First trip to NYC. What are the must-sees?
Yeah, we know the basics. Broadway show, Empire State building, etc. But what would we really regret if we didn't see (or do, or eat)?
Background: We're in our early fifties, celebrating our 30th anniversary. I have physical limitations (amputee), but plan to do a lot of walking and deal with the consequences when I get home. My wife is in good shape, but is battling cancer* (she's fine right now), so she's a fanatic about eating healthy... but also willing to break the rules during this trip.
Night life isn't a big thing for us. We love art and good food.
Tell me the things I can't learn from travel websites!
Thanks.
*(For those who remember my post about her cancer recurrence, it's growing, but slowly, and we're weighing our options, and have plenty of time to decide what to do next. For now, we're going to celebrate!)
= new reply since forum marked as read
It is free. Go to the island and back. No car, just pedestrians. Walk and walk. Central park, chinatown., little italy, wall street, empire state building, fifth avenue, circle line boat ride around nyc. Greenwich village, east and west side.
The museums, st patrick's cathredral, united nations building, statue of liberty, Rockefeller centre, radio city hall, macy's
The subways, coney island, broadway shows. Oh and strawberry fields.
I am going down memory lane. I loved NYC, long ago and far away.
I love the little apple as much now. But new york, new york.
She was a student at Barnard in Pre-Med. I was a physics student at Oakland U here in MI.
We took two bottles of champaign onto the Staten Island Ferry and rode it back and forth until both bottles were empty. At the time it cost 25 cents for a round trip. We melded in with the boarding passengers (with the champaign suitably disguised in a brown paper bag) and avoided paying more than one fare the entire evening.
It was the most romantic evening of my life. Swilling cheap champaign out of a brown bagged bottle on the least expensive ocean voyage on the planet with somebody you love.
I will never forget that experience. And we ducked the gates and went back and forth without paying another fare beyond the 25 cents for the first transit.
How good is the best date of ones life that only cost 25 cents! Unfortunately the DU TOS won't let me divulge.
BTW, we also took in the Metropolitan Opera to see Le Nozze di Figaro. But we had standing room at the top of the top balcony. Fortunately many New Yorkers left their seats after the first act and my girlfriend and I got to move down into empty seats. Many New Yorkers know this protocol. They never check. We ended up on the stage of Carnegie Hall one night when Pete Seeger was playing and we snuck in at intermission. He invited people to sit on stage and we were conveniently located so we ended up sitting on the stage with many listening to Pete Seeger. And we snuck in!
I love New York.
Especially this:
[link:http://www.shakespeareinthepark.org/|
Might be a little hard because the lines for free tickets are long but if you can chill out of the heat and get your wife to take care of tickets it will be worth it. Also Strawberry fields in the park. I was lucky enough to live a few blocks from there and its a great place to chill when you want to get out of the city without actually "getting out of the city". And don't forget to get a hot dog from Grey's Papaya.
About a twenty minute ride from the tip of Manhattan to Staten island. You sail across the harbor and pass the Statue of Liberty. Stay in the back and you see the skyline recede in your wake. When you get there, stay on and ride back. It's free and it's accessible.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/staten-island-ferry.shtml
otherwise known as the Wall Street Bull, or the Charging Bull.
Check out this piece, you might be surprised at the Bull's history:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/07/the-true-story-of-the-wall-street-bull-as-told-by-the-wall-street-bull/277698/
Ukrainian 24-hour restaurant in New York City's East Village
Address: 144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Phone
212) 228-9682
Prices:$$
Featured by Zagat
Best 24-Hour Restaurants in NYC and 1 other list
http://www.veselka.com/
It's one of the best restaurants in the known universe, especially off-diet. : )
On edit:
If you're up for informal French, you could do worse than: Les Halles
http://leshalles.net/locations/les-halles-park-avenue
Any of them. In August...the smell will never be forgotten. 
Costs $3 and from there it's an easy bus ride up to see the Metropolitan Museum.
Always moving and fun for me.
Have a wonderful time on your 30TH ANNIVERSARY! 
Everything from small ones in a park or plaza to large ones that turn 10 blocks of one of the major avenues into pedestrian-only markets.
Wares and food offered can be a mix of just about anything: One booth is offloading junk, another has handcrafted woodworks, here a classic pitchman hawking a miracle mop, there someone with artisan kitchenware from Italy, another with blends of teas and spices. Food runs from standard carnival fare to start-ups that get space at the fair because they can't afford rent on a permanent location yet, to out-of-town places exploring a new venue or trying to drum up attention for their main location. Then there's big corporations using the fairs for street demos and promotions.
And aside from the fairs themselves, they can make decent springboards to the surrounding area; as long as I'm in an area that I don't usually go to, it's a spur to see what's elsewhere in the neighborhood. Check the guides and schedules below, because most of them shift location. Most only take place on weekends, but a few are open during the week.
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/events-festivals/nyc-street-fairs-guide-markets-fairs
http://www.newyorkled.com/nyc_events_Street_Fairs.htm
http://www.nyctourist.com/st_fairs_calendar.htm
http://nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html
If you're in the Chinatown area on a Saturday (or midtown on a Thursday evening), consider:
http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/
From one of the big ones:
