Going to New York (wooohooo) at the beginning of April, have some ideas of things we want to do, come and tell me if there is anything I have missed! And some questions too.

[Aimsmum]

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Get a yellow cab to your hotel from the airport (if you're flying into JFK). It's a fixed rate (think it was just under 30 bucks last time I was there) so you don't need to worry about the meter ticking and it's so nice when you're knackered after just getting off your flight.

The basement at Macys has a great deli restaurant - you take a plastic dish and fill it with whatever you want. And go to Barneys and Bloomingdales because they're great.

Walk up 5th avenue from the bottom to the top and never go anywhere without a map. Take the subway to get around - it's clean, fast, safe and cheap and you'll feel like a proper new yorker.

One word for me - brunch. NY is the world capital at Brunch and there are some amazing places to go for it, including Blue Ribbon Bakery, Bubby's, Cafe Mogador, Florent and Barney Greengrass the Sturgeon King.

Go to the Grand Central Station Oyster Bar and Katz's Deli - both great and iconic.

The best show I saw on Broadway was Cabaret at Studio 54. It's great if it's still on, as they made the venue into a Berlin style supper/cabaret club with waitress service and amazing cocktails.

The bar at the Tribeca Grand is a good spot for a cocktail and people watching.

East Village is great for vintage and funky shops.

Jeffrey's Department Store, near the Meatpacking District, is fab. It has the most amazing shoe department ever.

Museums are great - MOMA, the Met and the Guggenheim.

All the other stuff you've planned sounds great.

The best thing we did in New York was a boat trip right round Manhattan Island. You'll get some great views, learn a lot if your guide is as good as ours was, and get to rest your feet for a couple of hours.

Manhattan Chilli Co. around Times Square somewhere did a fabby lunch.

And just totally enjoy the 'abrupt' manner. Once you get your head round the fact they all just move at 20 times the speed of other earthly inhabitants, you get over the rudeness... "Back of the line!!" after dithering for three seconds at a coffee shop, and my all-time favourite "If y'all would take larger strides" when disembarking at Liberty Island

I'm really going to look at flights to NY now!!! Is a 5th wedding anniversary a good enough excuse you think...?

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I am going in the summer! (hopefully [fingers crossed emoticon])

Bf recommends Algonquin for cocktails (he went last summer)

Teuch - We went for our first wedding anninversary so your fifth is the perfect reason imo .
We also did a paid for boat trip and it was very very good. Again the guide was superb. We bought it at the same time as our double decker tourist bus tickets and it really was not that expensive....

I find New Yorkers really friendly. They will stop and talk to you in the street if you look lost. You certainly don't get that in London!

I found them friendly too. I was pregnant at the time but not heavily so, people would leap up out of their seats for me on the subway
That has NEVER happened to me in Rome (where I live) with the the so-called friendly, baby-loving Italians.

Very friendly in bars and stuff too...we met loads of nice people! Just when they are working and you are so obviously not up-to-speed that they got tetchy with us! But it all just added to the 'movie-set' feel for me

Oh yes I felt like I was in a film the whole time .

Cantsleepwontsleep's restaurant recommendation may be Peter Luger in Brooklyn? Dh has been and would also highly recommend it, you need to book well in advance though.

Yes DP also liked Peter Luger when he went. And it is in Time Outs Guide as a great place for steaks.

lower east side tenement museum, 90 orchard st looks very interesting. how people use to live from 1863 to 1935.

love dean and deluca for a snack

love all the Mcnally places
Pastis
Balthazar
Schillers liquor bar

barney greengrass sturgeon king, jewish, fab for sunday brunch.

top of metropolitan friday night for cocktails.

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I second the lower east side tenement museum, look it up on line.

I think CSWS is thinking of a churrascaria (Brazilian restaurant) but I don't know which one I'm afraid. They are fab though!

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My Olive Magazine has arrived with a feature on New York's 'hip' lower East side. I thought of you .
Their recommendations are in three sections accordig to price (cash, cheque or credit. I will list them in that order:
Lunch: Venezualean restaurant Caracas Arepa. Expect to queue. From £1.80
Cafe Orlin American diner classics. Ideal for three hour brunch on the patio. £4-5.
Italian bakery come trattoria, Falai. Huge sandwiches from £4.50 falainyc.com
Dinner: Snack Dragon Taco shack at 180 East 3rd street. Open only after dark. Tiny. Tacos with pork (£1.50), catfish or steak (£2.50).
Late night dining at Veselka, Ukrainian specialities. veselka.com
Allen and Delancey, ex Gordon Ramsey chef Neil Ferguson uptown cuisine. Bone marrow with caviar and caramelised shallots £9. allenanddelancey.net
Drink: dba drinkgoodstuff.com
Zum Schneider, all German. zumschneider.com
The Cocoa Bar. 40 wine and chocolate combos £5.50. cocoabarnyc.com
They have hotels too but you don't need that.
Anyway hope it helps and makes sense. There are phone numbers too if you want them. Not worth buying magazine as only one page.

My advice would actually be, don't try and cram in too much sightseeing. Try and just hang out in a couple of cool neighborhoods and soak up the atmosphere rather than charging round trying to tick all the sights off a list.

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