We went to NY in August in 2003 with four children, and saw and did just about everything in a few days. As one who's been living in California for many years, it's amazing how walkable Manhattan is -- from our theater district hotel we walked to ground zero, to the ferries, to Central Park and the museums. I think the only thing we missed seeing was MOMA's temporary home, plus I refused to wait in long lines for the Empire State Building (I'd done that particular tourist attraction at age 7, and did not remember being particularly impressed). It's an incredible city, and I don't think you can go wrong whatever you do, even if it's just walking the streets for hours. Also, drivers seemed much more considerate of pedestrians than they are here.

One note of warning: the weather can change dramatically in just a few moments, and we were totally unprepared when the sunshine turned into a deluge and flooding -- severe enough that the subways stopped running. Now I can laugh about it, but traveling back to our hotel -- wet and cold on an air conditioned bus -- was not a highlight of the trip.

JoAnne in Silicon Valley, CA