First time out of NYC and need advice please!

[mskaufman]

One other piece of advice.  Be on deck for the trip down the Hudson River.  Both ways, even if it is early in the morning coming back.

[markeb]

50 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Nightmare thank you for your feedback;  I will skip the bus in the city

 

Two things.

 

I wholeheartedly agree on the Downtown loops. Those seem to be the most popular, busiest, and the worst traffic.

 

The Uptown loop is worth considering. You're not going to cover that terrain efficiently, and you probably won't hop off anyway. Grant's Tomb, Harlem, The Apollo Theater, etc., are pretty cool historical exteriors. I did both once; hated Downtown for all the reasons mentioned, plus rain. Loved Uptown.

 

The night bus, which isn't a HOHO, is supposed to be great. I'd at least check it out.

 

But using a HOHO for transportation from Times Square to Battery Park is sort of guaranteed to be frustrating. Others will disagree...

[AF-1]

Thank you markeb

[mking8288]

IMHO, the HOHO as in "Big Bus" running thru various Manhattan neighborhood is fine on weekends (i.e. Saturday for OP, it's Halloween) as it many major avenues (north/south), plus cross town route (east/west) on exclusive bus-only lanes - for one's convenience.  

 

Weekdays, I concur about avoiding the downtown loop - but, if mobility is a factor, the Big Bus should not be ruled out ... avoid sitting on the upper open-air deck.  Downstairs is air-conditioned & protected against weather ... Not the best nor fastest way to get around town.  

 

Big Bus making a left turn, southboard from Broadway onto Canal Street to head east for Chinatown/Little Italy ... while other HOHO continue south on Broadway on the bus-only lane.