Get on the private jet....you got a friend in NYC....:-)
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Lombardi's is good but my personal favorite in Manhattan is John's on Bleeker in the village. Katz deli is a good choice if you want real corned beef or pastrami.
My recommendations for things to do are:

Get half price tickets for a broadway show at the twofer booth in times square. The rest of times square is just overpriced shopping and millions of tourists so skip it unless you go for the tickets.

Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, or Natural History museum. Met, Gugenheim, and Nat Hist are all on Central Park. In fact it's a nice walk straight across the park from Met to Nat Hist.

Little Italy in manhattan has nice places to eat including La Bella Ferrara which is my favorite bakery. There's another (some say better) little italy on Arthur Ave in the Bronx but it's tougher for a visitor to get to.

Ground Zero. And it's a short walk west from ground zero to southstreet seaport. I used to love the area when the fulton fish market was there but they've moved it to hunt's point. But they do have an exhibition there called bodies which my wife and I went to. Unforgettable. There's also a beautiful view of the brooklyn bridge from there.

Check out the calendar at lincoln center for classical and jazz if you like that.
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If you want a memorable dinner go to Babbo's http://www.babbonyc.com/. It's hard to make reservations for but is worth it. Very pricey, but they have a tasting menu along with wine and they make it a wonderful experience. So if you want to make it a special weekend this is great way to top it off.
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I must admit that I love the aesthetics of the cosmetics floor of Macy's. It's decorated for Christmas right now, so it doesn't quite have the usual magic, but they've found the perfect balance between ancient Egyptian spa and advanced science laboratory/clean-room. It's a trip and you have to see it, even if you have zero interest in cosmetics, like me.
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'Atsa too maaaaach!
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Plus, you can pair it with a nice stop at The Shake Shack (yes, even in December).
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If you go to Arthur Ave, which I highly recommend! Do not go on Sunday; everything is closed.
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I am taking notes! Thanks for all the recommendations. LOTS to do in so little time!
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Bodies is a cool exhibit, but many people object to the means in which the subjects are used for the exhibit. There's just a little something about Chinese people being used as part of an exhibit without their consent. :-)
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Remember the Statue of Liberty is in JERSEY!:-)

So is the home of some of the best pizza in the world! And not to mention we don't have a 75% Tabacco Tax:-)

Have fun Brother. If I can make it up one nite we'll meet up in the city.
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Looks like somebody flunked geography class.... :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

See location under large photo on right. :-)
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That page can easily be corrected!

It's a common misconception.

http://www.aboutnewjersey.com/Region...of-liberty.php

Happy reading!
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The statue is situated in Upper New York Bay on Liberty Island, south of Ellis Island. Both islands were ceded by New York to the federal government in 1800. As agreed in an 1834 compact between New York and New Jersey that set the state border at the bay's midpoint, the original islands remain New York territory despite their location on the New Jersey side of the state line. Land created by reclamation at Ellis is New Jersey territory.

Its there in black and white....
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Well that's awful. :-) Used to be Jersey! In a Jersians eyes, it'll always be Jersey!:-):-)
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I read about the controversy after we had visited. Still not positive one way or the other whether everything was done in good faith by the exhibitors. But the value of the exhibit IMO makes it worth a visit anyway. If I have a chance I will probably go again - it was that powerful.
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Trip is official! Booked my Jet Blue flight to La Guardia. Now I just need accomadations. Thanks for all the tips!
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Just jumped on. My flight weather permitting leaves at 9am tomorrow! Bringing the wife and kids to see New York at Christmas time. I could not remember Ferrara's for the life of me. Some great suggestions, you guys made. Also juniors for cheese cake!!
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Ahhh........
The old us NJ's v. them NY's over the statue is ours or theirs by virtue of where Liberty Island is situated.

I think we might as well add the NY Giants and NY Jets to this discussion.
Oh wait.....dear me.....how silly.......NY, go ahead and keep the Jets. :-)
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Keep 'em both...there's only one NY NFL team...the Buffalo Bills!
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:-). I always forget the Bills. Amazing how NY has 3 football teams, two of which share a home stadium in NJ and NJ has 0 teams. Now I don't care who you are, there is something wrong with that picture!

But it's been so long, it just the norm now. :-)
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