NEW YORK CITY TOURIST INFORMATION

There are plenty of touristy/traditional things to do and see in NYC if you have a whole day, an afternoon or just an evening.  You can't see everything, but there are a lot of basic NYC things within a short walk of Madison Square Garden.

The areas described below are relatively safe to walk around during the day since there are plenty of people around, but the downtown area tends to clear out during the evening.  October weather in NYC is usually in the comfortable 50s-60s.

Empty cabs have their number lit up on top of the cab—if the number isn’t lit, someone else is in it already.  Most places in NYC will be less than $10 from MSG, $15 for South Street Seaport, Battery Park/Statue of Liberty, Freedom Tower 

Getting to Madison Square Garden

EXCELLENT ONLINE MAP:  www.aaccessmaps.com; maps of all 3 airports, major sites in NYC, streets

--MSG is between 7^th and 8^th Avenue from 33^rd to 31^st Street.  Affinia, Hotel Pennsylvania, New Yorker Hotel adjacent

--Affinia Show Hotel:  www.affinia.com; corner of 7^th Ave and 31^st St; MSG is 1 block North in plain sight;

--Driving/Parking: See CFA website; From NJ-- go to Lincoln Tunnel, exit Right to 36^th St., go Left along 36^th St to 7^th Ave., turn Right and drive down to 33^rd St., then turn Right—parking garage is on right near corner of 8^th Ave. and 33^rd St; Exhibitor Entrance to MSG is Green Awning on left near opposite corner  (these are all one way streets)

--Newark Airport (EWR):  Easiest to MSG, Continental hub; 20 minute NJ Transit train direct to MSG, $14

--LaGuardia Airport (LGA):  small airport, expect delays; about $30 taxi+toll+tip; $12 bus: www.nyairportservice.com

--JFK Airport (JFK):  far from NYC; fixed NYC taxi fare of $40+tolls+tip; $15 bus: www.nyairportservice.com

--NJ Transit: pets ok, last train stop is NY Penn Station (part of MSG); bus station short taxi ride; www.njtransit.com

--Long Island Railroad: pets ok, last stop is NY Penn Station (part of MSG); www.mta.info

--Metro North: pets ok, last stop is Grand Central Station, a short taxi ride to MSG; www.mta.info

--Amtrak and Greyhound: do NOT allow pets

Midtown Tour (Half Day, Whole Day, Evening Stroll)

--The Original Macy’s:  1 block North at 7^th Ave and 34^th St.  It’s huge, an entire city block and 10 floors.

--Empire State Building:  follow 34^th St. East (away from MSG) for 2 blocks to 5^th Ave.  Tickets $16, stand in line or buy at www.esbnyc.com.  Be ready for long security and elevator lines and spectacular views.  Many NYC tourist shops

--Times Square: walk up 7^th Ave uptown from 34^th to 42^nd St (5-10 min. walk).  Neon lights at night most impressive.  Very crowded always, many NYC tourist shops and restaurants (Carmine’s group Italian, Ruby Foo’s creative Chinese).  Half price same day Broadway tickets at TKTS Booth at 46^TH St and Broadway, CASH ONLY: www.tdf.org

--NYC Public Library:  from Times Square, follow 42^nd St East for 2 blocks to 5^th Ave.  From Empire State Bldg, walk up 5^th Ave uptown from 34^th to 42^nd St.  Grand Central Terminal 2 blocks east of Library-- classic style, big food court

--Fifth Avenue:  walk North uptown from Public Library from 42^nd to 59^th St.  Expensive stores for window shopping—Tiffany’s, Bergdorfs, Saks, Louis Vuitton, etc.  Lots of other sights to see- St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center,  Radio City Music Hall on 6^th Ave and 52nd St. Southeast corner of  Central Park is at 5^th Ave and 59^th St.

Downtown Tour (Afternoon, Whole Day, Dinner)

Getting There:  $15-20 Taxi with tip; $2 Subway—#1 local subway from MSG to South Ferry (last stop): www.mta.info

--South Street Seaport:  Take #1 Subway to Fulton St. stop and walk 6 blocks East to Water St.: lots to do-- Brooklyn Bridge, tall ships, museum, boat rides, food, tourist s`hops

--Battery Park: walk down Water St. south about 15-20 minutes; South Ferry subway stop is here; Statue of Liberty is across the water—not worth going to since you can’t climb up anymore; cheap alternative—FREE Staten Island Ferry, which passes the Statue of Liberty—about an hour roundtrip

--Wall Street:  from Battery Park, head North up Broadway; pass by the Museum of the American Indian and the famous Wall Street Bull; see Trinity Church graveyard and the New York Stock Exchange-- www.nyce.com for tours

--World Trade Center/Freedom Tower:  Walk North to Cortlandt St. and go West 1 block ; best seen from the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center, (a few blocks West); Go to Century 21: GREAT clothing/shopping  bargains

--City Hall: triangular park and building a few block North up Broadway from Wall St/Cortlandt St.

--Chinatown:  Keep walking North up Broadway to Canal St.; tourist trinkets, knockoff handbags

--Little Italy: Go East along Canal St. to Mulberry St: many Italian Restaurants at all price levels; Ferrara’s for dessert