I got the tickets after some searching. This year is all about making dreams come true, especially my mom. Anyhow, My mom and i are going to NYC flying into JFK. Neither of us have been there before, staying at the club quarters downtown. My employer has a membership so employees can stay their on weekends. 109 for a suite. not too bad i think. anywho, any ideas on open top tour busses, nyc passes that let you in to a bunch of sites, which ones are good? best way to get from jfk to downtown? any help at all would be appreciated.

mitch

Mods: Move this thread to the NYC board.

http://nyc.gov/visitors

Go to the Statue of Liberty
Ride the Circle Line boat ride around the island
Ride the Staten Island Ferry
Ride the Subway
Go to the Empire State Building
Go to Times Square
See a Broadway play
Go to Central Park
Ride in a Taxi
Eat in Chinatown or Little Italy
Eat at Katz's Deli
Eat at the 2 Ave Deli
Eat at any deli
Eat a slice of pizza
Go to Rockefeller Center/take the NBC Studio Tour
Go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Go to the NY Public Library
Go to the Museum of Natural History
Go to Macy's
Go to Bloomingdale's
Take the tour of the NY Stock Exchange
Go to Ground Zero

Stand in line at the discount ticket booth in Times Square and buy tickets for Mama Mia and Dame Edna!

Take the new JFK AirTrain to the subway (the E train), which will drop you off about 3 short blocks from the Club Quarters. Cost is less than $7 and travel time is just about an hour, which is about as fast as most other options, depending on the time of day.

There are several threads on the topic - here's one recently:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=400157

[edited to add]
Oops - didn't realize you're at the downtown Club Quarters.

We've been to NY several times just for a couple of days at a time. Do yourself a favor. Don't waste time standing in lines for discount tickets. You can get tickets (usually in the last 2 rows) for a lot of shows using TicketMaster pretty cheap. And you can get them in advance so you can schedule them.

I hope you like walking. It isn't necessary, but it is great city to walk. You're staying downtown, so it is a little way to mid-town, but that is where you will see the best sights - the Empire State Building, Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art, etc.

But to answer your question, get a CityPass. That will get you into some of the museums, the Empire State Building, a Circle Line Harbor cruise, and some other things. I think it costs about $50 but the face value of the sights is over $100. So if you don't go to them all you will still get your money's worth. Or if you go to a couple (like the museums) and don't find them interesting, you can leave after a short time and not feel like you paid full price for something and didn't use it.

If you see something you like, you can go back. One place I would really recommend is Rockefeller Center. There are several tours that appeal to different tastes - history, television, etc. And if you have a nice day, go to Central Park. Maybe have lunch at the Tavern on the Green (that's in Central Partk).

That's my input. Have fun and enjoy NY. It's a great city.

I agree completely. TKTS only offers shows for which there are a lot of unsold tickets, i.e. usually not good shows. You'll have much better luck going to the box office shortly after they open in the morning -- even sold-out shows have cancellations, and all theaters release "deadwood," tickets held for the producers, reviewers, etc.

DON'T go to the Statue of Liberty. There's little to see there and you'll get a much better view of the Statue from the Statan Island Ferry (which is free). DO go to Ellis Island, which has an interesting museum about immigration to the US and to NY.

If you have any relatives who immigrated to the US through NY, the Tenament Museum is fascinating.

Check out the Museum of Modern Art, which just reopened.

As someone else suggested, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must-see if you have any interest at all in art.

If you like opera, a pilgrimage . . . um . . . visit to the Metropolitan Opera is a must. There are frequently free concerts at Lincoln Center where the Met is located.

I'm a former New Yorker and still go back a couple of times a year, so, unfortunatley, I can't suggest many of the more touristy kinds of things.

Thanks for the help so far. i am curious about the statue of liberty. is it open, can you go in? also can you see the statue of liberty when your flying into jfk? if so, what side of plane should you be on? how about the open top tour busses? they seem to bring you where you want to go, what about getting one of those plus a city pass, seems you get to where you want to go. thanks everyone, more ideas still appreciated.

mitch

GRBFLYER, do all the things that have been recommended already. And don't forget that NYC is not only Manhattan. Visit the NY Zoological Park in the Bronx, locally known as the Bronx Zoo. Also the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. The NY Aquarium at Coney Island, Brooklyn. The Museum of Motion Pictures in Astoria, Queens. Sorry, but I can't think of anything in Staten Island. It's impossible to run out of things to do and see throughout New York City. As a native New Yorker, I realize I'm a little biased, but it is the greatest city in the world. Enjoy and keep us posted.

A taxi will be a flat rate of $35 plus tolls and tip, although the lines can be long. If money isn't a problem, schedule a car service to meet you at your flight. This would be in the area of $75 plus tip. The open top bus tours are good, depending on what time of year you go.

There is a forum dedicated specifically to New York City here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=465

Look through the threads for much info.

You might see it on the way in. The approach you take would dictate this. The Statue is open, but you no longer can go to the top.

Which is free Friday nights from 4-8. Otherwise, admission is $20 for an adult.

Your hotel is a block from wall street so maybe take a NYSE tour if your into big business and how it operates etc. Hop on the 2,3 or 4 train 1 stop going to Brooklyn and get off at Borough Hall stop. Walk up to Montague street and visit the wodnerful hidden jewel called Brooklyn Heights. Some nice restaurants and shops and cobblestone streets. Also walk farther towards teh water to walk on the Promenade, awesome views of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn bride.

If your sports fans, check out a NY Yankees game (get cheap seats) or the Mets. Remember , NYC is more than just Manhattan!

The flat rate for a taxi to Manhattan from JFK is $45 plus toll and tips. Tel Aviv and Carmel Car Services are $40 plus toll and tips. For these two companies, when you arrive, you call them and then they pick you up outside the baggage claim.

If you are only in Manhattan for one weekend, pick the things you and your mother really want to do and then enjoy them to your hearts content. Don't let anyone rush you.

Are the tours of the NYSE back? They ended them after 9-11 I believe.