What to do in NYC, help me plan my itinerary!? -

I m visiting NYC for the first time (dec30th-jan4th) to see the ball drop (advice on a good spot to see and how early we should leave,what to bring) and do the tourist thing with my best friend from high school. We both just turned 25 (ahem, any good/pretty safe bars/nightclubs?). We are college students so we re on a budget (no $100 dinners,etc) and would greatly appreciate your recommendations of events to help plan our itinerary. Please be as detailed as possible (is there a dress code, hours, stuff like that). We are staying within a mile of Times Square (a few blocks from the wax museum). We want to definitely see a couple Broadway shows and would like to know which TV show tapings are worth going to? Big question, what city tour/s would be the best, there are so many! Where do we get/book a carriage ride through Central Park perhaps? Do s and Dont s, we re not dumb, we know it s dangerous and we re very cautious but we would still like to know if we should be in by dark so to say. Tips on cabs, like is it impossible to get one here at this time, etc. What to look out for, places to avoid, subway must know s. Do you know of any websites that offer the best discount tickets or where to get coupons? I ve seen quite a few NYC passes for restaurants and museums, etc is there one that you think is the best deal? We want to make the most of our time so if you went somewhere or took pictures in a cool place let us know!! Please feel free to share any websites that you think would help, Thank you!!! :) Happy Holidays!!

-tim burton museum, which is only 12 dollars for students-the huge macy s 151 W. 34th StreetNew York, NY 10001, it s the biggest in the world and they always have nice decorations up at night-the ripley s believe it or not museum, only 20 dollars, 234 West 42nd Street (42 St/7 Av)-go to the rockefeller center where there s this huge tree with beautiful decorations and an ice skating rink that s really popular, 45 Rockefeller PlazaNew York, NY 10111-Gray s Papaya has REALLY good hot dogs, even better than the already good hot dogs that street vendors sell.i m not sure about show tapings but my personal favorite Broadway show is the Christmas Spectacular is truly amazingcity tours aren t really amazing with tourist guides, and you don t really want to look like a tourist...for Central Park, there s horse carriages literally everywhere, make sure you re dressed accordingly, the rides are a little costly but really fun to just lay back and look at the scenery, say hello to the people!like the saying: new york city never sleeps, it s still pretty safe at night since there s so many people. just make sure that your bags aren t loose so that thieves can reach in without you knowing--and NEVER flash your money in public.the best way to travel is by subway, bus and car rides are NEVER guaranteed and most of the time, there s traffic and you ll be moving 10 MPH at the most. the subway is cheaper and you get a better feel of what NY is really like. Also, it s a LOT cheaper. transit fairs are $2.25 and cabs range from $30 or more--and you won t even be going that far. subways go both ways, make sure you get on the RIGHT one, always ask the people who work there or an officer. when waiting for the subway, stick to the crowd of people, don t wait away from the crowds, you re more vulnerable to thieves and dangerous people when you two are just alone.most likely, the best deals are at travel agencies or just online ticket purchasing.you most definately want to take a picture in times square--http://homad.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/times-square-1024x768.jpgat night, the lights are truly magical~good luck!

don;t be in by dark thats rediculous. just stay together with your friend and dont go on a back street with no lights by yourselves. i live here and my personal favorite place is bryant park. but if you want to do the tourist thing i suggest the obvious...times square, radio city.....

Lot s of sh*t. There should be discount ticket sellers near Times Square. Most are for off-Broadway shows, but they are usually just as good, since they were originally on Broadway.And try this restaurant:

You can visit this site for Free Coupon Codes,Free Discount Coupons and Vouchers,Free Nights on Airlines and Hotelshttp://freetravel4ever.blogspot.com

Try these city tour buses, these are the best 2 companies in NYC...http://www.citysightsny.com/http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/

there are quite a few sites that you can search that will likely give you the best prices available. check out the website BookMe and you will be able to compare prices on all the reputable travel sites in just a couple minutes. it s very convenient and will save you a bunch of time and money. Also, make sure you buy them online... otherwise they charge much higher fees for phone orders. good luck.