I learned a few lessons from our recent trip to New York City (99% in Manhattan):

• Walking in New York is great exercise and very safe.
• The subways in Manhattan are excellent and easy to figure out.
• People (both locals and tourists) were extremely friendly and helpful.
• Don’t take your pocket knife with you to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island (it will be confiscated and re-sold on eBay).
• SoHo is a great area for shopping, eating, and drinking.
• Taxi drivers are very good at avoiding situations that normally result in an accident.
• Always make sure it is safe to cross the street in the crosswalks.  Do not follow the crowd unless you know what you are doing.
• When the hotel reviews say the rooms are very small, believe them.
• Times Square should be experienced at least once, and then avoided if you are at all in a hurry.
• If you want a Starbucks, and you can’t see one where you are standing, then walk a block and I’m pretty sure you’ll see one then.