What do Europeans like to do/see in NY area

NYC would be easy. Same tourist interest as any other. If they bring their guide book they'll be busy enough.

Many Europeans like to see a typical American sports event. So schedules and instructions on how to get tickets for Baseball, Football, Basketball would be nice.

What is the appeal of NYC? Are you kidding?

Let's see...Broadway, museums, Times Square, Greenwich Village, Fifth Avenue, shopping, wall Street, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty...need I go on...

It's like asking: What's the appeal of Paris or London or Rome.....

You can help them by having information on transportation options to NY and Philadelphia.

Since it's July, you might leave the info on the best beaches to go to on the Jersey shore.

I would add Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Ellis Island, the Met, a Yankees game, Central Park, China town, SoHo....PAm

If they love music, the New York Philharmonic is great!
But July could be off season for them. But concerts of all styles of music in the summer are going on. The clubs with live music are so much fun in Greenwich Village!

The things I loved doing when I first visited New York were...

Going to see an Off-Broadway play. I enjoyed that a lot more than when I was taken to see a Broadway musical which didn't particularly seem to tell me anything about American or NY culture.

Visiting The Cloisters. I personally love anything medieval, but it was just nice to get out of the noise and bedlam of the city.

Visiting all the department stores.

Spending a day exploring the whole of Central Park.

I have shown people from Europe around NYC many times. They always want to go to the top of the Empire State Bldg and to the Statue of Liberty. The ferry ride there provides the best view of the NY skyline. Ironically some of the best views of downtown NY are from the Jersey side of the Hudson. You can take a ferry there or if coming from NJ, it is easy to
get there from the NJ Tpke.

Other places people always want to go to include Macys, the Metropolitan Museum which is right on Central Park that you can combine visits. The bus ride down 5th
Avenue (it is one way) from the Met to midtown is very interesting.

IMPOSSIBLE to park in the city without spending a fortune on parking lots/garages.

I know that NYC is amazing, as are the Jersey beaches. I'm just surprised that my exchange family has not told me of their specific interests as I have been very vocal with them about all the things I am looking forward to doing while I am in their home in Paris. I also want to help them make their trip here memorable. Perhaps they are referring to a guide book to plan their trip and that's why they have not asked for my help. To me however on my end, it has seemed like they aren't all that interested. I love talking about my trip, maybe they are just more lowkey about it? PS. (Frank) when you respond, please try to not make me sound like such an idiot, unless it pleases you to insult me again.

If you haven't already, I would be totally proactive and get info typed out as to where the closest NJ Rail station is, where to park there, how much is a peak/off peak ticket. They certainly won't want to be driving into NYC. Give them info on how to get to Hoboken as well as NY Penn Station (advise them that there is a Newark Penn Station and that is NOT where they want to spend their day sightseeing. Take out a bunch of guide books from the library for them. How about directions to Princeton and to Lambertville and New Hope. Nice daytrips for them. Also, Delaware Water Gap and Philly as someone else said.

From Hoboken they can take the NJ Light Rail to the Liberty Science Center which has a new exhibit starting in a few weeks on natural disasters which looks neat and has recently been renovated. Near you they'll like to see Point Pleasant or Seaside Heights - nowhere like that in France. Sandy Hook, Red Bank, and Spring Lake obviously are closeby. Make a list of fun restaurants - we love Klein's in Belmar and the Tiki Bar on PP. Explain to them about beach passes/tags too.

Research which museums are "donation suggested: like the Met and which you have to pay for. Explain to them about Metro Cards and if for tolls what EZ Pass is. I'd suggest they see Brooklyn - maybe walk over the brooklyn Bridge and dine in Brooklyn Heights. They may be interested in hiking - lots of great hikes you can suggest.

Research what shows are on (and off) Broadway. Explain the TKTS booth. There is so much information you can give them! I live in Maplewood - I know a friend of mine brought her french relatives here for lunch once to show them a typical American village. definitely be pro-active and be sure they are well equipped with information!

Kerry,

NYC has so many sites that are well-known across the world. I just went there for the first time in my life over spring break. And I certainly didn't need anybody's help to tell me to see the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty or pointing out any of the famous musuems. They've all been on my to-do list for decades. That's why I didn't post questions on NY sightseeing on any travel websites nor did I ask any friends who live in/close to NY.

The only time I needed help and went over to the tripadvisor forum was on how to get tickets cheaply for expensive events - Broadway and Knicks in our case. And was frustrated that I couldn't get them because the cheap websites only allowed expensive shipping to Canada and not will-call (for the Knicks). Didn't allow us to give a NY address either if the CC used for payment has a Canadian billing address ... The websites for Broadway tickets were just not very clear on their shipping/will-call policies. Our guide book was fine in explaining the TKKS which we eventually used.

BTW if those folks know Paris they probably know also quite well that you shouldn't take a car into NY. I think that's the only place I've been lately that had parking rates comparable/higher than Calgary ...

As a native New Yorker, I was somewhat shocked, especially from someone living in New Jersey, asking "what is the appeal of the US/NYC/NY etc..for them" A European would want to see the same as anyone else.

Europeans, and especially the French, are more reserved, than Americans. While you might consider it completely normal to share every bit of your trip with them, they tend to take longer to open up...if at all.

I'm not surprised that they are spending the day showing you Paris. Most Parisians are very proud of their city and they should be.

The best thing you can do is not worry about them having a good time. I'm sure you've offered to help but they have not responded. The leave it at that. As stated in other postings, have transportation information available about how to get into Manhattan. You might also want to let them know that driving and parking in NYC can be much worse than Paris.

NYC is the second most visited place in the U.S. Chances are, the people staying in your home have probably talked to their friends who have already been to NY and gotten lots of information from them.

In addition to transportation options, you might also want to have information on events occurring in your area during their stay...concerts, sporting events (especially soccer at Giants Stadium--New York Red Bulls). Plus info on local food shopping, bakeries, specialty stores, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc. And considering where you live....outlet malls.

Someone mentioned going to an off Broadway rather than a Broadway production. I might mention that Broadway/Off Broadway refers to theatre size rather than location. Very few theatres are actually ON Broadway. I can't remember the seating size to be considered Broadway, but it is more than off Broadway. Therefore, off Broadway shows are often more intimate.
I'll be in New York City next week.

We saw "Rock of Ages" off-Broadway in March. Very entertaining! The advantage of the smaller size (under 500 seats) in the off-Broadway theatres is that the cheap seats you get at TKTS, often those in the back of the theatre, still offer good views. Cheap seats in a larger theatre can really cheapen your experience ...

As a born and bred New Yorker, I can explain the difference between Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-off Broadway.

A "Broadway" theater has over 500 seats. (Originally, it had to be either on Broadway or within a block or two of a street intersecting Broadway and in what it known as the Theater District--approx. 40th to 54th St.)

An "Off Broadway" theater has between 100 and 500 seats.

An "Off Off Broadway" theater has 99 seats or less.

That's very interesting about the Broadway and off-Broadway thing being about theatre size. I didn't realise that. I assumed it was more about the type of production being put on. I kind of think of the West End in London being about the commercial productions and big theatre companies and the fringe as being about the small companies, new writers and more edgy/obscure plays (although there is obviously cross-over). I kind of assumed the Broadway/off-Broadway was more about an attitude and state of mind rather than just theatre size.

Laura, quite a few musicals started as off-Broadway productions and moved to Broadway: A Chorus Line, Rent, Avenue Q, Little Shop of Horrors, Godspell and Hair are just a few.