Wow. New York has everything. Definitely enjoy NY's museums, theater, restaurants and sites. For museums, my top suggestions are the Guggenheim, the Frick Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Neue Galerie; all are located along Fifth Avenue in walking distance of each other on the Upper East Side. Across Central Park on the Upper West Side is the Natural History Museum, and the MOMA (Museum of Modeern Art) is on 53rd Street at Fifth Avenue. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is another great museum choice that often gets overlooked by visitors; make sure to call ahead for tickets. For live jazz, head to The Blue Note on Bleecker Street - not only a famous jazz club but Bleecker Street has loads of fun things to do. As far as theater, there are a plethora of Broadway/Off-Broadway/Off Off-Broadway shows to see; the choice is really yours!
Koreatown is a fun area of the city to explore with its fun karaoke bars and yummy Korean BBQ. It's along 32nd Street, east of Sixth Avenue. Big Onion hosts really interesting walking tours that are fun ways to explore an area. I would suggest the Historic Harlem tour!
The city's sites sometimes get knocked by the locals for being tourist attractions, but they really are amazing and well worth the time. Check out the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Staten Island Ferry, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport. Or, go to baseball game at Yankee or Shea Stadiums, or even try the Coney Island Cyclones out on Coney Island.
There is a wine country on Long Island as well as great beaches. But, I would recommend the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Museum, the Bronx Zoo or the Cloisters. All are spectacular very easy to get to by subway. The Cloisters is just north of Manhattan in Fort Tyron Park; its part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcasing medieval European art and architecture. The Brooklyn Brewery is another fun spot! Or, hop on MetroNorth and head to the Dia Beacon Museum in Beacon, NY.
No, no, no! New York is blessed with a great public transportation system. Having your own car in the city will be more hassle (and more money) than it's worth. Each of New York's airports has a bevy of transportation options including buses, taxis and subways. And, the subways and buses blanket the city.
Time Out New York, a great magazine, has a version for kids. It gives the details of new and ongoing activities for kids.
GoCityKids. the City Guide for parents, lets you customize your activity search by type of day, kind of fun and your child's age. You can see today's events, as well as deals and steals for given travel dates in given neighborhoods.
New York Metro Parents also offers a comprehensive guide to activities, resources and services online.
Zagat guides are the best source for restaurant reviews. Membership to the website is $19.95 for one year or $3.95 for one month. The hard copy book is available online and in numerous retailers (book stores, drug stores, corner markets, street vendors, news shops, some grocery stores and restaurants as well) for $14.95. Alternatively, check out New York Magazine and Time Out New York - available almost everywhere in the city or online at nymag.com or timeout.com/newyork, respectively. City Search is another good online source for reviews!
If you have a particular show in mind, contact the theater or telecharge for tickets. Otherwise, I like to see what's playing in the New York Times or a website called NYTheater.com. Another option if you have more time is to go to TKTS which sells discounted tickets. TKTS booths are located at Times Square (at the Marriott Marquis on West 46th between Broadway and 8th Avenue temporarily during the renovation of its permanent location) which sells tickets to same-day performances and at the South Street Seaport (at the corner of Front and John Streets) which sells tickets to same-day evening performances and next-day matinees. While the lines can be long, the Times Square location has a "Play Only" line which does not sell tickets to musicals or other productions and thus moves faster normally.
Great question! New York is a shopper's paradise. Each area of the city has a different character to its shopping. So, everyone has his/her own favorite haunts. Soho is my favorite: it has funky boutiques, as well as high-end designer shops, and apparel stores, as well as fabulous furniture/home décor stores. The upper east side is known for its high-end designer boutiques; midtown department stores (Saks, Macy's, Lord & Taylor and of course the "B's": Bergdorff-Goodman, Bendels, Barneys and Bloomingdales); the lower east side funky/bohemian style. The Flatiron is another great shopping area: along Fifth Avenue from 23rd Street down to Washington Square Park in the Village.
Mid-town is convenient in terms of getting around the city, but it's not very neighborhood-y. Uptown and downtown are better options. The benefits of uptown are that you are close to the museums and Central Park, which is a real luxury especially during the summer. Downtown has great areas to wander around in and more nightlife options (restaurants, bars) and has a real neighborhood.
For a big city, New York is very safe. However, like all big cities, it is VERY important to remain aware of one's surroundings at all times, and avoid being out alone at night.
Tons and tons of stuff! Central Park is full of activities. It has miles and miles of trails, playgrounds, bird watching, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and even a zoo! While the winter brings ice-skating to the park, Central Park really thrives in the summer. The National Public Theater puts on Shakespeare in the Park every year at the park's Delacorte Theater. This year, A Midsummer Night's Dream is from August 6 to September 9; tickets are free! Other events during the summer are concerts, outdoor movies and performances by the Metropolitan Opera. The park also boasts a boathouse with rowboats available to rent, great expanses of lawns for general use and softball fields. A thorough resource for the park's activities can be found online at centralparknyc.org.
