Great post!
I’ve lived here since 1998 and hosted several different types people of all, some urbane to small town and have never had any had a bad time with any of them , you just have to spend sone time and effort to research and plan accordingly.
Events have included: ferry trip to Staten Island and back for a drive by of Lady Liberty - takes you relatively close without having to go there as that is a good half day plus trip
Intrepid Museum- wanna see an aircraft carrier in person and walk the deck - breathtaking. Last I went they had one if the original Concorde jets (tiny) and akso had (have?) Space Shuttle as well.
Experience the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the first space shuttle Enterprise, and other pieces of history at the Intrepid Museum.
m.intrepidmuseum.org
Central Park
9/11 Museum or the Met, Whitney, MOMA and many more, including - dog and sex museums.
Rockefeller Center and the Midtown Department store’s Christmas window treatments.
Amazing authentic food of all types.
Regarding Time Square, much safer now then in the bad old days where pickpockets, prostitution and drug dealers were right in toy face, as well as sex shows of all types - any one who bemoans the “commercialization” of those area either have/ had abnormal avocations and/or lack compassion god those who suffered when Times Square wasn’t cleaned up - plenty of archival footage that shows it online.
NYC still has plenty of character, you just have to know where to look and some of it requires a trip to the outer boroughs.
For a quick trip - ton to do without leaving Manhattan, excluding Lady Liberty trip.
