What a great read! Thanks so much for sharing. I have a friend who lives in a small town north of here. He doesn't follow Chris' strict protocol, but he does occasionally help himself to plants from abandoned property. I'm off to read the blog and do some shopping. ;)

Sounds like a great trip - we are likely do the same trip this year. My concern is keeping DH entertained. Two of our boys live there. DS3 has lived on Mulberry St going on 1.5 yrs - it is a wonderful neighborhood no matter what time of year. He was on 58th for 2 yrs, next door to One Columbus and a block down from the Hudson (fun to look at, have a drink, not my taste to stay there). DS1 moved there 1.5 yrs ago - first year .3 mi east from brother on 58th (midtown and near shopping) and now in Hells Kitchen (Lots and lots of restaurants). That is the west of the Times Sq area. I encourage you to find maps on line or Barnes and Noble and look at the neighborhoods. It might influence where you stay. I sometimes stay with the boys, sometimes in hotels very near where they live. (found on line) I would also plan some alternative activities....the weather may impact what you do. Also google places and print them out - it will help you get organized and recognize it. An fyi - Top of the Rock and Empire St Bldg viewing areas are COLD and windy, no matter what time of year, I did Empire in Feb, ....we were almost the only ones there and could only be in the outdoors for a minute or two without warming up inside. Worth doing, but do dress for it. Top of the Rock was freezing in August. Street food is fun in midtown around Rock Ctr - DS1 works in 50 Rock and knows which are the best carts, I can never remember but skip the ones that don't have a big line. Funny though, DS3 won't touch street food....his loss. A few things that haven't been brought up: The Campbell Apt in Grand Central Station. Go for a drink...look it up on line - very historic, most tourists would not find it. Grand Central Station is interesting even if you don�t find the Apt. Eataly on 5th, amazingly fun - google it. La Crepe at 51 Spring in Nolita (DS3 in between Prince and Spring on Mulberry) - OMG good. Last summer I happened upon NY Cake at 56 w 22nd, the most amazing store for baking supplies - it is overwhelming....very fun store. And it was chance I found it, I was trying to get to Home Depot that is a block up, Yes there is a HD in Manhattan ... they just dont cut wood - they cant handle the dust). Go through the Time Warner Center shopping and check out the huge Whole Foods downstairs, fun for lunch just for the experience. (Columbus Circle - 59th st) From there walk up to Lincoln Center - host to so many events - including Fashion Week shows. There is a cute place called Rice to Riches down in the Mulberry - Nolita area - a block from La Crepe that is only Rice Pudding....about 20 flavors, all delicious, fun containers....I was in there once and had just ordered when a tour guide actually brought a huge group in there to see it. In Flatiron, try L.A. Burdick, the most amazing Hot Chocolate ever.. you could hit art galleries in Chelsea then have dessert.it is at 5 E 20th. Great on a cold day. Fun store for house wares: Gracious Home up in the Lincoln Center area. Also not to be missed: ABC Carpet and Home at 888 and 881 Broadway at E 19th - a wonderful old building and 10 floors of wonderful / interesting things to look at....it has been in business since 1897. I have seen it mentioned on this site from time to time. The Apple store on 5th (near the opposite side of the park - maybe 60th and 5th) might be hit with your kids - it is a big clear cube and you go down to shop. Thinking of engineering and architecture, one interesting thing about NYC is that it is so old and yet they adapt through the times and generations - stores that have small store fronts easily has three huge floors all underground. I live in SoCal and don't go anywhere with my car here....in NYC I ONLY take cabs....if I am with the DSs I will do the trains but give me a cab anytime. DS3 is a cab taker too..faster, easier, you see the lay of the land. I can and do the subway to get anywhere (except going to /from the airport) in London but I find the NY subways dark with not great signage and harder to figure out. I also walk and walk and walk and walk. Keep your eyes open when you are there, you never know who you will see! Yellow cabs are a good thing, pass on the Black Cars - not subject to the same regulations. Just get out there and wave one down - the lights on the top of the cab will indicate if they are on duty (or not). You will feel like a native! Sorry to be so wordy, and easily with nothing you are interested in ..... seems I am in a NY state of mind.......

Vee -- I'm sorry I didn't visit this site earlier, so that I could give advice ... since I live in NY City ! Anyway, Trinity Church is waaaay downtown; but, since your daughter's friend works on Wall Street, she'll know exactly where to go -- and I'd assume -- how to get to it. Trinity Church is usually open -- so maybe your daughter could go inside and find someone connected w/ that church who would know about a map of the graveyard -- something which shows the names of all the people buried there, and where their gravestone is placed. West 83rd Street is a very lovely residential part of the upper west side of Manhattan. It's right by Central Park ... and only 20 blocks north of Lincoln Center - home of the Metropolitan Opera, the NY Philharmonic, New York City Ballet (of George Balanchine fame)). The weather this weekend is going to be sublime - it was 72 degrees today! -- So your daughter couldn't have picked a better weekend! ... I would definitely recommend a long stroll through Central Park -- maybe even rent a row boat on the beautiful tree-lined lake ... Afterwards - go to the nice restaurant that overlooks it ... right next to the boat rental. If she loves art -- besides the Museum of Modern Art -- the Metropolitan Museum of Art ... On the fabulous upper East side -- most posh part of Manhattan. This museum is set into Central Park. There's everything there -- Ancient Egyptian to European Old Masters to Abstract. My personal favourite -- the Medieval Hall w/ armor, chapel rooms imported from Europe and reconstructed, etc. Oh -- almost forgot -- in far-upper Manhattan is the fabulous Cloisters Museum -- an adjunct to the Metropolitan Mus. It's totally Medieval. Really beautiful old castle brought over stone-by-stone by a Rockefeller -- Sits atop a hill overlooking the mighty Hudson River, facing the magnificent Palisades across ... the setting inside the lush verdant (this time of year) Inwood Park is fabulous! I could go on and on, but these suggestions (not just mine, but everyone else's) are enough for one weekend! Let us know what she saw and did ... I'm curious.

Whoops, sent that off too quickly! Beagles and txjana, while doing my reseaech and looking specifically looking for "bargain shopping in NYC", Century 21 was listed with a nod to Carrie. For shopping, it will be our first stop! This pic is worth a thousand words! Mtn, really? ABC Carpet? Maybe we'll need to check it out~for some reason I always trust your judgment. MOMA was NOT my schick or my son's. The only thing I was impressed with was Monet's Waterlillies. Am hoping DD will want to visit the Metropolitan Museum, but if not, I'm good with that~this won't be my last visit! As for a 2nd play, we haven't decided yet, and because I've already seen Wicked, DD would prefer something else. Thank you for your suggestion of restaurants! We're both 'pseudo' vegan so will check the online menus. Believe it or not, son and I only saw Central Park from a tour bus~we'll definitely be taking a little stroll, and sitting outside is our favorite way to eat, even in the heat of Tx. Son and I had a great dinner in a quain little restaurant in Bryant Park, so am looking forward to taking DD there. She really isn't interested in seeing the SOL, but Ellis Island is a must! I'm looking forward to going back again! As for SJP, such a spoiled 'brat.' Lol By the way, is Trybeca worth a visit? Will we be close from Times Square? We really don t want to take the subway, prefer a cab, but not if it's 20 miles away. Is Uber 'safe' for 2 women, mainly for daytime jaunts? Panko, you saw Mr Big? We can only hope! Three more days!!!!! ;)