Helpful Tips in NYC/DC?

Question

I will be visiting NYC/DC with worldstrides in the summertime and would like to know some helpful hints in the big cities. Any hints would be much appreitiated!!! It can be ANYTHING!!! (Shopping, Street vendors, bartering prices) REMEMBER, THE ONE WITH THE BEST ANSWER I WILL GIVE 10 POINTS!!!

Answer 1

Here are some ideas of what you can do. First, get a good tour map. Then I recommend you take the BIG APPLE double decker tour bus for an overview of the city. There are several different neighborhoods so I'll highlight these and what to see:
Upper East Side: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Whitney Museum. Walk up and down Madison Avenue for awesome shops and boutiques 96th - 57th st. Walk Park Avenue for architecture all the way to Grand Central Terminal and see the treasures located within. Walk along 5th Avenue to see/go in and out of Central Park - go for a run, go to the Central Park Zoo, go to the Carousel, go for a gondola ride at the boat house.
UPPER WEST SIDE:
Museum of Natural History -a must! on Central Park West,
Walk along Columbus Avenue. Visit the West side of Central Park and pay respects to John Lennon's Strawberry Fields.
MIDTOWN:
Shopping - 57th St (Chanel and the gang), Fifth Avenue - must see Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and FAO Schwartz - many other fun stores.
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Museum of Modern Art
Sony Bldg
Rockefeller Center
Go west to awesome new Time Warner center and visit the new Mandarin Hotel bar/restaurant for awesome view and treats!
Oh, Bloomingdale's is on 59th St and Lexington.
Empire State Bldg.
The Intrepid Aircraft Museum is fascinating and on the West side...worth the visit even if you have no kids.

CHELSEA:
Walk around the blooming area sprouting awesome restaurants and shops. Chelsea Pier is fun.

WALL ST:
Pay respects to the 9/11 victims and heroes at the WTC site., Walk Wall St., visit the Chase Hdqtrs, Federal Reserve. Seaport area is great to see.

THE VILLAGE:
Funky shops in the West Village. Walk through the NYU Washington Square Park. The East Village has some shops from new artists and designers

SOHO:
Great galleries and shops on n off West Broadway. Walk thru to Little Italy for awesome meals and desserts...walk through Chinatown. CANAL STREET has stall after stall of Designer "copies"...bring cash and bargain and watch your purse!

These should put an awesome smile on your face. Bring your camera and takes lots of photos to remember your trip. You'll have a blast! OH...BUY this weekly magazine: TIMEOUT NEW YORK on any newstand to see what's going on each week/day. :)

Answer 2

When in NYC it is tempting to stare up at all the cool buildings while walking along the sidewalks. This should be avoided for a couple of reasons, first you may step in something unpleasant; second, you will be immediately recognizable as a tourist to any pick-pockets or other thieves; and third you may get creamed by one of the city's many crazed bike messengers who frequently ride on the sidewalks. Wait until you are stopped somewhere before you gawk at the architecture.
. A great place to see in Manhattan is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Its just north of the park (central) near Harlem, it has been under construction for over 100 years and they still weren't finished with it the last time I was there.

Answer 3

The first thing is to stay with your group. I took a group from our church to DC once and almost had a stroke because some in the group decided to wander. It is always best to stay with your group.
Other than that, use common sense. Don't be afraid of the street people, most are harmless. At the same time, don't engage them in conversation. Some have mental problems and many are heavily medicated (legal or illegal). Don't give them money, unless your group leader is there and approves.
Don't buy the pretzels at the street stands. There are reports that cats use the salt as kitty litter. The let cats loose in the warehouses where they keep the salt, to keep out rats and the cats think it is litter.
DC and NYC are too of the most enjoyable places you will ever visit (of course i prefer NYC).
Check out the following website and have a blast.

Answer 4

New York:
Ride the subway. You can ride all day for $7, one of the best transit deals around.
Pizza - get NY pizza, the greasier the better.
Bagels - H and H bagels, 79th and Broadway.
New Yorkers like to act gruff, but most of them are nice deep down. Don't be afraid to ask, New Yorkers will help you.

Washington DC:
The monuments are great, but you'll do a lot of walking.
Best museum is Air and Space; all of the art museums are good, especially National Gallery.
If you want cheap t-shirts, lots of times the vendors are down by L'Enfant Plaza (7th and Independence). I once got five shirts for $10.
For good food, visit Union Station - great food court or the Old Post Office - also good food court. Both have good Indian places.

Answer 5

Stay out of Southeast DC near Anicostia. You either need to wear body armor there, or duck bullets. The national mall is definitly cool, and there are a bunch of places that are nice to eat and shop at on Massachussets avenue DURING THE DAY, but don't go into SE DC at night.

Answer 6

DC: smithsonian, of course. there are numerous museums in this complex, all free and centered in the beautiful "mall" area in DC. this will take up your entire trip, you need not even worry about other things. there are also many memorials to see, including the new WWII memorial and the fairly new FDR. oh there is arlington cemetery, and if you are so enclined, and it would be a nice gesture as well, go visit our troops at walter reed hospital. if you like ritzy shopping go to georgetown or tysons corner, and for a cool outdoor garden go to dumbarton oaks. then go eat down at the waterfront in georgetown. nice view of the river. don't forget old town alexandria that has shopping and restaurants and waterfront as well. there. that is 2 weeks worth. have fun

Answer 7

Not sure about the bartering...I'd say that you just need to be comfortable and open and relaxed. Both places are hectic and a huge amount of fun. You can get into anything that works.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

pack heat