A great way to see all the sites

Whenever I go to a city for the first time I want to see the tourist attractions.  Hence, I guess, the reason for calling them tourist attractions.  The first time I went to London I did the hop-on, hop-off bus tour and it was great.  I was only there for 5 days and it afforded me the time to see a lot of things I otherwise would have missed and I got to do it in a relatively short amount of time.  I then had time to go back to areas that I really wanted to spend more time in.

Whether you are coming to New York, or if you live here and have friends who are coming to visit that want to see the sites, I recommend using the City Sights Bus Tours.

The best deal that they have to offer right now is the new All Around New York + 3 day pass for $180.  It gives them unlimited uses of the hop-on, hop-off buses for 48 hours, plus a 3 day pass that will give them free admission to 55 attractions including the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, many museums and a cruise on the Circle Line Tour.  That is a fantastic deal and not only will it save you a ton of money but it will also give you the opportunity to see a lot and then go back to areas that you really want to explore.  You can buy your ticket in advance or if you like to be a little more spontaneous, there are several locations in the Midtown area where you can purchase a ticket when you get here. (click about for their website & details)

Let's face it, there is a lot to see in New York.  Spend a couple days living like a tourist and seeing the many incredible things that make this city New York, then you can go back and find the hidden gems that only the New Yorkers know about.  I am dedicating the month of January to New York and am really excited about the itinerary I have created.  I might even enlighten some of the New Yorkers out there.