Flying out in the AM with the bride and my daughter. We're taking her to Broadway (she's been asking us to bring her for years). This will be my first time there. We will take in all of the sights as well, but my main objective is to visit ground zero and say a small prayer for those whom we lost. Does anyone know if there is still access? If so, to what degree?
Stay safe.

The main viewing platform enterance is located at the corner of Broadway and Fulton St.

Have hotel rooms in Manhattan gone down or are they still $500 a night like they were a couple of years ago?

My room is $239 per night at the Doubletree on Broadway.

Well, there's one example where the stalling US economy is good for the consumer. Now, if we could get it down to $150, life would be grand.

I just spent a couple days vacation in Manhattan a couple weeks ago.  Stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Time Square (Broadway & 49th) for about $155 a night.  Parking at the hotel was $35/day [:O]

In exactly 48 hours I managed to: go on an uptown tour, go on a downtown tour, go to top of Empire State Building, check out out battery park, see Ground Zero (and walk ALL the way around it), go on a night tour across the Brooklyn Bridge, go out to the Statue of Liberty (island is now open, but the statue is still closed to public), take a taxi ride, take a subway ride, go to Rockefeller Center.  All this with a wife and 20 month old kid in tow.

I walked up to GZ from Battery Park and started on the east side which is fenced off with some green mesh.  I figured, no sweat, I'll take the long way around the block to get to the viewing area.  About 45 to 60 minutes later I finally got around.  The area that's blocked off is MUCH bigger than just GZ.  Anyway, like the others said, there is still the viewing area on the south side.  I think you can also get to it from One World Plaza or something like that.  Your view is pretty much limited to what you can see from the viewing area.

On the one hand, it's pretty much cleared out of debris and it's just guys working in a big hole.  It's interesting to see how deep it goes (something like 6 or 7 stories judging by the parking garage).  There are some things there that can move your heart: the I-beam cross, the church next door has a ongoing memorial, and a damaged building on the south side that is draped in black with a big flag on it.

It's really hard to describe how it can make you feel.  Having never been there before, it's hard to imagine what it must have looked like with those two towers so high above you.  I cannot even imagine the sense of emptiness the locals must feel with their twin brothers gone.  Above all else I think I felt sad and angry.  It has a way of rekindling the rage you felt the day it happened.  Makes you want to pick up a gun, stick or rock and go kill the bastards yourself.  But it's worth seeing and experiencing if you're there.  There is also a statue/art globe like thing down in Battery Park.  It was in the center of WTC plaza and somehow survived the collapse.  It's damaged and scared, but otherwise whole.  It think it's meant to stand as a testament to our endurance, that from the rubble we will survive and go on.

Anyhoo, I hope you have a good time.  While there's probably some places you should still stay away from, for the most part everything is friendly and safe.  I had a great time and wouldn't hesitate to go back.

[:D] LL [:D]

BTW: I drove to my hotel coming through the Lincoln Tunnel and let me tell you: HOLY CRAP[shock]  These guys have a style of driving that I've never ever in my life seen.  Those white lines on the road ... merely decorative.  Everybody from cabs to buses to cars just weave side to side.  It's completely chaotic, yet somehow everybody knows exactly what they're doing.  Fun to watch, frightening to be in [:)]

The Milford Plaza. $99.00/night.

www.mytravelguide.com/cheap-hotel-and-condo-discount-reservations/NYC/MILFORD-PLAZA.asp

Talking about doing things in Manhattan, this is a story that my wife will never let me live down.  

We were in midtown and were going to take the subway down toward Battery Park to catch the ferry to The Statue.  But we were in a rush and I didn't look at any maps or get to see the route of the subway.  So we got to first avenue and I said we better get off or we'll end up in Brooklyn.  We get off assuming that 1st ave is near the bottom of the island.  It isn't.  I'm not sure how much further it was, but it musta been a mile and a half or so.  Now that is no big deal EXCEPT... MY WIFE WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME.  

Oh well.  She's forgiven but she won't forget.

Two things:



Go online for pricing.  We were able to find great rates going through places like mytravelguide.com and such.  Much better than trying to contact the hotels directly either by phone or web.


Funny you should mention that.  After visiting GZ, we figured we'd just walk back to Time Square ... how far could it really be?  Well, we hadn't even made it to the numbered streets before we were about dead.  TAXI!!  Best $10 I spent in NY!

[;)] LL [;)]