What fun! I think we need a bit more information. Niagra Falls is over 400 miles north, so I imagine that is not included in your 3-4 days in NY.

You basically want to do all the touristy things. Broadway show? China Town? Little Italy (which is walking distance from China Town)

The Highline would be nice to experience.

Museums?

The public transportation is really good in NYC. Buses and subways go everywhere. I like to cab it too, but they are more expensive.

Parking is hard in NYC. I wouldn't recommend driving in the city. There are many garages, you can park it for the few days and then drive up to Niagra Falls.

What is The Highline? Didn't realize Niagra was over 400 miles away. Is that something that could be a one day thing?

You will not be able to visit Niagra Falls easily, it is a days drive from NYC . Better to do that on a longer trip. There is alot to see, but the city is huge. The Statue of Liberty is a long ride from Times Square. The trip down there plus the boat ride will take up 3 to 4 hours. You will most likely be horrified by the prices charged for parking. Probably better to take train, more relaxing and use taxi service to get around. Look on Trip Advisor, there is alot of info about hotels and what to see.

I'm in central VA and have taken the train to Boston a number of times. NYC is about 6 hours on the train. I love traveling on the train. Lots of knitting and reading! As far Niagra Falls, save that for another trip. That's one you can drive. It's about 10 hours and a relatively easy drive.

Take the train! See it all. Forget Niagraon such a short trip.

Visits to major cities tend to involve long hours, not enough sleep and lots of walking and standing. If you AND your parents aren't fit (spry?), flexible about things like food, arrangements and dealing with problems, and also not experienced travellers, you will find it takes a lot longer to do a lot less than you expect. If it were my first trip to somewhere like NY City, I wouldn't consider taking 70-year-olds. That's maybe just me.

You could spend three days just seeing museums and not have enough time. Or three days seeing physical places and not get to them all (Statue of Liberty, many observation decks, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, High Line, Downtown and World Trade areas, shopping). Not to mention entertainment (Broadway, Radio City, many other locations). Neighborhoods, historical sites, famous universities, many many interesting tourist attractions, restaurants with any food you ever heard of, on and on.

Trip Advisor, locals on this forum, and the myriad of available information resources can help you assess what you want to do. I'm just a fellow visitor insofar as NY is concerned. I've made many trips there for business and pleasure but I haven't yet seen half of what interests me, it's very overwhelming. Have a good time.

I didn't misspell it. I can sleep too.

Are there still horse buggies for riding around the Central Park area? I thought I read they were considering discontinuing the horse buggies.

Unless your parents are fit, you'll want to take the subway or cabs. When my daughter and I go up we either take the train or bus. We then take the subway to the tip of Manhattan and walk back to midtown thru all the neighborhoods. We love the High line and walked miles on that. We walked 12 miles when we were there in Sept. Fun city. We always end up going to the 911 memorial and toured it last year the second week it was open. A very somber but beautiful site.

When my hubby and I visited NY we bought a ticket for the lower loop bus. It stops everywhere where you can get on and off at your leisure. Make sure you visit Grand Central Station and try the whispering wall. That was fun. Each of you stand in one corner and whisper to each other. Amazing.

Sheilajoyce, horse-drawn carriages are still in NYC--unfortunately. Mayor DeBlasio wants to remove them by May, and I hope he succeeds. No one ever hears about all the horse injuries and deaths that take place, not to mention the suffering in the heat, etc. It's tragic. So many people in charge have been willing to overlook that because the carriage rides are popular with tourists.

If you plan on using the subway, make sure you figure it out ahead of time with maps, and info found online. (People waiting for trains are very kind about giving you helpful info.) If that is the case, stay in a hotel close to one of the uptown-downtown lines, for convenience. I like the upper west side for a hotel as Times Square is too busy for me. As to hotel, ask for a room on an upper floor so you don't hear the street noise. Most rooms are very small, and that's normal for nyc. I second the idea of scouring Tripadvisor--it's very helpful. I type in my subject with the word "forum" so I don't get routed to the hotel page. Or i just read posts on the nyc forum page. You will love nyc! I never saw it until I was 50 and was pleasantly surprised.

You may want to thing about taking a tour bus around the city. Some of them stop at Empire State and other places. You'd have to do some homework. We always stay at the Manhattan Club as it's near to Times sq, Rockerfeller and other wonderful places. The club has suites and could sleep four. Find the site online that gives discounts on hotels, I forget the name of it. If you plan ahead you can save.

Be prepared to spend a lots of money. From my experience everything in NYC is very expensive. Food, attraction admissions, shows, cabs, even the subways get expensive if you visit several attractions in a day. It's a great city with more to see than you will be able to in 3-4 days. Do your homework and make a plan as to what you really want to see on this trip.

I agree New York can be expensive, but when it comes to food the city contains a huge number of reasonably priced restaurants, many of them featuring delicious ethnic food. Menu Pages can help you find ones you'd like. Lots of user reviews. Click on the city of your choice.

http://www.menupages.com/

Someone mentioned the High Line? What is that?

Google it

Susan, I have never found a restaurant in NYC that had prices comparable to the same type and quality of food I can find in my area. That may be because I didn't use the site you posted. I've been there many times in my life, mostly in the past 10 or so yrs with a friend and her son, who lived in the city. He was a Vegan, so we ate in Vegan restaurants., don't know if they're more expensive than non vegan places. I took my niece and a friend there a couple of yrs ago. We ate in a TGI Fridays, because it was on our way from one destination to another and we were very hungry. If memory serves I paid $16 for a burger, fries and pickle.

You will love NYC, no need to feel intimidated. Many 70 years olds live and work in the city. There are many subway lines and stations every block or so. Yes, plan to do a lot of walking but you will be fine if you go at your own pace. Food is everywhere and at all price points. In NYC you don't really have to do anything to enjoy the city beyond walking or riding around taking it all in. That said, visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is a very moving and enjoyable experience. You need almost a full day for both. It is worth it. You need a reservation, a boat takes you to both from Battery Park which is way downtown but on a subway line. it is probably too late to reserve going to the crown but going to the pedestal is just fine. Link to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tours The museums charge admission. They are wonderful, but I would select one (Art or Natural History) if any if I had only 3 days. Central Park is beautiful- taking a stroll or sitting on one of the benches people watching is fun and interesting. While Times Square is wild but fun to take in, I would not stay there, but I would not select a hotel beyond 59 St or way downtown either. For getting around, use the subway (faster) but cabs are plentiful. You can hail one on the street as you explore the city. There will also be lots at curbside in front of most hotels. The doorman can help you with transportation. For the theater, the concierge is helpful, but you can buy tickets directly at the box office at the theaters. Check the box office hours. In my experience, the concierge is also available to answer questions and help with planning prior to my arrival too.

Should we get a travel agent to be sure we see all the things we want to see? Maybe they could suggest different types of tours? I am afraid, if we don't plan something, we will just wander around and not see all we want to see.

After you book your hotel, call the concierge desk. I have found them to be very helpful with suggestions and information.

A 2 day double decker bus 'hop on hop off' tcket will get you to almost anyplace a first timer will want to see. Tickets can be purchased outside most of the more popular hotels. Link below.

if you are going to visit the 9/11 Memorial you need to make reservations in advance.

Double decker bus tour

You need to make a list of what you would like to see in decending order of importance. You can google a map of NYC listing major tourist spots. You can see where things are located in relation to others. Example: Statue of Liberty is in lower Manhatten as well as the 9/11 Memorial. If you start very early you could probably do a visit to both. But not a thorough visit. You need to pick what is really important to majority. There is so much to see and do. The concierge is a great help, but they need you to have a firm idea of what is important. You should investigate the websites of the attractions you wish to see. See what the admission charges will be. NYC will cost alot very quickly. Not a problem for those with open ended budgets. A real fun killer if the charges are way more then you planned. Better to have an idea and add 30% to what you think will be enough

Niagara Falls is certainly worth the drive to see, but I hope you have studied the map of New York state. Its quite large. It a long drive from New York City. Niagara falls is in Buffalo, NY all the way across the state at its western border. You may be surprised to discover there is enough installed hydro-generating capacity on the US and Canadian sides to accept the entire flow of the river, literally shutting off the falls. Agreements between both countries control the amount of flow diverted through the turbines. The Erie Canal traversed across the state and there are fragments of in a few places. If you like to explore new places, look at the finger lakes region. Watkin's Glen has a pretty hike up the glen and it is not long. Its best seen in fall colors.

During the early days of this country, clock making was centered in Bristol, Connecticut. Factories there turned out clockworks used by many local clock builders. There were a few clock makers around Syracuse, NY in the 1830s. If you spy a clock museum, stop in and take a look.

As the posters above stated, parking in New York City is difficult. Its best to stay at a place that has parking for its patrons. The other option is to park outside the city and take the train into downtown.

I was recently in New York City - Manhattan - and had a wonderful experience using Uber for transportation. You need to download the app on your phone to request a ride. My 83 year old parents even used Uber when they were recently in NYC. We all have felt safe using Uber.

Otherwise, have a map of the subway system and you can get around easily. We didn't use any cabs. I was with my 26 year old son and he's quite good at navigating the city so that helped a lot! :)

I went to Boston for the first time last fall and used several different websites for ideas on what I wanted to see. Then I could prioritize them.

Here's a few examples of the websites you could look at:

Gray Line of New York

The New York Pass

New York City Attractions

What to do in New York

Things to do in New York City

20 Ultimate Things to do in New York City

Before you decide which sights you want to see, I think you need to decide where you are going to stay. From your base location, then determine how far you want to venture. When I went to Boston, I first identified where I was staying. I then used various websites to find the attractions I wanted to see. Many of the websites, like Expedia, offer day trip packages where you can purchase advanced tickets. Gray Line tours also had great day trips to choose from.

Where to stay in New York City

I really think your first step is identifying where you're going to stay, which neighborhood, which part of town, etc.

As others have mentioned, please do your homework in advance. It's a much larger place than you understand, judging by your original questions. Make a list of places you'd like to see and things to do while there.

I think that every first time visitor should see the Statue, take in a musical and a play, visit a couple of museums, stroll in Central Park, shop, and eat in any of thousands tiny walk-in restaurants, as well as some fine dining. Food trucks are fun to try. I'm Don't you dare eat at a national chain restaurant, lol.

Be prepared to tip the cabbies, tip the concierge staff, tip the housekeepers!

I'm excited for you. It's been far too long since I spent time in The City. I'm a museum visitor and a nightclub crawler. The nightlife in the city is fabulous....great music of all kinds everywhere.

Most has been covered above. Being from NY, just a short drive upstate from the city, and half of my family from Manhattan, perhaps I'm biased but it really is, as rhizo said - and that's what we have always called it - The City. I'm not the most traveled, but I've seen a few things, and when I went to Chicago, and please don't take this as a diss on Chicago - it really is a lovely town - I was like... this is a city? Even Europe, with it's wonderful places, is of course, different.

NYC can be overwhelming. So indeed plan ahead. It could be fun if you were a single person or a couple to go with the flow, but with a group... yep, plan well.

Personally, I wouldn't stay in the city itself. It would probably be cheaper to stay in Jersey and take the train in each morning. But it's a personal decision based on the time you have, your finances, and what you hope to accomplish while you're there. Compare your options, but touristy stuff (like a decent hotel) is very expensive in the city. If you find a good rate in the city, snatch it up, but be sure to check reviews. Also, as too was mentioned above, if you do get a hotel in the city, check if they have a parking garage. You'll appreciate it immensely.

As far as food... again as was said above... DO NOT EAT AT CHAINS! First, the price will be way above what you are accustomed. Second, some of the best food IN THE WORLD is found very reasonably priced in the walk-in restaurants on the streets. For example, there used to be this incredible falafel place right off Washington Sq. Park. We found it by accident. You walk down 4 steps below street level to enter and prepare to be amazed. Back then, while a common city price was closer to $4, the falafels, and the hummus pitas, were $2.

Similarly, and here's the type of story you always remember when you travel... One time, 2 friends and I went down to see a show. I think it was B.B. King. We were hungry, saw an Indian restaurant, went in and had the best curry you could ever want. My friend was looking at the menu and saw the little 1,2,3... or 4! chili pepper icons next to the selections. My friend, in broken-English banter with the waiter - probably the son of the owner, as most of the best, affordable restaurants are small, family-owned ones - said that a lot of places claim their food is spicy, but it was never as spicy as he wished. Well, broken-English or not, that waiter understood him perfectly! The appetizer dips that came out, and my friend's entree were FIRE! Lol. Poor guy was literally sweating drops from his forehead. My other friend and I laughed the entire time and half-way home. To this day I'm sure he'd wince if reminded. He ate every delicious bite though.

Oh, and try some street food. A hot pretzel is a must, and in winter the chestnuts can't be missed. On your way home on an early night, go to Ferrara's or somewhere similar and bring some pastries back to the hotel. Go to Katz's for lunch, and stop almost anywhere for a slice or two of pizza (doesn't have to be Ray's, Famous Ray's, Original Ray's, Famous Original Ray's, The Original Famous Ray's, The Only Ray's... you'll understand lol.) Take in some Chinese take out (or sure, sit down and relax) while you're near Chinatown. The more disgusting-looking Peking ducks hanging in the window, the better it might be lol (just kidding, ask someone on the street for a good place.)

For breakfast, take a short train ride to Brooklyn for a bagel with a schmear (and/or lox if you like.)

I guess what I'm saying is, New York has exciting places to visit, including parks, museums, and exhibits, but some of the best art is found in the heart of the melting pot where each culture present's their finest works...

Well said, Rgreen. New York's my hometown. One thing I"ll add to Msmagoo is this: When you go to The City, you should check out The Village--Greenwich Village, where I was born. You might even run across Barrow Street, where we lived at the time. (I know this will be tops on your list of priorities.) ;-)

PS: I have the feeling other regions call their cities "The City" too . . . Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, etc. People from these areas can correct me if I'm wrong.

I grew up in the Bronx which is a borough of New York City. We called Manhattan, another borough, downtown. I am craving all the food rgreen mentioned.

My son and his family live near Central Park and Columbus Circle.

They are great tour guides.

We have gone to the USS Enterprise Museum several times.

One of my favorites is the Natural History Museum and The Guggenheim Museum.

They are within walking distance from their apartment.

If you like baseball, Yankee Stadium tours are great. Seeing a game there is even better.

I found the people there to be very helpful......especially the ones who look "different. "

It is a safe area in Manhatten, even late at night.

Go Yankees!

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ik