Skip driving a car or taking a cab. These are nightmares in the city. Time consuming and costly. You might want to take a taxi or use Uber or one of the many companies like that that charge a flat fare. That said, the subway and buses aren’t too difficult when you look at a map. AND if you have a charge or debit card with a wifi symbol on it, you can tap and go! No need to buy a metro card.

Much of Manhattan is on a grid pattern till you venture below 14th Street. The avenues (Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue etc) are North/South streets. The numbered streets (42nd Street etc) are East/West. Which makes it a little easier to figure out which direction you are going.

Rule number one about New York City: Everything takes longer than you think it will! I can't emphasize that enough. Most people visiting the city for the first time, try to schedule too many things to do.

Ask a local - a New Yorker! So you’re having difficulty figuring out where you are or how to get where you want to go or even where to eat. Just ask a New Yorker. New Yorkers tend to be very nice and very helpful!

Seriously, tour books don’t direct you to the Real New York. You will end up going to all the places that other tourists go to! That’s my opinion of course.