Mega bus to NYC for a day or overnight; what to see?

Probably a really stupid thing to ask. The bus drops off and picks up a couple blocks SW of Penn Station.
Would anyone care to nominate their must see? Is going up in the Empire State bldg still open, is it really cool?
Get the subway and go to Ground Zero?
Just walk the streets around TImes Square, or on Fifth Avenue?
I feel overwhelmed.
and kinda can't get past that it will be nice to sit on the bus and do a Xword puzzle and no more shopping or cooking.

anyway, a neighbor from Mid Atlantic (me) would enjoy seeing any suggestions

I heard about those megabuses!
I just went to visit my son, and we went to the botanical garden for the train show, and saw a Broadway show. The decorations are nice, lots of lights. I really don't like the city so I'm not a good one to ask, I mostly went to see my son.

Wow that was fast!
One idea might be--check in to hotel and meet the Free Walking Tour in Lower Manhattan at 2 pm (recommended on Tripadvisor) for two hours, then eat and get back up to the Radio City Music Hall show at 8 pm.
LOL. I'd go anywhere to visit my son too!

Times Square, Empire State Bldg, Museum of Natural History & The Planetarium, Chinatown, Little Italy, South Street Seaport, The United Nations (very nice tour). The Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum, Walk The Diamond District (between 46 - 49th street near Rockefeller Center). Enter Central park in front of the Plaza hotel, Take a horse-drawn carriage ride though the park. I would definitely suggest the Circle line tour, but you'll have to dress warm at this time of year. The Statue of Liberty (high security). The Fashion District, 'Soho'...

- Most probably if you have never been to NYC the sights and sounds will be overwhelming, it's a busy, fast moving, working city.
* Leave your backpack in the hotel room, some places won't let you enter with one.

Whats Soho?

It's a district, part of Manhatten, lots of bars, rest. ect....it's where a lot of struggling artist live.

I would pass on ground zero.. way too depressing.. esp for this time of year

SoHo is an art district like Pixie says, except that it has struggling as well as accomplished artists, JFK jr used to live there and movie superstars can be seen in bookstores sipping coffee from time to time.. some live there many just preform there in the evenings while holding down regular day jobs and living in other parts of the city. Lots of bands, rock, jazz, etc. get their start in SoHo, as well as artists which use the visual media, comedy, singers, as well as clothing to express themselves. It's called the Flat-iron district and offers bookstores, galleries, off-Broadway productions and many popular nightspots for the young as well as the 'well to do'.

Ground Zero is a construction area at the moment. Both a symbol of tragedy and hope for many, fascinating to watch as they put up about 2 floors a week in the construction of the Freedom Tower. It is located in NY's Financial district, where millions are made and lost in seconds. There's a marina nearby which offers water taxis to New Jersey and outdoor restaurants overlooking the Hudson, very nice during the summer. It's usually one of my first stops when I visit the city as my DW is a professional who works there in one of those tall skyscrapers. (I feel uneasy looking down from up there so I usually meet her in the lobby (lol!).

-- Ground Zero a couple of weeks ago..

Another view, the bldg to the right with the cranes is the Freedom Tower under construction. The area looks deceptively small in this view, it is actually about one very large city block in dimension.

Soho is the area SOuth of HOuston Street.
NOTE: Houston is pronounced "HOWston", not HEWston like the city in Texas.

The walking tour idea is a good one. Head uptown to Macy*s on the way to Radio City to check out the windows.
Rockefeller Ctr is around the corner of the music hall so you'll be able to check out the tree.
Yes, the Empire State Bldg is open.

Grand Central Terminal is interesting as well. They also have a nice tour.

Thanks!

funny being from this area I would never even think of saying Houston Street like Texas would... even though that is how it's spelled.. if you ask a cab to take you to Hewston street... they are going to take you the long way!!!

Have to remember that! (There are streets/ areas in Baltimore that we pronounce certain ways too- sounds so funny when a national weather person mispronounces them.)

Problems with my and DD parttime work schedules, ugh, and hotels are getting booked up. Maybe we'll just come for the day. Thinking we might just walk up 7th or 6th Ave, past Macy's, to Rockefeller, Radio City, even get to Central Park, back down 5th, Saks, Library, Grand Central... and just warm up here and there, probably tons of places to eat or snack--?

The Carnegie Deli, my favorite for the best Pastrami or Corned Beef sandwiches. get a small NY cheesecake to take back to the room too! (don't ask for Swiss cheese on the Pastrami though, - strictly Kosher) ☺

http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php

The lower level of Grand Central is all food.

Yes, this time of year I would recommend the windows on 5th avenue and Rocky Center. Plenty of places to eat in Rocky Center and GC. GC has a train exhibit.

If a clear day, go to the Top of the Rock in the GE bldg in Rocky Ctr.

Uh oh, the buses are getting really booked up. Morning buses are mostly taken up till New Years Eve when they are all available at this point. Lots of options as long as we don't want to stay for New Years Eve there. But wondering just how packed the city will be that day.

Very!

I appreciate all the info! Esp the last one. We went to the Cherry Blossom Fest in DC on the peak day~~ came up out of the subway into a huge mass of people. Not our favorite thing.
(By the way, Cherry Blossoms are beautiful)

Due to our lack of foresight, we'll have to put this plan on hold. we could plan for spring and have nicer temps for walking If we just look ahead three weeks we can get the bus for about 20$ per person round trip. Plan ahead with Amtrak and get a $49 per person round trip. But we'll miss the Xmas decor.

Probably a good choice. New Years Eve I would not go near NYC.

...Lunch time isn't a good time either. (lol!!)

oh you could come to NJ... my decorations won't come in until thaw now with all this crazy snow on the wires.. LOL... we will still have decorations for you

:)

: ^D

I now think I'll pick a nice boring day in March and make this a present for hubby.

Well - I took my usual trip into NYC yesterday and brought back some photos before both set of batteries I took went dead. Union station, Christmas morning about 10 am.

The street vendors were already out.

Handmade tree in one of the shops on Fifth Avenue.

NYC fashion.

I hope you can see the gentlemen's jacket in the far left of the picture.

Carriages wait at the curb in Central Park.

FYI - FAO Schwartz is OPEN on Christmas Day.

Bergdorf Goodman window.

Bergdorf Goodman

More at Bergdorf Goodman. (I need to get a polarizing lens.)

Paper cat in Bergdorf Goodman window. All the animals were made of paper this year as were most of the other pieces in the windows.

This Pegasus was made with the same technique as the Christmas Tree in another store's window.

Another Bergdorf Goodman window.

Detail from one of the windows.

Just in case you haven't had enough

This is the last picture because my batteries died.