Can anyone help me plan our NYC trip?

[newyorkobserveher]

Originally Posted by Sandhillian

Also, do they still sell egg creams?

You want egg creams? You got 'em!

Dying for a good egg cream - Manhattan - Chowhound

[Sandhillian]

Thanks! I'll owe you rep for that!

[newyorkobserveher]

I'm actually excited for you to visit NYC.

Every time I see a tourist (and believe me, we can sniff them out! Heh) I always try to be really nice if they ask for directions, advise them on restaurants, things to do, etc. I try to smile and be really understanding because unfortunately NYers have a bad rep but we're really nice people with a great sense of community. I feel like I'm an ambassador for my city sometimes! I even wave at people on the double decker buses lol

There's no place in the world like NYC. Enjoy yourself and walk off the beaten path!

[gk90]

Originally Posted by Sandhillian

One of my favorite books as a child was the biography of Elizabeth Cochrane (first woman reporter) a/k/a Nellie Bly. She started doing undercover investigative reporting and one place she went to was Blackwell's Island. She posed as an inmate and wrote about the horrible abuses that were taking place there.

Re: Broadway and off Broadway shows do people have recommendations? Would Jersey Boys be appropriate for a 10 yr. old? Also, do they still sell egg creams?

Thank you all for the wonderful and helpful responses! Please continue to post if you think of anything else

Wow! I'm really glad I asked because I knew the Octagon was the former insane asylum and I vaguely knew Nelly Bly's story but had never made the connection. I looked up her eyewitness account and even found a picture of the Octagon--it's in Chapter 8
Ten Days in a Mad-House
I have to tell the kids about this now!
The Octagon is easy to get to from the tram/subway terminal--take the red shuttle and it's around a 10 minute ride. You can go in the main lobby and look up at the dome--it's been redone but there are historic photos and a modern spiral staircase where the original was. The doorman may ask you why you're there but you have a great story for him!

As for Jersey Boys, not family friendly:
Romeo and Cruz Beckham Are 'Jersey Boys' – Moms & Babies – Moms & Babies - People.com
Special Reader Review: Jersey Boys (#sitename#)

[Sandhillian]

Thanks for the links!

[MathieuL]

Originally Posted by newyorkobserveher

I'm actually excited for you to visit NYC.

Every time I see a tourist (and believe me, we can sniff them out! Heh) I always try to be really nice if they ask for directions, advise them on restaurants, things to do, etc. I try to smile and be really understanding because unfortunately NYers have a bad rep but we're really nice people with a great sense of community. I feel like I'm an ambassador for my city sometimes! I even wave at people on the double decker buses lol

There's no place in the world like NYC. Enjoy yourself and walk off the beaten path!

I'm the same, every time I see a tourist in Montreal or a tourist asks for help or a friend comes over from far away (or I get a recommendation from a friend when they visit) I always do my best to direct them exactly in where/what they are looking for. I feel like, as a citizen of this city to make sure they want to come back and they like it here.

I always get good treatment when I am in the US, so I return the favor.