Nine days in New York City on a budget

The main reason to go to this museum is to see the dinosaurs. They have an excellent dinosaur exhibit. The planatarium show was OK, but not outstanding. The still life exhibits are rather dull. This attraction may have been more fun for children or families.

My mom is a huge Beatles fan so we had to stop at the Dakota and Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Do not try to stand on the front stoop for a picture...the doorman will yell at you.

Chinatown is full of little trinket shops. It's a good place to go for cheap souvenirs. Most seem to stay open until about 8 p.m. For cheap eats, you'll have many options, but I recommend 69 Bayard St. It has interesting decor, good service, not really busy, and tasty food. It is also a few doors down from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory which is a great and unique place to get dessert. They have exotic flavors of ice cream. I recommend the "Almond Cookie" flavor.

I'm not sure what to say here. The memorial pictures and flowers are moving and add to the solemn contemplation of those who lost their lives here. The rebuilding project brings hope admidst the devastation. I can't wait to see it complete.

Little Italy is a great place to go to eat. The first time I was there, we ate at a pizza place on the corner of Spring and Mulberry. Everyone said to eat at Lombardi's but the wait was long, so we went a little further down the street. I can't remember the name of the place, but the pizza was great. We got sausage and the huge chunks of sausage were unlike any I've ever had on pizza. Delicious! The best part was...no wait! The second time we ate at DaNico Restaurante on Mulberry Street for lunch. They had amazing pasta and the atmosphere was really nice. Of course, you can't go wrong in Little Italy.

The best (and cheapest) way to see the Statue of Liberty is to take the FREE Staten Island ferry. You may have a bit of a wait to board. Make sure you board on the right side going to Staten Island and on the left side coming back for a view of the statue. With any luck, you'll get a seat and can enjoy the leisurely ride.

Grand Central Terminal has amazing marble architecture and the constellation ceiling is really neat, but I also recommend picking up some New York Cheesecake from Junior's in the dining concourse.

The Bronx Zoo is a good little zoo. I've seen better, but for a city zoo, it's quite impressive. Tip: Go on Wednesday when admission is free. Do NOT make a donation unless you really want to. Instead, save your money for admission into the gorilla exhibit which costs additional. Our favorite stop was the "mouse house." The tiger and bear exhibits were neat as well.

Gallery-hopping in Chelsea is a good way to spend a few hours, if you are interested in contemporary art. Our favorite gallery was InterArt at 225 10th Ave. It features Northern European paintings. Very surreal. Do NOT, i repeat, do NOT eat in Chelsea if this can at all be avoided. Sure the food is good, but EXPENSIVE!

If you like bookstores, which I do, then you MUST go to The Strand on Broadway in New York. It's large and full of books both new and old. In the basement they have rare collections. There is a reason why their tagline is "18 miles of books."

We didn't have a lot of time, so we only saw the outside of this landmark, but I do have a tip for you: If you are coming from Grand Central Station, cut down Park Ave. and turn right on 41st Street to get to the library. Along the way, are 96 bronze plaques in the sidewalk with different quotations on them to get you in the literary mood.

In my opinion this museum is a little over-rated. I liked the permanent exhibit, and maybe I would have liked it better if the featured exhibit wasn't about a contemporary architect whose style was a little too "out there" for my taste. The Pollack's were neat. The main attraction for me was seeing the building and being inside the space. If you go, I recommend going on a Friday evening when it's free. At $18, I felt the admission was rather pricey.

If you love German Expressionism (like I do) then this is a must-see museum. If not, then you can probably pass it up. The interior is a really interesting Art Nouveau decor.

This is a definite must-see in New York. 1) It has a great collection and 2) it's free! If you only go to one art museum and you want to see art from ancient times to modern, go to the MET. TIP: If you want to save money, pack a lunch and either eat in Central Park or on the stairs outside the museum. However, you may have to share your sandwich with the birds.

OK, it's Times Square, and you've gotta see it, and you've gotta see it at night when the garbage is offset by the sparkly lights and billboards. If you want to splurge, get tickets for a broadway show at TKTS for 1/2 price, day of show. Or, try your luck at the lotteries for free tickets. Lottery for Wicked is a the box office at 6:00 I believe. Spelling Bee (next door) was at 6:30.

The MOMA has a great collection. It also has a hefty admission, so if you can go on the friday free night, so much the better. However, the amazing pieces inside are well worth it. TIP: Do not go on Saturday as it was SUPER crowded. I'm not sure about other days, but we went on a Saturday morning and the crowd really hindered the mood. Some key pieces: Van Gogh's Starry Night, Picasso's Mademoiselles D'Avignon, and Unique Forms of Continuity in Space by Boccioni.

Again, I felt this museum was a little over-rated. If you really like Edward Hopper, then by all means, go. But we went to their "Full House" showcase of their whole collection and it was good, but not great. Admission is $15, but on Friday evenings it's free.

This place is awesome, for adults and kids alike. Swallow your pride and dance on the giant keyboard. It's a great, free way to kill an hour or two and have a lot of fun. If you have kids, be warned, the toys are not cheap.

This is kind of an odd, quirky, fun museum. It really approaches the subject from a mature, historical perspective. Not for the modest or easily embarrassed. For me, it didn't get awkward until the film section. The gift shop has some neat items at the end.