In addition to the choices below, don't forget about Central Park, the great green swath that is, just by virtue of its existence, New York City's greatest marvel.
Empire State Building Ticket-Buying -- Lines can be horrible at the concourse-level ticket booth, so be prepared to wait -- or consider purchasing advance tickets online using a credit card at www.esbnyc.com. You'll pay slightly more -- tickets were priced $1 higher on the website at press time -- but it's well worth it, especially if you're visiting during busy seasons, when the line can be shockingly long. You're not required to choose a time or date for your tickets in advance; they can be used on any regular open day. However, order them well before you leave home, because only regular mail is free. Expect them to take 7 to 10 days to reach you (longer if you live out of the country). Overnight delivery adds $15 to your total order. With tickets in hand, you're allowed to proceed directly to the second floor -- past everyone who didn't plan as well as you did!
Remember: Advance purchase of a CityPass, will also get you admission to the Empire State Building, plus six other major attractions.
Roosevelt Island Tram -- Want to impress your family and friends with a little known, but spectacular view of the New York skyline? Take them for a ride on the Roosevelt Island Tram (tel. 212/832-4543, ext. 1). This is the same tram that King Kong "attacks" in the Universal Studio Theme Park in Florida. The same tram you have probably seen in countless movies, most recently Spiderman. The Tram originates at 59th Street and Second Avenue, costs $1.50 each way, ($1.50 round trip for seniors), and takes four minutes to traverse the East River to Roosevelt Island, where there are a series of apartment complexes and parks. During those four minutes you will be treated to a gorgeous view down the East River and the east side skyline with views of the United Nations and four bridges: the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Bridge. On a clear day you might even spot Lady Liberty. And don't worry, despite what you've seen in the movies, the tram is safe, the Green Goblin is dead and your friendly neighborhood Spiderman has everything under control. The Tram operates daily from 6am until 2:30am and until 3:30am on weekends.
Lady Liberty Touring Updates -- At press time, only the grounds of Liberty Island were open to the public, pending additional security arrangements. Whether and when the pedestal, museum, and/or the body of the statue itself will reopen to the public was unknown at this writing, but the close-up view from the grounds alone is breathtaking enough to make the journey worthwhile.
If the statue does reopen, be sure to arrive by noon if your heart's set on experiencing everything. And keep in mind that, for the last few years, the National Park Service has instituted a special "crown" policy during the peak summer season: Visitors who want to walk up to the crown must be on one of the first two ferries of the day in order to do so. At other times of year, you must be in line to climb to the crown by 2pm; otherwise, you will not be allowed up.
All policies regarding access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are subject to change at any time. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you call or check the official website (www.nps.gov/stli) for the latest access information.
What's Happening in Times Square -- There's no doubting that Times Square has evolved into something much different than it was a decade ago when it had a deservedly sleazy reputation. Yet there is much debate in New York whether the old was better than the new. For the real New Yorker there is not much to offer here; the restaurants aren't very good, the crowds are stifling, and the shops unimaginative major chains. The area has become a sterile Disney-fied celebration of kitsch. Yep, it's a tourist trap, but the neon spectacle is something everyone should witness before returning home. If you are interested in spending more time in the area, here are some of it's attractions: ABC's Good Morning America has set up a street-facing studio with state-of-the-art video and news ribbons at Broadway and 44th Street (just across from MTV's own); and Nasdaq's eight-story billboard -- the world's largest video screen, at Broadway and 43rd -- has joined the landscape. Corporate America has even moved in; among the big-name headquarters that have relocated to prime Times Square real estate are Condé Nast, Morgan Stanley, and Reuters, all adding to the increased cachet of this formerly seedy crossroads. What's more, a handful of upper-end new hotels opened right in the heart of the action -- including the terrific Hilton Times Square, the designer-hip W Times Square, and the new Westin New York, meaning that thousands more visitors can stay right on (or just off) the Great White Way.
You'll also find the ESPN Zone, the freshly *NSync-funded Planet Hollywood, and B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill. The Virgin Megastore has a major presence on the square, as does MTV, which draws busloads of exuberant Total Request Live fans to Broadway and 45th Street every weekday afternoon, giving the entire square a welcome shot of youth appeal.
Forty-second Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, the former porn peddler's paradise, has been rebuilt from scratch into a family-oriented entertainment mecca. In addition to a spate of beautifully renovated theaters -- including the New Victory, the New Amsterdam (home to The Lion King), and the former Selwyn, reinvented as the American Airlines Theatre and now the permanent home of the Roundabout Theater Club -- the neon-bright block is chock-full with retail and amusements, including Madame Tussaud's New York, a six-floor fully interactive new-world version of London's famous wax museum; the multilevel, state-of-the-art Broadway City video arcade; two 20-plus-screen movie complexes; and plenty of mall-familiar shopping and dining, including the Museum Company, a Yankees Clubhouse Shop (where you can purchase home game tix).
