Hello,

I'll be in NY for one week in August. I know there are tons of things to do and see, but I would like to make the most of my time there. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Not only are there tons of things to do in NYC, but they are quite varied. Certainly an itinerary that would make me happy and feel that I was "making the most of my time" would not be the same as one that would make you happy, as we probably have some different interests.

From your research on NYC activities, sites, etc. what things have interested you that you want to do? Certainly we can help you arrange things in a logical manner, but deciding on your interests for you would be a bit presumptuous.

If you haven't yet done any research, I'd suggest beginning with the fodor's miniguide by clicking on destinations above. This will help you discover some of the "biggies" that most people visiting NYC would be likely to have interest in. A guidebook or two from the library would also be good for getting your feet wet.

Oops - one more thing. Wish we could edit posts here!

I've made the assumption that by NY you mean NYC. Is that correct, or will you be covering more of the state?

Hello jlm_mi,

I've already had a look at a couple of tourist guides and I feel a bit "overwhelmed". I'm mostly interested in cultural stuff, but I don't want to spend all my time in museums...Which ones do you think shouldn't be missed?

BTW, when I said NY I meant NYC...I wish I had more time to cover more of the state !

At a minimum you must see the Met, the Museum of Natrual History and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum - which includes a ferry ride - that will take you past the Statue of Liberty.

If you want to do the latter - the lines are apparently VERY long and you can see only inside the base. (I would settle for just seeing the outside.)

You also cannot miss Central Park - seeing Shakespeare if it;s on when you're there, at least 1 or 2 shows on Broadway - and most of all - walking and becoming familiar with at least one or two of the neighborhoods.

You don;t mention where you're staying - but Times Square is completely atypical of NYC - and while midtown is certainly typical of commercial New York - you should really explore at least one of the residential neighborhoods.

I reco the upper west side - a ton of great inexpensive restaurants plus home or easy access to several of the major museums. Also explore one of the trendier downtowwn neighborhoods for galleries and incredibly diverse, interesting and even odd shops - the Village, lower east side or SoHo, Nolita.

For a week in NYC if you've never been before I would:

>Do one bus tour (either downtown loop of Grayline of NY Party Shuttle) to get an overview

>Do one boat ride, either the SI ferry, or a Circle Line half circle or the nywatertaxi.com, or the one from the Seaport or the ferry to Ellis Island...

>Go to the museums that interest you. I normally agree with nytraveler on everything but I don't agree on the museum choices. It really depends on your interests.

>See as much theater as you can afford

>Consider a walking tour (or self guided walking tour) of at least one neighborhood.

>Spend at least one day just roaming with no plan at all in an area you think you'd like.

Frommers Memorable Walks in New York may be a helpful book for you. It tells you what to see in each neigborhood.

You should check out Chinatown for some dim sum and Little Italy for cannolis. Also, don't forger to have a slice or two of pizza at Ray's.

If you'd like to do a bit of shopping, hit one or more of the Filene's Basements.

If you want to see a Broadway show, head to the TKTs location by the water. (You can get the exact address and times it's open on their website.) The line moves quickly and it opens earlier than the one in Time Square.

If you do a threadsearch for NYC, you will find lots of great info.

Have a wonderful time.

Hello again,

Thanks for all your suggestions! I do have a couple more questions, though..

>>"If you want to see a Broadway show, head to the TKTs location by the water"

Where exactly is the "TKTs location by the water"? I'm from Barcelona and I'm not familiar with NYC at all, so it's hard to know where that location is from here.

>>I'll be staying at the East Side Marriot. Do you know of a good place near the hotel where I can have breakfast?

Thanks again

TKTS is where discount day-of show tickets are sold and they have two locations in Manhattan. One is at Times Square and the other is at Southstreet Seaport (corner of Front and John Streets)

www.tkts.com

I've cut and pasted some info for you but there is more info on their website:

TKTS ® opened for business on June 25, 1973. The booths sell Broadway, Off-Broadway, Dance and Music events. Tickets are available at 25%, 35%, and 50% of full-price (plus a $3.00 per ticket service charge) and are available on the day of performance.

Payment is by cash or traveler's check. All available tickets are posted on boards outside the ticket windows.

At the TKTS booth in Times Square, Window 6 is a separate PLAY ONLY line. Same-day discount ticket buyers may queue to purchase tickets for Broadway and Off Broadway dramatic plays. These productions will be indicated on the electronic boards with a letter P.

for Broadway shows thre is a way you can sometimes get 25%-45% off ahead of time, I saw 42nd Street last yeat for 40% off through www.BroadwayBox.com. You buy the ticket and print it out over the internet.

I usually say skip the over-crowded Statue of Liberty and go to Ellis Island. Afterwards you are a short subway ride to Chinatown and Little Italy.

The TKTS booth referred to by the water is across the street from the South Street Seaport (all the way downtown). It is much less crowded. But I also agree to avoid wasting any time, see if what you want to see is available with a discount code from broadwaybox.com Then you can buy in advance and use a credit card. Your other option is to print off the discount info from broadwaybox website and go directly to the theater of the show you want any time. Much easier.

Can't remember exactly what's near the Eastside Marriott but you'll have no problem finding delis, coffee shops etc. menupages.com is a good search engine. Select east 40s and coffee shops and you should be fine. You're not far from Grand Central Station there and there and Pershing Square is supposed to be a good breakfast place. Make sure to have some cheesecake at Junior's inside Grand Central.

Broadwaybox.com is a great alterntive to standing in line
I also recommend the NY sightseeing buses, you can buy 2 day tickets to see uptown and downtown. The main terminal is in the Times Square area. There is no way you can see everything but you will get a real feel for the city. You can hop on and off .
I'm not sure where the East Side Marriott is but the Rockefeller Center employee food court is great for breakfast on weekday mornings. Inexpensive too. Lower level, next to the restaurants that overlook the ice rink. The Brooklyn Diner is near Central Park South and is good, always a wait for a table.
There are food courts in Trump Tower on 5th ave.
MOMA (modern art museum is hugely popular)
Walk Central park and as many neighborhoods as you can.
I agree buy a Fodors Frommer NYC tour book, read it and carry with you.

THe best Tour IMHO is the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum which takes you thru a preserved tenement and shows you how our ancestors lived. Very interesting, great tour but it also sells out so go on line for tickets, etc. I tell everytone about this tour and have done it twice myself.

I'll second that, Shar. We thought the Tenement Museum was one of the most interesting places we've been in NY - certainly a part of its history that not many tourists see. BTW, we went directly from the Tenement Museum to the Frick. Certainly a contrast!

BCN, if art museums are your interest, the Frick is definitely worth seeing.