A friend and I are going to be in New Jersey on October 25, so I think we should spend that day in New York City. I've always wanted to see a Broadway show, and the Statue of Liberty, so those are really high on my list. Besides that, I really have no idea what to do! (We're both from big cities, so shopping isn't a priority.)

What would be a good show to see since we will likely only be able to see ONE? I've seen these either in Vegas or at the Dallas Summer Musicals: Spamalot, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia. Chicago is really tempting because I loved the movie, and so is Avenue Q. Any suggestions??

maybe see a drama rather than a musical. look through recent reviews in the nytimes to see what appeals to you. save time to take a walk in central park. maybe have lunch at the loeb boat house, if you can fit it in. i would narrow it down to three things you most want to do and try to have them within walking distance of each other. a show, the statue of liberty and the park are doable.

I think just as you've decided that the Statue of Liberty and Broadway are a priority, think about what else you're interested in. In one day, you will just be able to see a little. So, do you want to walk thru Central Park, go to one great museum, go to Top of the Rock, etc.? Avenue Q and Chicago are wonderful; the two hot musical tickets this season are for Gypsy and South Pacific and tickets may be difficult to get.

Thanks for the suggestions! A walk (or a carriage ride) through Central Park would be great since we are both horse people!

I definitely think we'd enjoy a musical rather than a drama. It's good to know which ones are hot and difficult to get tickets for. I've read here about the TKTS booths. Do they have all of the shows there, or just the not-so-good ones? And do they accept credit cards or cash only?

Do they have all of the shows there, or just the not-so-good ones?

They have whatever tickets remain available at the last minute. The "better" shows are more popular, hence, there will be fewer tickets available for those shows at the TKTS booth.

IIRC, the last time I bought tix at TKTS for some visiting relatives, I had to pay cash.

A discount alternative to TKTS is playbill.com. It's not as cheap as TKTS, but you can purchase tickets immediately. Chicago and Avenue Q are both offered. Go to the website, register and then go to 'discounts.' If I had only one day, I would want to buy my tix now, but others are ok with last minute and see what's available. Both options will get you to a Bway play.

Seeing the Statue of Liberty is VERY time-consuming - as in 5 or 6 hours - between line to buy tickets for the ferry, second long line for security for the ferry (as in airline security) and then another line on the island. And you can only see the base.

Instead I would just hop on the Staten Island ferry (eery 15 minutes or so) to get a closer view - and then spend the rest of the time on better sights (a couple of hours at the Met, a bit of Central Park - check out the websites) and then Top of the Rock (get advance timed tickets).

That would then give you a chance to see a show. Go to Broadwaybox.com to get discount codes for advance tickets.

Let's clear up a misconception stated above about the shows that are available at TKTS. It is not simply a case of the "better" shows not being available. Rather, it's often simply a case of the fact that a hit show has been running a long time and thus the demand for tickets isn't as great as a recent hit (e.g., Wicked and Jersey Boys).
Fitting into this long-runing hit category are some damned good shows, such as Chicago, Avenue Q, Hairspray, etc., etc., etc.

In October, you might actually get lucky at the TKTS booth. Still, if you want a certain show, just buy ahead. Why waste your time standing on line, if you have 1 day!!! I just go on theatermania.com. Many shows there are the same price as at TKTS. Ave Q should be available on there, as well as Chicago.

Statue of Liberty is a nice visit, but if the weather is bad, it might not be so much fun. I'd plan alternate things to do. Staten Island Ferry is not a bad idea, either. You can get some good pics.

If you take the ferry tour around the statue of liberty it would allow you time to do other things.

Right near where you catch the ferry is the twin towers site, the financial district where you can see Wall Street - and the big bull.

I would also throw in a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and a stop at a good deli and a slice of NY Cheesecake!

if you go to the TKTS website, it tells you what shows are usually, sometimes, and rarely available.

We were there recently (in the midst of summer tourists - all the NY'ers were gone), and many of the hits were available - we selected Spamalot and were pleased with our seats. We were in the top balcony, but were in the first row. And it was a 2pm show instead of a 3pm show, so we had less 'time to kill' (it was about noon).

We ate at Carmine's which some like and some don't, but we thought it was great and convenient, too.

If you are flexible and willing to see many different options, it might be worth waiting...

If you are driving up to the city, say toward the Holland Tunnel, you will drive close to the Hudson River and get a good view of the Statue of Liberty from the highway.

check 1

Playbill.com will give you a list of all the shows playing so you can get tickets before you arrive and won't have to wait in line at TKTS.

check 2

When you get into the city, park and take public transit, as traffic this summer is AWFUL and it will take you longer in a car to get anywhere, or take a cab, they can get anywhere, and know the ins and outs of the streets.

The Met Museum would probably be the museum I would suggest, and go to the Met website so you can pick a few things you really want to see, as the musuem is HUGE and to see it all would take weeks.

From there head downtown and walk next to or through the park. You might stop at the Central Park Zoo for a few minutes or stop at the cafe there for a quick bite.

By now it's time to think about heading to your show and you can probably walk or take the bus downtown and walk to your theatre.

After the theatre, a fun, good place for a bite would be Cafe 1,2,3 on W 43rd between 6th and 7th Ave.

By now you are exhausted and are heading back to NJ, hope you had a great time.

Thanks, all! I will check out the suggested websites for discount tickets. (In Vegas, I got FRONT ROW for Spamalot and it was AMAZING!) I'm willing to pay more to have good seats...

If I can only see the base of the Statue of Liberty, then a pass by on the Staten Island ferry is fine. What about the Ellis Island museum? Is it worth the trip? How long should we allocate?

Deli food would be great! I adore Pilgrim Sandwiches (can't get those in Texas), and we both love to eat!

Not interested in the Met. No offense, but we have the Kimbell here in Fort Worth, and I've seen some amazing art there.

With just one day, I'd include a tour. A bus can drive you from spot to spot. You'd have no worries with checking maps, trying to figure out transportation, waiting for busses or trains, etc. You'd just drive by a lot of things - but a drive by is good enough for most of them.

I've been to NYC twice. The first time was a long time ago and we stayed several days.

The second time was with a group to see the Purdue Glee Club sing at Carnegie Hall. We had a limited amount of free time and wasted a lot of it trying to decide what to do. On the bus back, we heard one set of parents rave about all they'd seen. They'd done a Greyhound tour. If I had it to do over again, I would have done that on our free afternoon.

For delis in theatre area:

Stage Deli
Carnegie Deli

Alot of great inexp restaurants on 9th avenue, among them Roberto Passon is a favorite here. I am not a fan of Cafe 1,2, 3

The Staten Island ferry is not a tour around the Statue of Liberty - it's for the hundreds of thousands of people who commute between Staten Island and Manhattan every day. That's why it runs so often. And all it does is go back and forth across the harbor - but gives you a much closer than the tip of Manhattan.

There are Circle Line cruises that show you the Statue, but don't go TO the island - but only at set times - so you need to organize them in advance - and they do take longer - but not the 5/6 hours of a trip TO the island.

What is a Pilgrim Sandwich?

I googled "Pilgrim Sandwich" and found it described as a a turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce on it. If that is the case, I'm not sure I've ever seen it in a NY deli . . .

Ellis Island is a neat place. 2 hours there would be enough to cover the basics. The boat will also take you right by the Statue of Liberty, and you can either stay on & just get a glimpse, or get off & walk around (great park on Liberty Island, with awesome views & a gift shop). Just budget time for that boat. Lines can get long, but Oct may be different. Another idea is to take the boat from the Jersey City side (MUCH shorter lines), and then go into Manhattan later. That may save you some hassle.