Cookie.. how are you? We went last year only 6 weeks after 9/11 .... There was tons of security. I do not know if the security would be as bad this year. Anyway we took the the Subway the "C" to the Museum of Natural History stop. When we got off we were forced to walk around the block in betwwen police barricades. You had to keep walking straight ahead you could not turn back. Again this may change this year. We got there around 7pm on Wed. and they were about half done. They blow the balloons up on the one of the side streets south of the Museuem. it is all very intersting. The ballons are all under netting and you will see the trucks with the helium mixture nearby with the hoses connected to them. You will actually see the balloons grow like magic. We saw about 6 ballons blow up in about a hour. There was only like 2or 3 people deep on the sidewalks. and eventually we worked ourselves to the front. it is a festive occasion and there lots of out of towners there. When we were done we just walked around the block and took the subway back to my job and drove home.
Thanks for the info. 
