If you see just one thing in New York...

Hi

Not sure if anything on here will help

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1403101

I'm trying to conjure up my must see / do - at the minute it's revolving around food as I'm starving. I'll get back to you on that one!

The very top of the Empire State gives great views across Manhattan and would be my top thing to do but given your time limit I'd probably walk the length of Fifth Avenue taking in Grand Central station, the Public Library, Tiffanys etc and also try and get to Times Square too.

We've just come back from a week in New York and the highlight was definitely going 'Top of the Rock' (Rockefeller Centre). Less queues than Empire State and your photos will have the ESB in! Fantastic views over Manhattan. Times Square is also nearby as is Grand Central Station. Also Fifth Avenue isn't far if you want to have a mooch round the posher shops (check out Ambercrombie and Fitch for the shirtless hunk dancing in the doorway, very nice!)

You won't have time to do Statue of Liberty or do any justice to Central Park.

Be warned that it will take anything betwen 40 minutes to an hour and half to get from the airport (and that back again) depending on traffic.

The best thing we did was go to St Paul's Chapel near the WTC site. Very moving and thought provoking.

A happier thing was to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn Heights and mooch about there amonst the brownstones and see a little of real life going on.

We also walked the whole length of Fifth Avenue, just a portion is worth doing!

I second this.

WSS - definitely rate the Rockefeller over the Empire State Building. I'd do this if you want to do an 'activity', but otherwise I'd recommend just having a wander and exploring the streets, or perhaps grabbing a bite to eat at some famous (and delicious!) food spots - can definitely recommend Katz' Delicatessen (where the orgasm scene was filmed in When Harry Met Sally) for amazing pastrami, or Magnolia Bakery (which has been in Sex & the City) for cupcakes.

ETA meant to quote poshpaws when I say WSS!

I second Magnolias, will give you energy to rush around the place.

We chose to go up the Rockefeller instead of Empire State as its less crowded. Up there you will be able to see everything.

If your a fan of Sex in the City then go to the Library which featured in the film and its a lovely building.

I think Grand Central Station is a must too.

Have fun!

I also agreed with the Magnolia bakery - we loved the cupcakes there!

I would def recommend Grand Central Station and the public library - also top of rock rather than ESB - we did ESB at night as queues in day were HUGE - never did top of rock but having seen pictures, I think this might have been better than ESB!

St Paul's chapel was very moving - I would try and see that and if you have a spare mo, nip into century 21 and grab a bargain - I got a lovely grey guess handbag!

I love New York - it's my favourite city! Enjoy it !

Did there used to be a website with a hitched tips for New York??

I am also taking notes from this thread as H and I are off to new York next weekend for a week so i am planning what we're going to do.

Allow a full day for Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

Thanks for the tip Mel.

Just to point out for you Emma, St Paul's Chapel, Century 21, Ground Zero and Brooklyn Bridge are all in or near the Financial District which means you would need to get the subway down from Midtown (the Times Square/Rockefeller/Library/Grand Central area) - great if you have time to work out how the subway works but if you have only four hours then probably best to stick to one area. Katz's Deli is in the Lower East Side, so not in the same area as above. Magnolia Bakery is in the West Village (one of my favourute areas alongside Greenwich village), so again unless you have to go searching and finding out the subway system, then probably best to stick to the area you've decided to explore.

Digitalskittles, if the weather is nice I recommend getting an open-top bus tour from midtown that will take you uptown and downtown (and round Brooklyn if you get the all tours pass). We didn't do this until later in our holiday and wished we'd done it the first day as it really gives you a good view of where everything is (and it saves your poor feet from wandering aimlessly - take comfy shoes!). Also get a week's subway ticket for $25. If you're going to see a show, there's a TKTS booth in Times Square for half-price tickets for that same day. It opens at 3 but I would recommend getting there for 2 or before as the queues are long. Alternatively, there's a TKTS booth at South Street Seaport (nr Financial District) where the queues will be less. For a good burger, try Corner Bistro, a pub that just does burgers (and the odd grilled chicken sarnie) but does them well. Have fun!

The Rockerfeller Centre is good for the fact that you get to see the skyline with the Empire State Building in it, which is obviously something you miss when you go up the ESB, but when I was in NYC earlier this year I had to wait a lot longer to get to the top of the Rock than I did to get to the top of the ESB, so it will all depend on what time of day you're there, I'd say. If you can book tickets for the Rock with a certain time of entry in advance (I think you can, we didn't), this would be better than just turning up IMO.

I would go for the Park Avenue option as well, and a quick nose at Times Square to take in all the neon

Thanks everyone, some great ideas! Still none the wiser though ?

I second those who say 5th Ave. walk. You can mooch around south end of Central Park and walk down 5th Ave passed Plaza, Bergdorf's, Tiffany, etc. If you have time and it's quiet, you could go up Rockerfeller centre for great views as it's very close to the above.

Magnolia has queues around 4 hours long these days and it is just a cake shop after all, so I definitely wouldn't visit that. The neighbourhood is lovely, though.

Emma no one wonder you're still none the wiser lots of options, though it has helped me so thanks for starting this thread and thanks for those offering tips.

The idea of walking down 5th Avenue sounds good seeing the shops and the sites there.

I recommend the Staten Island Ferry for the best veiws pf the Statue of Liberty, free and would take about an hour. From there haed up to Broadway and see the bright lights on the subway

I'd say go for the tourist bus (the red ones not the blue and yellow ones) as they are agreat way to see a lot of the city (we did the whole loop and then used it as hop on hop off) as well as a night tour including going across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Other than that I'd say experiencing the drama of Times Square at night with all the crazyness that brings.

I would say Times Square or 5th Avenue for the typical NYC experience.

Will you definitely have 4 hours tho? won't you need to be at the airport a few hours ahead of the next flight etc? i'd have thought you were cutting it fine! (im a bit neurotic though ?)

For my four hours I would want to see quintessential NYC, so for me I would advance book a ticket to the Top of The Rock (I've done both that and ESB and TOTR is much, much better) and have a wander down 5th Avenue and round Times Square. That would be it. You have to do one of the skyscrapers just to get a feel for the scale of the city and to see the skyline, it's just amazing.

AnnaBanana - I'll definitely have 4 hours, I'm neurotic too! It's a 12 hours layover so I've factored in 3 hours for transport to and from airport (even though it's only 30 mins on train each way plus the airport transit train), 3 hours check-in before the flight and 2 hours to clear customs on the way in!!