New York City

Times Square

New York is a vibrant city with so much to see and do, these few pages can only give the reader but a small sampling of this massive city.

A few of the MUST do's:

• The American Museum of Natural History - A MASSIVE museum with their famous dinosaur exhibits as well as a multitude of other things to see and do including the planetarium…DEFINATELY have a free guided tour.

• Central Park - Even if it is just to sit and do nothing, there is always a place for you here, and best of all, it's free! Absolutely HUGE, there is always something to do or see here…

• The Empire State Building - Offering spectacular views of Central Park to the North and Lower Manhattan to the south

• The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA> - Offering the best in modern art from the “classics” to the truly modern. Also the sculpture garden is truly fantastic!

• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum - Not only is the art fantastic the building almost upstages it! With it's sweeping shape and wonderful spiral staircase and equally oddly shaped galleries, this is definately worth a visit.

• Staten Island Ferry - Offering great views of the city, the 1/2 hour trip (each way) is a great way to relax and enjoy the view!

• Statue of Liberty National Monument - In the middle of New York harbour, it is a pleasant break from the busy city and offers fantastic views of Lower Manhattan. A ferry (with small fee which includes access to both Liberty and Ellis Islands) located beside the Staten Island Ferry terminal in Lower Manhattan provides access to the island.

The subway system is VERY confusing, be sure to read and understand how to get where you are going BEFORE you enter a station. Often you can go through the gates only to realise that the train you want does not go in the direction you want from that platform and it may not be free to get to the other side! “The Map” is a wondeful, free guide, to the subway service in the city and is available from many stations and tourist information points in the city. Tickets purchased for the subway can also be used on buses. The fare is $1.50 to anywhere in the city and there are daily and weekly unlimited travel tickets available as well as “MetroCards” that can have any amount of money put onto them to allow use instead of cash.

Taxi's are plentiful and, as a whole, fairly safe. The fares are reasonable though be careful about the airports since the minimum charge from any airport is $35!

You name it, you can probably buy it in New York. A few of the highlights:

• Macys - 151 W 34th Street - The classic (and massive) New York department store. You can probably find it here…
• Strand Book Store - 828 Broadway (at 12th Street) - Miles of books mostly used, great for browsing, if a bit crowded…

If you say theatre, most people will automatically think Broadway, and for good reason with a plethora of both Broadway and off-Broadway productions available, there is something for everyone's taste. For tickets, you can try the theatres directly or use the 1/2 price ticket booth TKTS in Times Square (tkts Theatre Centers) which also have tickets at 25% off, terms are CASH or Traveller's Cheques ONLY and prices also will have a small service fee added.

Theatre lovers should also not miss a guided tour of Radio City Music Hall.

You name it, you can get it here.

Broadway

Name	Rating	Review Date
Carnegie Delicatessen and Restaurant - Jewish Deli		2001-09-03
Sardi's - Modern European		2001-09-04
Sushi Zen - Japanese (Sushi)		2001-09-06
Virgil's Real BBQ - Southern US		2001-09-05

Manhattan

Name	Rating	Review Date
Russian Tea Room - Russian		2001-09-07

I just happened to be visiting New York and the World Trade Centre days before the recent disaster. To read my journal of the trip, please select here.

For further information, please see:

• New York City Transit - Official New York City Transit Information
• ny.com - The Paperless Guide to New York City
• NYCTourist.Com - The Official Website for New York City Tourism
• NY Today - New York Today from the New York Times provides information about events and things to see in the city