ATTRACTIONS

NEW YORK CITY

One of the great things about Baltimore is that its proximity to cities like New York enables you to take advantage of all they have to offer without having to deal with the hassles and high cost of actually living there. And if you've never been to New York City, you've got to check it out at least once while you're close. Its museums, restaurants, art galleries, theatres (Broadway and otherwise), and concert halls are among the best in the world. The shopping opportunities are endless. Its nightlife can't be beat. And the whole city has a wonderful energy that you can feel just walking down its streets, sitting in its parks, and riding its subway trains.

The biggest hurdle for most people is just getting there. Here are a few easy ways to do it, plus driving directions (below) if you prefer to just get in the car and go.

1. Greyhound and Peter Pan offer several buses daily from their main depot downtown and the Baltimore Travel Plaza in Dundalk to the Port Authority in NYC. Expect to pay about $40-50 each way for a ticket. A new service, Baltimore Trails, offers round-trip service from several area locations to midtown Manhattan. Also try the Dragon Coach, which drops you off in Chinatown. Check www.greyhound.com, www.peterpan.com, and www.1stravel.com for details.

2. The Hunt Valley Motor Coach offers coach service for day trips to New York from stops in Pikesville and Security for about $50. Your travel options are limited by their schedule -- they leave Baltimore early in the morning and depart from New York early in the evening -- but for a quick trip it's not a bad deal. See www.huntvalleymotorcoach.com for details.

3. If you want to get there fast, you can hop on an Amtrak train at Penn Station in downtown Baltimore and get off in New York a couple hours later. It's considerably pricier than the bus, but quicker and much more comfortable. Check www.amtrak.com for fares and schedules.

Website: www.nycvisit.com