To think I'm going to have a crap time by myself in New York?

[loveka]

I am going to New York on business alone. I have been before but always with a colleague so have had a nice time.

I have 3 evenings and one whole day on my own and I'm dreading it a bit.

I have done the High Line, Central Park, Statten Island Ferry. Brooklyn Bridge and was a bit underwhelmed to be honest.

I was thinking about a museum on my day off.

I just read the reviews of my hotel on trip adviser and it sounds awful too. Asking to change will not go down well at all!

I feel like I am really lucky having a free trip tio New York and I really want to enjoy it. But I think I might end up having a shit time.

Yabu enjoy it, it's an amazing opportunity.
I love ny. Just booked to go back early next year.

I went to see a show on Broadway on my own on a business trip in NY, plus a day solely shopping. 'Twas fab!

The food tours are amazing, I also did cycle trips in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem. There is so much to see in New York.

New York has to be THE best place to be solo. Anything goes there and no one cares what you do.

In the evening, just walk around your area (where is it if you don't mind me asking, just the cross street will do) you will always find a diner, a bar or something. I know it isn't easy to go to these places alone, but most NYers are sassy and don't give a damn, no one will raise an eyebrow believe me.

I also know to some people it's a cop out, but the open top bus trips for you day alone would be good. Get to see everything and hop off if you fancy, get back on when you want. It is economical use of your day!

Don't worry you will be fine. And enjoy the freedom of it all.

I'm heading up again for work in a couple of weeks and I can't wait.

I'm a city girl now living on a tiny goldfish bowl of a Caribbean island, I adore the anonymity of Manhattan. I could kill days just wandering and listening to my music.

My favorite city in the world!

Tribeca is lovely to wander round and Soho is gorgeous, all little streets and lovely shops. I can't think of a city I'd rather be in, OP, you'll be fine once you're there. The Met Museum is fab to spend a few hours wandering around, and Central Park with the fall leaves will be lovely too. The 9/11 Museum was amazing, and you have to do the viewing platform in the new WTC Freedom tower.

Oh god, where to start? New York is simply fabulous for a solo break/work trip. You won't find a friendlier place.

I also know to some people it's a cop out, but the open top bus trips for you day alone would be good. Get to see everything and hop off if you fancy, get back on when you want. It is economical use of your day!

I once spent three days doing this! Boy, did I get good use out of that ticket. The night-time tour is so worth doing, absolutely brilliant. Or get a day ticket on the water taxi, which is also hop on, hop off. Time it right, and you'll be sailing back into Manhattan at dusk, with Simon and Garfunkel's America playing as the skyline lights up.

If you want to go to a museum, I recommend the Museum of the City of New York, and/or the utterly fabulous Tenement Museum (they do that by themed guided tours, so look on their website and see what you fancy - their walking tours are fascinating as well as the building.

The first time I went to NYC was a solo work trip and I was very nervous. I thought as it's such a big city that it would be alienating and frightening, but it's the opposite. As pp have said, go into any bar or diner and you'll soon be chatting to someone. I've been many times since, and I think there's something about the DNA of a city built on and by the millions of people who've passed through that makes it very welcoming to outsiders. And don't worry about your hotel. There's so much to do that you won't be spending much time there.

I love NY. Downtown is tiny and so I prefer to walk everywhere. Just go to a nice spa and relax, check out a few shops, visit the Met.

I think if you decide you’ll not enjoy it then you won’t.

I found NY to be a really normal place to be by yourself. Some cities everyone is with someone else but that didn’t happen there, it was common to eat out alone and I usually took a book to read if I wanted to which helped.

There are some great suggestions here, I would second getting tickets to someone for one of the evenings.

You miserable bugger
I'm off for a week next year and can't wait.

And if you spend one of your evenings going to a Broadway or off-Broadway show, do pop in to Ellens Stardust Diner for a meal first. It'll be one of the most fun meals you've ever had - I guarantee you won't be needing a book!

I could spend about three years on my own in the Met and be blissfully happy. Also, if you eat at the bar in some restaurants, the staff are normally good fun and/or other people eating alone chat to you. I love New York.....

I’ll go in your stead. I’m selfless like that op!

Couple of days on business in NYC? Errr, I'm happy to take one for the team!

Museum, theatre, coffee shop and people watch, bar and people watch...

I used to love going down for work when I lived in Boston 🙂

Great suggestions! I’m going for three days by myself soon and cannot wait!

There are some fantastic museums. Have you done 9/11? I think that's ideal to visit alone as you can weep in peace all the way round. It was very moving (and interesting

This a thousand times over. I had a full on cry by "survivors staircase". There was an American lady, silent but tears streaming down her face. I asked if she was ok and she said she went to the gym as normal, got to the subway, realise she'd forgotten her purse, went back home then back to the subway, arrived at work, went into the foyer, called the lift. As the lift got to ground floor, the building was evacuated and she got out, down survivors staircase and managed to get away. If she had got to work on time, she would have been at her desk and she worked three floors below where the plane hit. I literally sobbed as I have her a hug. Visiting the museum was the first time she had been back to ground zero since it happened (this was three months after the museum opened)

OP, you can visit the Ghostbusters fire station (original film) and McSorleys Ale house. A fabulous pub where they have sawdust on the floor and serve light or dark ale!

Intrepid is worth a visit, book a table at Serendipity, Ripley's museum.

Not sure when you are going but the tickets for Rockettes Christmas Spectacular are on sale, we got ours last week for December.

The Met! You could live for days at the Met.
9/11 museum.
Get a ticket to a show or to a live broadcast.
Head over to Grand Central or Chelsea Market for food stalls.
Or wander through Williamsburg - really safe and friendly - loads of cafes and book and gift shops.
And all the big department stores!
I want to go back right now.

Just do whatever you like doing, but in NYC. Don't bother with the touristy things if you have done a lot of them.

Just do what you like in your home town and because it is NYC, chances are it will be fun.

So whatever your fave good is, find a great restaurant that serves it. Have a manicure / go to a bookshop / have a facial / go gourmet food shopping / ho for a walk in the park / go running : get an ice cream / get a blow dry / whatever.

Just live a lovely NY moment without feeling the need to tick off a tourist thing.

Crikey! I dragged two reluctant kids round an NY day trip from MD.

I would love to go back on my own but I did a fair amount of solo travel in my 20s.

I'd swap with you in a heartbeat!

Dora, I will be staying very near Time Square.

I think I will do the bus thing, brilliant idea. And I am loiking into trying to get a cheap theatre ticket.

Thanks for the suggestions. I wish I could take you with me!

OMG that's my DREAM

Pack your walking shoes and get going ! Hotel schmotel - as long as the bed is clean and it has shower ?

I am soooo jealous

@loveka

I'm a New Yorker. You'll have a fabulous time. I don't know who picked out the spots you visited earlier, but they should be exiled to New Jersey, which is our version of Essex.

Must sees: The 9/11 Museum. It is beyond fabulous, and moving, and fascinating. Rockefeller Center for the shopping, MOMA if you're an art person and the Museum of Natural History with the show at the adjacent Hayden Planetarium.

The bus pass is okay but the buses move very, very slowly. A three day subway pass will get you around much faster. Just avoid rush hours as much as possible.

Feel free to ask questions.

Useful links:

www.nycgo.com/

nymag.com/visitorsguide/

If you're up by museum mile on 5th Avenue, you're right near Central Park and the CP Zoo, which is a treasure:

centralparkzoo.com/

Not far south of Times Square is my all time favorite restaurant, Union Square Cafe:

www.unionsquarecafe.com/

Try to get there for dinner one night!

Maybe do the Sopranos tour? Or the SATC one? If it's your thing.

Would give my right arm for a few nights in a crap hotel in NYC.

Oh crikey it sounds lovely! I’d love a wander around on my own, I’d probably spend a lot of time in the park and sight seeing, riding on an open top bus, being very touristy!