Brooklyn Bridge
Staten Island Ferry (free, to see NY from the water, see statue of liberty without taking whole day)

Prada [on Broadway]
Chinatown
Richard Meier's Towers [ehhh maybe not]
Shop's projects
LTL's coffee / bake / sushi restaraunts
Williamsburg, Brooklyn - first stop in BK on the "L" train
Central Park
Foster's new building [I mean, why not?]
Strand books [12th and broadway]

Wear good shoes and do some urban hiking
Also: Soho cast iron facades, gallerys
Grand Central Station

museum of natural history with the rose center in back

lever house (right across from seagram)

carnegie hall

carnegie deli

oh and is sammy's roumanian still there?

ate there in 2000

i'm a connoisseur of fatty eastern-european ethnic food

they had schmaltz in pitchers supposedly although there wasn't one on my table and i was too afraid to ask

American Folk Art Museum, Williams and Tsein

near MoMA

Broadway play

the dior building near trump tower.
and prada is sweet @ prince and b'way.

Austrian Cultural Center by Abraham, right by (a block or two, don't recall) from the Dior building, Lever House, and Seagrams.

i like to pop into the earth room every now and then...but maybe that's just because i have a dirty mind

i'd also suggest that if you are going to hit the big museums (moma, guggenheim, etc) then do it on a weekday since, in my opinion at least, they tend to be overcrowded with tourists on the weekends.

If you're around on a sunday night, the upright citizens brigade theater does some awesome improv comedy with a show called assscat. Some of the people from the SNL cast are regular performers there. I've been told since I left the states that its got a tv show now or something? But if they're still doing the sunday night show this was one of my favorite things to do in New York. And if you wait in line for a half hour or so you can get into the later show for free. I'm pretty sure it's on 26th and 8th but google it and check.

And go see some live music. I used to like to go to the knitting factory. You can pay 8 dollars to get into the basement venue and see three or four random sets from whoever's around that night. Awesome energy in a tight space. It's off of broadway down by china town.

Also go check out what they're doing with the highline in Chelsea. Converting a section of the old elevated rail line into a public park.

I always loved how cool and silent ACE Gallery feels inside - an enormous amount of empty space relative to how noisy and crowded outside is.

Isamu Noguchi Museum (in Brooklyn?) was beautiful and has since been renovated/improved, probably even better now.

Wear shoes you can walk in aaaaaallllll day.

noguchi is long island city and is great!

prada: On prince and broadway

oh yeah ps1 if its still up(long island city)...(oh and smoke first)

go to Cooper Union and try to sneak into a studio...

The MET! And the Frick Collection, but only if you have time.

coney island

Toys 'r' Us in Times Square, Bryant Park, Nintendo World at Rockefellar Center, Baja Fresh (I know there is one SOMEWHERE in that damn city, and I will find it someday!)

The Cloisters - http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/introduction.asp?dep=7

Dia Beacon - www.diabeacon.org
trains leave from grand central

PS1, MoMA, The Whintey, The Met, Waterfront, walk across the Bklyn Bridge, wander the streets of red hook, Greenpiont/Williamsburg and DUMBO (and eat at Patsy's pizza), go to the top of the Empire State Bldg (worth the 10bux) and take a nap in the park (if its a nice day).

oh, and go to the Strand, for sure. And Pearl Paint.

"Wander the streets of Red Hook" That's one I've never heard. After that, go hang out in Maspeth. Breakers in Union Sq. on Fri and/or Sat. night.

Oh ... I was just joking about Maspeth.

ochona - sammy's roumanian is still there.

find where there are a bunch of rollerskater tricksters skating to some disco in Central Park. Watch. Learn. Imitate.

that's around the corner from the Bowery Ballroom right?

I think so. It's right around there.. Chrystie St. I think. maybe Forsyth.

go to cooper union and ill give you a tour of the studio and an earfull

and the cooper hewitt extreme textiles exhibit, and i think egon sheile has an exhibit which is coming up soon

must eateries:

diller + scofidio's Brasserie
100 E 53rd St : (do lunch, it's cheaper than dinner)

Markt
401 W 14th St At 9th Ave : (a little pricy, but a perfect spot for a late belgian dinner after trendy drinks at the room and the apartment)

*best steak ever*
michael jordans steakhouse in grand central (the filet mignon is the best i've ever had anywhere, although pricey) grand central isn't too shabby either.

and so many others....