[Closed] Off to New York, what to do...

Ellis Island is definitely worth a visit. It's a long time since I was in New York but I did enjoy the Circle Line tours, not sure if they are still running though I would assume they are.

If you go up one sky scraper go up the Rockafeller Centre, amazing views over mid town, central park and the empire state building. The do a dawn and dusk ticket where you go up once during the day and once at night, it looks so different in day and night!

Also my tip for breakfast/brunch has to be Pershing square opposite grand central station, amazing!

Wrap up warm if going on a boat trip, it gets cold on the water there!

Eat at Grand Central Station fish restaurant. Lovely place and great food.

Got to eat at a few diners too, but be prepared to have to walk it off after as the portion sizes are massive.

Buy some drugs at Port Authority... get mugged in Central Park...see how the chosen ones live in Wall Street... see all the good west end shows a year later and with American cast in Broadway...

As you've probably guessed by now NYC is not my favourite city - probably a blast living there, but sucks as a visitor, my advice - save your money and stay in and watch cable...

Of course, just my opinion... 😉

1/ Cocktails in Bar 89 at 89 Mercer Street in SoHo if it is still there.
2/ Central Park, skating if so inclined, but not at night 🙂
3/ Empire State
3/ MOMA/Whitney and/or the Metropolitan Museum
4/ Just walk around SOHO, 5th Avenue/Madison/Park Avenue between say 50th and 65th streets. Lower East Side, East Village/ Time Square (just for 5 mins then leave quickly)
5/ Visit Brooklyn, when I returned back to the UK after living there for a few years Brooklyn was becoming seriously Hip
6/ Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (a must), don't go up the old lady so to speak, unless you like long queues
7/ Thai food at Holy Basil (2nd Avenue perhaps 10/11th street. Thai women in black thigh length boots, did it for me anyway, but also good food and reasonably priced
8/ Do Brunch on a Sat/Sun lunchtime
9/ Avoid cheap diners
10/ Wrap Up Warm - New York City in the winter is wonderful, bright blue skies, but cold. Not Norway cold but pretty cold by our standards.

If you have time try and catch a basketball or hockey game as the atmosphere is amazing. was definitely the highlight of my trip there. i would agree that Rockefeller is great but go at night as you get to see the empire state all lit up with the financial district in the distance (you will need a tripod for a camera though as its windy as hell up there).
Avoid tiffanys and chocolate like the plague as one will cost you a fortune and the the other is horrible (i have been unable to eat a stickers since i have been back).
Use the underground to Brooklyn and then walk back to central park its a bit of a walk but you see loads.

When I was there many years ago there was a women's beach volleyball competition in central park. Good times.

Try to see a good gig while there.
We saw Aretha Franklin at Radio City.
Soho & Greenwich village are uber cool.
Little Italy & Chinatown are good too.
Walk back over Brooklyn bridge is good.
Can be expensive to eat out alot, takaway Italian or Jewish deli or hotdog stand is cheaper than sitting in.
Just walk around lots & wear comfy shoes.
Amazing place!

+1 for chocolate bars being revolting

also the orangeade I bought (they probably call it soda) had oil in it and was revolting

there was almost no comedy when I was there, but we did catch a good show here - great little venue...
[url= http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/ ]http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/[/url]

I really quite liked it as a visitor, apart from the bars being overpriced and rubbish, but I have no desire to go back again.

Oh, and it's not very friendly (and that's from a Londoner) unless you meet Americans from outside NYC, who conversely are very friendly.