Input on Big Apple vacation

The girlfriend and I are leaving for NYC on the 30th ... doing the whole New Year's vacation in New York thing. I know it's going to be packed all week long, but we've been looking forward to this trip for about seven months now.

I've got the rock ready to put on her finger the first night we get there on top of the Empire State Building. We've pretty much decided against trying to deal with all that chaos that is Times Square on New Year's Eve (we're going elsewhere to bring in the New Year).

We've got tickets to a few places and few restaurants in mind, but I wanted to get some input from SportsJournalists.com nation on do's and don'ts and things to do/places to see while we're there.

To give a timetable, we'll check in our hotel at 3 p.m. on the 30th and return home on Thursday, Jan. 3 (early, so not much time for anything).

A few things already on the list:
Yankee Stadium
Empire State Building
Guggenheim
Rockefeller Center
Modern Art Museum
Museum of Natural History

... so, any help would definitely be ... uh, helpful.

 

Central Park.

 

Staten Island ferry.

 

I meant to add that. We're definitely going to see one, but I have no idea which one yet. She wants to see The Little Mermaid, but every show is sold out while we're there. I could get them off StubHub and other places, but I can't pay $200 apiece.

So, input on good shows would be helpful, too.

 

I'm going for Christmas, but will be long gone before you get there. I know we're hitting Central Park, Rockefeller Center and several bars. Beyond that? The world is our oyster.

 

Having a very limited plan is my favorite way to visit NYC. I go for about a week each summer and just make up each day as it comes along, basically exploring a different part of the city each day.

And sorry Moddy, I still haven't seen a show -- unless you count a Pearl Jam concert.

 

We'll definitely be in Central Park. I think we're going to go for the New Year's thing out there -- fireworks, watch the people do the midnight run, all that jazz.

 

NYC is so diverse, there's no one answer for all people. What does your fiance-to-be like, besides you?

 

She likes the normal stuff -- shopping, shows, sight-seeing. She's pretty open to anything.

I guess you could look at us as the typical tourists.

 

What kind of food and music does she like?

 

I will second the Staten Island Ferry, though it will likely be freezing. I've never been on it, but the view is apparently spectacular.