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Take bite of Big Apple during a summer visit

New York City has it all, and it's less than six hours' drive from the Fredericksburg region.

Date published: 7/15/2006

By ROGER PETTERSON

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

This is a good time to take that trip to New York City you've been thinking about if you want to see one famous museum before it sails away for an overhaul. While you're in town, there are plenty other summer attractions around the Big Apple.

A museum setting sail? The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum--intrepidmuseum.org--the former Navy aircraft carrier moored in the Hudson River on Manhattan's West Side, is closing in October to be towed to a nearby shipyard for renovations.

Until then, you can explore this warship that was commissioned during World War II and see its aircraft displays, including a Concorde supersonic airliner.

From the Intrepid, it's a four-block walk south along the Hudson to the dock of the Circle Line--circleline42.com--where you can catch leisurely scenic cruises on New York Harbor or around the entire island of Manhattan. They also offer cruises in the evening when the city lights up against the night sky. If you prefer dry land, Gray Line--coachusa.com/newyorksight seeing--has a variety of tours, including some on open-top double-decker buses.

That walk you follow from the Intrepid to Circle Line is part of Hudson River Park--hudson riverpark.org--stretching along the West Side.

Turn away from the river and walk a few blocks east to Times Square, where TKTS, run by the Theatre Development Fund--tdf.org/tkts--has discounted tickets for many Broadway and off-Broadway shows. There is always a line, you must pay by cash or traveler's checks (no credit cards), and tickets are limited.

And if you're a repeat TKTS customer, remember that the booth has moved while its original home in Duffy Square is renovated. The new temporary TKTS outlet is just outside the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on West 46th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.

Get an advance look at the area from the photography collections at Times Square Alliance--timessquarenyc.org--and read some historical background at "Times Square: Then & Now." And there's a whole set of webcams--earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare--to show you what the crowds look like.

Get help picking out other places you want to see by visiting the city's official guide, NYC & Company--nycvisit.com--and clicking on "Visitors" for maps, events, neighborhood guides and special offers. They'll link you to hotel and restaurant directories, show you what's playing on Broadway, and give you tips on the ultimate New York experience: shopping.

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Date published: 7/15/2006