Hi guys,am off to New York in Feb for 5 days and was wondering if anyone could give me some recomendations on the "must sees" while I am there and give me some hints on good shopping bargains, restaurants etc. Thanks!

Hi, was in NY last September. I did most of the touristy things. Go to a broadway show, que at the TKTS booth in Times Square for 50% discounted tickets (be prepared to que for hours though). Before I went to NY, I was advised to visit the Empire State Building at night time/dusk, I visited one night, but all you could see was lights, didn't know NY well enough to know where anything was! The virtual tour of NY in the Empire State Building isn't worth the money. A bus tour is also really worthwhile, can't remember which one I got, I got it from my hotel. The ticket lasted for 48 hours I think, and 3 tours were included in that (East, West and by night). Macy's was the best place for discounted quality goods, although I didn't venture too far looking for shops.

These websites might be useful: nycvisit.com, ny.com, newyorkcity.com

Also info@bigapplegreeter.org is a non-profit organisation that greets new visitors to the city, and shows them around without a fee.

Enjoy.

From an architecture perspective I recommend:

Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum
Mies's Seagram Building
SOM's Lever House right next door
Central Park
Empire State Builing
Woolworth Building - beautiful lobby
Rockefeller Center

Ride the $2? air tram to Roosevelt Island. Great View of the city and Queensborough Bridge.

Take the free Staten Island ferry. Nice views and you can see the Statue of Liberty.

I'd just walk around the city and pretend like you live there. Get out of Times Square!

Go to Century 21 for shopping bargains. It's downtown - right across the street from the old WTC site. You won't find better bargains in NYC.

Oh yeah, and avoid the chain restaurants like the plague. Places like Applebees, Chevys, Fridays, etc. New Yorkers can never get over why torists line up to get into places like this when they can be found at every mall in America. There are so many amazing restaurants in New York - be adventurous or get a Zagats guide.