Expect heightened security everywhere you go, with special emphasis on the checking of IDs and the inspection of packages and bags. If you plan to enter an office building, you may pass several levels of security and be required to register with the front desk. You will almost always need to present picture identification. Make sure you have with you a phone number for the person you are seeing, in case there is any mix-up at the desk. Everyone must be cleared before entering official government buildings.

Avoid walking through Central Park after dark. Also avoid walking by yourself—especially women—in the dark streets of the Meatpacking District late at night. For other areas, consult your hotel's front desk. If that's not an option, trust your instincts: Do not walk down any block in any part of the city that looks particularly desolate (shuttered, abandoned and dark) or otherwise sinister. When in doubt, take a cab. Crowded areas are usually fairly safe. But remember to be wary of pickpockets in such crowds.

We think New York is a fairly safe city. And at times, we agree with those who claim to feel safer walking around Manhattan—even at night—than they do driving alone on city streets in most other American cities. But crime and danger can lurk in any part of any city. So our best advice is to go about purposefully, aware of your surroundings at all times. Police seem to be on every corner in New York, even when you don't realize they're there. They know the city that never sleeps, and they want you to enjoy it.

Pharmacies are numerous, and many have extended hours. Duane Reade pharmacies have the most locations around the city. For 24-hour locations, visit http://www.duanereade.com/storelocations.htm.

In the case of an emergency, call 911.

Bellevue Hospital—Trauma, perinatal, AIDS, poison control, and stroke center. First Avenue at 27th Street (subway line 4, 5 or 6 to 23rd Street and Park Avenue South), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-562-4141.

Beth Israel Medical Center—Level 3 perinatal care and stroke center. First Avenue at 16th Street (subway line 4, 5 or 6 to 14th Street and Park Avenue South; L to First Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-420-2000.

Cabrini Medical Center—AIDS and stroke center. 227 E. 19th St. (subway line 4, 5 or 6 to 14th Street and Park Avenue South; L to First Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-995-6156.

Harlem Hospital Center—Trauma, level 3 perinatal, AIDS, burn, and stroke center. 506 Lenox Ave., at 135th Street (subway line 2 or 3 to 135th Street and Lenox Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-939-1340.

Lenox Hill Hospital—Level 3 perinatal care and stroke center. 100 E. 77th St., at Lexington Avenue (subway line 6 to 77th Street and Lexington Avenue) Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-434-2000.

Manhattan Eye, Ear And Throat Hospital—Emergency services. 210 E. 64th St., between Park and Lexington avenues (subway line 6 to 68th Street-Hunter College), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-838-9200.

Mount Sinai Hospital—AIDS, perinatal and stroke center. 1190 Fifth Ave., at 99th Street (subway line 6 to 96th Street and Lexington Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-241-6500.

New York Presbyterian Hospital-New York Weill Cornell Center—Trauma, perinatal, AIDS, burn, and stroke center. 525 E. 68th St., at York Avenue (subway line 6 to 96th Street and Lexington Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-746-5454.

St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital—Trauma, level 1 perinatal, AIDS, and stroke center. 1111 Amsterdam Ave., at 65th Street (subway line 1 to 66th Street to Broadway), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-523-4000.

St. Vincent's Hospital—Trauma, level 3 perinatal, AIDS, and stroke center. 153 W. 11th St., at Seventh Avenue (subway line F or V to 14th Street and Sixth Avenue; 1, 2 or 3 to 14th Street and Seventh Avenue; L to Sixth Avenue), Manhattan, New York City. Phone 212-604-7000.

Most New York City landmarks and museums have ramps, elevators and other types of access for the disabled. Some museums offer sign-interpreted tours. Most Broadway performances provide devices for the hearing impaired; call Sound Associates for more information (phone 212-582-7678). You can book a wheelchair theater reservation through Tele-Charge (phone 212-239-6200), and Theatre Access Project will arrange sign-language interpretation and captioning for Broadway and off-Broadway shows (phone 212-221-1103). When making dinner reservations, inquire about wheelchair access. Most MTA buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts.

Hospital Audiences, a nonprofit organization, is an excellent resource for disabled travelers. It has a variety of programs detailed on its Web site. 548 Broadway, Third Floor, New York, NY 10012. Phone 212-575-7676.

Big Apple Greeter, which offers free personalized walking tours of New York, has volunteers who offer tours for travelers with special needs. Phone 212-669-8159. http://www.bigapplegreeter.org.

Do take a street map along when exploring the city—and don't hesitate to ask for directions. Contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers are generally quite willing to help.

Don't turn right on a red light if you drive in New York City.

Do get a wallet-sized subway map (subway information booths may have them). Getting on the wrong train will not only frustrate you miserably but will also waste more time than you have.

Don't walk through Central Park at night.

Do see at least one performance at a venue such as Broadway, off-Broadway, Carnegie Hall or the Met.

Don't expect your cell phone to work in the subway. Although not legal, some institutions and restaurants use cell-phone scramblers.

Do buy a weekly or daily MetroCard (depending on the length of your stay) to save money on subway fare.

Don't forget to tip your cab drivers.

Do ride the Staten Island Ferry. It's one of the few free things in New York.

Don't be surprised to hear many different languages being spoken.

Do stop to look at the brickwork and up at the carved stonework on some of the old buildings.

Don't be surprised if you see a few celebrities out and about on the streets or in stores. New York just might be their hometown.

Don’t make too much eye contact with New Yorkers in the subway; they don’t like it.

Do try to walk everywhere. There is no better way to see the city.

Do buy the Time Out New York magazine for the most up-to-date museum and gallery shows, jazz, theater and music performances.

Don’t take a taxi in Midtown during rush hour; traffic congestion is a real nuisance in that area of Manhattan.

Do walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.