New York City Things to Do Tips by clareabee

Great place to chill out and people watch South Street Seaport (Pier 17) Review

We visited in February and were incredibly lucky with the weather. It was a lovely place to come and escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the views across the water. There are plenty of bars and restaurants in the area for a refuel and wasn't as crowded as other areas of the city.
In the summer there are a lot of activities in this area, which just don't seem to happen in the winter but it is still worth a visit. Once you cross back over the road to go back into the city there are some lovely bars and shops!

Address: 19 Fulton Street, Second FloorNew York, NY 10038

Wonderful views of Manhattan Brooklyn Heights Review

We got the subway over to Brooklyn so we could admire the views from Brooklyn Heights. Coming here is a bit like being in a different world - A world where people actually live and conduct their daily lives, in comparrison Manhattan feels a bit like being on a film set!
We went to enjoy the lovely views of the city and they are spectacular and certainly worth venturing across the river to enjoy. We visited when it was a glorious sunny day but I would imagine it would be wonderful in the evenings with all the lights of the city.

vibrant part of the city Broadway Shows and Theatre District Review

You can't go to New York and not visit the theatre district - it just wouldn't be right!
The area is buzzing whatever time you seem to go there and there are many many theatres showing both on and off broadway shows, which if you get a chance to go and see one I would highly recommend.
I booked my tickets before leaving the UK as there was something specific that I wanted to see and i didn't want to take a chance of booking last minute - or going to the TKTS booth in Times Square.
This area gets crowded and is obviously a main tourist attraction, so again i would recommend if you have children keeping tight hold of them as you could easily get lost!
Some of the theatres are lovely and have great historical interest - even if you don't go and see a show i would go just to look around.
This area is also a great place to get a NYC souvenier cheaply either from a store or the pavement sellers - I got an NYC hoodie for $15 which is about £10.

What a HUGE place! Macy Review

Macy's is absolutely huge - they sell EVERYTHING!!!! - I would recommend visiting the customer information desk to get your 10% discount card and go shopping!
I would advise that you get a plan of the store and decide which bits you want to look at - it is far too big to do it all in one go, and can get a bit overwhelming (not to mention crowded!)
I would also advise going when it first opens or towards the end of the day as it seems to get VERY busy when people have finished work and it is just no pleasure at all looking around.
They have some good seasonal offers on - I got 2 tops reduced from $79 each to $34 each - plus 10% knocked off - how about that for a bargain!
There are plenty of places to grab a drink or a bite to eat - but just remember that everybody has the same idea as you so at key eating times can get very busy.

Beautiful on a sunny day Battery Park Review

Everywhere looks better when it is a beautiful sunny day but this park is a nice place to take some time out from the rush of the city. There is a much slower pace here and would be a good spot to take a coffee or a picnic and just chill out on a bench for a while doing a spot of people watching.
There are monuments etc and other things to see in the park but its USP is definately the wonderful views, particularly across to the Statue of Liberty.
I would recommend taking some time out to just chill out on a bench and soak up the atmosphere. Again this is a place with a good mixture of tourists and locals alike.

Also it is FREE - its not often you hear that these days!

Directions: Take the 4 or 5 to Bowling Green Station or the N/R to South Ferry Station

Fabulous on a sunny day! South Street Seaport (Pier 17) Review

We were incredibly fortunate that the day we visited here was glorious sunshine (despite being the end of February). We wandered around and admired the views in a relatively uncrowded area. There were some great photo opportunities from here.
There were plenty of places to eat and drink here and I thought it was especially good for families with children.
I could imagine that this area would be chaos in the summer months but it offers good breezes and a chance to cool down as it is near the river.
This is a nice area to have a wander round at a relaxed place compared to other parts of the city.

Address: 19 Fulton Street, Second FloorNew York, NY 10038

Better views than the Empire Top of the Rock Review

Ok I know I said i loved the ESB (which i do!) but I think that you get far better views from up here with far less crowds - we got straight to the top without any kind of queue (ok 2 minutes to get the tickets)

The views are better here because you can actually see the ESB in all its glory. We went at night to see everything lit up but next time i would do the special ticket they offer - a same day ticket offering a visit in the morning and at night so you can see the same view but at different times of the day.

The staff here were much nicer than the ESB :-)

Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Manhattan

Directions: Rockefeller Center on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. TOP OF THE ROCK has an exclusive entrance on West 50th Street, between fifth and 6th Avenues, which leads directly to the ticket counter.

Phone: 212-698-2000

The most beautiful building. Chrysler Building Review

I loved the Chrysler building it is beautiful, if a building can be!

Great views of it from Top of the Rock and ESB. just loved it - especially at night it looked just amazing.

It is not far from Grand Central Station and I think it is best viewed at night when lit up in all her glory.

Directions: a hop skip and jump from Grand Central Terminal

Phantom of the Opera Shows Review

I have seen this before in the UK but I have to say seeing it on Broadway is magical.

We both (me and my fiance) loved it from beginning to end - and what we also loved was that the staff stopped all the people who were late from entering - thus our enjoyment wasn't spoilt....and when you have paid $250 for 2 tickets you don't want to miss a second! The costumes, the music, everything about it is just fantastic.

I would recommend - great music...I think this is my favourite musical.

Children under 7 may find parts of this a little frightening.

time to show your respect Ground Zero - World Trade Center Review

I live in the UK and wanted to come to this part of New York to pay my respects. You saw it on the news but you cannot quite comprehend that something so awful has happened.

It is not a circus but I did feel it important for me to come and see this place. We visited the memorial in the winter gardens that American Express have erected for their 11 employees that lost their lives that day. A truly moving experience and an incredibly thoughtful and beautiful ode to those peoples lives.