How to Plan a Trip to New York City

Find New York-ish Things to Do

• There are so many great things to do in New York City that you need to be efficient to cram as many events as possible into a short trip. Of course, you can mix and match activities from various parts of the city, but here are a few things to do in each section:

  Downtown

  Downtown usually includes the West Village (which is what people usually mean when they say "Greenwich Village"), the East Village and the Financial District.

  * The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island--If you want to see a real part of American history, and probably some of your own family history as well, take a trip to these monuments to immigration.

  Both the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum can be accessed by ferry from Battery Park. Take the 1 subway to the South Ferry stop (the last stop).

  * New York Stock Exchange --You've seen the movie "Wall Street," right? Here's your chance to see it in action! The New York Stock Exchange Interactive Education Center informs and educates the public by allowing them to view the trading floor and look up information on stocks, bonds and options.

  The New York Stock Exchange Interactive Education Center is located on the 3rd floor at 20 Broad St.

  Midtown

  Midtown includes Chelsea, the Theater District and the Garment District.

  * Rockefeller Center is the home to 19 commercial buildings, including NBC studios. It is located in midtown Manhattan from 49th to 52nd Streets., 5th to 7th Avenues.

  On a visit to Rockefeller Center, you can take the NBC Studio Tour and see tapings of "Saturday Night Live" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," or you can stand outside the window in the hopes of meeting Al Roker or Matt Lauer as they film "The Today Show" each weekday morning (get there at about 5:30 or 6 a.m. to get a good spot).

  * The Empire State Building is the most famous skyscraper in the U.S., so why not go to the observation tower on the 102nd floor and get a beautiful view of the city? And you can reminisce about "Sleepless in Seattle" while you're up there.

  * The Museum of Modern Art, also called MoMa, houses a rotating exhibit of modern art. It's a fantastic museum. This museum is located at 11 West 53 St., and is near the 5th Avenue/53rd Street stop of the E and F trains.

  * Radio City Music Hall is a cultural landmark. If you are in town near Christmas, be sure to check out the legendary Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. You can also take a tour of Radio City, which will take you backstage to the rehearsal halls and let you see the famous Wurlitzer Organ. You'll even get to meet a Rockette!

  Radio City Music Hall is located between 50th and 51st Streets on the Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue).

  * Central Park provides the border between midtown and uptown. It's the largest urban park in the world, and its 843 acres literally divide the city into the East Side and West Side. The park spans from 59th Street to 110th Street and from 5th Avenue to Central Park West. To help you figure out the geography, everything below the park is midtown or downtown, everything to the East of the park is the Upper East Side, and everything to the West of the park is the Upper West Side.

  Within the park, you will find 20 tennis courts, two ice-skating rinks, numerous lakes, The Delacorte Theater (which shows Shakespeare in the Park in the summertime), riding stables with horse trains and The Central Park Zoo, as well as hundreds of beautiful places to sit and rest those weary feet. You'll also meet colorful, harmless weirdos who will provide you with many fun stories to tell your friends back home.

  Upper West Side

  * Lincoln Center is home to the New York City Ballet, The Metropolitan Opera, The New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic and the Julliard school. There is always something going on in one of the many theaters. The Center is located on Columbus Avenue between 62nd and 65th Streets.

  * The American Museum of Natural History is famous for its dinosaur exhibit and the Hayden Planetarium. This museum is located at Central Park West and 79th Street.

  Upper East Side

  * The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses several permanent collections, the most famous being the Egyptian room seen in "When Harry Met Sally," as well as several rooms of Impressionist art.

  This huge museum is located on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street.

  * The Guggenheim Museum is full of funky modern art in a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is located on 5th Avenue at 89th Street.