New York City for Dummies Book

	Introduction	1
	About This Book	1
	Conventions Used in This Book	2
	Foolish Assumptions	3
	How This Book Is Organized	3
	Icons Used in This Book	5
	Where to Go from Here	6
Part I	Getting Started	7
Chapter 1	Discovering the Best of New York	9
	A Feast for the Senses	16
	Broadway and Times Square: The Great White Way	16
	Cultural Revolutions	17
	Shopping 'til You Drop	17
Chapter 2	Deciding When to Go	19
	Unlocking the Secrets of the Seasons	19
	New York City's Calendar of Events	20
Chapter 3	Planning Your Budget	25
	Adding Up the Elements: What to Expect	25
	Keeping a Lid on Hidden Expenses	28
	Cutting Costs	29
Chapter 4	Planning Ahead for Special Travel Needs	31
	Tips for Families	31
	Tips for Seniors	33
	Tips for Travelers with Disabilities	33
	Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers	36
Part II	Ironing Out the Details	37
Chapter 5	Getting to New York City	39
	Travel Agents: Help or Hindrance?	39
	The Ins and Outs of Package Tours	40
	Getting the Best Airfare	43
	Choosing the Airport	45
	Understanding the New Air Travel Security Measures	46
	Other Ways to Get There	47
Chapter 6	Deciding Where to Stay	49
	Determining Which Kind of Place Is Right for You	49
	Choosing Your Location	51
	You Get What You Pay For: Picking a Price Range	54
Chapter 7	Booking Your Room	55
	Avoiding Rack Rates	55
	Arriving without a Reservation (Not Recommended)	58
Chapter 8	New York City's Best Hotels	61
	The Best New York City Hotels from A to Z	62
	Where to Stay When There's No Room at the Inn	83
	Index of Accommodations by Price	85
	Index of Accommodations by Location	85
Chapter 9	Taking Care of the Remaining Details	87
	Playing It Safe: Travel and Medical Insurance	87
	Renting a Car: Don't Do It	88
	Making Reservations and Getting Tickets in Advance	88
	Let's Get Packing	90
Part III	Settling into New York	93
Chapter 10	Arriving and Getting Oriented	95
	Getting from the Airport to Your Hotel	95
	Arriving by Train	102
	Arriving by Car	103
	New York by Neighborhood	105
	Getting Information after You Arrive	110
Chapter 11	Getting Around New York	113
	Traveling by Subway	113
	Taking the Bus	116
	Understanding the MetroCard	117
	Traveling by Taxi	118
	Seeing New York on Foot	120
Chapter 12	Money Matters	121
	Greenbacks and Other Ways to Pay	121
	What to Do if Your Wallet Gets Stolen	123
Part IV	Dining in New York	125
Chapter 13	Getting the Lowdown on New York's Dining Scene	127
	What's Hot Now	127
	Discovering New York's Dining Areas	128
	Eating Where the Locals Eat	131
	Enjoying New York's Ethnic Eats	131
	Dressing to Dine	134
	Saving Money	134
	Making Reservations	134
Chapter 14	New York's Best Restaurants	135
	New York Restaurants from A to Z	137
	Exploring Restaurants on Your Own	162
	Index by Price	163
	Index by Location	164
Chapter 15	On the Lighter Side: Snacks and Meals on the Go	167
	Breakfast and Brunch	167
	The Best Bagels in New York	168
	A Slice of Heaven: New York Pizza	168
	Delis and Salad Bars	169
	Gyros and Falafel	170
	Street Cart Food	170
	Gourmet Sandwiches	171
	Soup	171
	Hamburgers and Hot Dogs	172
	Gourmet Breads	173
	Coffee Break and Tea Time	173
	Smoothies and Fresh Juices	174
	Fruits and Grocery Items	174
Part V	Exploring New York	177
Chapter 16	New York's Top Sights	179
	The Top Sights from A to Z	179
	A Solemn Site	199
	Index of Top Attractions by Neighborhood	200
	Index of Top Attractions by Type	200
Chapter 17	More Cool Things to See and Do	203
	Especially for Kids	203
	Especially for Teenagers	204
	Especially for Art Lovers	206
	Especially for Culture Lovers	208
	Especially for Sports Fans	209
	Especially for TV Fans	211
	Especially for Movie Buffs	213
	Especially for Architecture Buffs	213
	Especially for History Buffs	214
	Especially for Book Lovers	215
Chapter 18	Seeing New York by Guided Tour	217
	Seeing the City with Orientation Tours	217
	Cruising Around the Island	218
	Flying High with Helicopter Tours	221
	Taking Architectural and Historical Tours	221
	Discovering Special-Interest Tours	222
	Free Walking Tours	223
Chapter 19	A Shopper's Guide to New York	225
	Surveying the Shopping Scene	225
	Knowing the Big Names	226
	Shopping in Open-Air Markets	232
	Identifying the Great Shopping Neighborhoods	233
	New York Shopping A to Z	237
Chapter 20	Five Great New York Itineraries	243
	New York in Two Days	243
	New York in One Week	244
	New York for Museum Mavens	247
	New York for Families with Kids	247
	New York for the Lazy	248
Part VI	Living It Up after the Sun Goes Down: New York Nightlife	251
Chapter 21	The Play's the Thing: The New York Theater Scene	253
	Getting the Inside Scoop	253
	Finding Out What's On	257
	Getting Tickets	258
	Pre-Theater Dining	259
	Making the Most of Your Theater Experience	259
Chapter 22	The Performing Arts	261
	Venues That Break the Mold	261
	Symphony and Other Classical Music	264
	Opera	265
	Dance	265
	Other Major Concert Spaces	266
Chapter 23	Hitting the Clubs and Bars	267
	Listening to All That Jazz	267
	Enjoying Rock and the Blues	268
	Hearing Cutting-Edge Sounds	268
	Dancing the Night Away	273
	Pubbing from Place to Place	273
	Savoring a Martini or Cocktail	274
	Searching Out Gay Clubs and Bars	275
	Hitting the Clubs and Getting Across the Velvet Rope	276
	Laughing It Up at Comedy Clubs	277
Part VII	The Part of Tens	279
Chapter 24	The Top Ten New York Experiences	281
	Spending Sunday in Central Park	281
	Going Out for Dinner	281
	Shopping in Chinatown	282
	Taking in a Play	282
	Exploring the Met	282
	Riding the Staten Island Ferry	282
	Seeing the Department-Store Windows at Christmastime	283
	Clubbing	283
	Enjoying Outdoor Entertainment	283
	Window-Shopping and People-Watching along Fifth Avenue	283
Chapter 25	Ten Ways to Start a Conversation with a New Yorker	285
	What's the Best Way to Get to ...?	285
	Mets or Yankees?	286
	Mayor Mike: How's He Doing?	286
	Ground Zero: Rebuild or Erect a Memorial?	286
	What Was Your Best Celebrity Encounter?	287
	What's Your Best Apartment-Hunting War Story?	287
	Where Can I Get the Best Pizza in the City?	287
	What's Your Favorite Tabloid Headline?	288
	Which Restaurant Is New York's Best-Kept Secret?	288
	How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?	288
Appendix	Quick Concierge	289
	Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites	292
	Airlines	292
	Major hotel and motel chains	293
	Where to Get More Information	294
	General interest information	294
	Additional information for travelers with children	295
	Additional information for senior travelers	295
	Additional information for travelers with disabilities	296
	Worksheets	297
	Index	303