Spotlight: NYC - Wall Street

 Spotlight: When you think of New York City, one of the Top 5 things that comes to mind is probably Wall Street. Conversely, despite the fact that it is a critical part of the city, it is unlikely that it makes most people's Top 5 tourist destinations within the city. It didn't even make our Top 10. So why is it included in my NYC spotlight? Since my blog is titled The Path Less Trodden, I try to find places that are either inexpensive, or are less traveled tourist sites. Also, it turned out to be more interesting than I expected. We actually ended up there by default. When we went to see the progress of the World Trade Centers Memorial, we were met by a tall fence that pretty much blocked our view. Since that left us with some extra time before we needed to head to our next destination, I looked over my plan B list and realized that Wall St. was really close. So we walked over to take a look.

Location: Near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway, there are several interesting things to see: google map

Time: 30 min. if you look around on your own; 1-2 hours to take one of the tours

Cost: $0-$50 to take one of the tours

Description: I would have liked to take one of the Wall Street tours, but we didn't have time, and it would have cost extra since it wasn't included in the New York Pass. The reviews of those who have taken the tours are positive, so it is something I would love to do on a future trip. However, on this trip, we just looked around on our own.

     We saw the building that houses the New York Stock Exchange - the biggest stock exchange in the world. The stock exchange has an average daily trading value of almost $200 billion. What happens here affects the financial prospects of the entire world - as evidenced by the Great Depression that started with the stock market crash in New York City. Since 9/11, the general public isn't admitted within the stock exchange unless they are part of a tour, so we didn't get to see inside the building. The outside, however, is very impressive. Surprisingly, Wall Street is also home to the world's second largest stock exchange - NASDAQ.
     As we walked along Wall Street, we noticed several other buildings that I hadn't realized were there. Since I am a history buff, I knew that New York City was the first capital of the United States. What I didn't realize is that Federal Hall was right across the street from the NY Stock Exchange until I noticed the large statue of George Washington standing in front of it. The statue marks the spot where George Washington was sworn in as president of the United States.

    The Federal Reserve Bank of New York building reportedly holds 25% of the world's reserves making it the largest known treasury in the world. This fortress is 14 stories high, and occupies a whole block on Wall Street. The vault is 80 feet underground and holds 7,000 tonnes of gold bullion - more than Fort Knox.
     Wall Street is also home to the Trump Building (40 Wall Street). Although the building has been known by different names over the years, at the time it was built, it briefly held the title as the tallest building in the world
     .One building that I knew was there was Trinity Church. This extremely beautiful church is a National Historic Landmark. Famous people buried here include: Alexander Hamilton, William Bradford, Franklin Wharton, Robert Fulton, Captain James Lawrence and Albert Gallatin. The church has gained fame in recent years for its role in the blockbuster movie National Treasure.

      Since Wall Street is the heart of US economics, it is only fitting that the Museum of American Finance is located here. Keep an eye out for the famous Wall Street Bull statue. You can also find one of the three NYC branches of the Tiffany & Co. jewelry store (made famous by the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's) next to the Trump Building.

Things you should know:
- The current Federal Hall isn't the original, but it is built on the same site. It was here that Congress met for the first time, adopted the Bill of Rights, and created the Departments of State, War and Treasury.  It is also where the Supreme Court was first created. Today, it serves as a museum dedicated to the birth of democracy.
- Wall Street is rocking during the day, but pretty mellow at night. Most tours and buildings are only available/open during business hours. Of course if you want to avoid crowds, and are only interested in seeing the famous buildings, go in the evening.
- It appears that a couple of Wall Street tours are now included on the New York Pass.
- Free Tours by Foot offers "free" tours. They don't charge you up front, but let you decide what the tour is worth once it's over. Naturally, most people pay.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5) - potentially higher if we'd had time to take a tour

Nearby: World Trade Centers (9/11) Memorial, Battery Park, Museum of Jewish Heritage, Brooklyn Bridge

Travel Tip #8 - Using the New York Pass

     When we went to NYC, my wife had heard about the City Pass and did some research online. In her investigation she discovered that in addition to the City Pass, there was a New York Pass. After comparing the two, we decided that the New York Pass would work best for us. It gave us "free" admission to more than 80 of New York's top attractions for the duration of the pass. The way it works is, you purchase the number of days that you want to use the pass (1,2,3,5,7, or 10 days). Since we were going to be in NYC for 3 days, that is all we paid for. Once we activated the card (by using it), it was good for the remainder of that day and the next two calendar days. (Note: the days must be used consecutively.) Not only did the pass allow us entry to the attraction, it also worked as a fast pass on some of New York's busiest attractions - allowing us to see more in our limited time. Unfortunately there was no fast pass through the long security line for the Statue of Liberty. In our three days in NYC, we used the pass to visit: The Intrepid Air & Space Museum, The Empire State Building, the New York Skyride, the Top of the Rock (Observation Deck of the Rockefeller Center), Liberty Island & Ellis Island, a Clipper City tour of NY Harbor, Deno's Wonder Wheel (Coney Island), and the American Museum of Natural History. It also gave us discounts at some of the restaurants we visited: Planet Hollywood and Juniors.

View of Central Park from the Top of the Rock

     Of course, you can't come close to seeing all 80 sites in such a limited time, so you have to pick and choose the ones that interest you. Luckily, each pass comes with a free guidebook with detailed descriptions of all the attractions included on the pass so that you can research which attractions would be most interesting to your family. Other top attractions include: Madame Tussauds, Food on Foot Tours, MoMA, the 9/11 Memorial, and The Ride. In addition to the full entry attractions, the pass gives you discounts at several of New York's popular stores (Bloomingdale's, Macy's, etc.), on select shows, several tours, and a large selection of restaurants. For a full list of attractions and discounts visit: New York Pass web page
     There is also the option of purchasing the Hop on Hop off Bus Tour so that you can visit the sites in the book without having to worry about additional transportation costs. We decided against this option because we figured taking the subway would be less expensive, and less time consuming. It worked well since the New York Pass Guide had fairly detailed maps of all five boroughs that included all of the attractions that accepted the pass, as well as a handy subway map.
     The New York Pass is expensive, so in order to save money, you have to plan on seeing multiple sites per day. Obviously, the prices were different five years ago, but we figured that we saved more than $50/person by using the passes.
     Here is my biggest tip regarding the pass: Since we also did some things that weren't covered by the pass (Broadway, most of the rides at Coney Island, Central Park, Wall St.), we could have saved more money if we had only bought 2-day passes, and done all those other things on the first or last day before activating the pass or after it had expired. In any case, look into it with a calculator in hand. If it works for you, great. If not, there are several other offers out there that can save you money. Choose whichever one works best for you. FYI - there is a money back guarantee on the New York Pass. If you buy it, and then have to cancel your trip for some reason, you can return it for a full refund.
     Have fun, and save some money!

Spotlight: NYC - American Museum of Natural History

Spotlight: New York City is known for many things - one of which is its wide selection of museums. The most famous one might be MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art). The other candidate for the top spot would be the American Museum of Natural History (made famous by the movie Night at the Museum). Other museums reflect the wide range of demographics represented in this culturally diverse city. They include: The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum, El Museo del Barrio, Jewish Children's Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Skyscraper Museum, and many others. Since we had two young girls with us, the natural choice was the American Museum of Natural History. We also visited the Intrepid, and loved it. Someday, I'd love to visit several of the others.

Location: The Museum of Natural History is located on the north-west side of Central Park between 77th and 81st Streets: map

Time: Open 10:00 - 5:45 pm. Most people will probably take between 2-3 hours exploring the exhibits.

Cost: Adults - $22; children - $12.50; admission is "free" with the purchase of the New York City Pass.

Description: The American Museum of Natural History is adjacent to Central Park, providing easy access for park goers hoping to get out of the sun for a couple of hours. Guarding the entrance to the museum is a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt mounted on a horse.

    As you walk through the doors, you are greeted by the sight of a giant dinosaur skeleton. For movie-goers, this probably sounds familiar. However, for those who are expecting the museum to be exactly like the movie (Night at the Museum), you'll quickly discover that it isn't. The movie was based on the book rather than on the museum. Therefore, it wasn't filmed at the museum, but rather on a movie set. After you sprinkle in a healthy dose of artistic license, you'll understand the discrepancies. Still, there are plenty of recognizable characters and exhibits to discover: Dexter, Rexie, Teddy, Dum Dum, African mammals, the blue whale, miniatures, etc. But the museum extends way beyond the narrow focus of the movie.

Dexter

Dum Dum

     The museum contains 46 permanent exhibition halls, and owns more than 30 million specimens of living creatures (not all of which can be displayed at any one time) exhibited in dioramas featuring ecosystems from around the world. The 4th floor is dedicated to fossils and the skeletal remains of extinct animals (particularly dinosaurs), progressing from one age to the next. In the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, a 94-foot, 21,000 lb. blue whale hangs above you as you observe the treasures of the ocean. The Rose Center for Earth and Space lets visitor explore the mysteries of space - particularly our solar system. The Guggenheim Hall of Minerals displays some of the Earth's richest treasures.

Rexie

Milstein Hall

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Things You Should Know:
- The museum offers a variety of themed self-guided tours that allow you to focus your visit on learning as much as you can about what interests you (ie. whales, dinosaurs, etc.). For example, we followed the Night at the Museum tour. Ask the front desk for details.
- Check the museum's official site to check out current and coming special exhibits.
- The museum is open every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Nearby: Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Lincoln Center

Travel Tip #7 - Using the Subway

As a follow up to my last travel tip, I decided to give a few pointers to those who may not be used to traveling by metro (subway):  

1. Before you purchase your subway passes, you'll want to figure out how often you will probably be using it so that you'll buy the right type of pass. You can buy a ticket each time you get on, but it is cheaper to purchase a pass that is good for a certain number of trips. There are also passes that are good for unlimited trips over a certain period of time. If you have a rough estimate of how many times you will be getting on, you can make a more informed decision.
2. At each subway stop, there are usually two tracks - each headed in a different direction. Check to make sure you are on the ramp heading in the direction you want to go. If you aren't sure, ask.
3. While waiting for the metro, make sure your kids know to stay behind the painted line until the train comes to a complete stop.
4. Choose a navigator and follow his/her lead. I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "Too many cooks spoil the soup." If you have several different people saying which stop to get on or off you will probably end up on the wrong train, get headed in the wrong direction, or worse yet, accidentally get split up. If the navigator is wrong, no problem, You can always get off at the next stop and switch tracks.
5. If your group does get split up, decide beforehand to just get off at the next stop and wait for your group to catch up.
6. The navigator needs to keep an eye on which stops are coming up so that he can give plenty of warning to his group. I would often count down from two or three stops out so that everyone was ready when our stop arrived.
7. If you need to switch trains from one route to another, it doesn't cost any additional money unless you leave the station.
8. Depending on the time of day, you might get a seat, or you might not. If you don't, it's a good idea to hold onto one of the poles or straps when starting and stopping.

Good luck on your travels!

Spotlight: New York City - Brooklyn (Juniors Diner & Coney Island)

Spotlight: When people think of New York City, they usually think of Manhattan. But the truth is that NYC is made up of 5 boroughs, and Manhattan is just one of them. The others include Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. Brooklyn used to be its own city until it was incorporated as part of New York City in the late 1890's. If it were still a separate city, it would rank as the fourth most populous city in the United States. Despite all this, Brooklyn is rarely visited by the millions of tourists that flock to Manhattan every year. But just because it is along the path less trodden, doesn't mean it isn't worth a visit.

Location: Brooklyn is connected to its more famous sister (Manhattan) by the famous Brooklyn Bridge. Map of NYC - Brooklyn Bridge.
     Junior's Diner is located at 386 Flatbush Avenue Extension.
     Coney Island is the westernmost of the Barrier Islands to the south of Long Island. For a GPS location, type in 1208 Surf Ave. Both locations can be reached via the subway.

Time: Variable. You can spend as little as an hour, or you can stay all day in Brooklyn. Most people will only spend a couple of hours at Coney Island doing rides, but will want to budget longer if they want to check out some of the other sights. Most rides open at noon during the week (11:00 am on most weekends), but closing times vary depending upon the season. To see a schedule go to Luna Park hours.

Cost: There are no entrance fees to Coney Island. Since not all rides are owned by the same proprietor, most rides have an individual fee. Luna Park offers a wristband deal that offers you unlimited access to their rides/games for a four-hour period (see website for details).
     Prices for Juniors can be seen on their menu.

Description: There is plenty of sights to see in NYC without ever leaving Manhattan. In fact, most tourist to NYC do just that. So why were we attracted to Brooklyn? Since my wife and I are both Dodger fans, we knew that the team's roots come from Brooklyn. And even though the old stadium, Ebbets Field, is long gone, those roots are still visible. The Brooklyn Dodgers are still alive in the hearts of the fans who bled Dodger blue.

- One of the best places to visit those roots is Juniors Diner. Located on Flatbush Avenue, near the former location of Ebbets Field, the Boys of Summer (Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, and company) are prominently displayed on the walls of the restaurant, along with other scenes of Brooklyn's history. The food was good, and the cheesecake is fabulous - touted as the best in New York City. The ambiance is pure Brooklyn.

- My love for the Dodgers wasn't the only magnet drawing me to Brooklyn. As a tween, I read a G.I.Joe comic book that took place at the famous Coney Island. For some reason, that introduction to Coney Island caught my attention, and I vowed to go someday. From about 1880 to WWII, Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the U.S. - with three competing parks. Although it's popularity declined steadily over the next several decades (with the introduction of competing modern amusement parks), it has recently seen a reversal with the introduction of several new rides. Although we visited just before the introduction of these new rides, we were able to try two of the most famous historic rides - the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel (both of which are now on the National Register of Historic Places).
- But Coney Island isn't just about rides. You can take a nice stroll along the beautiful Riegelmann Boardwalk, visit the New York Aquarium, catch a minor league ball game by the Brooklyn Cyclones, or enjoy the sun and surf at Brighton Beach. You can also grab a hot dog at the Original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand - home to the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Rating: Juniors - 4 stars (out of 5); Coney Island - 3 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: You don't have to visit Juniors Diner to try their fabulous cheesecakes. You can order them online at www.juniorscheesecake.com. Of course you miss out on the ambiance.
- The trip to Coney Island from Manhatten takes between 45-60 minutes each way by subway since it is the end of the line.
- Because the various rides have different owners, you can't purchase a season pass good for all the rides. Rather, each ride has a modest price attached.
- Luna Park's wristband deal isn't good for all rides, and isn't available on certain dates.
- Rides at Coney Island are seasonal. They open just on weekends from about Easter to Memorial Day, then every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Then they are just open on weekends again until Halloween.
- If you want to avoid crowds, the best time to go is on weekdays during the summer. In any case, lines are shorter than most modern amusement parks.
- From the last weekend of June until the Friday before Labor Day, you can watch fireworks on the beach every Friday night at 9:30.
- Coney Island is considered the birthplace of the hot dog. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is held every year on the Fourth of July.

Nearby: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Grand Army Plaza, New York Aquarium, Brooklyn Bridge

Travel Tip #6 - Use Public Transportation in Big Cities

     If you travel in NYC, or most other big cities, you will probably discover that using a car has more disadvantages than advantages. First of all, the traffic is horrendous: aggressive taxis, pedestrians who don't pay attention to lights, and other tourists who suddenly dart across three lanes of traffic to make a turn. Second, even with GPS, you yourself are unfamiliar with the streets, so your chances of getting in an accident increase significantly. Third, once you finally arrive at your destination, finding parking will either take the good part of an hour, cost $20+, or both. From my experience, public transportation is much better.
     Not only is public transportation more convenient, it is cheaper too. If you fly into the city, it will save you from having to rent a car. Even if you drive into the city, just keep your car parked at the hotel. Unless you use taxis, the money you save on gas and additional parking costs should cover all the expenses you accrue.

     So which form of public transportation should you use? If you have money to burn, go ahead and use taxis. Since you can find taxis anywhere in NYC, and most major cities, they are usually the fastest and most convenient form of public transportation (unless there is a major traffic jam, which is fairly common). If your travel budget is like mine, however, your options are the bus, trolley cars, or subway. Trolley cars are fun, but they are only in selected cities. So, unless you get claustrophobic underground, I recommend using the subway. In my experience, it is safer, faster, and more convenient than buses since you aren't at the mercy of the traffic or traffic lights.
     When we went to New York in 2010, we flew into NYC and took a taxi from the airport to our hotel to drop off our luggage. For the next three days we went everywhere on foot or using the subway. The metro (subway) system has subway stops near all the places we wanted to visit. The only long walk we had was to and from our hotel. All we needed was a subway map, directions from our hotel to the closest subway stop, and the maps of attractions in our New York Pass Guide. After that, it was easy to plot our routes from one attraction to the next. Since I had used the subway a lot in Madrid, I was the designated navigator. I realize that for someone who's never used the metro, it might appear intimidating. The map might seem confusing at first, with all the different colored lines; but once you figure out how the map works, it's a piece of cake. Even when we had a question, the locals were very helpful - both in NYC and Boston. In any case, it was a lot less stressful than driving. Having experienced both, there is no comparison.

Good luck choosing which form of transportation to use; then sit back and enjoy your trip!


   
   

Spotlight: NYC - New York Harbor (The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island)

Spotlight: The most iconic image in New York (and possibly the world) is the Statue of Liberty. It has appeared in dozens of films (particularly the "end of the world" genre), stamps, coins, T-shirts, etc. It is so recognizable, that some may think there is no need to go see it in person. I disagree. It's hard to truly appreciate its grandeur without seeing it standing there guarding the entrance of one of the largest, most important harbors in the world. Add to that a stop at Ellis Island, the most famous immigration station in US history, and you have an historic excursion.

Location: The statue is located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Ellis Island is just north of Liberty Island. map link
- There are two places you can catch the ferry out to Liberty Island & Ellis Island. Most tourists take the ferry from Battery Park at the south end of Manhattan. However, you can also catch the ferry from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Time: The first ferry leaves the mainland at 8:30 am. The last ferry leaves the mainland at 5:00 pm. The parks close at 6:30, and the last ferry back to the mainland departs at 6:45. You will probably want to spend a couple of hours on each island.

Cost: Ferry tickets to both Liberty and Ellis Islands: adults - $18; children (4-12) - $9; seniors (62+) - $14. Crown tour tickets cost an addition $3/person. Advanced purchasing adds additional  fees, but is necessary for crown tour, and avoids the huge ticket line.
- Clipper City tickets: adults - $45; children (3-12) - $25; infants (0-2) - $15; seniors (65+) - $38

Description:  Since its dedication in 1886, the Statue of Liberty has welcomed immigrants to the "Land of the Free" as they prepared to disembark at Ellis Island. It is pretty awesome to sail through this historic harbor and imagine what it must have felt like for the millions of immigrants whose first view of their new home was the majestic Lady Liberty.
     Once you disembark on Liberty Island, you are free to walk around and take pictures, explore the museum in the pedestal, tour Fort Wood, visit the the gift shop or cafeteria, take a ranger-led tour, or follow the audio tour (included in your ticket price). For those lucky enough to be able to climb the stairs to the observation deck in the crown of the statue, it is an experience you will never forget.

     On Ellis Island, guests can tour the old immigrant inspection station. The exhibits help visitors gain a greater appreciation of what the 12 million+ immigrants experienced as they sought realize their dreams in the Land of Liberty. At the same time, it is heartbreaking to realize all the sacrifices some went through, only to be turned back only a few hundred yards away from their dreams.

     If you are on a tight schedule, but really want to see the statue in person, you may want to consider skipping the ferry to the island, and taking a short harbor cruise down the path less trodden . One of the most relaxing things we did was take a clipper ship tour of the harbor from Clipper City. The 90 minute cruise of New York Harbor included a close pass of Liberty Island. The crew was friendly and interactive. For example, our daughter was chosen to help hoist the sails. Unfortunately, it is a bit pricier than the ferry tickets.

Things You Should Know:
- Parking is limited at Battery Park. It is recommended that you use public transportation to arrive at the park. If you are driving, you will have better luck finding parking at Liberty State Park in NJ. Parking at Liberty State Park is also cheaper, and I imagine the lines are shorter.
- Tickets for the Crown Tour are limited, and only available by advanced reservation (up to 6 months beforehand). I thought it was awesome, but anyone who is claustrophobic, has a fear of heights, or is not in good physical condition, might want to reconsider. Access to the crown is by a winding stairway, and is equivalent to climbing a 22-story building. Also, since the statue is not air-conditioned, it can be 20 degrees hotter than outside, so drink plenty of water about 30 minutes before starting the climb. Once inside, you are pretty much committed to go all the way, so make sure you visit the restroom beforehand.

- Tickets for the pedestal are also limited, and usually sell out before the first ferry departure, so you should strongly consider purchasing them ahead of time.
- Be prepared to wait in long lines for the ferry (upwards of two hours during the peak season). You can avoid the ticket line by purchasing tickets ahead of time, but you may be charged extra processing fees. Even then, you must pass through the long, slow-moving security line before boarding the ferry; so get there early (at least one hour before your scheduled tour time).
- The Hard Hat Tour of Ellis Island is only available to guests 13 and over. It is a 90 minute walking tour that allows you to see other areas of Ellis Island that are not accessible to other guests, including the hospital, kitchen, and mortuary.
- To find out if your ancestors passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924, you can check out the Ellis Island database. The more information you have, the easier the search will be. Prior to 1892, immigrants were processed at Castle Clinton.
- While waiting in line to board the ferry, you can take turns looking around Battery Park, which includes Castle Clinton National Monument.
- Both Liberty Island and Ellis Island are maintained by the National Park Service. They may be closed without warning if the NPS feels that the safety of the statue or its visitors may be compromised, whether it be due to structural integrity, natural disasters, or a threat to homeland security.
- No pets are allowed on either Liberty Island or Ellis Island.
- Large bags are not allowed on either island. Small bags, purses, and camera cases are subject to security searches.
- Food may be purchased on the ferries, or at the cafeterias located on both islands.
- We did both the ferry trip and the Clipper ship harbor cruise. If I were to do it again, we would have done one or the other, and saved the other one for a future trip. That would have left us more time for exploring more of Central Park or one of the museums.
- Just because you've seen the miniature Statue of Liberty in Las Vegas doesn't mean you've been there, done that. It doesn't hold a candle to the Liberty Lady's torch.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5) - a perfect 5 if not for the lines.

Nearby: Governor's Island, Castle Clinton (in Battery Park), World Trade Center Memorial, Wall St., Thomas Edison NHP, Morristown NHP, Paterson Great Falls NHP

Travel Tip #5 - Catching a show on Broadway

     If you go to NYC, chances are you plan on attending a Broadway show. After all, unless you travel a lot for business, how many chances will you have to attend a live show on Broadway? Naturally, when we went, it was near the top of our list. Since we had two young girls, we decided to watch Mary Poppins. It was truly a magical performance and we are glad we did it - even though it was the most expensive thing we did.

     Broadway shows are expensive, but you don't have to pay an arm and a leg. If you play your cards right, it might only cost an arm. Although it is often less expensive to purchase tickets online ahead of time, that isn't always the case - especially after paying all the processing and holding fees they tack on. Still, it is worth the effort to check. You may find a great deal.
     With Broadway shows in particular, there is another option. TKTS ticket booths sell tickets for Broadway, and Off-Broadway shows, music, and dance events for a 20-50% discount off the normal price. The catch is that you have to purchase the tickets the day of the event, so if there is a particular show that you are dying to see, there is a chance that it might be sold out. Also, these transactions are cash only! Still, if you are a little flexible, and have access to the cash, this is a great way to cut down on the expense. The TKTS booths are located at three locations: Duffy Square (on the north end of Times Square), Downtown Brooklyn (at Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue Promenade), and South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. We went to the one in Duffy Square because we were going to be there anyway. The lines were really long, but only one of us had to wait in line while the others explored the shops.
     Another option is to keep an eye out for Twofers. Twofers are ticket sized pieces of paper that can be used to purchase tickets to selected events for substantial discounts right at the box office. You can occasionally find them at your hotel or tourist information sites.
     Finally, you might want to consider going to an Off Broadway show, or an Off Off Broadway show. These shows have a much lower budget, and perform in smaller theaters, but there are plenty of high quality shows for a more reasonable price.
     Broadway shows used to be formal events. Although many people still dress in formal attire, many others wear casual clothing. My suggestion is to wear what will make you feel the most comfortable, realizing that some of your neighbors will be dressed to the "T" and others will be wearing T-shirt and jeans.
     Tipping ushers isn't required, but a common tip would be $1-$5.
     If you are interested in autographs, wait next to the theater's stage door following the performance.
     Have fun, and break a leg!

Spotlight: New York City - Times Square

Spotlight: My spotlight for May will be New York City. We went there five years ago, and I want to try to keep my spotlights within a five year time frame, so I figured I better spotlight it now. Now I realize that Times Square isn't off the beaten path. In fact, it is the second most visited tourist attraction in the world. But if you go to New York City, it is a must. Besides, it fits my other criterion - you get plenty of bang for your buck because there is no price of admission.

Location: Manhattan, NYC; between Broadway and 7th Avenue; from 42nd to 47th streets: Times Square

Time: Variable

Cost: No admission; but things are pricey

Description: Times Square is most famous for its internationally televised New Year's Eve parties; but it also hosts other major events throughout the year. It is lined with huge neon and LED signs that carry everything from advertisements to election results. And of course, you can see the famous Times Square Ball.

New Years Eve ball

 

- Times Square is a great place to "people watch." At any given time, you can see as wide of a variety of people as anywhere on Earth. And that's not even counting the dozens dressed in superhero and cartoon outfits hoping you'll dole out a couple of bucks to take your picture with them.

Planet Hollywood

- Restaurant Row (46th Street between Broadway and 9th Street) includes world-famous restaurants specializing in cuisines from all over the world. Many are the favorite haunts of Broadway stars, and even some of the chefs are celebrities in their own right. Since we had kids, we decided to eat at Planet Hollywood. The food was good and the ambiance was awesome - particularly if you are a movie buff.
- In addition to restaurants, the streets are lined with stores. These aren't your typical stores either; they've been accessorized with New York glamour and glitz. For example, my girls loved exploring the Toys R Us Store - and riding the Ferris Wheel. Maybe the best way to describe it is Toys R Us on steroids, decked out in bling. Other popular stores include The Disney Store, M&M World, American Eagle, Forever 21, and dozens more.

M&M World

Toys R Us store

- Broadway parallels Times Square, and that means drama. There are dozens of theaters showing many of the world's most popular theatrical productions, both past and present. You can purchase discount tickets at the TKTS booth at the northern end of the square near the statue of Francis P. Duffy.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: Times Square is crowded, attracting about 40 million visitors annually, and about 360,000 pedestrians a day.
- The whole area has been converted into a pedestrian zone.
- Because of the crowds, you want to keep an eye and a hand on all of your valuables - including your kids. The first thing you may want to do is set up a highly visible meeting spot in case someone gets separated from your group.
- Be prepared to pay more if you shop in Times Square. Since it's prime real estate, prices are higher. You can easily find the same things for less even a few blocks away.
- If you like yoga, Times Square hosts an annual yoga event every year on the summer solstice. If you don't like yoga, it might not be the best day to visit since it is extra crowded.

View from the The Rock

- There is a smoking ban (including outdoor smoking) on the whole plaza.

Central Park

Nearby: Radio City Music Hall, the Rockefeller Building, the Empire State Building, Central Park, the Intrepid Air & Space Museum, Carnegie Hall, and Macy's