1001 questions - city passes, tipping, discount codes for...

I%26#39;m planning a 7 days trip to NY just before Easter with my three sons ( ages 16, 13 and 10 ). We%26#39;re used to travel abroad quite frequently and as usual i do my ';homework'; beforehand to make the most of it and avoid unpleasant surprises. I%26#39;ve been reading the posts here and surfing the net to collect as much useful info as possible and it%26#39;s been quite helpful, but i still have 1001 questions left ( well, not as many, but still a few - no wonder, it%26#39;s a trip we%26#39;ve been dreaming about for long ). Hoping to get some advice, here are a few questions.

I found out there are 2 different passes for NY: the NY pass and the City Pass. As the last one doesn%26#39;t include some of the attractions we%26#39;d like to visit ( Madame Tussaud%26#39;s for instance ), is it worth buying the NY pass? Or is it too expensive considering the benefits and the lenght of our stay? None of them include bus or subway fares, so i%26#39;ll still have to buy Metrocard, am i right? I think both include SOL, but do they include a visit to the inside? Or is it still necessary to book it through www. statuereservations. com? Might sound silly ( i read it%26#39;s quite strenous to climb all the stairs ), but as we%26#39;re first time visitors and quite fit ( i hope... ) i think we should give it a try.

Thanks to my ';researches'; i%26#39;m now quite aware of the ';tipping'; procedures, in many ways different from our own. One question still: if we manage to attend a show, probably an usherette will take us to our seats. How much is the acceptable tip in such situation ?

Now to the shows. I%26#39;m considering booking seats for Stomp, as i think my kids might like it. I%26#39;ve been looking for discounted codes namely on broadwaybox but so far the ones i%26#39;ve found expire the week before we arrive. Is it likely there will be further ones for the time we%26#39;ll be staying there?

Last question ( for now ). I posted it on someone else%26#39;s topic, but as i didn%26#39;t get any answers i%26#39;m not sure if it wasn%26#39;t noticed or if there%26#39;s no way around it. I%26#39;ve read about the Big Apple Greeters and thought it might be a great idea to schedule a greeter, mainly because an insider view might help us a lot getting familiar with the small issues that an outsider probably finds confusing. So i filled in the form and sent it, but got a negative response as apparently the place where we%26#39;re going to stay ( Your Stay Broadway Apartments ) has no answering machine. I%26#39;ve sent an email to rentals@yourstay.com asking if they could provide a phone number i could forward to bigapplegreeters and they replied telling me they aren%26#39;t able to do it until 3 days before our arrival as until then they won%26#39;t know in which apartment we%26#39;re going to stay. I%26#39;ll be taking my cell phone, but it looks like that doesn%26#39;t help as they need a local phone number. Any ideas on how to solve this problem or should i just forget it?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Hope my english is understandable ( not my native native language, but i suppose if i%26#39;d write in portuguese i wouldn%26#39;t get many answers...)

1001 questions - city passes, tipping, discount codes for...

First, your English is perfect, can%26#39;t believe it%26#39;s not your native language.

I can%26#39;t help with everything, but I%26#39;ll help with some anyway. I%26#39;m not too familiar with the city passes and what they cover. I think you need to be sure of the timing, because some of them must be used in two days if I%26#39;m correct. That%26#39;d be too much running around for me.

Regarding the Big Apple Greeter regulations -- perhaps there%26#39;s a main number for Your Stay Bwy Apartments that would be acceptable to BAG? I%26#39;m a Greeter but I don%26#39;t work in the office so I%26#39;m not familiar with their requirements. I know the rules are to protect the volunteers, and they do require a local phone number.

As to the discount codes, most are renewed. You should try and order your tickets online and just enter the code you found that%26#39;s about to expire. If it doesn%26#39;t work, wait a week or so and check back with broadwaybox.com. Also register at playbill.com -- it%26#39;s a free membership. Usually playbill.com%26#39;s codes are also posted on broadwaybox.com, but it%26#39;s worth double checking anyway.

By the way, you do not tip ushers in theaters (unfortunately for them!).

1001 questions - city passes, tipping, discount codes for...

The NYCitypass is valid for 9 days but doesn%26#39;t include the SOL.I used this pass when I was in NYC last summer..It%26#39;s worth checking out the following link http://citypass.com/city/ny.html.

The NYpass is only valid for 24 hours, so I think it would be a bit of a rush trying to fit things in. This one does however include the SOL( I assume it%26#39;s the ferry ticket, and not the entrance to the Statue as that is a separate thing altogether). Here%26#39;s the link http://www.newyorkpass.com/index2.asp

You can%26#39;t go all the way to the crown any more. There%26#39;s a trip which lets you go inside the base of the statue and up the plinth I believe. There%26#39;s a site with a link for tickets..http://www.nps.gov/stli/

Thanks so much for your help. I contacted Your Stay again and got a main number, now i%26#39;m crossing my fingers and hoping BAG will accept it. Would be very disappointing if they would turn it down, as i%26#39;ve read such wonderful reviews about their service! As a matter of fact, i%26#39;m a bit scared, being the only adult in charge of 3 kids in such a huge city...

Still have some questions and maybe someone here can help. We most probably will use subway and busses a lot. I found out there is a 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard and a 7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard. Do express busses represent a real advantage comparing to local busses considering our purpose ( not spending too much time in getting from one place to the other ) ?

What time is rush hour ? Is it worse on fridays ( we%26#39;ll arrive and depart on a friday ) ?

I read it%26#39;s advisable for tourists to keep a ';low profile';, walking as if they know exactly where they are going and not looking up at the buildings. I hope it%26#39;s a bit exagerated, as most certainly i%26#39;ll be needing to look at a map often for directions. I%26#39;d also like to know if it%26#39;s safe to use a camera ( both photo and video ) while on the streets.

Again, i%26#39;ll apppreciate your experienced suggestions.

Express buses are used by commuters from the outer boroughs and suburbs. You won%26#39;t use them at all.

I never understand why tourists are warned against looking like tourists. But there%26#39;s something to be said about not looking like a target. While NY is the safest big city in the country, there%26#39;s still petty crime, and it%26#39;s easy to ruin a vacation by having your bag, wallet, camera stolen. I see people all the time who are oblivious to their surroundings -- standing on a corner with their wallet out, making a tempting treat for some thief riding by on a bicycle, or sitting in a restaurant with their bag casually slung over the back of their chair. So, my advice is to enjoy youself, don%26#39;t worry about looking like a tourist (we can tell the differrence anyway), but take simple precautions and use common sense. I never feel paranoid, but I%26#39;m always aware of who%26#39;s around me too.

Thanks so much Bettina for your help. I say, you ( and all the NYorkers here ) are a real gem! Can%26#39;t tell you how much your posts help us visitors to find an answer for all the questions that trouble us - you probably know how valuable it is! I%26#39;ve learned quite a lot just reading them and can%26#39;t wait to get there.