How lucky are you!! I've been to New York a good few times cause my husband used to work there, my one mega tip to you would be PACK A FEW CLOTHES IN A BIG SUITCASE!! infact i used to pack everything i needed into a small case and then put THAT into a bigger case :lol: but by the time i was coming home both cases would be jammers full !!
So, my tips would be: when you get there get the red open top bus tour - you know the ones, every capital city has them, and stay on it for the whole tour & mark off where you want to go back to on the map as you go around, that way you see all the major sights, (it will take you through all the different parts ie chinatown, little italy, etc,) and still have time to go back to the ones that looked interesting. The empire estate building is great but the queue is always massive during the day, if you go first thing in the morning you can just about manage to beat it or go about 30 minutes before it closes in the evening and the same applies, the view is breathtaking in the night time.
For Shopping I love Century 21 in Lower Manhattan, it's like a designer warehouse sale, you have to root around but they have fantastic stuff at rock bottom prices! For all the copy goods (ie fake handbags & rolex's) head to Canal Street, every shop there sells them, if you don't see what you want ask the traders, they have shops hidden away where they keep the real good stuff but they'll take you there if they know you have money to spend. 5th Avenue is great, Nike town is fantastic, much much cheaper than here, so is Gap - there is a chain of shops called Old Navy which sells stuff like Gap but cheaper again. all the cosmetics are much cheaper than here.
If you like chinese/thai food then visit
Tao on 42 East 58th Street, it is soooo SATC!!! they have a web site, taonyc.com. it's sooo trendy & cool and the food is delicious, if you are into people watching then it's a mecca!! Another FAB place is the 'Cheesecake Factory' they have 3 restaurants in NY and they are amazing...they have a full restaurant menu and then 30
different types of cheese cake to choose from for dessert!!! and they pack the dessert to go, which is great cause the food is sooo good you'll be stuffed after the first 2 courses, they have a web site
www.thecheesecakefactory.com, every time we go to the USA we go at least once before we leave, which probably explains why im a size 12 when i arrive and a 14 when i leave!!
So that's my tips...make sure you bring comfy shoes for during the day cause you'll be amazed how much walking you'll do!!...oh and the boat trip around Manhattan is great too, wrap up warm though cause it's cold when you get out on the water...the horse & carrage ride around central park is v. romantic in the evening...god im getting nostalgic now, might start trying to pursuade himself to take me back there in december...
have a fab time!!!
Lou
x