to HTTY and the rest of you for your suggestions. Can't wait to be in NYC... I love New York any time of the year

Airport transport from EWR depends on where your hotel is and the time of day. During many parts of the day, buses from EWR are delayed a lot at the Lincoln Tunnel and are extremely crowded, especially this time of the year. Often it's better to take train depending on your ultimate destination. Then you can hop on the subway or take a taxi from Penn Station depending on the destination and your budget.

Some "Times Square" hotels are located well south of Times Square and are walkable from Penn Station.

If you tell us more specifically where your hotel is located, I think we can probably give you a better recommendation. If it's a big hotel, the name is helpful.