Uptown Manhattan, New York City (Jeremy Woodhouse/Photodisc/Getty)

Aerial view of New York City (Corbis)

Radio City Music Hall in New York City (Digital Vision)

Blue poison dart frog inside World of Reptiles in Bronx Zoo, New York (Julie Larsen Maher/WCS)

New York City Marathon crossing Verrazano Bridge (John Kelly/Digital Vision)

African male lion on Lion Island at the Bronx Zoo, New York (Julie Larsen Maher/WCS)

Times Square in New York City, New York (Medioimages/Photodisc/Getty)

Ice skating rink in New York City, New York (Photodisc)

Gorilla sitting in tree at Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit at the Bronx Zoo, New York (Julie Larsen Maher/WCS)

New York City (Brand X Pictures)

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City (Photodisc)

Central Park in New York City, New York (NPS)

Statue of Liberty, New York City (Brand X Pictures)

Park Avenue Lobby of the Waldorf Astoria, New York City (Waldorf Astoria)

Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas, New York City (Inti StClair/Photodisc/Getty)

Aerial view of New York City, New York (Corbis)

Betel Restaurant, New York City (Savored)

What to do in New York City

by Sean O’Neill

New York City is for hunters of cool obsessed with the latest trends. Tourists can feel the pulse of 1.6 million Manhattanites competing to outdo one another in hipness: how to dress in a signature style; how to create an impossibly tasty cupcake; how to assert individuality in this ever-jostling cultural sea. But all that effort pays huge dividends for visitors. On nearly every corner you’ll spot something you'll only see in New York. Perhaps it’s an outfit worn by a celebrity glimpsed during a tour of MTV headquarters, NBC Studios, or the Apollo Theater. Maybe it’s the emerging fashion designer hawking wares in the gymnasium of a youth center in SoHo. Or that bar/performance space/pool-supply company in Brooklyn. Wherever you go in the five boroughs, their skyscrapers sparkling day and night, it’s hard not to join in and hunt the cool as well.

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Lacy rates New York City
NYC is quite a juggernaut of a city. It's huge, and I mean HUGE. To the outsider, it can be quite intimidating and I can see how one would be turned off. My advice, stick around after hitting all the major tourist spots and get to know the neighborhoods. Not to say that you shouldn't see the touristy stuff-- you should, it's a big part of this city. The great thing about NYC is that there is always something going on for every single type of person. Cowboy? Try Doc Holliday's in the East Village. LGBT? Try Posh in Hell's Kitchen. Just wanna sing? Pulse in the East Village. Point is, if you can't find something to entertain yourself (or just to fit in) in NYC, you're not giving it a fair chance.
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MrsJBolt rates New York City
NYC is an intriguing place to visit. Compared to other cities I've lived in & visited, NYC is so big. There are so many neighborhoods to visit, all with their on style. For a 1st timer to NYC, do the big stuff: Time Square, Central Park, 5th Ave. For those who go to NYC more often, pick a few neighborhoods to explore & do a few of those over your time there. I tend to pick my explorations based on food, so we go to Little Italy for Italian, to Chelsea for the market, to Time Square for John's pizza. If you know someone who knows someone that lives in NYC, ask for local recommendations. Things like the HighLine in the Meatpacking District are awesome. Lincoln Center & Columbus Circle are pretty. The ferry to IKEA is free & great for views. I dislike cabs, so I'd recommend using the subway, BUT it does seem dirtier than say DC's metro.
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Alistair rates New York City
Like many, I have visited New York City in various guises over the years: dirtbag student backpacker, young couple in love, father of young kids. And I think that's what is so great about NYC: its limitless capacity for surprise. My favorite thing to do is basically wander aimlessly and simply find something to do that feels right at the time. For specific recommendations, I like Top of the Rock for the views, the Staten Island ferry for skyline photo-ops, and strolling the avenues of grand apartments on either side of Central Park (you can but dream, right?!). The Affinia 50 hotel in Midtown is a good choice for families (there's also an excellent Japanese restaurant nearby, Seo Sushi). For something a bit cheaper, try the whimsical Pod Hotel (also Midtown), or the huge Hostelling International hostel on Amsterdam Avenue. Enjoy!
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Pete rates New York City
New York City can be intimidating for first time visitors, but if you do some research before venturing in it's not as scary as you might think. Finding an inexpensive place to stay is the real trick. Once you accomplish that, you can section the city off in chunks. Midtown has the park, theaters, Empire State Building and tourist packed Times Square. The Village has interesting nooks and crannies with interesting shops, restaurants, and bars along Bleeker St. So-ho, one of my favorite areas, is great for shopping and watching beautiful people mill around. Once your done shopping in So-ho, you can walk over to Little Italy for a slice of Pizza or long red wine lunch. For visitors, getting around via cab is your best bet. Yellow cabs are everywhere. If their light is on top, they're available.
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NYC is quite a juggernaut of a city. It's huge, and I mean HUGE. To the outsider, it can be quite intimidating and I can see how one would be turned off. My advice, stick around after hitting all the major tourist spots and get to know the neighborhoods. Not to say that you shouldn't see the touristy stuff-- you should, it's a big part of this city. The great thing about NYC is that there is always something going on for every single type of person. Cowboy? Try Doc Holliday's in the East Village. LGBT? Try Posh in Hell's Kitchen. Just wanna sing? Pulse in the East Village. Point is, if you can't find something to entertain yourself (or just to fit in) in NYC, you're not giving it a fair chance.
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