We will be in NYC for 5 full days! We are looking forward to seeing the bigs sights like ESB and Statue of Liberty. Any suggestions on not to miss sights and restaurants! I think I am looking forward to eating more than the sights!!!

Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, the revolving lounge atop Marriott Marquis, Upper East Side strolling, Upper West Side strolling, SoHo, West Village, a show, window shopping at the 4 B's: Bergdorf-Goodman, Bloomingdales, Bendel, Barneys, all quite different in appeal; cupcakes at Magnolia, dinner in Little Italy, the Boathouse in Central Park, and somewhere in Restaurant Row. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. Buy a little souvenir "taxi" for the kids back home or whoever, cause you will see/hear alot of them. Plan to take the subway which is the most efficient way to get from a to b, at least in inclement weather. Ground zero, Wall Street, crazy Canal St. You do not indicate what month you're coming, bring a scarf to swaddle and a hat, NYers wear alot of black which is practical. I could go on and on....
Jersey Girl

Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mention we are coming Dec 26-31! Staying in Jersey City!

roast pork buns in Chinatown

the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center

the museums!

a carriage ride in Central Park

Christmas window displays in the department stores

I would love restaurant recommendations!!

If you like Jewish Style delis, Manhattan's a must. Good options include Katz's, Second Avenue Deli, Carnegie, Stage Deli, Barney Greengrass, or Artie's.

You will get a lot more restaurant reco is you give budget and cuisines you like or dislike.

NYC has hundreds of good restaurants and a couple of dozen great ones. But you really need to give us more info.

Also - are you looking for a special place? A veiw? Traditional? Casuale? Trendy?

Just an update! We are staying at the new Hampton Inn in Soho!

Just ahint - the 2 sights you mention are those that will take HOURS due to lines.

For the Statue of Liberty figure 4 to 5 hours, assuming you have bought ferry tickets in adance for an early ferry. You then have security line (like airline) to get n the ferry and another line once you reachLiberty Island.

I would bag the Empire State Building nd do Top of the Rock instead - since you can get timed tickets in advance - versus wasting hours waiting on long lines to buy tickets, get on elevator # 1 and then switch to elevator #2.

That sounds like great advice! We really don't want to stand in long lines, unless it's for food!!!

My family and I (2 adults and a seven year old) are going at the same exact time.

How long do you think it would take to see the Museum of Natural History. From what I read that place is cavernous.

And are the subways safe, during the day I mean?

The subways in the areas that are frequented by tourists are safe day and night.

You could spend 2 hours to all day at the Museum of Natural History.

Depending on how much of the museum you want to see, it could be all day. I was there in March and probably saw a 1/3 of the museum in 4 hours but left due to crowds / other plans. Definitely worth as much time as you can spend there.

I think the Lower East side Tenement museum is fascinating, and the neighborhood is interesting to explore
http://www.tenement.org/
You could eat at Katz's mentioned in another post

the annual Christmas tree and Crèche at the Metropolitan will still be on display.

Bon Bon--I would plan on half a day at the Museum of Natural History with a 7 year old

Having recently stayed at the Soho Hampton, here are some tips: The rooms at the Soho Hamton Inn are quite small so try and get a room ending with the #7 i.e., 207, 307, 407 etc etc. While they are corner rooms (very close to your neighbor) these rooms are much larger than the others. N.Y. hotel rooms are tiny as is this hotel . The staff is amazingly friendly - very eager to please. The 'continental' breakfast there is very well stocked and includes a different hot item each morning along with dry cereals/bagels/muffins/breads/ cream cheese/jams/juices/fresh fruit/ etc etc and with coffee/tea/cocoa available 24/7. The hotel is very well located and you can walk around without any problem. The hotel staff is very accomodating. I would suggest purchasing a metro card which we found very convenient. Ask for a metro map (free) when you purchase the metro cards - There is one for busses and one for subways. The subway is about 1-l/2 blocks from the hotel and very convenient. You are about 2 blocks from Canal Street which is busy all the time with vendors on the street and in the shops... all kinds of 'bargains/souvenirs for tourists'. Busy, busy busy when we were there - mind your handbag. While there are no 'fridges' in the room there are ice machines located throughout the hotel and soft drink/snack machine 1 floor below the lobby and an individual (1 cup) coffee maker in the room. Bathroom is tiny and no space for your toiletries but the hotel is new and hopefully you received a good rate. Have a grand time - whatever you do. N.Y. is always exciting - I LOVE N.Y. any time of the year.

To "see"the Natural History Museum - if you want to include the Imax movies - is at least an entire day. With any of the major NCY musesm (Met, Nat'l Hist, MoMA) you need to go the web site in advance and pick out 3 or 4 things you want to do. That will take a morning or and afternoon - and then I would think you'd want a break for some other activity - orother type of sight.

Sorry - the subways in Manhattan are perfectly safe at all times - although we don;t take after midnight or so - since you often have to wait 15 or 20 minutes for the train. Some of the lines in the outer boroughs are not that safe late at night - unless you're going to an activity with a lot of other people - and I wouldn;t take those after midnight.

Traveling in NYC with a 7 year old is always exciting....one fun place to visit is the Toys R Us in Times Square...but set a budget or a "just looking" cap as it's overwhelming. Turn right outside and walk a couple of blocks down Broadway and you'll come across Ellen's Stardust Diner....great fun, reasonable food It's all decked out in 1950s look and the wait staff sing and are very entertaining. Southport Seaport is also fun and your 7 year old might enjoy the couple of vessels docked there. The subway is fine but, frankly, we prefer to take buses as you also get to see the City.

If you're down in Little Italy (Mulberry Street area), pastries and coffee at Ferraras is a yummy little rest from trudging the streets. Dinner in China town and then walk over to Mulberry for dessert??

The major problem with NYC is that there is so much to do and see. Pace yourselves and with a 7 year old, make sure you stop every now and then and alternate between something for him/her and something you also want to do. We took our son up to NYC often and that worked well....he felt vested in the trip and even if he didn't enjoy all the stuff we wanted to do, he went along with it without complaining.

tyger- thanks for the info on the hotel! I will request a corner room!

ask for a room ending with the # 7

forget 'corner room'