Sep. 21--NEW YORK--The city that never sleeps is turning in early these days. Even cabbies, the ultimate night owls, are warning tourists not to stay out late because restaurants, clubs and shops are closing early and few taxis are rolling into dawn. 

Tourism in New York, already taking an economy-related hit, was left staggering after the attacks against the World Trade Center. Even on Times Square, an evening stroll proved eerie, with neon signs screaming out to nobody in particular and sidewalks usually clogged with tourists well past midnight getting deserted after dinnertime. 

The Jewish New Year, celebrated earlier this week, didn't help matters. But even Thursday night, you could score tables at restaurants ordinarily full for a month. 

Broadway shows are playing to near-empty houses. Hotel occupancy is down as much as 50 percent. At places like the Chambers, a chic new boutique hotel off Fifth Avenue, there have already been layoffs. Staff has also been let go from Gray Line, which operates the double-decker buses that tour through Manhattan. 

"Those buses now carry an average of 20 people, when they used to carry 45," said Kishor Shakya, a Gray Line dispatcher stationed in Times Square. "And that's the downtown loop, where everybody wants to go now to get close to what happened. The uptown buses are empty." 

Among the few tourists who climbed aboard were Jeffrey and Linda Jones of Venice, Fla., in town for a nephew's wedding. "We're afraid to be here, but not enough to stop our trip," said Jeffrey, riding on top on a hot, summer-like day. "You can't let them win." 

That spirit was echoed by Barb and Bill Helenberg of Indiana, who insisted on going on their first-ever New York trip because they had tickets for The Producers and are celebrating their 70th birthdays. 

"When World War II happened, there were a lot of mothers scared about sending their sons off to battle," Bill Helenberg said. "Then Roosevelt came on the radio and said the only thing you have to fear is fear itself. So that's why we came to New York." 

The city's $25 billion tourism industry is scrambling to steady itself as it enters what is normally peak season, from Sept. 15 to Dec. 15. Hotels in all price ranges have begun offering discount rates unheard of for the season. 

"This is the time of year when hotels are the fullest and rates are the highest," said John Fox, a senior vice president with PFK Consulting, an advisory board to the city's 60,000 hotel rooms. 

"Barring any other attacks on the country, and particularly on New York City, we could gradually come back within the next 60 to 90 days," Fox said. "Unfortunately, we are talking about the busiest 60 to 90 days of the year." 

Major hotelier Ira Drukier, who has 6,000 rooms, including at the Mercer in Soho and Chambers in midtown (he also owns South Beach's Town House), said he and his partner likely will offer discounts, but he doesn't expect that to make an immediate difference. 

"If you are afraid to get on a plane and I offer you a $20 rate, will you come?" Drukier asked. But he says he is optimistic things will gradually change. "This happened a week ago. You still see the shock on people's faces. Things will get back to normal." 

Even TV talk shows such as The View are hurting. Mid-week, staff took to the half-price theater ticket booth in Times Square to drum up audiences. Those willing to sit through The View got two free tickets to a Broadway show. 

But that did little to alleviate matters in the theater district, where five shows have already announced plans to close and others are forging ahead with half-empty seats. Only The Producers, the year's hottest ticket, continues to sell out, though cancellations have freed up seats for patrons willing to stand in last-minute lines. 

Future ticket sales for Broadway shows have dropped by as much as 80 percent, said Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers. Today, the league was to announce a marketing campaign. 

"Sitting in a theater with strangers and laughing and crying together can be a cathartic experience, and a healing one as well," said Jan Svendson, director of marketing for the league. 

Pam and Fred Turner, on a tour from England, visited the World Trade Center two days before the attacks, then continued their travels to Canada. They had planned to go to Les Miserables upon their return to New York and decided to stick with the plan. 

"This has been quite shocking to us," said Fred Turner. "And we feel terrible, but we decided the best way to help the city was to continue being tourists while we're here." 

They're not alone. Some tourists and locals have been going out on the town as an act of support for New York. 

Crystine Nicholas, president of NYC & Company, the city's visitors bureau, bought a block of seats for her staff to attend the Thursday evening performance of The Full Monty. 

"If people see that many of us out at once, it may send a message that we are not afraid," said Nicholas, who added that she is optimistic about the tourism industry's future. "All of the conventions that had to be rescheduled have decided to come back. They are all rescheduling within the next two or three months." 

As the weekend begins, there are signs of encouragement for top restaurants. On Tuesday night, a waitress at Asia de Cuba, usually packed wall-to-wall, said goodnight mid-meal after she was sent home due to slow sales. Wednesday night, things were looking up. 

Jeffrey Chodorow, who owns Asia de Cuba and hotspots such as the Hudson Cafeteria, China Grill and Tuscan Steak along with several South Beach restaurants, said his company will shake this off. 

"Not everybody will be left standing; that doesn't make me happy," Chodorow said. "But we are a very strong company. We haven't laid anybody off, though we have reduced some schedules." 

Proof of his optimism: Chodorow said he plans to continue with construction of the New York version of Red Square, a South Beach restaurant with a Russian theme. 

As for attractions, most were open by Thursday, including the South Street Seaport and the Circle Line boat tours. But the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building remained closed. Nicholas, of the visitors bureau, came up with an alternative. 

"The Marriott Marquis offers a very good view of the city from its restaurant, The View. What's great about it is that it rotates." 

But you have to be willing to soar 48 stories above New York. As one waitress said, "The good news is that the only view you don't get is the view of downtown." 

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(c) 2001, The Miami Herald. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.