If it weren't for public transportation, New York City simply would not work. People thinking of bringing a car into Manhattan should expect to spend half their time or money trying to find decent parking. Thus, avail yourself of the subway and taxi cabs.
New York is full of tourist locations, and thankfully, nearly 100% of them are conveniently walkable from each other, frequented by taxi cabs, or linked up by the nexus of subway lines which enmesh[9] Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. (Grab a free map at any subway station. Sorry, Staten Island is not part of the subway system in any significant way.)
Subways are body-to-body crowded during rush hour, and are generally safe into the late evening. Later at night, express stations and those near nightlife destinations tend to be more populated and safer than others. Don't take chances, however. A cab ride is cheaper than getting mugged and a lot easier on the nerves. Also, much faster. Subways run less frequently at night, causing some extended, boring waits on station platforms. Make it easy: take cabs after dinner.
Speaking of cabs, they carry up to four people at a time. They all have meters, so there's no need to negotiate a price. Cabs with their rooftop lights lit are available, those with no lights on up top have a fare already. To hail a cab (they're all yellow), simply raise a hand from the sidewalk or from a few steps into the street. If there are available cabs driving by, they'll swarm. If you'd like them to drive faster, smoother, slower, etc, just ask. Cabs are most easily found where there are people working, playing, touristing, etc. They can be sparse elsewhere. Tips are expected. Anything that's not yellow and has no meter is not a sanctioned cab.
You can pick up a taxi or bus at any of the local airports, or, for a more elegant ride, try calling for a pick up by a car service.
If you plan to spend significant time outside of Manhattan, you should consider renting a car. Though there are subways in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, the lines essentially run in and out of Manhattan, making traveling within the outer boroughs or among them impractical. Buses make up for this, and can get you where you want to go, but are no replacement for a rental car.
North and East of the city, commuter train lines such as the Long Island Rail Road and MetroNorth, like the subways, are oriented towards moving folks in and out of the city. Between them and local buses, you can eventually get where you need to go, but they are highly inconvenient[10] for tourism; unless you're on a backpacking budget, rent a car.
And a good road map. The good thing about the New York Metro Area highways is that there are many ways to get from Point A to Point B. The down side is that they're all crowded with traffic. Avoid rush hour and overly complicated routes. Each highway switch is another opportunity to get lost. Most destinations can provide advisable driving directions.
注释：
[1]Landmark n. 地界标 [2] asphalt n. 沥青
[3] impoverish vt. 使贫穷, 使枯竭 [4] transient adj. 短暂的,瞬时的
[5]scoreboard n. 记分板 [6]mischievous adj. 有害的, 恶作剧的
[7]mundanity n.世俗 [8]mortar n. 灰泥
[9]enmesh vt. 使绊住, 使陷入 [10]inconvenient adj. 不便的
