Well, I’m visiting my mother for the holidays, and we’re taking a bus to New York tomorrow to see the sites.
But there’s one problem: we’re not really sure about what to do once we get there. Sure, we’re going to the Statue of Liberty and where the world trade center was… but after that our plans our kind of hazy.
Any ideas? What are some good places to go in New York for tourists?
Look at my suggestions here:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=29170&highlight=vacation+advice
Have a great trip.
(Man, I get more mileage out of that thread than any other I’ve ever posted.)
If you must go see the site of the World Trade Center, you might also want to swing by the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center nearby to see the models of the latest redevelopment plans.
Take the ferry to Staten Island. It’s free and offers a great view of the whole harbor.
Eat dinner in Chinatown. I recommend Great New York Noodletown on Bowery and Bayard or the Sweet and Tart Cafe on Mott off Canal. While you’re there pop into one of the grocery stores (there’s a good one on Mott by Bowery and another one on Canal) where you can stock up on frozen dumplings, banana soft cakes, and other delicacies as well as dishes, utensils and housewares.
Don’t spend the whole visit in Manhattan. Try taking the subway out to the Brooklyn Museum of Art or the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens next door.
Walk down 125th Street through Harlem.
Go to the Bronx Zoo or the New York Botanic Gardens and eat real Italian food on Arthur Avenue.
I’m sorry this is a little short on links, but there are about a zillion sites on the web with NYC stuff to do.
Might be a little cold, but the Circle Line tour is fun. One time we even saw the actor who played Dr Sidney Freidman on MAS*H. It was a huge brush with fame for a youngster who watched the show all the time!
I’m a firm believer in avoiding the tourist traps in order to minimize your time standing in a line. I would suggest picking a neighborhood that intrigues you (Chinatown, West Village, Lower East Side, Soho, Alphabet City, Nolita, Chelsea would be my initial recommendations) and simply explore. With a little bit of research, you should be able to find a desirable destination within a neighborhood, and just work off of that. There are many different attractions in each area, and there is nothing like discovering the unexpected.
I agree with jehovah68 but it would help if you tell us a little bit about who you are traveling with and a little bit about what kind of things you want to see. Do you want the tourists’s version of NY or a native NYer’s version?