Getting Around Get a seven day metro card. It will cost you $25 each – but you get unlimited subway and bus travel. Get a subway map and a Manhattan bus map (they're free!) The bus is especially good – they go up and down the avenues and you see so much more then the subway. The subways are safe as is New York generally.
Shopping Macys is a must. (34th street and 6th Avenue) It’ll take all day! The first thing you do is bring your passport or drivers licence to the visitors centre on the mezzanine. They will give you a visitor’s voucher, which give you 11% off everything! (It’s to do with sales tax). Most of the other department store do the same, ask – (department store staff in general are very helpful – it’s like they conspire with you to get the lowest possible price or discount!)
- Bloomingdales at 59th and Lexington)
- Lord and Taylors (about 39th and 5th)
- Walk from 42nd street to 59th street along 5th avenue - no shortage of interesting shops
- Visit the Apple Store (the glass building), (59th and 5th)
- Abercrombie and Fitch is at 56th and 5th
- FAO Schwartz at 59th and 5th is worth a visit
Eating Out There are so many places. A good place to do research is Zagat’s Guide
We enjoyed the following: Rue 57 (6th Ave and 57h St); Jarnac west 12th St and Greenwich Street; Rosa Mexicana (there are a few) 1st Ave and 58th St.
Things to do and see There is so much.The best value trip in town is the Staten Island ferry. It leaves every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour. It takes 25 minutes so it is feasible to do the round trip in an hour. (You have to get off the boat and get back on.) You get fantastic views of the statute of liberty, the skyline, the harbour. AND IT’S FREE.
Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty trip is good – it’s a couple of hours and if you are not pretty early (before 10) there can be a bit of a queue.
The Circle Linetour around Manhattan is great – it takes 3 hours. But if you are shopped out and just want to chill out and hear all about Manhattan its really good.
Walk across Central Park from the Dakota Building on West 72nd street (where John Lennon lived), past the memorial called strawberry fields, past the boating lake and through to the other side. The boating looked good – if you’re up to rowing around. We got the bus up the west side – it was just a couple of stops and the bus back down the East Side.
Go to Time Square at night, and you’ll think it’s still daytime!
South Street Seaport and the Fulton Fish Market area in downtown Manhatten is good.
Greenwich Village is great to walk around – walk along Bleecker Street and take diversions off either side.
Walk across the Brooklyn bridge. You could then have lunch at the River café (you may need to book).
Night-Time If you’re anyway into music or theatre a Broadway show is a must. We went to Chicago a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. There is also a new musical called Spring Awakening which is getting great reviews. Get Time Out New York for telephone numbers and reviews etc as soon as you get in.
You can also go online to Time Out and you may even be able to book tickets online in advance. Be prepared to pay $100-$120 a head.
If you like Jazz and you are around on Monday night Les Paul (yes the Les Paul - the guitar inventor!) plays at the Iridium on Broadway and 7th Avenue at 51st St.
There is so much to do - these are just a few hints. If you get 50% of the above done over a long week-end I’ll be impressed!
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