I was in New York City for five days last week (four days of Site Catalyst web analytics training). What a great city! I stayed in the lower west side at the Wall Street Inn which I highly recommend. It's only a few blocks from the World Trade Center site and Wall Street is just around the corner. I went for a jog along the Hudson River in Battery Park. Nice views of the Statue of Liberty. Very safe. There is a really fun pub around the corner from the hotel called the Ulysses. The street is pedestrians only and cobblestone. Ulysses and many other restaurants on the same street have outdoor seating when it's nice.
Thank you to my ad rep from Industry Brains for taking treating me to an incredible meal at Madison Avenue Eleven. Tres gourmet!
I saw Cirque du Soleil which was incredible. Take the subway to East 125th in Harlem and take the free bus over the Triboro Bridge. I made the mistake of paying $30 for a taxi from the hotel to Randall's Island Park on the way to the show. Ouch! I just followed the crowd when it was over and discovered the Metro for $2. Duh! The Guggenheim Museum on Park Avenue featured a very contemporary female architect from Bagdhad - of all places - who designed the BMW factory in Lipzieg, Germany, and the Aquatic Center in London which hosted Olympic Games as well as many other famous buildings worldwide. I love all Frank Loyd Wright architecture.
Wish I had more time for shopping, but I couldn't help but stop at Williams & Sonoma and pick up a great cookbook called Starters. Yummy!