Sights to See and Places to Eat

New York City Museums - A list of Museums that may capture your interest.

Restaurants in Manhattan - Looking for a taste of the city? Look no further.

Tourist Attractions in Manhattan - Not to be missed on any visit!

Getting around NYC - Some links and maps that will help you navigate the city.

Tours into New York City

We are planning fabric shopping tours (some with museums included and some not) for Thursday, April 28, possibly also April 29 and May 2. There will also be listings of fabric stores, shopping areas, etc, on the website and at the convention when you arrive.

Please note: We've been asked about handicapped accessibility for getting into and around Manhattan as well as the stores and museums. The Transit Authority says that they can accept wheelchairs on the buses (http://mta.info/accessibility/transit.htm#buses) and some (but not all) subway stops have elevators (http://mta.info/accessibility/stations.htm#manhattan) so that you can use the trains.   The Port Authority terminal is right across the street from a lot of the fabric stores. However, the stores often have 2-3 steps up to the entries and the aisles can be tight. The museums are always accessible.

We are also planning on taking mass transit into the city which will include a transfer (sadly there is no direct route into NYC from the hotel). If you wish to drive in on your own, there are lots of places to park but be aware it can be pricey. The Port Authority (just outside Lincoln Tunnel in near 40th Street) costs $28/12 hour – others might be cheaper but PA is pretty convenient.  The Lincoln Tunnel is $8 going in and free coming out.

Tours:

1) Shopping and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) – all day Thursday April 28. Will include bead/trim shops in the morning, a quick lunch, FIT (they are having an exhibit on 'His and Hers' - gender and fashion over the past 250 years - http://fitnyc.edu/9046.asp), then the rest of the time will be spent fabric shopping. This will not include dinner but we'll try and give you ideas of places to eat if you want to stay in the city.
Please note: this tour includes a lot of walking!
Contact: If you are planning on taking this tour, please contact by April 25 so we know who will be coming.
Meeting place and time: Leaving from the hotel lobby at 9:30 AM sharp. Diane Kovalcin will be heading the tour.

2) Shopping on your own – a map and list of NYC shops or shopping areas for your costuming needs. Those who wish can come with the FIT group on Thursday, April 28th (and then go off on their own) to get an idea of how to get into and out of the city.
Contact: We may have a guide on these depending on interest on Friday, April 29th or Monday May 2nd. If you want to be guided around, please contact by April 25 and indicate which day you would prefer.

3) Sightseeing on your own – a map and list of tourist sights in Manhattan (with nearby subway stops). Will include how to get lower priced tickets for Broadway plays for that day. Keep in mind that a lot of museums are closed on Monday (Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, etc). The Natural History Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian are open every day. Please check with the museum ahead of time so that you won't be disappointed.

4) Back-stage tour cancelled - The Metropolitan Opera backstage tours are both sold out for 4/29 and 5/3. When asked about additional tours, they said that it's extremely unlikely that the Met's schedule would be able to accommodate another tour session. Unfortunately, a number of museums are either no longer giving tours or will be in between exhibits during the convention.