Too Much Excitement!

I'm so jealous! I'd love to go to New York. I just talked about this with a SoWaller not long ago. I think I just might need to make it happen sometime next year. After the Grand Canyon. NH--I hope you have a BLAST and you can give me the scoop for when I go.

I'm so jealous! I'd love to go to New York. I just talked about this with a SoWaller not long ago. I think I just might need to make it happen sometime next year. After the Grand Canyon. NH--I hope you have a BLAST and you can give me the scoop for when I go.

I'll send you my copy of NYC Free and Dirt Cheap. (Or I'll give it to you at the Soiree?!?!)

I'll send you my copy of NYC Free and Dirt Cheap. (Or I'll give it to you at the Soiree?!?!)

You're too kind!!

I would imagine it's hard to go wrong in NYC and you have a pretty good list of things to see. Whatever you do put on your final sightseeing list I would recommend some comfortable walking shoes and take the subway. Taxis are EXPENSIVE.

One recommendation would be to hit up the David Letterman site and see if you can get in for the Friday taping, though I do believe it's taped late afternoon.

Print out this subway map, study the stops and lines in relation to where you want to visit ahead of time. And do everything you want to do in a certain area around the same time. That way you don't waste precious minutes backtracking and planning on the fly.

Have a great time!

I would imagine it's hard to go wrong in NYC and you have a pretty good list of things to see. Whatever you do put on your final sightseeing list I would recommend some comfortable walking shoes and take the subway. Taxis are EXPENSIVE.

One recommendation would be to hit up the David Letterman site and see if you can get in for the Friday taping, though I do believe it's taped late afternoon.

Print out this subway map, study the stops and lines in relation to where you want to visit ahead of time. And do everything you want to do in a certain area around the same time. That way you don't waste precious minutes backtracking and planning on the fly.

Have a great time!

That map RAWKS! (But I have a strange love for maps. I used to pull them out of the National Geographics and treasure them.)

According to my book, Letterman tapes Monday thru Thursday. But I'm going to check on it anyway. I love me some Letterman!

Go to Little Italy and Chinatown and eat good some dang good stuff.

We really enjoyed the NBC tour. It was so great to sit in the seats at SNL. FAO Schwarz is fun to walk through as well. Its on 5th Avenue right at Central Park.

NoHall, sometimes just walking around the city is an adventure in itself, and where you are staying is in walking distance to many free attractions.

Here is a good link though for transportation. One day you may want to take the subway on 5th ave. up to Rockefeller Center.
(Top of the Rock) You have to pay to go all the way up top though, but it makes for some wonderful pictures. There is so much to see and do around that area as well.

http://www.hopstop.com/?address2=30 rockefeller plaza

Also, all the major tv studios give out free passes to different shows sometimes right out on the streets.
Here's a link for tix to Letterman.
Here's one for other day and night shows.

As far as food is concerned while on a budget, brick oven pizzas, calzones, NYC has the best dirty dogs, bring a small thermos with you, then you can fill it with coffee before you leave your hotel. Also, NY has the best tasting tap water, and you'll be doing lots of walking, so you can use the thermos to fill up with water, and snag some cubes in the lobby.

I also have a friend who lives in the area and he knows all the hot spots to eat a bargain. I'll touch base with him and pm you some eateries.

While you are down at the World Trade site, continue going south through the Financial District

Visit St Paul's & Trinity Churches, view the NY Fed Reserve, stroll by the NY Stock Exchange and rub the "Charging Bull's" .....ah....nose....for luck.

Then continue on down to Battery Park and jump aboard the Staten Island Ferry for a trip to Staten Island and back to Manhattan...you can't get any better than FREE!

And if you are so inclined--the New York Opera is performing Aida at the MET around that time ;-)

Enjoy!


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Y'all are better than awesome!

Daddy-O, I need a giant SoWal Sticker to hold up at the "Today" show!

While you are down at the World Trade site, continue going south through the Financial District

Visit St Paul's & Trinity Churches, view the NY Fed Reserve, stroll by the NY Stock Exchange and rub the "Charging Bull's" .....ah....nose....for luck.

Then continue on down to Battery Park and jump aboard the Staten Island Ferry for a trip to Staten Island and back to Manhattan...you can't get any better than FREE!

And if you are so inclined--Aida is playing at the MET around that time ;-)

Enjoy!


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Wanted to see Aida at the Met, but frankly it's 3.50 hrs and I can't sit that long.

To be honest NoHall, it's best to pick an area in the city and see what you can. You will get tired from hopping subways and walking. You could cruise around the financial district after seeing Body, the Exhibit, which is by the South Street Seaport. (Although if I were you, I would forego the exhibit and just take in the Apple) ;-)

Some more freebees:
On Friday evenings beginning at 5:45, the Guggenheim hosts Pay What You Wish, where admission is by donation. Live music often accompanies the Friday night special. Arrive a little early so you can admire the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building. (89th street)

If it's free blues you're after, you can't do any better than the gratis shows every Friday and Saturday night at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. Shows start at 9 p.m.; get there early for good seats.

Take a Circle Line boat tour - you get to see WAY more stuff than if you were walking/driving/subwaying around. Many famous buildings/sights are hard to see from ground level because of all the other buildings (I was literally at the front door of the Empire State Building before I realized it was there).

Stop at one of the fabulous NY delis and get yourself a sandwich beforehand, then eat as you circle the entire island of Manhattan. You get to see all the views of the skylines, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty etc. in a couple hours and they have someone telling you about everything as you go by so you don't miss anything.

Then you still have the time/shoe leather to stroll down 5th avenue, visit a museum and central park, and see a show.

Take a Circle Line boat tour - you get to see WAY more stuff than if you were walking/driving/subwaying around. Many famous buildings/sights are hard to see from ground level because of all the other buildings (I was literally at the front door of the Empire State Building before I realized it was there).

Stop at one of the fabulous NY delis and get yourself a sandwich beforehand, then eat as you circle the entire island of Manhattan. You get to see all the views of the skylines, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty etc. in a couple hours and they have someone telling you about everything as you go by so you don't miss anything.

Then you still have the time/shoe leather to stroll down 5th avenue, visit a museum and central park, and see a show.

Exactly. I'd skip the museums though...
Do the halfway tour though, not the whole tour. It'll take you all day.
Or if you want to go cheap, do the Staten Island ferry. $2 tall boys of Bud.;-)

I'm taking EXTENSIVE notes, y'all. This is awesome!

I will let anyone borrow my "dirt free and cheap" book. I'm all about passing stuff around.

Museums--I love them. I'm a geek that way. I'm only hesitant about going back to the Met because Hop and I spent quite a long time there last time; I literally could spend half a day there! I loved it.

I'm checking out a lot of possible tours. I haven't run across the boat tour yet, but I'm gonna look it up! There is one tour of City Hall that looks interesting (told you I'm a geek, and I'm a sucker for old buildings!) but it's not on the days I'll be there. In fact, I'm surprised how many are only on weekdays.

Here's an odd new twist to the story, though. On one of the insomnia threads, I talked about our accomodations (I think.) The young friend I'm travelling with had arranged for us to stay with a friend of hers, but the friend's roommate had already invited friends to stay the same time.

After much gnashing of teeth (which I won't detail here) I bit the bullet and booked us a room in midtown. 3 nights was about the same as I would pay for a mortgage payment and a half, but after the initial shock I figured that it was only money. Time for a vacation.

So today I found out that the friend's roommate's friends will be leaving before we get there, and we have been re-invited to stay in Harlem. Now that I'm past the "sticker shock" (and any aversions to the resulting residue!) I'm ready to par-tay! Just gets better all the time.

I need some help, all you worldly-wise individuals!

I am taking a little bitty vacation to New York in two weeks to see one of my former students in a Broadway play, which is awfully exciting all by itself.

I am travelling with another former student, who is 20 years old and has never even been on a plane. Hence, I have some planning to do. I want us both to have a good time, but she and I are both broke college students.

If you had a Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday evening (we're seeing the play on Saturday afternoon,) all day Sunday, and a couple of hours on Monday morning in New York, what would you do?

There are 3 things that a dear friend of mine showed me in NYC a few years ago that I think we might try: The Metropolitan Museum, Central Park, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

We're also looking at going to see the Bodies exhibit (we both missed it in Atlanta, and I might be meeting a SoWaller there!) We also want to see the Trade Center site.

What else? The "Today" show? (Or maybe Jon Stewart or Conan?) Empire State? Brooklyn Bridge? Ellis Island? We're staying in midtown, so we're close to stuff...


p.s. The previews are on for the season premeire of "Prison Break." I have the shivers. Love that show.

Ellis Island! My dad's grandparents came over to Ellis Island from Italy. I wouldn't mind seeing the sites in New York. I'm jealous also. If you do go to Ellis Island, please take some pictures. Well, heck, take plenty of pictures every place you visit. I love looking at pictures.

Ellis Island! My dad's parents came over to Ellis Island from Italy. I wouldn't mind seeing the sites in New York. I'm jealous also. If you do go to Ellis Island, please take some pictures. Well, heck, take plenty of pictures every place you visit. I love looking at pictures.

I wouldn't DARE show my face 'round here without pictures! RO would have me blackballed!

NoHall, sometimes just walking around the city is an adventure in itself, and where you are staying is in walking distance to many free attractions.

Mangy, I totally agree with this. Been many times, rarely did anything that cost real money or was formally touristy. I always like to walk and walk through Central Park, down 5th Ave., through SoHo, etc. One of my last trips there, we ate at L'ecole, the restaurant run by the French Culinary Institute students. Great meal at a fraction of what a French meal in the City would usually cost. We took some New York family members with us; they hadn't even known it existed, and they thanked us a million times over.
http://www.frenchculinary.com/lecole.htm

Exactly. I'd skip the museums though...
Do the halfway tour though, not the whole tour. It'll take you all day.
Or if you want to go cheap, do the Staten Island ferry. $2 tall boys of Bud.;-)

I remember only $8 Budweisers in NYC, and while I'm a museum freak, I'd skip the Met. For us freaks, it would take a good week to absorb it all, and any less time would leave you feeling like you were rushed. I've been to NYC only a few times, and I've done both extremes from the planned out minute by minute tour, to the opposite, having no plans at all, and just hanging out on the streets for the entire trip. Of course the hanging out part included spontaneous trips into interesting restaurants and stores, along with just wandering around the City. I would never again do the planned tour if I had the choice.

I remember only $8 Budweisers in NYC, and while I'm a museum freak, I'd skip the Met. For us freaks, it would take a good week to absorb it all, and any less time would leave you feeling like you were rushed. I've been to NYC only a few times, and I've done both extremes from the planned out minute by minute tour, to the opposite, having no plans at all, and just hanging out on the streets for the entire trip. Of course the hanging out part included spontaneous trips into interesting restaurants and stores, along with just wandering around the City. I would never again do the planned tour if I had the choice.

Totally. You just get lost in there.

You should go see the Friends apartment on Bedford and Bleecker and the Cosby house on Leroy. Then you'd be right in my hood.

I wouldn't DARE show my face 'round here without pictures! RO would have me blackballed!

I remember only $8 Budweisers in NYC, and while I'm a museum freak, I'd skip the Met. For us freaks, it would take a good week to absorb it all, and any less time would leave you feeling like you were rushed. I've been to NYC only a few times, and I've done both extremes from the planned out minute by minute tour, to the opposite, having no plans at all, and just hanging out on the streets for the entire trip. Of course the hanging out part included spontaneous trips into interesting restaurants and stores, along with just wandering around the City. I would never again do the planned tour if I had the choice.

Agreed. That's the way to do it.

I'm all about the wandering. That's really what we did last time I was there. However, I was with a resident who knew where to wander so I feel the need to plan the wandering.

Loved the Friends and Cosby info.

As for the Met, I'll defer that decision to my friend, since I've been there. What about the M of Modern Art, the M of Natural History, and the Guggie?

St. Marks Place is good looking around territory. also, the pink teacup on the other side of town. staten island ferry is one of the best deals in town.

Not sure exactly when you will be there....but 9/30/07 HAZMAT modine is playing at the Brooklyn Chile Festival @ 2:00. Look them up on myspace. some great music if you feel like detouring out to Crooklyn.