Sarah Turners New York report - Need To Know
Posted On
22.03.07
Sightseeing If you are planning major sightseeing, think about buying a CityPass www.citypass.com. It costs a fair amount ($53 for adults, $41 for 6-17-year-olds) but offers savings and minimises queuing at the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art, the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, the Empire State Building, the Guggenheim and Circle Light Sightseeing. Buy it online before you leave home.
Free on Friday If you want to gain entry to New York's pricier museums without paying an entrance fee, keep Friday evening clear. Both the Museum of Modern Art (normally $20) and the Whitney (normally $12) offer free entry on Friday evenings. And some of the best things in life are free - including the Staten Island Ferry which gives a great view of Manhattan's skyline and the Statue of Liberty. A round trip takes one hour and forty minutes.
Tipping Tipping is a way of life. Double the tax part of your restaurant bill to know the amount you ought to leave. Tip a dollar a drink in a bar. Have a stash of dollar bills at hand to tip doormen, taxi drivers and chambermaids.
Restaurant bookings Many restaurants won't take bookings for groups of less than six people. If you're dining a deux, you're probably best off going in off the street - usually you won't have to wait long.
Hip and happening Trends emerge and disappear fast in New York. At the moment it's hidden bars like Employees Only www.employeesonlynyc.com, where only a fortune-teller in the window hints that there's a bar and restaurant behind. La Esquina, on the corner of Kenmare and Lafayette (it's too trendy to have a telephone number) by Little Italy has a great bar hidden behind a taco stand. Time Out New York and New York magazines will keep you up to date.
Time Out Time Out New York comes out on Wednesdays and has details of all the latest shops, restaurants and events. It's your best New York planner. If you've got specific questions, www.askanewyorker.com is a fun way to get advice.
Best views The new viewing platform at the Rockefeller Center might be a few metres lower than the Empire State but the views are even more spectacular. To save queuing, book tickets beforehand on www.topoftherocknyc.com. Prices are $14 adults, $9 for 6-12 year-olds.
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