For food or entertainment, look into Time Out New York magazine.
For food recommendation, also look into Zagat. Zagat has also a clubs publication in case you want to party at night.
Both Time Out and Zagat can be found in Barnes & Noble.
Go see Broadway shows. Buy your tickets at TKTS in Time Square. They can be had for cheap. If your really interested in a show that's not available, go to the box office of the theater exhibiting that show at opening hour (9 AM?), and most likely they'll have cancelled tickets for that day. If not, try the next day. This is a a little-known
insider's way of getting things your way!
As a person who has lived in NYC for many years, I recoomend the following things:
Sites:
Ground Zero WTC (get there early on a weekday...lines can be huge) (they wait may no longer be worth it as it looks like a construction site now....there is no remnants of what you saw on TV)
Statue Of Liberty
Central Park (your g'friend will enjoy the Horse carriage ride if you have the budget)
Bronx Zoo (one of the BEST zoos in the world)
Botanical Garden (interesting--even for a guy)
The Cloisters (girls love this stuff)
Museum of Modern Art; Natural History Museum (see the awesome new space exhibit), Metropolitan Museum---These 3 are some of the Greatest in the world! (see the Guggenheim if you have tiome or aren't museumed-out!)
Top level Empire State Building (bring a camera or camcorder)
Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center
Sony IMAX Movie in Lincoln Center if you haven't seen one in your town
Restaurants:
Dok Suni (mid price) (exceptional food that you'll be hard-pressed to find in other cities)
Tomoe Sushi (mid price) (1 hr wait outside if you don't get there when it opens for lunch or dinner)
Markt (mid price) (good night scene) (try the frites, clams, Euro beer, and beef tartar)
Union Square Cafe (mid to expensive) (go for lunch as it's substantialy cheaper) (do a walk-in...if you call, they always say they're booked! (an insider's secret) a very "in" place
Balthazaar (mid to expensive) (~~same as above~~)
~~~~~If money is a real concern, you can always survive on fast food, but try some of these restaurants, your girlfriend will love you for it. Believe me!~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clubs:
Impossible to recommend as people's tastes vary so much. New York has it all what you're looking for. Read Time Out or Zagat Clubs for guidance. Everybody has their favorites....you ask 10 people, you get 10 different answers. In general, dress cool to club standards and go with a girl to get in.
Shows: (I've been there, done that, so the ones I recommend are highly regarded) IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:
Donkey Show***** (hard to get in, but TKTS should have iton the cheaper side) (if there is ONE show to see on your trip,
THIS IS IT!!) A lot of models go here. Women love this show. I loved the show as well! Awesome! Be prepared to dance though.
Lion King ***** (most likely sold out) (go to box office in morning as previously stated)
Mama Mia *****(very fun show) (sung to ABBA songs...you'll be embarrassed how much you like it) (hard to get tickets...use method explained above)
Rent ****(they have a daily lottery of free tickets)
The Producers ****(very expensive and difficult to get) (good, but overhyped) (Mathew Broderick is being replaced soon)
~~DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH PLAYS, YOU'LL FALL ASLEEP~~
..........If you have the money/inclination, an Opera at the MET is a cool thing to do.....no tux required/necessary.
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NYC has so much to offer you'll have fun doing anything.
What I've recommended above is a tried-and-true "BEST OF" list that won't break the bank. Be prepared to spend money though at whatever you decide to do (lose the shock factor right now or you'll hate NYC!) . If you're a cheap-skate, you'll truly MISS OUT on what you came to NYC to do in the first place!! In order to have fun, you must SPEND. Just swing it if you can and have FUN in the GREATEST city in the world!!!
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