Students sightseeing for an afternoon -- suggestions?

My son and classmates (16-17 yrs. old) will be in the city (first time) with a school trip this Saturday, and will have 4-5 hours of free time to go sightseeing in small student groups of five. He%26#39;s suggested wandering through Times Square and the toy stores (piano from Big and Lego display), getting a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, maybe a view from Top of the Rock or Empire State Building. They won%26#39;t have much money or much time. How best to spend the little of both that they have?

Thanks for the advice!

Students sightseeing for an afternoon -- suggestions?

How about Saint Mark%26#39;s place. Kind of funky for 16-17

year olds

Students sightseeing for an afternoon -- suggestions?

Take the FREE Staten Island Ferry over and back for nice views of the Statue of Liberty. Visit the WTC site and church there (don%26#39;t know if it is still FREE to do, I know there are paid memorials there now too). Yes, do either the Empire State Bldg or Top of the Rock and meander through Times Square.

I would suggest plan something geographically to get the best use of time depending on where they are let off and picked up.

With a few hours I would definitely suggest the free Staten Island Ferry, World Trade Center Site, and the beginning of Broadway. I found that the plaques embedded in the sidewalk showing all of the previous tickertape parades is pretty impressive as is the bull at Wall Street. Then the teens have to see and walk around Times Square.

Somebody mentioned St. Mark%26#39;s Place. What is the funky attraction?

St. Mark%26#39;s place is a street in the East Village full of funky shops. Comic books stores, Tibetan stores, Video stores, tattoo parlors, etc. You can use the';Street View'; on Google maps to see what I mean - you want to look at St. Mark%26#39;s Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. (The wholestreet is only a few blocks long - this is one of those rare cases in New York where one street - in this case, E. 8th Street - changes names and becomes something else until it hits Tompkins Square Park.)