[omar]

Hello everyone,

i recently graduated and have been saving for a trip to New York for ages, finally i managed to book me a ticket and if everything goes well i will be ariving in NY this sunday and stay for 7 days.
Since this is my first trip i was hoping if you fine people could maybe give me some good tips/advice.

I have more or less figured out the place i definitely would like to visit/see:

Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge & brooklyn, Harlem, bronx, Top of the rock Rockefeller center, Museum of natural history, The apollo theater, Soho, China town, Grand central terminal, Central park, empire state building...and ofcourse "shopping"...Soho

- Only i have a few questions about some of my trip choices - as mentioned i would like to visit Ellis Island but i can't seem to find any info on the opening hours of the museum or hours for the boat trip to Ellis island, do i take a ferry or something and do i need to buy tickets in advance with a tour operator, or can i just hop on a boat that does these tours?

- For shopping, as mentioned i recently graduated so i wont be shopping in the expensive store areas with fancy designer clothes, really looking for areas with cool clothing stores i'm kind of into surf/skate and vintage clothing (Vans, Carhartt, Levis, Dickies...)is there like an area that has loads of stores where i can buy some nice stuff.

- for the evenings, what would you recomand, i'm not into clubs and dancing stuff...a stand up comedy show sounds nice..any other tips on cool places to visit for those NYC evenings

- If you have any tips on places i shouldn't miss please do say...everything to make this first vacation unforgettable is more than welcome.

i'd really appreciate all the help!

[7TRAINMAN]

Welcome!

NYC is well worth your hard earned saving!

Take some time to look through the forum..many people have come through here, asking tons of questions, maybe you'll find some answers in topics already posted on the site.

We'll try to help if we can for anything else

[mrkredo]

Hi, welcome to NY Forum!

You can try shopping in Outlet stores. There is one in Pennsylvania and one in Upstate NY. I wrote post on how to get there in here: http://forumnyc.com/...954&#entry42954

For Ellis island - you only need to book tickets if you want crown access trip, but they are all sold out at least 3 months in advance. Even if you go without crown access, I would book tickets online in advance, just in case. You can do it on this site.

[omar]

Thank you both for replying, appreciate it!

i will most def. check out the outlet stores and let you guys know how i did

What street/area would you recomand me for shopping close to Time Square, my hotel is in that area. Is Soho a good place to find my kind of clothings (as mentioned before..skate, surf, vintage style clothing) I did read something a time ago about a good area in NYC to find vintage clothing but can't find the article...any tips?

have a good one guys!

Cheers

[spyrouNYC]

You will find great shopping ANYWHERE near Times Square, because it is a tourist hotspot, and there are many gift shops all around the area. If you are looking to spend more money, or want to walk around some more high-end shops, I suggest walking down 5th Avenue... some very upscale shops there. Of course you also have Macy's nearby to Times Square, as well.

If you want to just see the Statue of Liberty without going into the crown, you can take the South ferry, which is absolutely free to ride, both ways. It's a very enjoyable boat ride.

Your first moments in NYC will be like nothing you have ever experienced... check out my walking tour thread to read my own description of what my first time was like... nothing you see online or on TV can truly prepare you for the sheer size and scale of the city... it will really leave you with a lasting impression, but you will love every minute of your time in the city.

[omar]

thnx guys, i really appreciate the help and tips!!!


one more final question before i leave...annyone know an adres of a store where they sell loads of carhartt and vans clothing?

thnx everyone and i appoligize for asking so much

[Doctor Manhattan]

omar, on 06 February 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

one more final question before i leave...annyone know an adres of a store where they sell loads of carhartt and vans clothing?

Quite a few places sell Carhartt. I'm not certain about Vans. If you're going to go to SoHo, I'd recommend Iceburg Army Navy on Broadway, a block uptown of Canal. There are other Army-Navy stores in NYC and they'll probably all have some Carhartt goods, but Iceburg is the nicest store and is large enough to have a better selection than the others.

[Doctor Manhattan]

spyrouNYC, on 05 February 2010 - 01:41 PM, said:

You will find great shopping ANYWHERE near Times Square, because it is a tourist hotspot, and there are many gift shops all around the area.

Yes there are a lot of stores, but not all of them are great places to shop. There are a lot of little tourist electronics and gift stores that might not be the best, but within a dozen blocks of Times Square there are also some very large stores with wide selections. Clothing is easy to shop for in NYC, unlike some other types of goods.

Quote

If you are looking to spend more money, or want to walk around some more high-end shops, I suggest walking down 5th Avenue... some very upscale shops there. Of course you also have Macy's nearby to Times Square, as well.

You'll want to head uptown on 5th for the higher-end retailers. One street east of 5th, on Madison, from Times Square uptown to Central Park are where most of the quality men's stores are. Macy's is on 34th, so about eight blocks downtown of Times Square on 7th Avenue.

[John t]

Don’t miss Century 21 in the Financial District for real bargains in name brand clothing. Also (for the best in electronics) go to J&R. Its a few blocks from Century. It occupies a block of stores on Park Place opposite City Hall Park. Take the 4 or 5 subway downtown and get off at Fulton St. Any of the Army/Navy stores carry Carhatt & Levies.
Try the East Village at night for good pubs & restaurants. Do some walking in the West Village area (west of 6th ave) and from there walk down to Soho & Tribeca. Stay away from Times Sq. It’s just for tourists. Have a great trip.

[Amy1022]

I wonder how this person did?
I am from NYC myself and have not been there since last year. I miss it! Mrkredo, you are lucky to work there!
Anyone ever eat at Katz's Deli? I was supposed to go to there around Christmas with friends, but one couldnt make it so we are meeting in the spring.