Top 5 New York City Attractions to Avoid

New York City is a must-see destination for tourists from around the world. I visit the city nearly every fall and have yet to scratch the surface of all the city has to offer. The itineraries of my first visits were based upon the recommendations of well-known travel guides and websites. Sometimes these guides were right on.  However, some sites in New York City that should only be seen if you have extra time. Others should be avoided at all costs! I'm not saying that all of the places listed below are terrible (though some are). I've placed them on the list because they are inconvenient, don't live up the hype, are too expensive, or are painfully boring!

Museum of Natural History Dinosaur

1. Museum of Natural History- Billed as one of New York City's top museums, it doesn't live up to the hype. Even though the Night at the Museum movies have created plenty of buzz for this longstanding attraction, the place is boring. There were a few exhibits I liked, such as the dinosaur fossils and the redwood tree cutout, but it takes forever to travel between the good exhibits because the museum is so large.  Most of the exhibits are cheesy displays that reminded me of an elementary project fair. It appeared to me that many of the museum's exhibit's have not been updated since the museum's founding in 1869. At $16 ($32 if you want to see special exhibits, IMAX films, or planetarium shows), the museum is simply not worth the time or money.

2. TKTS Ticket Booth- For those of you hoping to see a Broadway show while in New York City, the TKTS Ticket Booth is not the way to go. Located in Times Square, the booth offers deep discounts on Broadway shows. But to get those tickets, you will need to stand in line for hours with no guarantee that the tickets won't be sold out by the time you get to the front of the line. If you are lucky enough get tickets for a premium show, they will most likely be in the nosebleed section. After waiting in line for two hours, I was able to score tickets to Phantom of the Opera at nearly half off. When we arrived at the show, we found that our seats were in the last row of the theater!  The next time we bucked up and bought tickets ahead of time. Yes, we paid more, but the seats were excellent, making the whole experience more enjoyable.

Magnolia Bakery

3. Magnolia Bakery- The bakery made famous by Sex in the City is crowded, crazy, and just not that good! Rather than spending your time fighting tourists for an overly sweet cupcake, instead spend you money at any neighborhood bakery. You'll have time (and space) to sit down, relax, and enjoy your desert without getting shoved out the door.

4. Sylvia's- Sylvia's was the biggest let-down on my last visit to New York City. Having seen Sylvia's on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food, I figured it was a certain grand slam. Buried deep in Harlem, the best part of my visit to Sylvia's was that I walked 20 minutes through Harlem to get there.  Like many tourist traps eateries in New York City, Sylvia's is crowded, loud, and you must wait in line to be seated. In the end, it's soul food does not live up to the billing! Rather than eating world class soul food promised by Adam of Man vs. Food, you are simply offered bland greasy southern food. Not terrible, just not worth all the hoopla. Next time I visit Harlem, I'm going to try one of the smaller, lesser known soul food establishments.

Battery Park 9/11 Memorial

5. Ground Zero- I understand that placing ground zero on a list of places to avoid could be taboo, but hear me out. If you want to visit ground zero because of the terrible event that took place there on 9/11 and pay your respects to the fallen, I completely understand and encourage such a visit. On the other hand, if you are looking to view the rubble or a tangible memorial, this is not the place. There is simply nothing there, except for a half-started construction site whose future is in litigation. Currently, there is a walkway over part of the site and plenty of street vendors selling cheap souvenirs. I would instead suggest checking out the small memorial to the twin towers that is in Battery Park (see photo at right).