Calling all New Yorkers!! I need you help/advice!?

Question

I'm planning a trip to NYC (from Scotland) and saw these passes that you can buy online that let you in to all the attractions in New York. Are these a good idea or is it better just to pay entrance fees when you are there? Any advice/tips on visiting NYC would be appreciated. I'm there for a week and dont want to waste a single day!

Answer 1

Well what company is it? There are a lot of scams so make sure it's a decent and well known company. I'd just pay for the fees when you get there, so you'd really get to know the city better and look at the buildings as you go. Hope you have fun! And there's more to NYC than just Manhattan :)

Answer 2

Hey, hope you have a wonderful trip.  The only thing I would suggest buying before hand is a metro card weekly pass. Otherwise, use this site to find events (most are free) for the things you enjoy. I think Restaurant Week is starting soon!  Also, if you want a tour guide - Big Apple Greeters is FREE tour service in New York: www.bigapplegreeters.com

http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/index...

http://www.lincolncenter.org/load_screen...

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/

http://nycvisit.com/

Enjoy!

Answer 3

nyc 23 all my life so take my advice and see the REAL nyc not manhattan..ugghh

1) BED STY...Best at night and alone

2) corona and jamicia queens

3)washington heights

4)harlem  125 and amsterdam at night

5)crownheights brooklyn

Answer 4

I don't know of these services.  Unless there are a lot of things in their package that you would have done anyway, it's probably not worth the bother and may end up costing you more if you don't get to take advantage of them all.  I would say pay as you go.

Things to do here?  Depends on what you are interested in.  we have some of the world's finest museums.  A Broadway show is recommended.  Tickets can be had for a great discount on the day of the show at the TKTS booth in Times Square and other locations.

Restaurants are numerous, great examples of all kinds of cuisines. An architecture lover's heaven.

There are a lot of walking tours where you cam get a closer look at something that may interest you.  For example, they have tours of Grand Central Terminal that show you some of its more intimate details.

Then, of course, there are things just designed for tourists, I don't really see their appeal.  Things like Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood and other themed restaurants that are excuses to overcharge you for mediocre food.  Other touristy cliches to avoid are a horse and carraige ride through Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.  the first is a lot of money for a trip most people are pretty lukewarm about and the second is again a lot of money for relatively little return.  

They have boat rides that encircle Manhattan.  You can get an overview of things, take in every angle of our world famous skyline and get a look at many of our famous bridges from angles impossible to duplicate other ways.  That may be a worthwhile adventure.  It takes about three hours, they run all day and leave from a pier about a half mile west of Times Square.

If you want some ideas about where to eat, email me.

Answer 5

It's hard for a New Yorker to answer this; I don't know what it's like to do something like that, because I've spread that tourist stuff over my whole life so far, not in a single day or week.  I always enjoyed making my own plan when I visited other places.  bill k has some good suggestions.

I can understand the idea of seeing the "real New York," which I think is good, but KittyNyc's suggestions are a joke (I sure hope so) and are directing you to the worst parts of this city (though actually, parts of Jamaica, Queens are quite nice, and some of Harlem is on the way up).  For the most part, the "real New York" consists of decent, middle-class, residential neighborhoods.

Don't be afraid to wander around a bit; I actually encourage it.  Still, be careful to avoid the worst parts of this city.

As for other tips, always consider mass transit as an option.  Taxis are almost always a rip-off.  In a city like ours with such a great mass-transit system, it's very rare to actually need a taxi.  I've lived here my whole life, and I still have never taken a taxi.

Don't spend your time going to chain stores/restaurants that you can go to in any other city.  There's so much local flavor here, that's what makes this city so great!  Take advantage of that!

Enjoy the trip!

EDIT: September really is a mixed bag here.  You can have oppressive heat, you can have bitter cold, you can have sun and rain.  Snow is extremely unlikely, though.  Generally, look for mild days and cool evenings.

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimato...