I'm off to NY in a few weeks - anyone been and any tips? What to see, what to buy (especially for my dogs). 
Lorna

I have been to New York lots as I had a boyfriend who lived there :)
my top 10 things are:
1. Empire state building( essential)
2. Statue of Liberty
3. Metropolitan museum of art
4. Shopping in Macys
5. Grand Central Station
6. Statue of Prometheus, Rockefeller centre
7. World trade centre memorial staue in battery Park
8. Central Park
9. The old seaport....fantastic seafood
10. Take a walk thru the diamond district, look at those sparklers! amazing!

ooooo How lucky! I've allways wanted to go to NY. Have a great time :D !!

If you want to do the Statue of Libery, plan to get there first thing in the morning. The queues for the ferry can be horrendous, so it pays to be first on. Allow all day for Macys its huuge.  Use the subway, its dead easy - downtown towards Manhattan, uptown towards Central Park and the Bronx. We did loads of walking, once you understand that avenues go up and down and the others go across, then its really easy to orientate yourself. Central Park on Sunday morning for entertainment. Get up really early , stay up really late and try and see a show!

Hi Lorna,
when I went last year I didn't do any of the traditional tourist stuff and didn't really rate the shopping but there is a discount shopping village on the outskirts of NY which is great.  You can get a bus tour to it and the bargains are amazing.  if you are into cool bars and clubs head to the meatpacking district if you want very realistic fake designer bags ask the vendors at the stalls (mainly in tribecca) to see a catalogue and they will bring out the stuff they can't advertise on the streets.  New York is amazing and i don't know anyone who has been and hasn't like it.  Sooo jealous!

>i don't know anyone who has been and hasn't like it.

Me! :D I would never, ever go again. The best bit for me was when we flew to Buffalo to see Niagara Falls - now that is amazing to see :D Oh, and when we flew home. I just hated the place.

what didn't you like about it?  i was ready to pack my bags and dog and move across there after visiting.  For me it was the most amazing place I'd ever been.

I agree with you Cheekychow...it just blew me away the first time and it gets better and better. I would recommend that everyone try to go there once in thei life :)

I didn't like anything about it! The heat, humidity, shopping, traffic, noise, pollution - awful. Big cities are not my thing really and I would rather have gone to see the Grand Canyon, but this was a suprise trip by my husband at the start of our relationship (ie he didn't know better :D )

Oooh Lorna!! lucky you :D
I am very bias but you must go to central park and visit our hero the Alaskan Malamute Balto! :D

definately go to the Diamond district,girls best friend! (after her dog ;) ) its on 47th street and if you visit Saks of 5th Avenue (my shopping mecca!!) its 2 blocks down you'll see the landmark street lights shaped like big diamonds and you can haggle to hearts content great fun not the bargains they used to be but still compared to UK a bargain!

Look out for the NYPD mounted division and go check out the horses at their stables. there are 6 dotted around the city and one right in the heart of Midtown (if your interested PM me and I'll give you directions)

The Guggenheim if you like Art/Architecture is one of my faves and must see's too. (if you like architecture St.Patricks cathedral too stunning! its pieta is 3x larger than St.Peters in Rome, holds 2000 people)

And of course to relive the famous film 'Brief Encounter' go to the empire state, go near sundown so you see the city in day and at night stunning with the lovely art deco Hoover building all lit up :)

there's so much to see and traffic can be hell (can take forever to  go a few blocks in a taxi) so plan your day to fit everything in!
Enjoy!! and 'Have a nice day' ;)

New York, NY!!!

Lorna, bring lots of money for shopping.  And by lots i mean half you would spend here in the UK.

Look for a place called woodbury commons. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7  This places is absolutely a must for all your discount clothing stores in one place.  From Gap to Abercombie & Fitch to the high end stuff (armani).  In the city, shopping is still a bit more upscale.. (dont even bother with 5th avenue.. they turn oprah away a few years ago.. snobs).

In the city.. throw a dart... there is something to do.  Try and see a broadway play, take a ferry around the island... head up to the bronx zoo.  Museum of Natural History is a must.

woodberry common is the name of the outlet I was at but couldn't remember what it was called - like quirky said, its amazing. 
theres a great french bistro in the meatpacking district called florent and it is open 24hrs and was full of superstar dj's and an amazing mix of people the times I was there.  the prada store is worth visiting just to see it.
if you get the chance try a lemonade martini - there's no lemonade in them but they taste like lemonade and will blow your socks off.  I was blitzed after 2 of them

Hi Lorna

As everyone else has said...you lucky thing!  I went last Oct for Halloween & it is wicked.  Just to add my comments, here is what I think you should do whilst there!

1. Empire State Building (obviously) - check out weather reports as to get the best out of it you need a good clear day
2. Show - we went to see Lion King & it was fantastic, there is a ticket office on Times Square where you can get cheap tickets, you have to queue tho!
3. World Trade Centre & the discount store opposite - this store is excellent, bit like TK Max but even cheaper!!!
4. Statten Island ferry - I wouldn't bother going over to Ellis Island, just hop on & off the ferry & sing 'Working Girl!!'
5. Horse drawn carriage ride round Central Park (bit of a rip off but good fun & a great way to see the whole park!)& ice skating if it's still open
6. Shopping - you cannot beat Macy's, although Bloomingdales does come a close 2nd, half a day in each & you should be shopped out, although look out for Sephora, the best cosmetics shop in the world ever & so cheap!
7. Night out in the Meat Packing District - there is an excellent Thai restaurant there & also a hotel with a rooftop bar open to non-residents, watch the Cosmopolitans though $15 each!
8. Grand Central Station - go to the eating area & have the best cheesecake in NY

There that's my advice, writing that has really made me jealous though, I wanna go...:(

Enjoy & let us know what you did when you get back! :) :)

Ps Buy a good guide book with a underground map before  you go!

Blimey, I need a month, not 4 days, although sounds like I'll be broke after two!!
I'm going with my daughter (24) so we should have a good laugh.  Hubby has booked the time off work to be with my dogs so I won't have to worry about them.  I had to get a new passport as my old one ran out about two years ago - haven't been abroad for 6 years.  I have been to the states years ago, but that was California so a bit different.  Sounds like comfy shoes will be needed, my holidays are usually in complete quiet in the hills of the highlands, so this will be a completely different experience
Really looking forward to it now.
Lorna

I can't get into the States nowadays without a blasted working visa - they class the "foreign media" as only slightly less desirable than members of the former Nazi Party and Al-Quaeda - but for all that New York remains an excellent city. I wouldn't personally go in the summer because the heat and humidity is terrible but a spring break will be smashing.

I don't like shopping at the best of times so can't offer any more tips than you've had in that respect but I'd add Ellis Island as an absolute must (take the regular ferry not the tourist one), dinner at Lombardi's Pizza in Little Italy, a foray into the Museum of Modern Art and a late night walk across Brooklyn Bridge. You must go to Grand Central Station - no trains to be seen but by heck the architecture will take your breath away. Central Park is great for a relaxing wander around but don't go into it after dark. Getting around Manhattan is cheap and easy, use the subway or take a yellow cab but be aware that cab drivers don't have to do the "knowledge" in NY!!!

But if you feel homesick (which I'm sure you won't) head for Tea & Sympathy in Greenwich Village (it's an English tea room run by people I know) or their fish & chip shop next door - A Salt & Battery.

I love New York!! People seem to have already covered the best bits so I have only one thing to add.....Krispy Kreme Donuts *drools* :D

I love New York and everything about it, it's so exciting and with so much to do you are at a loss of seeing all it as to offer in the few days your there. :-)

If your going over to the Statue of Liberty. Stop first at Ellis Island on the way. It's where the boats came in for imigrants. It's actually really interesting looking at the exhibition and where it all happened. Then you can hop on the ferry over to Liberty island.
Unfortunately when I went it tipped it down with rain and the statue was closed due to flooding. It was still great walking round it though. It surprises you how small it actually is compared to what you see and imagine on tv.
Empire state is a touristy must. A walk round central park also. I have to admit the best bit was driving up to Niagra Falls. The two towns either side are tacky and messy, but the experience and the noise of the falls took my breath away.

Your so lucky! Have a great time, id love to go to America, ive never been before, only thing that puts me off is the flight, thats only coz im a big sissy! lol :D