1st time in NYC, what should i definately go and see/do?

Hi, My partner and i (and both in our early 20%26#39;s) are going to nyc for the 1st time on 17th december for 5 nights.

We are totally overwhelmed by all the sights, shopping, theatre, museums etc and just dont know where to start with it all. We want to see as much as possible and do plently of shopping for xmas.

I%26#39;d really appreciate your help and expertise on this one folks.

Steph

1st time in NYC, what should i definately go and see/do?

Do what I always make my friends and family do when they come visit me in NYC. Get one of those touristy, cheesy, double decker bus tours that go all over the city. For $20 or so you%26#39;ll see all the major sights and then you can decide whether you want to go back and investigate further. Plus you%26#39;ll get that whole ';I have to see everything'; mentality out of your system that we all seem to have when we go to major cities.

1st time in NYC, what should i definately go and see/do?

You need to be a little more specific here. You need to describe your budget, likes, dislikes, etc.

Search this forum for ';itinerary'; to see some good drafts.

Also, some tour books have little sub-chapters (';if you have only 5,3,1 day(s)....';)

i definitely like the double decker bus tour! i went with my grandma who was visiting from florida and loved it, even though i live here.

i also recommend getting a drink or two at the top of the marriott marquis hotel in times square. it has a revolving bar at the very top and you get amazing views of the city. plus it is a short time investment if you want to do other things. i believe there is a small cover if you go on a friday or sat nite.

also def do the Metropolitan museum and/or the MOMA which was recently renovated.

you might also want to check out one of the Harbor tours. i took one with some friends who were visiting from Florida and i thought it was pretty cool, but don%26#39;t go if it%26#39;s a cold day!

Snoopy, whether or not you produce a detailed itinerary, I think that it%26#39;s very important for you to at least come up with a short list of ';must sees';. The way our family did this was by going to the ';Sights and Attractions'; page on the NYC Insider site: theinsider.com/nyc/鈥ttractions.htm I printed out this list and the list of museums and then each member of the family put one or two ticks against those attractions which appealed to them most. That way, we ended up with a democratically arrived at record of our favourites. It was then just a matter of grouping them geographically and seeing if it was practical to visit everything in an area in one day. If not, you can start dropping attractions with lower scores.

Clearly, given your dates, you need to be aware that the city will be very crowded with Christmas shoppers (and tourists) and that there will be more to see of a seasonal nature (Rockefeller Christmas Tree, Macy%26#39;s windows, Cartier%26#39;s etc.) so don%26#39;t forget to allow extra time for these. Also, you will need to be flexible as bad weather may cause you to change your plans (it%26#39;s a good idea to have some ';inside'; days (museums, shopping) to balance the ';outside'; ones (Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge etc.).

In the final analysis, this is your holiday and, although everyone on this site can tell you their favourites, there%26#39;s no guarantee that following someone else%26#39;s itinerary will be enjoyable for you. You have to decide on the things that you consider to be most important to you and go from there.

Here%26#39;s a guide to Holiday events from last year (most are annual)

newyorkmetro.com/urban/鈥ightsandscenes.htm

Take Nic%26#39;s advice and decide what you 2 want to see/do. Noone else knows your tastes. I will say by that time the stores will be very crowded. Shopping in the morning is best. By lunch time they%26#39;re jammed. I%26#39;d shop in the mornings and sightsee in the afternoons if you can.

Like people mentioned here before me you need to be a little more specific. One thing that can help you allot is typing the word itinerary in search box and see what other people had in mind.

My top 3 things in NYC are: MOMA, Central Park and Broadway

For more life attraction you can visit www.timeout.com and if your interested in Broadway - you can grab a discount at www.broadwaybox.com

thanks guys, you%26#39;ve been a great help.

i%26#39;m going to check out those various websites and sit down with my partner and decide what really want out of this holiday!

thanks again xx

another good one is www.newyorkled.com

By the way, in NYC, people usually say ';my partner'; if they%26#39;re in business together, or if they are a same-gender couple. If you two are a gay couple, there are plenty of resources and fun options in NYC for you. Ask away!

nope, we arent gay. i guess thats us scottish folk that say that saying! but thanks for all your help anyway folks! Really appreciate the advice! cant wait to go now!