We are leaving the real world on Sunday and will be spending a couple of days in Manhattan. We will be saying at the Crown Plaza Manhattan located at 1605 Broadway and 49th Street. We have never been to NYC and could use some help. Thank you in advance.

Is this a nice hotel?

Is it close to anything worth seeing?

What areas should we really stay away from?

Can I carry a pocket folding knife in NYC legally? (Don't worry, not going to carry on the plane but will buy one there and ship it home if possible.)

Any other help will be appreciated. I am most concerned with safety issues, Mrs. Wiggy is taking care of the scenic stuff. I want to make sure that we come back home in one piece!

Is this a nice hotel?

Yep,very nice! Heart of Time Square(almost). This is a very safe area, Feel Secure, but do watch your personal items.

Is it close to anything worth seeing?

Yep, again. In the middle of everything. What do you want to see?

What areas should we really stay away from?

Stay out of upper Manhattan, most of Brooklyn and the Bronx. (except for Yankee Stadium).

I always carry a blade (usually automatic), have never had to pull it out once. I'd be careful however, because there will be a shitload of security all over the city next week. If you do want to buy a knife, there are about 6 or 7 stores that sell everthing from 007's to Gerbers, these stores are all within a few blocks of your hotel.

You will have a good time, if not a great time. The city is usually not too crowded on this holiday weekend. I'll be going to Central Park with my daughter on Sunday, You should check out the zoo there. BTW, Central Park is pretty safe 24 hrs a day. If you want any further info please ask.

Stewart

You will be in the center of things there. We just held fights (Kickboxing/mixed martial arts) there earlier this year.  You'll be walking distance from alot of restaurants and such, but the easiest way to get around will be a cab.  If you are wondering Ground zero is WAY downtown from there.  

For starters you're in Manhattan!
BeerSlayer is now in Queens w/o a car! He's probably having a sucky time and I can't help him because our schedules aren't meeting up very well.

Fleet Week will be ending on Sunday(I think) so most of the military guys should be on their way. There will be an insane amount of police presence, due to the hightened terrorist alert. Make sure you catch a couple of the Broadway shows, catch a Yankees/Mets game, check out the Village, Chinatown, Little Italy, South Street Seaport(NYPD museum is located nearby)and of course check out what's left of Ground Zero. I'll be e-mailing you my personal cell phone # so you can get in touch with me when you're in town.

Also, the subway system is pretty safe, and the best transportation deal in NYC, $4 for an all day pass! You wouldn't believe the amount of undercovers working there. Just be aware of who's around you, pickpockets LOVE tourists. You'll be fine.

go to "McSorlies" (sp) lower side, oldest Irish pub in Manhattan. "They were there before you were born!"

First off, don't get too down on Brooklyn.  It can't be all that bad...I live there. [}:D]

Seriously, there's some great restaurants in Brooklyn, but you have to know where to go.  One of the best pizza places in the entire city is right underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.  There's also a fantastic restaurant called "Boullabaise" on Atlantic Ave.  They only serve one thing, but if you like seafood, its the place to go.  

In Manhattan, theres tons to do - really depends on what you're into.  At this point, I think MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) has temporarily shut down and moved to Queens while they renovate the main building in Manhattan, but Cinncinatus would have more concrete info than me.  There's an obscene amount of shopping (for everything but guns).  Check out Chinatown, Little Italy, SoHo, and everything else you can.  NYC is like a 24hr carnival - just take in as much as you can.  If you can, and the weather is nice, take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.

I'll also second Waverunner's suggestion for the subway day pass.  Taking a cab is great, but it does add up fast, and its not always the fastest way around.  Contrary to what you'd think , the subway is pretty safe and you don't have to worry about a driver from Bangladesh who can't speak English and doesn't know where the hell he's going.

... I just got home from a wonder week of mixed work and pleasure in Lower Manhattan.

(1) A car is not a car unless it has a functioning horn
(2) Don't take it personal if a foreign cab drivers cusses and flips off bikers intent on using surface streets instead of sidewalks.
(3) Keep the [u]exact[/u] amount you want to tip your _______ handy, they'll force you to ask for your change back.
(4) If an Italian in Little Italy runs out of his restaurant to invite you in for the lunch special take him up on the offer.
(5) Never pay "ticket price" for anything in China Town.
(6) Don't bother with the Empire State Building unless its a clear day.
(7) The 1 hour harbor cruise that goes by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and doesn't stop is a better use of time then the ones that do.
(8) If you drop your wallet in Greenwich Village kick it to Jersey before picking it up.
(9) If your going to eat in Tribeca wear a collar and slacks.
(10) Bribe a dump truck driver waiting in queue to let you ride into the WTC pit. It will almost bring tears to your eyes. (sneak pictures to prove you did it)
(11) Ride the Staten Island Ferry, it's free. Beforehand read about Governors Island in which you'll go by. Its awesome to see so many facilities and no souls there.
(12) Don't bother getting up early unless you like being alone. On the other hand the town is wide awake at 11:00PM
(13) You CAN get lost in Central Park even during the day. Don't even think about entering at night.
(15) Even though a lot of folks do, please don't throw your butts in the gutter.
(14) Say a prayer for our fallen brothers & sisters before leaving.

... It's a wonderful place.

Just a few more items.

1. The Intrepid Museum on West 42nd Street by the pier. It's the Aircraft carrier, the sub, and I think the destroyer
2. Museum of Natural History, along with the Met probably the two best museums in the city.
3. If you haven't seen Attack of the Clones in a DP theatre, go watch it at Clearview Zigfield (spell?)

A note about Central Park, I really like the ducks. Bring something for the ducks.

And don't just get stuck in Manhattan. If you come to Queens, you should probably visit Flushing (yes, the Flushing Meadows of the Simpsons fame, there's a section of Flushing that can be considered a second Chinatown). I live near Forest Hills so I'm pretty familiar with this area. (Spider Man in the comic goes to Forest Hills High School). If you go to Corona Park, there's Shea Stadium (Yes, the 7 train that John Rocker so famously disparaged). Also in Corona Park is the New York Hall of Science, New York's only hands on science museum. I normally work there on weekends but this weekend I have to give a speech at a PTA sponsored event. Personally I hate my job and I think the place is lame, but it's very close to Shea Stadium so you might as well drop by if you want to visit Shea. If you have time to burn you might want to check out Forest Hills Gardens, it's probably one of the nicest neighborhoods in Queens. (BTW, if you want to visit Forest Hills Gardens, don't take the subway, take the LIRR, the LIRR stop in Forest Hills is right above the gate to the Gardens). BTW, definitely get subway maps, the subway can be extremely confusing if you're new. Oh, and try not to get off the subway anywhere between Manhattan and Forest Hills, some of these areas aren't such nice neighborhoods and can be a bit agressive if you know what I mean [:)].

If you want to see the really bad neighborhoods take the 6 train uptown to southern Bronx (northern Bronx is pretty good). Once I fell asleep on the subway to school, woke up, the subway pulled into a station I've never seen, and suddenly the lights dimmed and we pull into this omnious place. I seriously thought for a second that I'd died and went to hell. I got out and ran like hell downtown. Every 10 feet or so there were chalk figures on the pavement, I don't know if it's street art or murder scenes, but I didn't want to stay around to find out. If you're the adventurous type you might want to check out the chalk marks.

a note on the Village, I almost never go there but the few times I did go I got the sh*t scared out of me. Late at night the dark alleys there are really scary. I saw so many things moving in the shadows I practically freaked out. I never go there for fun or anything, it's almost because I have something that I had to do. The scariest was when I had to go for an interview and the guy wanted to meet me in a Village Cafe, and the alley next to it was like a nightmare scenerio from a night time urban combat simulation. There were almost no street lights and so many dark corners. The cafe was nothing like Starbucks, it was like a barn almost. It had this intensely Bohemian flavor to it and I ordered a triple cream hot chocolate to calm my nerves. Anyway, long story short, don't go if you can help it. Some neighborhoods you don't want to be caught dead in.