Travel Aids......

We couldn't have made it without the following:

• Good overview maps... just to see the layout of the city and the boroughs.
• Good walking shoes.... get over it... you WILL look like a tourist, but they are essential.
• A smart phone..... great apps available... our most used were Hop Stop (transportation routing around the city), Fodor's NYC Guide, Garmin GPS, Museum A Go Go, and the one we WISH we had found earlier on Central Park!  (Has a feature to let you know where YOU are and where the nearest bathrooms are..... also historical background on each statue and venue in the park...
• Podcasts..... we used them for entertainment, tours, background information..... BEST by far was the Bowery Boys who had a backlog of historical information on so many of the places we went. But also helpful were Insider Travel Guides, I Walked Audio Tours, The City Concealed,  Made in New York and the New York Historical Society.... all of them were free on Itunes.
• An open mind about subway and bus transportation.... forays into the world of taxis was not enjoyable.
• Friendly helpful people.... from the doorman in the building, the tram operator at Roosevelt Island, the guard at the Frick, the chef in the Polish restaurant  to the waiters and waitresses.... New Yorkers can be extremely helpful.... Exception: anyone whose job was security (United Nations Building, 9-11 Memorial Site etc.)
• Friends and relatives who made the stay easier and much more enjoyable... Celeste and Joseph.... many thanks!