We will be in NYC the third week of July and was wondering if anyone knows for sure when the Statue of Liberty will be opened? And if it is not opened will we still be able to go on Ellis Island? Also, what is the best way to get to WTC from midtown Manhatten, and the Statue of liberty ferry ? Not sure of the best,easiest way to get there.Also is there anything of interest to see in this(WTC)area? Thank you for all the help, Rose

Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty lives is opened. The only thing you can't do is walk up inside the statue (which I promise you is not all it's cracked up to be anyway). There is a museum in the pedestal dedicated to the statue so if you have the time, you may want to explore it, but if you stick to just taking the ferry to Ellis Island and admiring the statue from the ferry, you'll be fine. The museum at Ellis island is opened and should not be missed.

To get there from midtown, you can take the 1 on the west side to the south ferry station or the 4/5 to bowling green and walk down towards the circle line (it should be fairly obvious at that point).

as far at the World Trade Center goes, it's there, it's essentially the heart of the financial world. If you're looking for buildings #1 and #2, obviously, they aren't, so it's not so much a tourist destination, so unless you have a real interest in finance and wish to experience Wall Street in person, or you have direct sentimental value to what was lost there a couple of years ago, you'll probably find a more entertaining way to occupy your time instead.

sorry, i meant to say the 4 and 5 are on the east side, if that's closer to you at the time.

Thanks Brad, it all helps ! We just want to show our respect to all that died @ the WTC, think it is important to the kids too for same reason .Do you know anything about the doubledecker bus tours or Circle Line Boat tours, worth the time and $ ? Thanks, Rose

bergers4,

The Statue of Liberty as of now is still closed to visitors, although it scheduled to open again sometime this summer, no date has been set. I have provided the link to the National Park Service Website for the Statue.

http://www.nps.gov/stli/

Since 9/11 visitors have only been allowed to walk around the outside of the Statue on Liberty Island without going inside. My recommendation, even if the statue were to re-open, would be to stay on the boat and spend the time at Ellis Island instead. You can get a sn excellent view of the staue from the boat without having to get off at Liberty Island.

The WTC is just a construction site now, but inorder to get a glimpse of it I recommend going inside the World Financial Center Winter Garden. THere is an area up the steps there that provides a view of the site.

I highly recommend the Grayline double decker bus tour. I have taken it several time and it was very informative. When buying the Grayline tickets you can also buy tickets for the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry and the Empire State Building. That will save you from having to stand in the tickets lines at those venues. The Lower Manhattan loop is the one to take since you want to see the WTC and Staue of Liberty/Ellis Island on your itinerary. You can also buy and All Loops ticket for a discount. It's good for 48 hrs. and includes Lower and Upper Manhattan as well as the Brooklyn Loop tour.

http://www.graylinenewyork.com/

Another alternative for seeing the Statue of Liberty (I agree that going to Liberty Island is a waste of time, since all you get to do is walk around the bottom) is to ride the Staten Island Ferry (it's free both ways, and available 24/7). In the early morning light you get a great view, and you can begin to imagine what it was like when people were riding on a boat into New York harbor and saw her as a welcome to America.

The circle line and grayline tours are both excellent. If purchasing the all loops tour for the bus; just skip the Brooklyn tour, its a waste of time. Make sure to do the others though, especially the night tour. At the WTC area ,go across the street to St.Pauls church. First thing to do is get a metro pass and map. This will get you almost anywhere.

Bergers4, glad to know you and your family recognize the importance of the WTC site not as a source of entertainment, as alluded to by another poster, but a place to remember the approx. 3000 people who were lost in one tragic event. Unfortunately, for anyone who never saw the WTC towers in person before they were destroyed, it's difficult to imagine how immense the twin towers were at 110 stories each. Just remember,if you feel the sunshine and can see the sky unobstructed standing right around Ground Zero, there was once shadow there which is how tall the buildings were - they blocked the sun for blocks around it. It truly is miraculous there was not more damage to the surrounding buildings as the towers fell straight down inside its external steel tubing structure. So the visit doesn't end up as "just a construction site" (I can't imagine getting away with downplaying the historical significance of concentration camps, Pearl Harbor, or the Normandy beaches as just buildings or just water!), you might want to go over some info on the 9/11 event and the WTC history with your kids before you get there. Since 9/11, the riverside area from the World Financial Center and north have really been built up so it may be worth a walk. The Financial Center frequently has free performances during the summer. Chelsea Piers has indoor sports and other recreation. You'll also find the Circle Line touring ferry (Staten Island Ferry is just as good and cheaper)and the Intrepid Museum along the river. Don't know how old your kids are, but a NY Stock Exchange visit is intriguing, there is a Holocaust Museum in Battery Park. You can walk across town to the East River to visit the Seaport area for shopping and a cool (a/c) place to take a break. Be prepared for high heat and humidity in July - bring bottles of water and take time to rest. Enjoy!