NYC folks, my mom and a friend are coming from Arkansas. HELP

[Cannikin]

What should they expect? They are arriving at Islip and spending the night there and head into NYC the next day on a train that stops at Penn station. After that, it looks like the subway. That part makes me nervous.

What/where should they avoid?

[WindRavenX]

1. seriously, just stay out of Times Square

if you're a tourist, there's so many better places to go.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. Manhattan is pretty safe until you get up into Harlem and such.

I've never had problems on the subway or walking the streets, even alone at 5am. However, it's what I grew up with. I'm scared of Arkansas. What do they want to do? Museums? Parks? Plays?

[Cannikin]

3. kick

[sir_captain]

4. just make sure they stay away from

all the creepy native new yorkers with their scary progressive values

seriously...relax. i'd much rather walk around manhattan late at night than arkansas.

your folks are probably going to want to do touristy things, but personally, i'd stay away from all of that stuff--it's lame. they should try to meet up with anyone they know who lives here who can show them around the *real* NY

[dr.strangelove]

5. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SUBWAY

Sorry about the caps, but the fear of the NY subway, whether based on crime or confusion, is outdated and misplaced. The subway is easy to use and as safe as any other part of the city. I have been a strap-hanger for my whole life. There are trains I would avoid at 2:00 am, but you can ride any train during the day in any part of the city and be in no more danger than you would above ground. NYC is safer than most cities. I'll get down off my soapbox now, and sorry if the caps were a bit over the top.

On NYC, its a great town. I disagree to avoid Times Square. I work in the building on the north side of TS. I would tell everyone to come here. Get cheap theater tix at the TIX booth. Go see an off broadway show for like $25. It will be money well spent. Go visit the Virgin store and the ToysRUs in TS. Get a photo with the Naked Cowboy. Visit the tourist center on 46th and 7th and get discount tickets to shows and museums.

Get up to the Met and see some of the finest art in the world (the impressionist wing will blow away even the biggest art haters) if you want something fun get to the Guggenheim and the MOMA.

I would avoid the tour bus guys at every corner. They are a rip off. The circle line boat around the city is a bit pricey, but if its warn and clear, its worth it. Get to Central Park and have a hot dog or an ice cream on sheeps meadow to see New Yawkers in their natural habitat.

The only real places to avoid are places that are only in NY for the tourists. There is plenty of real NY to see. Just don't be scared of the subways. By a daily card and take them everywhere for almost nothing.

[npincus]

7. Hi doc, I just read your post

and am laughing because I just recommended buying tix to one of those double-decker tour buses! Different minds, different opinions!

I remember doing a double-decker bus sightseeing tour when I was in Hong Kong-- I was there a few days by myself, and wanted to see as much of the place as possible! That didn't preclude me from riding on HOng Kong's subways and ferries (I did) and doing lots of walking (and getting lost on the Kowloon side), but I wanted to cover as much turf as possible so also did 'tourist' stuff. I think it's a good idea just in terms of covering turf and being able to see as many sights as possible. Glad I did it. Tourists always get ripped off-- ah well.

My husband is from Japan and I lived there, so have done the NYC tour guide thing any number of times for friends and family. Personally, I love lower Manahttan- Union Square, Canal Street, Chinatown, Battery Park, the Seaport (yeah, I know it's touristy). My husband's family got to see the World Trade Center- I'm glad about that.

I like Times Square--your neck of the woods. I think it's a great place to take visitors- it's such an iconic NYC sight.

:)

[dr.strangelove]

9. I'm okay with the bus tours

just not the guys on the corners selling them. You get a better deal online or from your hotel.

[npincus]

6. I've given many "NYC tours" to out-of-towners...

It's hard to do the city on one day. It also depends on their interests. Here's what I recommend:

(research this online) From Penn Station, have them buy a ticket to one of those double-decker sightseeing buses (one company is called "Big Apple tours", I believe)-- the tickets are good for all-day, and they can get on and off at various attractions as they please. They can sit on the open 2nd level and ride around the city, too.

Here are some other one-day ideas:

(1) Soho/Chinatown/South Street Seaport-- can be done in one day, lots of walking.

(2) Times Square/NY Public Library/Grand Central Station/United Nations Building-- can walk down 42nd Street or take a bus (if they have enough $$ they can see a show while on Times Square), Grand Central is a magnificent space and they can have a drink at the cafe there

(3) Rockefeller Center/ Central Park/ Metropolitan Museum/ Guggenheim- can travel uptown/downtown by bus

(4) Statue of Liberty/ Ellis Island/ South Street Seaport-- be there FIRST thing in the morning, or you are SCREWED (horrible lines). Dinner at the Seaport is really nice... beautiful view from outdoor decks

(5) Inrepid Air-Space museum/ Circle Line-- can walk from Penn Station, these 2 are adjacent

Anyway, I'm leaving out many things (like the Empire State Building- that's close to Penn Sation) ... you need to do some homework, but everything is on the web, including bus and train routes. As for the subway, I don't care for it myself, and commuted on it for many years. But it's relatively safe and part of the NY experience. Buses run frequently, but are very SLOW.

Lots of luck! You know them best, so come up with an itinerary they'll like. (For example, my mom is more of a shopper than a walker!)

Let us know how it goes!

[Bossy Monkey]

8. They should avoid worrying; NYC's funner than anything

The subway looks very complicated to out-of-town visitors, but there are maps in every station. Just figure out where you're going from the map and remember the number of stations to your stop. Also carry bottled water; it gets hot as hell in the stations.

Edit: Here, read this (our trip to NYC in '04):
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=216x530

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

NYC is fun as hell.

Two things that made me realize I am extremely hard to shock. I didn't find either of these events surprising, just incredibly amusing...

1. A drag queen dressed as a suicide bomber walking down Christopher Street on Halloween.

2. Outside of Sing Sing Karaoke, I saw a guy dressed as the pope (but in X-Mas colors) attacking taxis with a 10' golden staff after being kicked out of a nearby bar.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

10. NYC is fun as hell.

Two things that made me realize I am extremely hard to shock. I didn't find either of these events surprising, just incredibly amusing...

1. A drag queen dressed as a suicide bomber walking down Christopher Street on Halloween.

2. Outside of Sing Sing Karaoke, I saw a guy dressed as the pope (but in X-Mas colors) attacking taxis with a 10' golden staff after being kicked out of a nearby bar.

[Cannikin]

11. I appreciate the tips folks! Anybody else?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. John's pizzeria on Bleecker St has the absolute best pizza in the world.

It's right off the 1/9 Christopher St. subway stop.

If she wants to go way uptown, the Cloisters is an amazing museum. It's where the met keeps their medieval religious art. It has cool gardens and such to walk through. http://www.metmuseum.org/events/ev_cloisters.asp

Definitely do some exploring in Chinatown. Go Go Dim Sum is a good place that Thomcat took a bunch of us DUers to. I forget the street it's on, but you could always PM him. It's cheap too.

[CottonBear]

13. The carousel in Central Park is wonderful!

I visited the Empire State Building and I loved the observation deck. That was a true blue NYC moment. There is a famous plasticene sculpture in the lobby that was designed by Howard Nemerov, the artist brother of Diane Arbus.

The Ellis Island museum was great. I would stop at the Statue of Liberty on the way to Ellis Island but NOT go inside it. (The statue lines are too long and you can get a great view of the water and the city from the ferry to the statue and Ellis Island.)

Brooklyn's Prospect Park is beautiful if they want to venture out of Manhatten.

Central Park is wonderful (designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of Landscape Architecture and founder of the National Park System). The Museum of Natural History is awesome as is MOMA and the Gugghenheim. There used to be a SoHo Guggenheim too but that might be to avante garde for them if they arte not an art fantic like me.

Window shopping on 5th Avenue is fun. (Actaully buying stuff is fun too!)

Be sure to tell them to take lots of subway and bus tokens with them each day because (as I found out) no stores or even hot dog stands on 5th Avenue will change a dollar for coins for the bus fare.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

18. The subway is all metro card now, even for single rides.

I guess the buses are the same. I always take the subway over the bus, so I couldn't be positive. Every station will have a machine to buy a metrocard, but day passes would probably be the best if they're going to use it a few times during the day.

[Calliope]

14. Take the #1 to South Street and take a Staten Island Ferry Ride

The Ferry ride is free. Take the tour at the NY Public Library, walk through Central Park, visit the Metropolitan Museum, go see Sweeney Todd, go see Bridge and Tunnel, enjoy yourself.

[Cannikin]

15. Kick for mom

[David Ippolito]

16. Tell them to look for me...

New York is the safest and most remarkable city on the face of the earth. (Safest big city statistically confirmed.) The myth of the Apple being a dangerous place is kept alive by outdated notions, naivety and really weak late-night jokes.

My name is David. I'm also known as "That Guitar Man from Central Park". (Go ahead... Google me)

If they're lookin' for something cool to do on Sunday afternoon, tell them to look for me and a few thousand New Yorkers who hang with me every weekend. (And, tell them to say "Hey" when they do.)

If they need directions, or wanna know what the hell you're talkin' about... tell them to go here:

http://www.thatguitarman.com

Just tell them to have fun. New York is Florence during the Renaissance.

Very cool.

David

[Cannikin]

17. I appreciate that!