I was there for a week, and pretty much saw everything I wanted to go see. The things you MUST do:
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Times Square It's the "Crossroads of the Universe". There are so many neat stores there. The world's biggest Toys R Us, the M&M's Store, etc.
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Uptown Bus Tour "Take the blue pill, not the red pill." When you get there, you will know what I mean.
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Top of the Rock Rockefeller Center. It's the second tallest building in NY. You can see the Empire State Building clearly from here.
I would avoid the Empire State Building at all costs. The building is legendary, but so are the lineups. Unless you really feel like lining up for 3 hours, don't go. Go to Top of the Rock instead, and get up there in 20 minutes.
Secondary things you should do:
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Central Park Try to leave about 2 hours free to explore the park. The prettiest part of the park is near the middle at "The Lake" and Bethesda Fountain. You can take a rowboat onto the lake, and after seeing how pretty it is, you will want to. There is also a lil' castle on the western side of the park but that isn't really anything special - it just looks nice right in the middle of the park.
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Museum of Natural History Natural History Museum is great if you're really into science and wildlife stuff. It will take half a day at least. Avoid the Planetarium show. It's nothing you can't get in any other planetarium. Go for the Sea Monsters show if you want to watch a show.
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Ground Zero Nothing here but a hole in the ground now, but you go for the historical significance.
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Eat at the restaurant at Rockefeller Center Not sure if they have closed it for the winter though. The atmosphere is amazing! Go during dinnertime. Rockefeller Center is the real heart of New York City. Times Square has become a tourist trap just like Strip in Vegas.
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St. Patrick's Cathedral Go to an actual service there. They have services during the weekdays too. Go in the morning, when the stained glass windows are all lit up pretty. The place is very tourist friendly too, and allow you to take pictures while the service is going on.
Other things that are kinda neat:
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Walk across Brooklyn Bridge Avoid going into Brooklyn though. If you really need to get the feeling you are in Brooklyn, just spend some time in the Bowness area of Calgary. That place is a hole.
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Grand Central Station There is nothing to do there except look around, but that place is just really neat, being in so many movies and all.
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Downtown Bus Tour This tour takes you around downtown Manhattan, where Little Italy, SOHO, Chinatown, and Greenwich Village are located. Chinatown is a hole. So is little Italy. Soho and Greenwich is like 17th Ave. and Kensington put together, except 5 or 6 blocks of it. This tour is good if you have some free time, but you can avoid it easily and not miss much.
- Statue of Liberty Ferry This takes you partly around Manhattan, and sometimes is included in the bus tour packages. It takes you close to the statue. Avoid going on to the island itself. They no longer allow people to climb all the way into the statue's crown, so all it is is a semi tall statue you can look at from the feet, all the while being covered in bird $hit. The rest of the boat tour is fantastic. You get to see the New York skyline from the water. Go during the day, of course.
Places to Eat:
Virgil's BBQ House
http://www.virgilsbbq.com/
Just off Times Square. It's like a 1 minute walk from the center of Times Square. Try their smoked ribs and chicken wings. It's unlike anything I've tasted in Calgary.
There are two other restaurants right beside Virgils BBQ. One is an Italian one called Osteria al Doge, and the other is a French Restaurant that looks like a Mafia run place called Un Deux Trix Cafe (One Two Three Cafe) Both are excellent. If you go to that Italian one, order the Caesar's Salad, which they give to you in a bowl made out of Parmesan Cheese.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
http://www.bubbagump.com/
This place is pretty good too, but nothing you can't get in Calgary. Try their Shrimp Platter with Coconut Shrimp. (Which conversely, you can get at Calgary's Metropolitan Grill too.)
Avoid:
Roxy's
They charge $15-$20 for a sandwich. They do give you a lot, but it's noting special, and doesn't taste very good either. Don't let the sparkley sign fool you. The food is mediocre.
Little Italy
In my opinion, you can get comparable Italian food near Times Square, because Times Square has become so commercialized that all the good restaurants are here anyways. Plus, Little Italy is a craphole, just like most of Manhattan's downtown. (Except the Wall Street and financial districts)
Also, try and learn the subway system as soon as you can. A subway map is
nearly impossible to find, so try and get a hold of one before you leave. Or do what I did: Take a high res photo of the Subway Map displayed in the subway stations, and then use your camera's playback to have the map handy at all times. You can get pretty much anywhere in Manhattan in 15 minutes via subway, so there is no need to rent a car. You will be using the subway a lot to get to where you need to go.
