Best tip I have for you:spend some time studying the subwaysystem in advance of your trip, and take advantage of it.It's inexpensive and incredibly convenient. It's not the most intuitive system in the world, but if you spend a few minutes on the NY transit website before you go, you'll beglad you did. You can get a card for $29 that allows you unlimited subway rides for 7 days. Easily the best investment I made on our last trip. If you don't do the subway, you'll wear out your legs walking or wear out your wallet on cabs.
Others have mentioned Shake Shack. Outstanding burgers and great shakes; not bad prices for Manhattan. Lines at all hours and tough to find a table at the location on 8th and 44th.
Frommers (
www.frommers.com) has a great suggestion that we've done twice: take the subway to Brooklyn, eat a pizza at Grimaldi's, have ice cream at The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, and then walk across the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan at twilight. Spectacular views. I highly recommend this, but Grimaldi's wasn't anything special on my last visit (I had a great meal there two years ago).It's not bad, but not worth standing in line for an hour. Patsy Grimaldi (former owner) is opening a new restaurant next door, and there's another pizza joint just down the street.
John's Pizzeria on 44th between 7th and 8th is very good;outstanding pizzas for $20 or less for a large; pasta dishes for $15.
Gray's Papaya at 72nd and Broadway has my favorite hotdogs in New York. They have a "Recession Special": two dogs and a drink for $4.95. If you go to the Natural History Museum on Central Park West and 81st, it's a scenic stroll from there to Gray's. 72nd Street subway station is right across the street from Gray's and there's a nice park to sit and eat your meal. You can then hop on the subway to get back to Times Square or wherever you're staying.
Take a stroll through Little Italy. The restaurants on Mulburry Street have outdoor diningin the summer, and some of the streets are closed to traffic in theevenings. It's a nice scene. If you walk the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, you'll end up near Chinatown and Little Italy.
Estimate how much cash you think you'll need for the trip, and thenmultiply that amount by4, or plan on frequent ATM visits.The good news is that ATMs are everywhere. Many places (including the subway system and Grimaldi's) are cash only.
If you go to the Empire State building, spend the extra fewbucks for the audio recording device. It will tell you what you're looking at from different points on the observation deck and is well worth the extra money. If you haven't been to NY before,I recommend that you do the Empire StateBuilding or Top of the Rock early in your trip. This will give you an overall sense of the place. It's hard to describe, butthere's something like sensory overload when youarrive in Manhattan for the first time.
St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue is beautiful. Take twenty minutes and stroll through it.