they should definetly go to ground zero and elis island

A great way to see New York on a budget to hop on a bus. It's a great alternative to the double decker tourist buses - especially when it's cold out - and only costs $2. I think the sightseeing buses for tourist cost something like $50-60. Just don't take it if you're in a hurry to get somewhere.

Jaime, if you have a thing for earrings head to soho. All along Prince Street (between Mott and 6th Ave) and on Broadway (between Spring and Bleeker) are people who set up stands selling everything from jewlery and scarves to artwork. There is also a New Designer's Market on Mulberry (between Prince and Houston) that has some interesting jewlery, clothes and artwork.

If you're planning on visiting any museums, a good way may be to on Friday evening. Some museums have donation only entry fees on Fridays after 5P or 6P.

After you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, celebrate with New York's best cheesecake from Junior's. 386 Flatbush Ave. Take a bite for me.

Hey TJ's!!!

I was going to send in a video to hopefully make this seasons cut & then got the opportunity to move to New Zealand on a 1yr work/holiday visa..next time : )
Anyway, I am 24 from Long Island, NY but studied at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan & lived in Brooklyn for a while.
If you are in Manhattan for Christmas/New Years def. go to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree & go ice skating there or in Central Park. The christmas parade would also be lots of fun! You def. need to go to the Metropolitan Museum & the MOMA. Broadway shows are always fantastic too! You should try and go to the Statue of Liberty. A great place to eat in Dumbo, Brooklyn is BUBBY'S. Then you should walk over to Brooklyn Heights & walk the promenade. You get a great view of the city over there. Def. walk over the Brooklyn Bridge too! It might be fun for you to go to the Wax Museum & 'hang out' w/the celebrities : P. Gosh, there is just soo much to do in NYC I can go on forever. Long Island is cool too but is more happening in the summer time.
Have a blast!!!!

-Marguerite : )

Ok so something free and a whole lot of fun I would have to say is to go down to Central Park and get a big pile of leaves together and jump in them. Why not act like a kid for a day!!!! Its just something really fun to do. Also while you are in Central Park check out some of the amazing street peformances, they are fun and free!!!! Also you should deff go down to browery st and visit the old home of CBGB's if you didnt know as of this past Oct CBGB's is no longer there. But stand outsie and strike up your best rock star pose. Just think of all the great acts that got their start there. And the history that will never go away even though CBGB's is gone. Hope you have a great time in the city( thats what we call it in nj!) You also need to have a street vendor pretzel and some kabobs and ladies talk them down in price it almost always works! There have been many nights when I have only had a dollar or two left in my pocket and gotten a ckicken kabob and soda for $1.00. You should also go to the Statue of Liberty even though its part of NJ not NY!!!!! YOu can take the path train for grand central station into hoboken or even jersey city. and catch the ferry to the statue.Hope you guys have a great time there and maybe if you can afford it head down to the jersey shore. The transit goes right from NYC to Point Pleasant Beach via the North East coridor line with one change of traiins in long branch. A round trip fare is about $20.00 But its worth it. Go play the games in the arcade. and try and win some prizes from the claw machine and play skee ball. Oh and the tokens are not excanged for money like in Las Vegas but instead for some really cheap prizes. Oh and while you are there say hi to the jersey shore for me its my hometown!!! Hope you all have a great time.
Erin

Brooklyn has some great spots like Jr.'s Restaurant, Coney Island "the Cyclone", Park Slope, Shore Road/Bay Ridge It's my home hope they like it
P.S. Get Some pizza

Check out America's pastime at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. When I visited I was amazed at the look into the history of the US.

It looks like you are going to be in NYC of Thanksgiving so I would highly suggest going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A great place to watch is from Harold's square. I would also suggest taking a ferry to Staten Island the see the Statue of Liberty. Get a pretzel or hotdog from a street vendor and go to Time Square.

I was born in NYC and live near Philadelphia now, so have spent a LOT of time there.

My Tips for NYC:

Food:

Surprised no one mentioned this yet. You absolutely MUST have a KNISH!!! You can buy one from a street vendor in the city. They sell them all over. NY is known for this! It has potato inside and a crispy breadlike crust on the outside. They are only sold in NY.

NY is also known for the best pizza- go with the tips given by previous posters.

Bagels: NY is also known for the BEST bagels, especially in Brooklyn.

Neighborhoods:

Walk around SoHo and Greenwich Village. SoHo is cool & artsy, lots of art galleries and Greenwich Village is very bohemian with lots of street vendors, artsy flea markets. Very different from the more commercialized main part of NYC where the ritzy stores are.

Things to Do:

I agree, try to see a TV show. I would try for Conan.

Go to the Thanksgiving Day parade. you can't get any more american then that!!!!

Rockefeller center: se the famous big christmas tree and either stop & watch the ice skaters or go ice skating.

Broadway: without a doubt, the best show for you to see is RENT. TRUST ME. use the previous posters tips on getting the $25 tickets, OR try getting tickets via the lottery that Rent itself has. They sell 34 tickets for $20 each 2 hours prior to each show by lottery. Go to: www.siteforrent.com for info. on the lottery.

TIMES Square: after ogling the huge signs, go into the Toys R Us store and check out the ferris wheel inside!

Museums: My favorite art museum is the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art).

make a quick stop in front of the NY Public Library. See the famous lion statues. This was in the movie "the Day After Tomorrow."

Statue of Liberty: Take the ferry and go into the statue. YES you CAN go inside and walk up, you just can't go into the crown anymore, since 9/11. IMO this is a MUST for a trip to NYC/USA, as it is such a symbol to all who have immigrated here to the US - and just about ALL of us are the products/offspring of immigrants. Just about every american has a story of a relative who came over through Ellis Island and saw the statue for the 1st time.

But please....make sure you don't leave NYC without trying a Knish!!!!

I'm ethnically Chinese, but born and raised here in New York, and one of the most important things here is the food. Some random observations:

1. You can get just about any style food from just about anywhere in the world here if you look hard enough and/or pay enough. Of course it isn't always quite as good as back at home, but if you're homesick, you can satisfy your craving. Vegemite - it isn't hard to find a jar. Hawker fare - as close as Chinatown (and there are 4 of them in New York - original Manhattan Chinatown; Flushing, Queens; Eighth Avenue, Brooklyn; and Avenue U, Brooklyn). Beef Rendang - you can get it hot as you want. Balut - yes you can even get that here. Pick any other country, and you can pretty much find their food here.

2. Lots of restaurants are open late (until at least midnight, even during weekdays), and some are open 24 hours for late night hunger attacks. Asian eateries and diners tend to be the ones open the latest. Koreatown (East 32nd st. in Manhattan near the Empire State Building) and the restaurants in the St. Marks Place area in the East Village are always open really late.

3. If you choose well, eating out can be as cheap as trying to cook yourself, and you save the time not having to prepare the meal. Or have the best of both worlds and order delivery (take-away delivered to your door, usually within an hour). I don't think there is any place in New York which is more than 15 minutes away from a Chinese restaurant willing to deliver to you. The place where you are staying at should have a collection of available menus to order take away.

4. If you do decide to go grocery shopping, and you should, it will be cheaper to go to a supermarket rather than a corner store. Most supermarkets have a free "shoppers club" that you have to join if you want to take advantage of their sales prices. Enroll at the customer service desk before shopping.

5. Famous NY foods (they all come from somewhere else but are really good here) include:
a. Pizza. The 2 New York styles are round thin crust (a "slice" or Napolitano) or "square" (Sicilian or thicker rectangle slice). A really good slice has a perfect balance among the dough, the cheese and the sauce. The crust is not as thick as Pizza Hut style pizza, which you may be familiar with, and much much better. Pineapple and ham toppings, while you could get them, are considered sacrilege on New York style pizza. Deep dish "Pizza" is considered a casserole, not a pizza by true New Yorkers.

b. bagels (and its cousin the bialy (a bagel with the hole filled in and topped with garlic or onion - trust a bagel store that also sells bialy). Cream cheese, possibly with scallions (green onion) or lox (smoked salmon) are usual spreads.

c. hot dogs: I prefer hot dogs from a store, like Nathan's or Gray's Papaya, rather than a vending cart. It's also cheaper.

d. knish - the previous post reminded me about this one. Yonah Schimmel Knishes on Houston Street is the best and most authentic. The ones on the carts are ok, and pretty portable if you need a carb boost during your running around.

e. other street food: rather than getting hot dogs from a cart, "Halal meat", Greek "gyro" and "shish kabab" hawker carts are generally much better value for money. If you're out and about early, the breakfast coffee carts tend to be pretty good also. Sure signs of good food: 3 or more people in line on the street, or if taxi drivers or police officers are eating there.

f. cheesecake (Junior's is the famous brand here)

g. New York steak (probably out of your budget, but Peter Luger in Williamsburg is the best).

h. If you are going to eat at chain/fast food restaurants, two that originated in the New York area are Sbarro and Subway Sandwich. You don't have to settle for cup noodle - fast food chains have $1 per item menus if you're really desperate with your budget. White Castle has slider style hamburgers for about 0.50 each.

6. Turkey is the traditional meat served for Thanksgiving dinner, so you will see a lot of it. It is traditionally served with a light brown gravy sauce, stuffing (croutons, vegetables and spices cooked inside the middle of the bird while it is roasting), and cranberry sauce (sort of a chutney made with tart berries and sweetened). It always tastes best if someone else makes it, so take up that offer for free Thanksgiving!

Happy travels, and hope you get the chance to eat it all!

The one time I visited NYC was about the same time. My favorite places were Macy's (The Christmas decorations were AWESOME!) and, being the Xmas junkie I am, The baroque xmas tree at The Met... the exhibition startions 11/21. I think the Met is a must for visitors. It just took my breath away! I'd also recommend a handsome cab ride through Central Park.

Since part of New York City is located on Long Island, try exploring the East end of the island. There are vineyards, beaches, farms, and great little villages there. Check out one of these websites to see about a vinyard tour with a wine tasting. http://www.longislandtourism.com/vineyards.htm
http://www.liwines.com/
http://www.discoverlongisland.com/sub_cats.cfm?id=20

Welcome to NYC! I would think of the metropolis as the true tourist mecca, because it's the heart and soul of everything American.

40 million foreign and American tourists visit New York City each year!

I don't know where to begin with where the TJ's should go, because there's soooo much to do while in the area!

I feel that it's deeply important that the TJ's at least pay their respects at Ground Zero and see what's being done at the World Trade Center site. They should try and talk with the locals that witnessed the attacks and see what their take is. Good idea to kinda get the TJ's takes on how they felt about 9/11, since they are in the heart of where it all began. I think it would be important to stress in the course of the NYC episode.

As you may know, NYC's food culture is very diverse, so there's plenty of places to find something unique to eat. There are about 4,000 mobile food vendors licensed by the city!

Obviously, there's a trip out to visit the Statue of Liberty, THE ultimate American experience really. Also, Central Park, Empire State Building as well as the Chrysler Building are can't misses.

There has been so much cultural movements that have begun here in NYC as you may have known. There's the Harlem Renaissance. The city was the epicenter for jazz back in the 1940s, abstract expressionism in the 1950s. It's the birthplace of hip hop in the 1970s and punk rock developed in the 1970s and 1980s.

I think one of the best things about NYC is the food.Its really a great way to experience the different cultures living in the city.For chinese go to Congee Village.French go to La Bonne Soup. Pizza (the best thing ever brought to America from Europe) go to John's Pizza.For great America Soul Food go to Acme. Then last but not least go to Republic for the best Asian fusion food.All these places are cheap and have great atmosphere. They're all located within Manhatten. Just for fun I'll let you guys figure out where they are.

In case you guys want to take me up on my offer for Thanksgiving dinner at my Loft in Brooklyn (Thursday, Nov. 24th): hit me up at welovepukka@hotmail.com....