My family and I are planning a vacation to New York City (And Washington, D.C. which is already covered in another thread) in early August. Do you have any suggestions on tourist attractions that are a must-see? Maybe some safety precautions or anything else that would help out a some first-timers? It would be greatly appreciated!!

Hi Lilly... I am from New York and am taking my first trip back up there in five years this upcoming weekend. I also have the priveledge of handling high risk auto claims in Washington D.C. so I know a little about that as well.
Both places are terrific tourist attractions, but there is a heavy violent crime rate in D.C. Make sure that you stay in the "touristy" areas.
New York is so full of places to see that you could spend an eternity there. I would recommend Greenwich Village, Coney Island, downtown Manhatten, and perhaps branch off onto Long Island and go to Jones Beach. It has been a while for me too.
Have fun!
Mike

I lived about 50 miles outside of NYC for a year back in '96. I don't have a lot to tell you. Manhattan is a great place to go; you can pretty much walk everywhere and there is plenty to see and do. We drove to the Bronx Zoo, had a great time there, but my neighbor, who was from the Bronx told us if we made the wrong turn we could be in trouble so we went straight to the zoo and back - do not pass go - do not collect $200. If anyone in your family like military history, then West Point is about an hour north of the city and the scenery is simply breathtaking. Wish I could tell you more. Have a great trip.

There is something called a CityPass that offers cheap admission to some of NYC’s attractions.

I don’t know if it covers the places you’d like to go see, but it’s worth looking into.

What type of places are you planning to see?

I'm actually gettting psyched myself. I haven't been to NYC in a while. I have not seen a hill in a long time (Florida). I miss the terrain and the atmosphere. I leave on Thursday

Oh,geez! Anything and everything! I guess the main things like Statue of Liberty,Empire State Building,Central Park,etc. But I really want to see some of the museums!

We use to take our out of town visitors on the Circle Line Cruise. It takes several hours and although you are with a huge boatload of tourists, the trip is beautiful and gives a great overview of Manhattan, while allowing some down time. All our quests really enjoyed the cruise!

Hi everyone!! I am on a friends computer saying hello from New York!!! I will talk to everyone when I get back!

I'm a little concerned about the safety issue. Is it really as bad as everyone makes it out to be? Please. I'm gettin' jittery...(We're leaving in 6 days!)

No Lilly... stick to the tourist attractions and you will be fine. New York has a much worse "rap" than it should. It is a large city so there are large parts that you don't want to find yourself in, but at the same time there are large parts that you will have a lot of fun in. Just make sure you know where you are going.
Mike

Thanks,superferd! I appreciate it!

I felt very safe in Manhattan. It is clean and there is plenty to see and do, from Times Square, to Broadway, to Central Park, and all the famous dept stores and jewelry stores which was my wife's favorite part. Driving through Brooklyn and Yonkers I did not like at all though it could have been a result of unfounded preconceptions. I didn't stop to find out.

HEY! I had to LIVE in Yonkers and Brooklyn, though happily not at the same time.

NYC-wise, though, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is fun if a bit scary, the Statue of Liberty is worth the trip, and lower Manhattan has the world's best ethnic and offbeat eateries. Mamoun's Felafel, Yonah Shimmel's Knish Bakery, Kiev (Ukrainian), Katz' Deli and Quantum Leap (vegetarian) are all within blocks of each other, in Greenwich Village, with some overlap on Houston Street. Chinatown and Little Italy are directly to the south, a short taxi ride away. Queens has an amazing Korean community in Flushing, where you can try kimchi, recover after several glasses of ice water, and then attack bulgogi and jap chae. In Northern Brooklyn there is heavily Polish Greenpoint, where you can gorge yourself on excellent pierogies (once you find a parking space), and then just to the south of it is Williamsburg, home not only to a huge Hasidic community but also home to Peter Luger's, generally thought to be the best steakhouse in the northeast, although going there at night may be a bit scary. Coney Island also has a nice aquarium, but if you're going to go to Coney Island I would suggest you do so during the daylight hours. Sheepshead Bay, directly to its east, now has a large Russian comunity, and on waterfront Emmons Avenue, there are interesting Uzbek restaurants.

As for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, even a full day won't get you through the entire place.

Have fun.

What all exactly is on Coney Island? I mean,besides a nice aquarium...

-- Lils

I’m probably one of Coney Island’s worse critics at times, but I still manage to have a pleasant time when I visit the area.

Coney Island is basically a skeleton of the awesome amusement park it once was.

There are still a couple of freak shows, which Coney Island was known for back in the day, as well as the usual arcades and food stands and the like.

If you take the subway, you’ll most likely pass Nathan’s, the home of the hotdog, if you head in the direction of the aquarium.

The rides you’ll find there aren’t very much up to par with places like Six Flags, but there is still the Wonder Wheel (a huge Ferris wheel) and smaller, yet entertaining, rides.

There is also the Cyclone, which is said to be the best old fashion wooden coaster in existence.

Coney Island lays on the Atlantic Ocean, so there is a beach and boardwalk (I’m told the side which would be on your far left when facing the water is the better area of the beach to swim in).

There is a seal show at the Coney Island aquarium.

If you sit in the middle of the first row of the pool/tank-thingy during the show, you’ll probably have a chance to be kissed by a fish-breathed seal (Or, are they sea lions).

*Also in Brooklyn is the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

Although it probably will be closed during your visit to NYC, the museum is right next to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, so you could hop over there. It’s free on Tuesdays.

Since I grew up in Manhattan it's hard for me to imagine how exciting a first trip to NYC must be. But, even now, I still get a little excited when I drive over the bridge and glimpse the skyline, particularly at night. It's a wonderful city and, truly, if you can't find it there, you won't find it anywhere.

Don't worry about your safety. Anywhere you are likely to go in Manhattan is really quite safe, particularly in the daytime and up until about 11pm. The main problem in areas frequented by tourists (or anyplace with a lot of people) is most likely to be pickpockets, so be careful to keep your purse shut and next to your side.

Apart from all the great things already mentioned, you might want to visit the Guggenheim Museum just to see it's unique layout and it's wonderful collection of modern art (take the elevator to the top and then just walk down the winding path to the ground floor, looking at the paintings as you go), the Bronx Zoo, Rockefeller Center (where you can tour TV studios at the nearby NBC building and then stroll down 5th Ave. and peek into the great jewelry stores like Tiffanys), the Planetarium, the Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center, and maybe take a Circle Line Cruise around Manhattan. I hope you get to see a Broadway show (you can get same-day discount tickets at a TKTS booth in Times Square--if you stand on line, and are lucky--for shows that aren't sold out). From street vendors try a NY hot dog or a knish or a fat pretzel, and treat yourself to an Orange Julius if you pass a store making those.

I think you will have a wonderful time. Wear comfortable shoes and don't worry about anything. The natives are really quite friendly.

Have a great time and enjoy yourself.

Giving this some more thought...

If I'm guessing correctly, I would imagine that your time in NYC will be relatively limited. If that's the case, I wouldn't venture out of Manhattan at all. It's too easy to get lost in Brooklyn and Queens and the Bronx, particularly if you are driving, and most of the main attractions for a visitor are in Manhattan.

Manhattan is not a huge place. It is a very narrow island, and the distance between the Hudson River and the East River is not great at all.
Most of what you'd probably be interested in seeing is below 125th Street--which eliminates the entire upper portion of the island.
So, you are left with an easily navigated little island (by bus, subway, or walking--I wouldn't really suggest driving around Manhattan, the streets are too narrow and traffic congested and parking is either next to impossible or very expensive) which is absolutely packed with things to do and see. And it is really very easy to get around by subway or bus. It's not a very intimidating city at all.

And it's great to just walk around the different areas--like Wall Street, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Soho, Times Square, Madison Avenue, 5th Avenue, etc. Plan on doing a lot of walking--it's the best way to see the city. There are also street fairs going on in the City on weekends (you can check for those at http://nymetro.com )and those can be fun to investigate.

The hardest part may be picking out the places where you really want to spend your time. As Coolupway mentioned, you can easily spend a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and still not see everything there.

If you mention some of the other things that interest you, perhaps the NYers around here can offer you some more specific suggestions on where to find what you're looking for.

I am a Yonkers product like Coolupway myself. There is more than enough to do in the city to keep you occupied as well as have fun. You probably won't even get to see everything you want to.
If you are nervous about venturing about, I would take Chelseabelle's suggestion and stay on Manhatten. Coney Island is in Brooklyn but it is all highway driving. I think the thing to be careful about is Washington, DC. Outside the capitol and the government buildings, there is some heavy crime there. I adjust auto claims there. However, if you stick to the tourist attractions, you will be fine.

I'm told that there's a special bus tour of New York which visits all the best mugging hotspots. Apparently you can get mugged while exiting a Broadway show, jump on the bus and get held up in Brooklyn, before getting a proper kicking outside Shea Stadium. Next stop is a ferry to Ellis island, to get mugged in the style of early 20th century immigrants, before heading back to Central Park at midnight and getting attacked by hobos for your last remaining cent. People I know tell me it gets you in touch with the real New York.

AHHHH!!!! We're leaving tomorrow!! *breathes deeply* OK.....Question: There's somewhat of a debate going on in my little family. My aunt (who is coming with us) says we shouldn't dress "touristy" (i.e. big cameras around the neck...) BUT she and my mom are planning to wear fanny packs! I kid you not! I keep tellin' them that's the most "touristy" thing of all! Am I crazy??

Don't say fanny pack in a British country!

Anyway, fanny packs do look touristy, but all things considered, they're not too bad. Personally, I work and go to school in DC and I wear a backpack everywhere and have never really had a problem. It's all a you need to be aware of what is going around you thing. I could wear a backpack and be very aware of my surroundings and never have anything stolen, but a tourist with a fann pack on their front could not be paying attention and have it ripped off.

Also, it's a good idea not to leave any valuables in the hotel - go down to the front desk and ask if things can be kept in the safe or take them with you. DON'T put cash/credit cards in the most obvious/easy to get to place. DON'T carry around a lot of cash. When I've traveled, I have the minimum of cash I'll need and take credit cards with me. Why? Credit cards can pretty easily be replaced while cash cannot. (I'm not a big fan of traveler's checks - just seems that more merchants take plastic than traveler's checks.)

I have a photocopy of my passport that I take when I travel - it's kept in my suitcase at the hotel so if my passport is ever stolen, I can go to the consulate and I already have a copy, which is supposed to make getting a new one easier.

Don't stand out in the middle of the street with a map all opened up - it's not just because it gives away that you're tourists, but most of the time you'll be paying more attention to the map than your surroundings. Go into a fast food place or something where you can have your bags on your lap and look at the map or ask someone for directions.

And the key is: It's not so much how you dress, but how you act. If you act confident and keep aware of what is going on around you, you can walk around with the biggest camera around your neck while wearing shorts with knee-high socks and a Hawaiian shirt and you'll be fine.

I guess it's about time to fill in everyone about my vacation,huh? Don't worry I got back way before the black-out. New York City is crazy! Let me rephrase that: Times Square is crazy. It was rush,rush,rush and so many people. When I saw how many people were out on streets after the power outage I just could not imagine it. But I did enjoy myself. Well,what little time I was there I did. We only spent ONE AND HALF DAYS in NYC!! That should be a crime! I didn't even get to see Central Park or the Metropolitan Museum of Art!! Ooh,I'm so ticked! I was in a bad mood the whole ride back home. (with good reason,don't you think?)

Anyway,what I did see was the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I really enjoyed the Immigrant Museum there,but I only saw the first floor! My parents were arguing over something stupid,and my dad said he just wanted to go home. I was thinking,"Here we are in front of the Statue of freakin' Liberty,and my dad doesn't want to be here." So I start crying! Right where everyone docks the ferries! I was soo mad!! And at first everyone thought I was crying because I wanted to go see Ground Zero. (Please,people,I'm so much more deeper than that! ) But after all the drama,we did see Ground Zero which was surreal.

Can I just say that riding the subway is an event in itself? But after a couple rides we were all old pros. I swear,one of these days I'm going back to New York City,and I might never come home. That'll show 'em!!!

Ladymach - Is a Fanny Pack AKA a Bum Bag? (I've had conversations with others on UK USA translations)(I love them as I can set Quiz questions on them!).
I'm referring to a small bag attached to a belt and carried on the hip (or forward or aft)!

Fosse - that's it!