Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Well New Yorkers?

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I am a New Yorker & would love to have the tourists come back. I worry about their safety & mine, but after the 11th, I always will. As we have seen, terrorism can strike anywhere. We are still 'shell shocked', but are handling ourselves nicely. We will do our best to give you a smile & hope you have a great visit. About costs. When I first moved here I was living on a shoestring. Yes, Broadway shows are expensive unless you use the TKTS, as are cabs & many of the hotels. BUT, you can see an even better side of the city cheaply by living as we do. Do you think we spend $$$ on entertainment every day? Consider this: Off-Broadway. Amazing productions with terrific talent in about 50 theaters. Many of these eventually make it to Broadway - The Allergists Wife for example, with Linda Lavin & Michelle Lee & tickets were about 1/2 the price. Pick up Time Out New York & go to the almost weekly street fairs, craft shows, antique shows or free concerts. People watching is a great thing to do on vacation. See a $10 movie at the Ziegfeld & visit a landmark at the same time. Ride the bus instead of taking a cab,$1.50. Try eating at restaurants where the portions are so huge you could share a meal - Chinatown, Little Italy, Carmines, Tony's Di Napoli, Googie's, Sambuca. Or just go for pizza. Everyone knows NY has the best pizza & bagels. Doesn't get cheaper than that. Rent a bike & ride the loop in Central Park. Or bring your roller blades. Visit the Central Park Zoo for $4. Admire a free gaze at the beautiful architecture of the Dakota, The Plaza, etc. Window shopping on 5th Ave. is also free. Try brunch at the very hip Screening Room & then see the featured movie for $5. If you are lucky, it will be Breakfast at Tiffany's. There is also a free tour of the gorgeously renovated Amsterdam Theater (where the Lion King plays). Weekdays at 12 & 1. Sing along at the piano bars in the West Village. Only cost is when they pass the hat. Monday Night Magic Show at the Sullivan St. theater is cheap, & is in the historic theater that has housed the Fantastiks for 30+ years. Grand Central Station is amazing & free for the wandering, as is St. Patrick's Cathedral & Rockefeller Center. And this is just off the top of my head! Any other NY'ers care to add to the list?

Way to go Ellen! That is a great list of wonderful "uniquely NYC" things to do for little or no money. I'm convinced where there is a will there is a way! We will be in NYC for the week before and after Thanksgiving and look forward to it! We decided to carry on with our plans and celebrate this Thanksgiving like no other. While we have had much sorrow in our lives lately, we still have much to be thankful for and the things listed in your post are some of them!!!

As a native New Yorker - born and raised - what happend on 9-11 has changed my life and my world. I loved the WTC. They weren't just buildings. They were a symbol of NYC. They were beautiful. I worked downtown, saw them everyday and was always amazed at how grand they were. Even though we are all still mourning, I don't think tourists should stay away. Please come, but be RESPECTFUL of what has happened. DON'T go to the site and take pictures. It's not a tourist site. There are plenty of other things to see here. NYC is still a great place to visit and live.

I am also a New Yorker and urge you to come to visit -- not because we need your money (although tourism is important to our economy) but because we need your encouragement and your heart to help us heal. Yes, we are still shocked and saddened by what happened. I'm sure that many things about our lifestyle will change. Nonetheless, we need your reassurances, your solidarity with us and your encouragement to help us move on and rebuild this great city. Ellen -- way to go on the list and I'll help you out: Visit Central Park -- it has many wonders including a beautiful carousel and a reservoir from which you can gawk at the skyline. Go to our many museums -- most of them don't require a "fee" but have a "suggested donation." You can go to the Met all day for as much or as little as you want and then enjoy cocktails on the roof garden (weather permitting) or on the mezzanine while listening to a lovely quintet. Ride the Staten Island ferry -- still the best view for a buck or so. Simply walk around the great neighborhoods, including the East Village, the Village, Morningside Heights, etc. There are interesting shops, restaurants, people and architecture. Worship at one of our beautiful churches or synagogues, if you are so inclined. Abyssinian Baptist in Harlem is a favorite, but many churches and synagogues have wonderful music and views. At my church, Madison Ave Presbyterian (www.mapc.com), the choir is composed, in part, by soloists from the Metropolitan Opera and our organist is chair of the dept at Juilliard -- and you can hear them for free! Please just be on time, dress appropriately, and stay for the entire service. Simply wander around Times Square and enjoy the neon. Have a pastry at Ferrara's. Tour the U.N. or the NYSE. As for accomodations, there are many new "tourist class" hotels that are nice, and inexpensive. Try habitatny.com or "On the Ave" hotel on the Upper West Side. As for food, I agree with Ellen and also recommend the delicious eating stalls at the bottom of Grand Central, dim sum in Chinatown and hot dogs from a vendor. Please come. We'd love to have you and to show you the greatest city in the world!

Take one of the many walking tours offered. Check out the Friday edition of the New York Times, or New York magazine for topics, meeting places and times.

Personally, I don't understand why would anyone spend a vacation in a very heavily populated major city. I see posts about NYC again and again. I love Fodors and this forum, but frankly I'm tired of seeing posts on NYC. I'd rather goto Vegas, Tampa-St. Pete, Rio de Janerio or Orlando than to NYC, Chicago, Paris, and London. A vacation is supposed to be relaxing, not highly stressful. Tell me something, can't you visit a urban park, or play, or baseball game, or skyscapers, or architecture in your own city?

Visiting NYC would be like visiting Dallas, Houston, or Atlanta for a vacation...what's the point????

J. Carson, Yeah, visiting New York is just like visitng Orlando, so you just stay away. New York, or any other world class city, doesn't need you wandering aimlessly around it.

I understand Slavery is still alive and well in NYC! Immigrants chained to sewing machines.

First of all let me say I'm from the deep south (near Atlanta), I have a true southern accent and like NASCAR. I enjoy country life and drive a truck. I do travel and enjoy going to different cities (just got back from SF). Not that all this means anything but all people I sincerely believe have good in them and come from all walks of life and should'nt be judged on where their from or the type of life they lead. Last year my family had one of our best vacations ever. We spent a week in New York during Christmas. We stayed in Manhattan, went to all the sights (including WTC) and had the time of our lives! Being that it was our first time in NYC made it even more special. We were treated wonderfully and absolutely no problems. We were truly devastated by event of Sept 11 and cried many times during the many telecasts about Sept 11. I have always wanted to return and after reading this post am truly touched. We will be back.

I' sorry that should have been 2 years ago.

J. Carson: Some people like their vacations to be a mind-expanding experience. Other people prefer to gamble or sit on the beach all day. You are obviously in the latter group. You're right, you wouldn't like it here.

Suzanne - Your comment made you sound as simple minded as J. Carson. I don't believe people fall neatly into the categories you've described. I have no interest in gambling, but occasionally love to lay on the beach or the pool for an afternoon after a morning of hiking or trail running, or having a drink in a hot tub after a day of skiing. I also love to visit big cities. Does the fact that I can also spend some vacation time simply relaxing mean that I don't enjoy "mind expanding" experiences?

Wondering - You're right, that is true...but J Carson's vacation preferences seem to all revolve around palm trees. Maybe he's got one of those awful 12-hour/day yelling-on-the-phone crazy jobs and therefore doesn't want to think while on vacation. My parents fit into this "palm tree only" group - they go to the Caribbean every year, and have never been to any major cities outside of the East Coast! Someday i hope to drag my Mom along on one of my European hiking trips.

Suzanne - It sounds like you're projecting an insecurity about your parents, i.e. they aren't "wordly enough." How about letting them do what makes them happy and leaving well enough alone?

please don't be so peranioud.. one of my biggest pet peeves are folk that believe everthing they hear on the news.. anyways I just came back from NYC 3 hours ago. the place is the same hasn't changed much since the last time I was there, NEW YEARS 2000 in time square.. NEW yorkers are new yorkers.. jeez I have a bad memory I was there 3 months ago. I guess I love the place too much.. of course I live in CT. so it's no big deal.. JUST GO their are still plenty of freaks and good food.

hey, all you wonderfully, delightful, interesting people. thanks for sharing the concept of city mouse/country mouse. one of my clients insists that the only way to relax is to beach his vacations in order to totally turn his brain into guacamole. i live in nyc 'cause i love the ra-pa-pa-bum energy