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New York City Short Guide

What everyone needs to know before visiting this Great City.

A MUST see FREE Concerts for Today Show at the Rockefeller Center.

On Friday and a few other mornings from late April through September, the Today Show (NBC) hosts live performances on its Rockefeller Center stage. Access to the concerts is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis outside of the Today show's Window on the World Studio at 49th Street and Rockefeller Center. All concerts start at 7am. In 2006, Pink, Phil Collins, Natasha Beddingfield, Janet Jackson, Sting, Meatloaf was some of the few big names performed for the Today show sponsored by Toyota.

Other free summer concerts in New York

Accommodation will be taking up most of your budget in New York. However, this does not mean you have to slum it. We have found these probably the best kept secrets on the net giving great value for money for New York hotels. If your visit to New York a last minute treat or a last minute business trip you may want to search these New York Hotels reservation network. Alternatively, if you are planning ahead and found a great low priced flight to New York City, you may want to check this database as they have by far the lowest prices on New York Hotels.

Transport From The Airports The more you are willing to pay, the easier it is to get into town.

John F Kennedy Airport is situated 12 miles south east of Midtown Manhattan. Taxis have a flat fare policy of $45 + tolls from JFK Airport.The journey takes around 30-45 minutes depending on traffic. The new Airtrain JFK is cheap ($7 per person) and nearly as fast as taxis but it may involve a change en route to your hotel.

La Guardia Airport situated 8 miles east of the city. Taxis cost between $20-$30+tolls and take around 20-40minutes. With MTA's M60 bus, you can travel to/from all terminals at La Guardia to/from the West Side or the East Side.

Newark Airport situated 16 miles southwest of Midtown Manhattan. The journey to Midtown takes around 40-60 minutes depending on traffic and taxi fare is around $40-$65+ tolls. Most NJ TRANSIT trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line stop at the Newark International Airport Station, which connects to AirTrain and costs $12.

Sightseeing - It is affordable, exciting, ultimate sightseeing. A must in your itinerary. HELICOPTER FLIGHTSEEING

Transport Around Town Taxis are relatively expensive but useful in a hurry, for a group or late at night. The main cabs are the Yellow Medallion Cabs approx $2.50 upon entry $0.40 for each fifth of a mile thereafter.

New York Subway is dirty, noisy but fast and efficient. Generally, routes run uptown or downtown. Train routes are identified by number or letter. The Subway is open 24 hours a day but most routes operate only on certain times of the day. The fare for a subway or local bus ride is $2. Bus System is a lot simpler to use and more frequent than Subway but can be slow at rush hours.

Few Good Points, however one gets around in New York, it is important to know some basic geography: Fifth Avenue divides the city between east and west. Street numbers begin at Fifth Avenue, so #2 W57th street is just steps to the west of Fifth Avenue while #2, E57th street is just to the east. Most streets are one way in Manhattan. With few exceptions, traffic on even numbered streets travels east and traffic on odd numbered streets travels west.

To New Yorkers, "downtown" does not mean city centre. Rather, "downtown" simply means "south" and "Uptown" means "north".

Eating There are more than 30000 eating places in New York City, the most diverse and competitive in the world. Restaurants can open, be reviewed, become popular then decline and close in the space of few months in NYC. The legal minimum age at which you can be served alcohol is 21.

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