Who's been to NYC?

[Quantrill]

Looks like I may be going there this weekend.   What to do/see in the big apple?
I've been there once before but was not impressed with Times Square.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[alohamonkey]

I've only been there a handful of times but the things I remember most are:

Taking the boat out around the Statue of Liberty - there's one that stops at the Statue of Liberty and there's one that goes around/past it.  I like the one that goes past it b/c you get better views of the Statue and the city

Walking through Greenwich Village - tons of shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars, etc.

Grand Central Station - there's nothing really to do there but if you're into architecture at all, go inside - it's pretty amazing

If you're into museums - the MoMA is pretty cool, Natural History is OK, and I heard the Guggenheim is pretty funky but I've never been myself

Little Italy / Salisbury St. - tons of outdoor cafes and restaurants, you can walk by Umberto's Clam House (where Joey Gallo got whacked) - i think it's still open

Those are just a few.  I'll keep thinking . . . I know there's a lot more to do. 

[Lloyd Danforth]

At least 200 Starbucks!  I haven't been to a museum in NY since Cub Scouts.   I do find myself there every few years; last time being when the FSP announced NH had won the vote.  Hell, just walking around Manhattan is enough for me.

[jsorens]

Taking the boat out around the Statue of Liberty - there's one that stops at the Statue of Liberty and there's one that goes around/past it.  I like the one that goes past it b/c you get better views of the Statue and the city

Yes. The one we took went to the Statue and Ellis Island, which was pretty neat too.

Walking through Greenwich Village - tons of shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars, etc.

Yes, although I prefer when this area was more downscale, & you could find little heavy metal CD shops with guys walking around in Burzum and Mayhem shirts. 

Grand Central Station - there's nothing really to do there but if you're into architecture at all, go inside - it's pretty amazing

It's a slice of NY, so I'll say yes (when one has used it three times a week to switch from commuter rail to the subway one doesn't immediately think of it as a tourist attraction, but it is).

If you're into museums - the MoMA is pretty cool, Natural History is OK, and I heard the Guggenheim is pretty funky but I've never been myself

I enjoyed Natural History, but I also strongly recommend the Metropolitan Museum of Art (I'm not a huge fan of most modern art, so I haven't been to the others).

There's a restaurant in Central Park that's quite nice: it's entirely glass IIRC. Pricey (it's NYC) but good food. It's called [something] in the Park.

I guess CBGB has closed now? That used to be a good place to catch a metal or rock show.

Let's see... There's the Empire State Building of course. There's the Rockefeller Center and near there is the big cathedral in NYC (St. Patrick's I think?), which is pretty amazing on the inside. Madison Square Garden frequently has concerts in summer. You can catch baseball games in the Bronx & Queens. But I guess most of the fun of Manhattan is checking out some of the different neighborhoods & restaurant districts.

[error]

Personally I won't go to NYC if I can possibly avoid it.

[jaqeboy]

Looks like I may be going there this weekend.   What to do/see in the big apple?
I've been there once before but was not impressed with Times Square.

Any ideas or suggestions?

I highly recommend the Let's Go New York guide. It's written by college students who are paid to go around and find the cool places. I have a 10 year old dog-eared copy if you want to borrow it, but they have it in the bookstores - it's hip pocket or cargo pocket sized.

SoHo (south of Houston) is great! Wish I was going too - it's a blast! I was thinking of arranging a tour there for Porcs later - maybe early Fall. You can stay in the hostel for only $29/night if you're looking for a place to stay there.

[Mike Barskey]

At least 200 Starbucks!  I haven't been to a museum in NY since Cub Scouts.   I do find myself there every few years; last time being when the FSP announced NH had won the vote.  Hell, just walking around Manhattan is enough for me.

Apparently there are 171 Starbucks on Manhattan island:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c7eb3516af

[toowm]

My favorites are Ellis Island, Broadway shows (which it sounds like you don't like), and jazz at the Blue Note. Also they had some low-carb restaurants last time I was a tourist there.

[lildog]

This weekend is the baseball hall of fame induction in Cooperstown NY but that's a couple hours north of the city.

As for what to do in the city it depends on what you are into.  There's the Statue of Liberty, Empire State building and tourist sites like that.

FAO Shawtz toy store is quite amazing.

I've found though that if you know people in the city and have them take you around it's a much different city then if your a tourist looking around on your own.

The Borrows districts is all bars and has had a share of murders but it also has a lot of cool places to hang out.  My sister took me bar hopping and while I don't recall the names I recall the themes of the bars...  One was made up like a 70s basement complete with retro TV shows playing.  Then we went to a bar made to look like the inside of an airplane, then one made to look exactly like the milk bar from Clockwork Orange.

There's Katz deli where they filmed the "faking it" scene from Harry Meet Sally.

You can take in a Yankee or Mets game.

The theater district is quite amazing.

If your into music there are a couple world renown music stores.  There is a guitar shop I drool over every time I go, they custom build the axe for you.  You walk in, pick the wood for the body and neck, you pick the hardware, you pick out the style (and they do customs like hand carved dragons and skulls and stuff like that), pick the color etc.  Then after a couple weeks they'll mail you the finished guitar build exactly to your specs.  If I ever win lotto that will be one of my first stops!

The MET is quite amazing if you like art.  They actually have a full Egyptian tomb that was relocated block by block which you can walk through inside the art gallery.  A lot of other world famous galleries as well such as the Guganhime (sp?).

All depends what you're looking for.

[CNHT]

Looks like I may be going there this weekend.   What to do/see in the big apple?
I've been there once before but was not impressed with Times Square.

Any ideas or suggestions?

I go there often. Look for RP banners from all the fire escapes! 

Check out Joey Ramone Place.
The new Apple Store 5th Avenue (The Cube)
The East Village

[Lloyd Danforth]

At least 200 Starbucks!  I haven't been to a museum in NY since Cub Scouts.   I do find myself there every few years; last time being when the FSP announced NH had won the vote.  Hell, just walking around Manhattan is enough for me.

Apparently there are 171 Starbucks on Manhattan island:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c7eb3516af

Knowing I was going to walk from Port Authority to Hells Kitchen the day of the FSP announcement,  I checked the Starbucks website and came up with 200.  Perhaps it included the other buroughs, but, I'll bet some closed.

At the time, they claimed to only have 2 in NH, but, I think their counter fell behind.

[Quantrill]

Thanks everyone for the replies!!!