What is/are your favourite thing(s) to do while on a weekend trip to NY city?

Museum of natural history
The metropolitan museum of art
Washington Square park

I second the Museum of Natural History
Go to Grand Central Station and take in the ceilings and fixtures.
Go to Central park (during the day)!
Go to the Broadway ticket outlet and see a show.
Go to Michael’s Pub and see some jazz.

The Guggenheim Museum
Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Decorative Arts
iceskating at Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park
Dim sum in Chinatown followed by dessert in Little Italy
walking through Central Park and the Central Park Zoo
A drink in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel

If you’re a carnivore and you got some cash to burn, then I would highly recommend Peter Luger in Brooklyn. Nice expensive juicy steaks.
Chinatown in Manhattan, Sunset park in Brooklyn and Flushing in Queens are some awesome places to get a taste of Asian cuisine. My personal favorite? The Golden mall in Flushing. It may be small and crowded, but damn it, it’s worth it for some spicy and cheap lamb burgers.

MOMA… without a doubt.
SoHo
Statue of Liberty, if you’d like
Battery Park/Wall St./Ground Zero
Columbus Circle is fun, the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle is awesome & I’m not sure when it’s there, but there are vendors set up near by selling cool jewelry and clothing, etc…
Also, Central Park is a must
Tea at the Plaza
There’s so much fun touristy stuff to do… enjoy!

—The subway is the quickest, cheapest way to get around.
—The Staten Island ferry is free and gives a great view of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
—Take an A or C train to the High Street – Brooklyn Bridge station, and walk across the bridge back to Manhattan.
—TKTS booths have discounted Broadway tickets.
—If you like classical music, check the Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center calendars.
—The Empire State Building observation deck is best at night IMHO.
—Get a hot dog and delicious juice at Papaya King.
—Eat oysters and chowder at the Grand Central Oyster Bar.
—Time Out has a great web site listing hundreds of places to go and things to see. Buy Time Out magazine at the airport, it’s a super resource.
—The CityPass is a good deal if you visit four or more of its six attractions (I don’t like the competing “New York Pass” because you have to visit everything in one day, City Pass gives you nine days)
—The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is great because my brother works there!!
—And more votes for the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ice skating at Rockefeller Center (even just to watch) and Central Park.

greenwich village
mc sorleys pub
the peculiar pub
jeckle and hyde
the javits center
m.s.g

Paddles nightclub :-p

I’ll also say the Museum of Natural History. I could spend days there.

And New York’s ChinaTown is much better than the one here in Boston. Definitely get some dim sum.

Have fun.

I live in New York City, so here are some fun things to do, touristy and non-touristy.

To do:

Go to the MoMA, but be prepared for a long line. Go to the Met, if you like old art. Go to the Museum of Natural History, always some cool stuff there. You must just spend time hanging out in Central Park. Go to one of numerous Tasti D Lites. And, something that 0 tourists do is go to the waffle truck.

P.S. I would not recommend the Whitney. I wouldn’t classify half the stuff there as art.

MOMA.

Also, riding to the top of Rockefeller Center or the Empire State Building is something everyone must do at least once.

And, if the weather’s nice, cab to the southern tip of Manhattan and start walking north. You’ll be amazed at how many neat places you’ll see.

Dude. It’s NYC.

Really.

For museums, I love both the Met and the Museum of Natural History.

However, if it were during the summer, I’d spend most of the time in Central Park, soaking up the rays. Afterward, I’d go to the Village, have dinner, and hang out in the Strand bookstore.

Broadway!!!!!!!! It’s a must.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Museum of Nat. History

Eat bagels!

…or hot salted prezels!

I am the OP’s girlfriend. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone! Keep ‘em coming :D We will be in NYC for only two days (due to time constraints) so we’re trying to choose wisely.

Dirty dogs after bar hopping at 4am. yessssss.

@sliceswiththings H&H Bagels are the best!