This is the best list of what to do in two days.

I was there for the first time last winter and used frommers guide. It was super helpful and completely accurate about what was good to do and what to avoid. The online information is great and they have a small book designed specifically for short visits. It even has a laminated map that was very helpful.

First: Ride the 7 train, round trip.

The Village / stonewall site.

TCKTTCKT for a show.

Peter Luger's

the Tavern on the Green.

Harlem.

Delacourte theatre for an awesome Shakespeare show with celeb talent.

THE MET.

Canal Street.

Ghost stations subway self-tour.

Union Square shopping / Macy's.

Lady Liberty.

Carnegie deli.

WTC site.

UTDT for coffee.

Central F'ing Park (you could blow your entire 2.5 days there, really).

Pizza in downtown Brooklyn.

The Dakota Apts.

Coney Island.

Love you, too, Ted. Best luck.

No, frickin' way. Only one person mentioned a Broadway show! RUN don't walk to see a Broadway show. Here are some specific suggestions for both theatre aficionados and persons who go once a year, if that, to the Paramount, etc. Definitely for anyone: South Pacific at the Lincoln Center. It's not your parent’s generation awful adaption of a film. I saw it and it's magical; also one of the few Broadway stages where all the seats are great and it actually has a full orchestra, which is unprecedented in such an intimate space. If you want a credible source for a recc read the NYTimes review http://theater.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/theater/reviews/04paci.html?ref=theaterRich%20s
By the way, if money isn't your biggest concern, forget 1/2 price tickets. You oftentimes wait a long time (you don’t have a lot that) only to learn that the only tickets available do not any of the 5 shows you were pretty excited about. If there is a short line go and see the blackboard before you wait. If there is a long line forget it, the people who got there early will get all the limited tix for the best shows that are offering ½ price. Just eat it on the ticket. Life’s short. It's Broadway. It's New York. Consider the following that are playing right now- just Google the name of the play and Broadway or New York- to check out prices/reviews/what you will: 1. the new revival of La Cage aux Folles (Kelsey Grammar stars) 2. Mrs. Warren's Profession - GB Shaw--verbose and serious but totally satisfying if you love language and most of all, it's what Cherry Jones is in right now. She is hands-down the best actress on Broadway these years and Doug Hughes (director) usually hits it out of the park too. 3. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson - the artists who created this are funny, irreverent, subversive. It's funny political theatre and this one has emo rock as it's container...great if you aren't all that crazy about theatre per se but would like to see some performance with a Daily Show sensibility. And music. And blood. It's only in Previews now, btw, so cheaper but not fully baked until they open in mid October. 4. If you can get tickets, Billy Elliot would be a very close second for me as a musical (after South Pacific.) 5. Only IF you love Green Day consider American Idiot. Sounds very intriguing but if I had only 2.5 days? .7. For classic, straight theatre, the current revival of Our Town has received stellar reviews (Off-Broadway) Been playing for years--literally--so I wouldn't rush to see these if you plan to be back in a year or so or they will likely come around to the Paramount again in touring show. That said, they are iconic shows on Broadway: Chicago, Wicked and Avenue Q. Not my thing, too ‘packaged’ (esp. Wicked), but if you loved Phantom, this would be a good choice. Oh yea- Lion King. Huh. Great, great, visual production. That’s what it is.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT A SHOW DOMINATING YOUR EVENING. NEW YORK IS JUST GETTIN' GOING AT 10:00 PM…

This is the very best time of year to visit NYC, in my opinion.

MOMA is a musta (sorry). As are the other major museums.

One tip about hoofing it around NYC- If you ever get lost find Broadway. Everyone knows where it is and it's the only street that goes through the length of manahattan.

And if you arrive via Penn Station don't go looking for a cab to Madison Square Garden. Happens all the time.

The MOMA is free on Fridays after 4pm, but if you go earlier and look like you're from out of town, but really excited and nice sometimes the guards will let you in for free early. (because it gets REALLY crowded after 4pm and is therefore less fun)

If you go in the W 81st St. enterance to Central Park, there is an awesome little pond where you can rent a rowboat and ride around for a while. People pack lunches and bring bottles of wine and enjoy the awesome.

The Native American Museum is always free and is pretty cool. Outside you can walk over to Battery Park (very nice) and/or Wall Street (kinda boring).

Chelsea Piers has free kayaking on the Hudson River. Very Fun.

The lower east side has tons of good restaurants that aren't quite as expensive but still delicious. The Pink Pony and Freedmans are two of my favorites. Ohh and Lucien, definately Lucien. In the East Village Osaka Sushi is an awesome ma and pop place and has very yummy sushi. It's on 2nd Ave and 12th St., I think. It could be 1st and 12th St.

The MET is always pay what you will. Their $20 or whatever fee is simply a suggested donation. Seriously, Suggested. But they won't tell you that. Also, the MET is really really really great. See the Monets. And the Greek statues. Also, the cafeteria there is not bad at all.

The New York City ballet is simply incredible. You can get nose bleed seats for $20 or wonderful, amazing, see their expressions faces for $70-$120.

Rock of Ages looks awesome, but I haven't seen it yet. Tigers Be Still is off Broadway, in previews, but is getting great reviews and has Natasha Leon playing the drunk sister.

The Irish Pubs here are great. My favorite is Molly Wee Pub on 8th Ave and 29th St.

The Natural History Museum is freaking sweet if you're into that sort of thing. Or even if you aren't, because seeing giant dinosaur skeletons and meteors and more awesomeness throughout history is totally fun and great. Just be wary of the taxidermy in the middle.

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Unless you really like standing in lines, avoid the Empire State (or get there super early). You have to stand in line on about 5 or so different floors, when done with one, you just join another, it's maddening. Top Of The Rock at Rockefeller is much more tolerable - and a better view that includes the ESB! Might be best to go in the evening, so it's not taking up museum-time, and then you have the amazing panorama of NYC at night.

Also suggest skipping the statue of liberty and liberty island, but take the free (free!) Staten Island ferry over and back for good statue and harbor views. (The also sell beer on board cheaper than most anywhere else in the city!)

I had about the same amount of time when I was there. We went to MoMA, walked through the park, toured the Empire State Building, ate lots of pizza, and had a drink at every tiny, packed bar we passed. It was fantastic -- I loved every second of it. Just wander, and eat, and drink, and look, and you'll be fine. Watch Woody Allen's Manhattan before you go!

Oh -- and definitely pick up a New Yorker to find out what's going on in terms of nightlife. Glancing at this month's issue online, I see, no kidding, Martha Reeves (of the Vandellas), Ween, Vampire Weekend, Pavement... and that's not even getting into the interesting stuff. Have fun!

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. NYC is a great walking town. Pack something nice and be prepared for about $60-$120/person if you intend to hit one of its famous restaurants such as the Russian Tea Room, Sardi's, 21 for dinner (lunch is cheaper, of course, but not by much). Try to catch a Broadway show. Use tkts:

http://www.nyctourist.com/broadway_tkts.asp.

It'll save you a great deal. The leaves should be just starting to change in Central Park. Should be quite lovely. Have a swell time!

If you have time, check out the Whitney. They tend to have interesting rotating exhibits and they also have a great permanent collection. It's a small museum, so you can get through it in an hour or two, with less museum fatigue than, say, the Met. Also, the Guggenheim is worth checking out for the architecture alone. It's another small museum - it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours.

I would also recommend the MoMA, as Tom suggested. This one will take a bit longer, so give yourself some time. It's a great museum and their store is awesome. With only 2.5 days, I'd skip the Met. It's so huge it would take several days to see it all, and it's exhausting. Save it for a longer trip.

When I went to NYC a few years ago, we got a City Pass. If you're planning on seeing 4 or more of the places on the pass, it saves you some money. The Circle Line sightseeing cruise that's part of this pass is a great way to get your bearings when you first arrive. I'd recommend it even if you don't buy the pass.

As bahaus said, you'll probably do a lot of walking. The last time I went to NY I had about the same amount of time as you do. We were lucky enough to have a few friends in the city so we ended up walking around in their neighborhoods (Brooklyn and Manhattan) and then crashing with them. I think we experienced the city best by just walking around and seeing what we could see stopping in random restaurants and stores without any real concrete plans, just talking to people and walking around. Everyone seems to think of NY as really expensive but housing aside I actually found it to be way cheaper than Seattle for food and goods if you stick to non-touristy areas. I never had a bad meal there even though I just randomly stopped into restaurants sight unseen for the most part. You can get anywhere on the subway, and it is way cheaper and usually easier than taking a cab. Hope thats helpful.