If you like art the MET is awesome

Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center) is pretty amazing

See Book of Mormon it was way better.

Go north and experience one of the most beautiful parts of Appalachia

New York City? As a tourist? I thought it was a city, not a tourist.

They're both excellent plays. It just depends if you want to see a comedy or not, really. Literally my #1 and #2 that I've seen.

You gotta see the parade on Thursday though.

If you like jazz though try to catch a show up by Washington Circle and Lincoln Center. Jazz capital of the country.

I like the Lower East Side, just hanging out and visiting some of the classic local eats (Katz Deli, Russ and Daughters, Economy Candy, etc.). The Tenement Museum is cool if you like history. I was in NYC last month and played Escape the Room, which was fun.

Don't let THM fool you, he just played with himself :p

Ah, you got to do Escape the Room?! How was it? I tried booking it over the summer for some friends and I, but it was booked for like 3-4 weeks in advance.

I like Hell's Kitchen area. Its turned into a very nice gayberhood (my friend's terminology, not mine.)

Escape the Room was a lot of fun. Everyone in our group enjoyed it and wants to do more (fortunately there are several options in SF). We played The Apartment in the LES location and escaped with literally a second to spare, 59:59. I recommend it.

Hell's Kitchen sure has changed. I intended to get over to Gotham West for some Jeni's ice cream, but didn't make it.

I always liked Chinatown in the Lower East Side. Great foods, cheap prices. Enough said.

I also like Union Square and Soho. Good shopping, interesting neighborhood in Union Square. If you don't mind the prices (most things in Manhattan are extremely expensive), I love the restaurant called Max Brenner. Soho is just shopping.

Ride the Staten Island Ferry on Saturday night. Free ride, great views, and they sell booze.

Thanks for the advice everyone. My group was already planning on watching the Thanksgiving Parade, so that's going to lock up most of the morning on the 27th, then we've got a lunch at Ellen's Stardust Diner as our chief Thanksgiving meal. I expect a lot of stuff to be closed that evening, but chinatown might make a good Thursday afternoon trip, and I can check out some other stuff on the lower East side throughout the day.

I definitely want to hit one of the Broadway shows on Friday--not going to really decide on which until I'm at the box office. I suppose it's possible to get both, but that would also make it difficult to do much else that afternoon. We head back Saturday early afternoon, or I'd try to space things out a bit more and hit more of the sights.

2wl, are the views from the Staten Island Ferry that much different or superior to, say the views from the Ellis island ferry? Or is the general idea to get a skyline view from a distance over the water? I mean, it's obviously a different part of the city, but is it worth an extra ferry trip for the difference?

The Strand (near Union Square) is worth a visit if you're into used bookstores. There are better used bookstores elsewhere in the country, but only a handful can compete with the sheer volume, and in some technical subjects, it might not be bested except by a specialty store.

I believe Ellis Island is still closed, Warden. (I may be wrong. Not sure when they fixed the Sandy damage). If so, not sure why the ferry would be running.

Ellen's is an A+ for entertainment, B- for food. Just so you know what you're expecting. I hope you have reservations or something, because it'll be packed on parade day at lunch.

Ah, and don't forget to ride the subway so you can see drunk homeless men pissing in a corner

Ellis Island opened again.

Ellis Island is open in general, but some areas are closed. Sandy damaged the climate control system, so they had to evacuate some exhibits that haven't yet been brought back. My family visited Ellis Island three weeks ago. There was plenty to see and do.

Make sure to drive around at night in the poor neighborhood and scope out the whores. Drive by real slow, crack your window, and roll to a stop. When one of them approaches you, throw a milkshake on her.