I have had MANY people come visit for short periods of time, so I have the Cliff Notes NYC trip down. Follow this plan exactly, and you will get the biggest bang for your buck. This will seem like A LOT of info, but if you have a map, you could probably easily trace the path....and it would make a lot more sense. Or google it.
Day One:
-Start in Battery Park. Get there by taking the 4/5 to the Bowling Green stop OR the 1 to the South Ferry Stop. Go see The Spere & Eternal flame 9/11 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sphere), Look at the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (but dont actually go to them)
- Then walk up the river walk, along the hudson to the World Financial Center. Go into it (the big glass building: http://www.worldfinancialcenter.com/) If you enter from the river walk, you will see steps across the room, that lead to a big glass window. Go up them and you will see the best view of Ground Zero. If you are looking out the window, go down the steps directly to your left, and exit the building.Turn left when you exit the building, then crossover the footbridge when you run into it. From ther walk along the edge of the Gound Zero contruction site. Turn right at the end of the constuction site (Church Street - you'll see a church in front of you) Walk a block or two to the Trinity Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Church_(New_York_City) Alexander Hamilton is burried there, along the fence on Rector Street.
Get to Broadway. You can either enter the graveyard from Church Street, or just walk along the perimeter of the graveyard by turning left onto Rector St off of Chruch St. - then turn left onto Broadway from Rector. There you will see Wall St., across from the Trinity Church front enterance. Go down it, see the outside of the Stock Exchange, then go back to Broadway. Turn left and get in the Wall St. UPTOWN subway stop.
Ride it 4 stops to Grand Central aka 42nd St. Get out & see the station. The switch to the 7 (purple) - to Times Square - NOT QUEENS. (or if you dont care to see Grand Central Station, just switch to the 7)
Get out on 42nd in Times Square. Spend as much time as you want there, then walk north on Broadway....to 51st St. Turn right off Broadway. On 6th Ave. you will see Rockefeller & Radio City Music Hall...and on 5th you will see St. Patricks Cathedral (http://www.sancarloshotel.com/default.aspx?pg=location&rp=home)
I think I'll end day one here, because I dont know what time it will be. Go eat dinner , go back to the hotel, or do whatever you want. Or if its dark, go back and see Times Square at night.
DAY 2
I basically crammed all the main tourist hot-spots into the first day. I didnt take you to the Empire State building, but I really feel you can do without it. The area is blah & if you want to go on top of a building - go on rop of Rockefeller.
Day two is all about Central Park. I dont know where you are staying, but somehow get to 5th Ave. & 59th St. There you will see the Plaza Hotel. Enter the park at that corner. walk down to the water - and there is a really pretty bridge. I dont know how to direct you through Central Park, so get a map. Must see: The Mall, Bethesda Fountain & Strawberry Fields.
If there is anything else you want to do that I left out, or anything you didnt get to do from Day 1.....do it.
However, get to the Brooklyn Bridge close to sunset. Either walk there, or get on the 4/5 or 6 (Green) subway. Get off on Brooklyn Brodge stop. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge during the sunset, then go to the Brooklyn Height Promenade and see the city at night.
THE END
Wow- that was probably super confusing. Sorry. haha