Though it might be expensive, try to take in a good show on Broadway. Eat dinner before hand at Sardi's if they are still there, and order with your entree order their Baked Alaska dessert.

You don't want to drive. Really -- parking will cost you a mint, and it is stressful (both finding it and paying for it). Take Amtrak, or if you are in the part of Va closer to D.C., there are inexpensive buses -- not just Greyhound. Three days will get you a lot of places, but not everything, though even 3 days will be fun if you don't stress over the cost of everything.

If you want to see a play/musical, you should use the TKTS discount booths, which are the last-minute ticket places. Before you go, check out the NYTimes' theater listings and then look up some of them online -- when you go to the TKTS booths, you'll want to have a handful of shows in mind so that when the clerk tells you he/she has 3 tickets for X, Y and Z, you don't have very much time to claim what you want. (2 minutes of a discussion with a friend many years ago cost us some tickets!)

A friend who goes to NY a lot (from Va. -- I think he takes one of the discount buses) regularly stays at the New Yorker hotel, quite close to Penn Station (where Amtrak comes in). Last year, I stayed on the Upper East Side, but I think you want something closer to Times Square. There's a Doubletree Suites there that I believe my sister has stayed at with her hubby and kids; check that out.

Things to do? If this is a first visit to NYC, going up to the observation decks at either the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center is very cool. That'll set you back $27 a ticket.

Also, when is your daughter's spring break? If it's within a couple weeks, and you find that getting accommodations is difficult, you might want to try what some others do: Getting a hotel room in New Jersey and taking the PATH train to midtown NY.

(PS: "Late Night With David Letterman" tapes at the Ed Sullivan Theater at West 53rd and Broadway; Jimmy Fallon's new "Tonight Show" tapes at Rockefeller; and maybe you've seen folks behind the "Today Show" hosts at Rockefeller Plaza. So even if you can't get standby tickets for some of these and other shows, you might spot one of the guests or, for the "Today Show," get on TV in the crowd shots!)

Definitely stay near Times Square (the Hilton Times Square and the Doubletree mentioned above are both excellent properties, as is the Algonquin on 44th - if you want to really splurge). However, you will likely spend very little time in your room, so...

Don't drive in - parking is $50-$75/day, and if you're from a rural area, you WILL freak out at the traffic. Take the train from wherever you're coming. We fly into Newark and take the train into Penn Station - so handy!

For the observation decks, buy your tickets online in advance, and get the "express" ones so you don't have to wait in line for ages.

Free stuff abounds! Take the Staten Island Ferry out-and-back - be sure to get onto the RIGHT side of the boat on the way to Staten Island so you can see the Statue of Liberty. :) Then get on the Right side again on the way back to see other stuff - like Governor's Island.

The 9/11 Memorial is a must. Reserve your passes online in advance - cost is $2/person for that, but makes it easier than getting a same-day pass (that may not be available).

Visit the Library - oh, it's amazing! Take a long walk through Central Park! Eat food from the street vendors! Stand outside the ABC studios during the morning news broadcast...

Shopping! Plan on spending a few hours wandering along 5th Avenue to see all the fabulous shops. Play the giant piano at FAO Schwartz - if you go early in the morning, midweek, there will be NO line. :)

I'm going in May (I go at least once a year) and am so excited. :)

I second the motionâ¦.do not drive. Take Amtrak or bus or fly but don't drive. Parking is a nightmare and a fortune and driving is no picnic either. We use to go every year but haven't been in a number of years so I cannot recommend any restaurants. Might go to Sardi's after a show for baked Alaska but don't think I'd go for dinner. Shows are in the $200. range so definitely go to the half price ticket booth. Check out what is playing at the Lincoln Center, too.

Three days is not anywhere near enough unless some combination of the following is limited - your interest, your time, or your money.

My experience with the several of the world's greatest cities that I've been to - and NY is one - is that they can't be seen in one week. Many take weeks or even months and multiple visits because many of the best things to do may not be possible or available for a given brief visit. For people who may have a limitation mentioned above, a few days may be too long a visit.

I love the Museum of Natural History and the Guggenheim Art Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Central Park is very interesting....my son and his family live about three blocks from there.
My daughter and her SO took the bus tours while they were there and saw a lot.
The subway system and the buses are great.
The people I have met there have been very helpful when I had questions.
Another place I have enjoyed a lot if the Botanical Gardens in Brooklyn.
Have a great time and let us know how much fun you had.
Keep a travelogue to go along with the pictures you take.

I visited in 2010 for the first time. My favorite memory is walking across the Brooklyn Bridge into the city. It's the first thing I thought of when I learned we were going! At the center, there was a man doing ink drawings ..I bought two..St Patrick's Cathedral and of course the Brooklyn Bridge. Both are framed and hang in the living room. We took a cab to the Brooklyn side and walked into the city, which made for some great photos. We also really enjoyed the Pedicabs/rickshaws. They are everywhere and made for a new and fun experience for us. The cab rides were waaay to scary for me, lol.
We also loved Central Park and enjoyed a carriage ride through it.
If you stay in Times Square, beware the character crew that appear to be willing to take pics with you but we had an unpleasant experience
( and scary for my little grand daughter). Some actually got into fights with one another over who got more tips.

We stayed at The Millenium/Broadway in Times Square. We also got invited into GMA studio for the live show which was an unexpected treat after it started raining, lol. Do your research if time permits and find things interesting to you...most of all have fun!

Just a word of advice...if you take the cabs, close your eyes till the ride is over..oye

We stayed in New Jersey and took a train in every day, much less expensive and very convenient. I would also recommend the hop on-hop off bus tours. The bus goes from Manhattan all the way back to Harlem and you can get off and see whatever you like.

Please do your research at home. There are many helpful websites listing all kinds of fabulous free things to see and do. Make lists of things that are 'must see' attractions so that you're not visiting the City without a plan.

It's a bit naive to think that you should drive. Very few New Yorkers keep cars. Public transportation is excellent and if you're intimidated by the subway, take cabs! You will sort of feel like you're on some kind of carnival ride, but just hang on!

By the way, NYC has some of the best street food EVER! Be sure to spend some of your money with those people. And the smaller family owned restaurants can be a real experience.....a great one!

Your hotel concierge can be a great help to you. Be sure to tip.

I'm jealous....it's been three or four years since I've been. My favorite stops are any of the street markets....a must for me! NY is a city with wonderful museums so take advantage of that. I always visit the Brooklyn Botanical gardens without fail, but that's my interest. My most unforgettable experience was during a visit to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, a breathtaking place, when an organist had his practice time! OMG, I almost converted right then and there, lol.

everything above is worth seeing/doing.

I'll also add the Tenement museum, Museum of the City of New York, Cooper-Hewitt and the Met. Just walk through Central Park and look at all the outdoor sculpture (especially Alice in Wonderland).

United Nations - take a tour but you have to book ahead.

Skip the car and take trains.

3 days barely makes a dent.

We enjoyed walking around and eating at both Little Italy and China town. Also really enjoyed touring the Intrepid (aircraft carrier turned museum). And like many others have mentioned, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, a Broadway show or two. We also enjoyed walking the Wall Street area. So much to see and do, so little time. A pass for the subway would be really helpful in getting around and the cost is quite reasonable.

There is a hotel called Yotel on 9th Ave. and 42nd Street that is bare bones, but clean, moderately priced and conveniently located to Times Square. Check it out on line. I agree on not driving if you can avoid it. If you must, parking is minimum $50 a day in a garage.

Yotel is just as expensive as the Hilton Times Square and others in the area...

:)

I agree with the other posters who advised you NOT to drive! We live in Toronto and will be going to NYC this Sun. the 16th since my husband has a meeting for the week.

Parking is very expensive and driving would turn your hair. Cab rides have been wild - that is how we will get from LaGuardia to the hotel which is on 44th. My husband will book a car for the return journey with an extra passenger and from past experience that could well be quite the ride as well.

I think the weather is going to be chilly - same as Toronto. Hopefully not super windy. I have been to some of the exhibits etc. mentioned by the other posters. I think you have to decide what interests you and then proceed from there. I am not someone who believes that you have to go to X museum because it is there - I pretty much just do what I want. My husband will be in meetings during the day and usually has to work at night in the room. I know of a little organic place that offers take-out or eat in, so I will buy picnics - and I always carry my corkscrew and hit the wine store. I hope you have fun if you do go. At least you will have U.S. $. I won't be buying much this trip - but sadly my sunscreen is only available in the U.S.