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There's always something in New York even a lifelong New Yorker hasn't seen. Start a family, and eventually the allure of those once-unappealing tourist attractions seems palpable.

An indoor Ferris wheel?

Yeah!

The wax museum?

Wow!

An $8.50 ice cream?

Ooh . . .

But with everyone cutting back, how do you know what's worth spending those precious tourism dollars on? Especially when New York prices are involved.

Here's the inside word, based on a recent schlep with two moms, a 6-year-old girl, a 5-year-old boy and all those appetites.

TOYS R US

Times Square Ferris Wheel, 1514 Broadway (at 44th Street), 646-366-8800; www.toysrus.com/timessquare

COST: $4 a person

THE HYPE: Who wouldn't want to ride a Ferris wheel?

WORTH IT? This 60-foot-tall indoor ride is like the seventh wonder of Times Square. Each of the 14 cabs has a theme, from red-hot-again Barbie and My Little Pony to the more retro ET (the life-size model actually sits in the bucket).

TIPS: Get there early. When crowds become too much, the store assigns time slots for rides, which increases the wait. Kids under 7 must ride with an adult.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE: This 110,000-square-foot store is like an amusement park, with a 20-foot-high animatronic Jurassic Park dinosaur that roars, a gigantic Barbie dollhouse, and, in true Disneyland style, lots of photo-ops with Geoffrey (you take the shot yourself or pay the store for prints and knickknacks).

CENTRAL PARK

CARRIAGE RIDE

Along Central Park around 59th Street and outside Tavern on the Green at West 67th Street

COST: $34

THE HYPE: The most romantic ride in New York.

WORTH IT? It depends on whether you get a horse that's fast or slow. How can you tell? ''Just watch the horse,'' our driver told us. ``If the horse is sweating and breathing heavy, you know he runs fast.''

TIP: One couple said they'd been waiting close to an hour for a ride; it took us minutes. It's all luck. It's harder to find a ride from 4 to 6 p.m., during a shift change, our driver said.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE: Have your portrait drawn by one of the many artists who set up on the sidewalk. Haggle over the price (we paid $25) and watch your artist work to assess the skill level before you commit.

MADAME TUSSAUDS

234 W. 42nd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 800-246-8872; www.madametussauds.com/NewYork/.

COST: $35, $28 ages 4-12; buy tickets online for a 20 percent discount.

THE HYPE: Get as close as you ever dreamed of getting to your favorite celebs, alive or dead.

WORTH IT? When it looks like Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus' eyes are following you across the room, the answer would be yes.

TIPS: This was easily our most expensive stop. To defray the cost, peruse city guides, look on the museum's Web site for coupons or get one from a guy outside hawking them.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE: Have your photo taken with President Obama; don't miss Yao Ming in the Sports Zone. And while you're at it, stop to do a little karaoke at the American Idol Cafe.

SERENDIPITY3

225 E. 60th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-838-3531; www.serendipity3.com.

COST: $8.50-$9 for varieties of Frrrozen Hot Chocolate

THE HYPE: Oprah put this funky place on the map when she did an episode on the sweetery's signature Frrrozen Hot Chocolate -- also featured in the 2001 film Serendipity and hyped more than once by TV cooking diva Rachael Ray.

WORTH IT? Trying to crack into this place is like waiting behind the velvet rope at the hottest nightclub in town. One recent Saturday, a chain-smoking bouncer controlled the crowds. After a three-hour wait, we didn't really feel the trip was worth it . . . until we took our first sip.

TIPS: Baby carriages and strollers are banned from the two-floor restaurant. Parents with young kids will either have to leave their gear outside (at their own risk) or tip the attendant to stash it at the parking garage across the street.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE: If you end up with a long wait and the kids need to eat ASAP, ask when you should return and head around the corner to Cabana Midtown (1022 Third Ave., 212-980-5678, www.cabanewarestaurant.com), a very good, kid-friendly, moderately priced Cuban chain restaurant.

FAO SCHWARZ

767 Fifth Ave., at 58th Street, 212-644-9400; www.fao.com.

COST: Free (to browse, that is)

THE HYPE: The world's most famous toy store (also its oldest)

WORTH IT? Kids might end up leaving this place more sad than happy. There is just so much to covet at this wondrous store that it's hard to leave without buying something.

TIP: Even though there's usually a very long line to get into the store at times, don't fret. It moves fast.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE: You'll know it from Big, but -- big whoop -- no one needs to see the 1988 film to be impressed by the dance-on keyboard.

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