I am coming to NYC on a tour bus on Dec 1st and they drop you off at the Empire State Building around 10am and you meet back there at 6pm. My question is, how would I get from there to Chinatown and Ground Zero without taking a cab?
from the empire state building, just walk a block west and grab the N or Q train downtown to Canal street and you're in chinatown. from there it's really not a far walk to ground zero, or a very quick cab ride.