Have you been here -
http://www.tenement.org/

or http://www.frick.org/

And my favorite store -
http://www.fishseddy.com/

And if you like candy -
http://economycandy.com/

Any tour by http://www.foodsofny.com/
The Greenwich Village is my favorite

And walk on http://www.thehighline.org/

Those are my favorites

There may be some things you have seen or done but:

Walking the city is one of the great pleasures. Besides the East and West Villages where the quirky still lives, the Upper East Side has some spectacular residental architecture and very expensive stores.

You an also get books that outline self-guided literary and movie walks.

The city is filled with all sorts of ethnic stores and restaurants that many visitors miss especially in Queens.

There is the new section of the Highline, hundreds of art galleries and the Cloisters.

Try taking the #7 train to the end of the line (Main Street). You are in Flushing - but you might think you are in Hong Kong or Seoul. A vibrant, bustling neighborhood replete with interesting shops and restaurants. Stop in and have lunch or dinner -- Imperial Palace, Joe's Shanghai are a couple of good choices. BTW - while riding the #7 train note your fellow riders -- the faces and languages of the world (see their newspapers). This is the most multi-ethnic area in the world.

wow! lots of great stuff. did the frick and the high-line in summer. will definitely check out flushing via the #7. keep the ideas coming people!!! ag

If you've never beenin Dec before plan to spend an evening walking up Fifth Ave looking at the inredible displays n the store windows, visit Rock Center and St Pats, then head over 57th to see Bloomies.

Go skating at Rock Center or one of the city's other outdor rinks.

Visit the Cloisters.

Revisit the Met (Neapolitan tree and creche) and natural History (origami tree) museums.

Have a look at Time Out New York and the event section of the New York magazine web site. or the holidays there will be a huge number of special activities.

Visit the Bronx Botanical Gardens which has a fantastic display of trains for the holidays.

Track down some new museums - the ity has dozens - from the Asia Society to the Museum of Sex. If you haven;t been definitely visit the Museum of the city of NY, the NY Historical Society and Museo del Barrio,

I always liked the tour of the Federal Reserve Bank. It's free, but you need reservations. There are exhibits and they take you downstairs into the gold vault. http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/visiting.html

Go gallery hopping in Chelsea and stop in the FIT museum while in the neighborhood. Some other museums/galleries if you haven't been already: American Folk Art Museum, Forbes Gallery, Neue Galerie, Museum of Art & Design, Jewish Museum. Stroll/bike/skate along the west side, from Battery Park to the GW Bridge.

I think Folk Art has been closed - not sure.

Just topping, am interested!

I thought the Folk Art Museum is now in their smaller location at Lincoln Center. The one near MoMA closed.

If you are a book lover, Strand Books is a must visit.

It's at 2 Lincoln Center now.

If you go to the Federal Reserve Bank, also check out Federal Hall National Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/feha/index.htm) and the 9/11 memorial (timed tickets required http://www.911memorial.org/)

I was last in NYC about 3 years ago so check if these tips are still relevant...but these were some of my favourite things.
On Fridays there was a free walking tour of Grand Central station - very interesting and entertaining. http://gonyc.about.com/od/toursbr/tp/Free-New-York-City-Walking-Tours.htm
On Monday nights when there are no Broadway shows, the Birdland club hosts Jim Caruso's Cast Party when cast members just go up on stage and give impromptu performances. I posted a few days ago to get some recent reviews but noone replied...but I really enjoyed it when I went.
I love dance and especially Alvin Ailey, and the best $15 I ever spent was going to a dance class at the Alvin Ailey Extension school. It was a thrill just to be in the building and watch classes, and they have a glass walled studio that you can see classes from the street...and I just loved it.

i second the Botanical Garden and Bronx zoo--if I you really want to see a non-touristy area go to almost any Italian restaurant on Arthur Ave, theyre better than the best in Manhattan,really--its about a 10 minute can ride from the zoo--if your adventurous, its one bus,straighshot ( you can tell i was raised in the Bronx by now).Id think itd be a fun day--do the zoo in theAM while the animals are hugry, head over to Arthur avenue, then back to Botanical gardens A few take reservations, but most dont

Have you seen the Panorama of the City of New York in Queens? It's quite amazing!

http://www.queensmuseum.org/exhibitions/visitpanorama

I'm assuming you've walked over a bridge or two? Gone to Ellis Island? Done a scavenger hunt in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Had cocktails at dusk there? Signed up for a BAG? Seen an off-Broadway show, an opera, a ballet?

I'm hoping to have lunch at the United Nations Delegates Dining Room during my trip in February. It requires reservations.

http://www.un.org/MoreInfo/pubsvs.html

Bowsprit - what's a BAG?

Right in the neighborhood in which you are staying is the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace. It might be closed while they replace the fire escape. Since you'll be nearby it will be easy t verify if it's open.

http://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm

You might enjoy Eataly across from Madison Square:
http://eatalyny.com/

BAG: Big Apple Greeters are free tourguides who volunteer their time and offer a wonderful service. You have to request a volunteer in advance and you may not know if you've gotten one until your arrival but you're in for a treat if you can 'bag' a BAG. Here's the link:

http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/01-big_apple/00-what_is.html

Thanks, Bowsprit.

Years ago, a nice book from Joe Friedmann, Inside New York("classic NY interiors") does a panorama of old and less old "typical interior", some vanished since(Barber shop in Upper west Side on Broadway, which has been part of an expo at the museum of the city of NY) or no more open(Cafe des artistes, but I've heard it will reopen).
They were several chapters(banks,hotels, restaurants-cafe des artistes, Mc sorley old ale house, Exspo's,Empire Diner,PJ Clarke's.., public buildings-ladies restrooms at Radio City Music Hall,...).
They give some nice ideas like the elevator's doors at the Chrysler Building,...
It's no more in new edition but you can find it on Amazon as second hand...
A nice idea is also to walk in Rockfeller center searching for all the public fountain-some easy to find on the 6th avenue, some hidden...The public passage from street to street in those blocks are also nice to walk...
And we discover this year the walk on Manhattan Bridge. A "loop" can be Manhattan City hall/Brooklyn Bridge/Brooklyn Heights/Lunch/Dumbo/Manhattan Bridge/Chinatown.
Erik

Wave Hill in the Riverdale area of the Bronx.
Washington Heights area of Manhattan for history (Jumel Mansion) and great Dominican/Puerto Rican food. Salsa music blasting from the storefronts. Friendly people. Dyckman House is also in the area. Then walk over the George Washington Bridge to Fort Lee (NJ) Historic Park for spectacular views of the city. Also in Washington Heights area is Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters Museum.
The Italian population in the Little Italy area of the Bronx has shrunk considerably, but there are still some good Italian restaurants and pastry shops owned by the original owners. It has become a very diverse neighborhood with the influx of Albanians and Mexicans so there are other dining options as well.
I think a visit to Harlem (if you haven't already done so) is a worthwhile trip just to look at all the brownstones and churches. The Red Rooster Restaurant owned by celeb chef Marcus Samuellson is a great place for brunch on the weekend.

In Harlem, just next to Jummel mansion and terrace, there is every sunday a jazz session in appartment, Parlor Entertainment, by Marjorie.
www.harlemonestop.com/organization.php?id=84
If you are here on a sunday, worth+++ the visit.
Day can be : St John the divine(or a Gospel office in Harlem)/125th street/ lunch at Sylvia's or elsewhere in the neigborough/Jummel / Parlor Entertainment and back on Upper West side.
Erik

for jroth.....how long a subway ride from Penn station to flushing and how much time should i allot for the visit. thanks

adriang177: I'm sure you'll get an answer about the subway ride but you can also check googlemaps.com or hopstop.com for this information. I often check either of these on my blackberry while traveling to get that sort of information.

Roosevelt Island (great views of Manhattan)

Trinity Cemetery (155th street)

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Little Red Lighthouse (under the GW Bridge)

By no means a hidden treasure, but my favorite walk: City Hall Park over to the Hudson (North Cove) along the river, through Battery Park, up along the East River past Brooklyn Bridge and back to City Hall Park.

monpetit - your recommendation to search for the fountains at Rockefeller Center sent me to the Rockefeller website. There are so many beautiful sculptures, reliefs and murals that I would love to see. I'm hoping to add it to our itinerary. It will be a nice indoor/outdoor option for a cold February day. Should we eat at a restaurant there or can someone recommend a restaurant nearby?

You can't get to Flushing directly from Penn Station. Take the 1/2/3 to 42nd/Times Square. Transfer to the 7. Take it to Flushing (last stop), which takes about 45 total (perhaps less if you luck into an express train). Spend as much time as you want there, or just walk around for 30 minutes, eat, and come back. I don't know if there are any organized food tours of the area, but that might be worth looking into.

If I were going in December, I'd take this tour -
http://www.asliceofbrooklyn.com/christmas.html

I took their regular Slice of Brooklyn pizza tour and enjoyed it. They were just starting the Christmas Light tour and I put it on my To Do list for when I return during the holidays. The tour leaves from Manhattan (near Union Square). The pizza tour was a very enjoyable tour of Brooklyn with two stops for great pizza. Check out the lights tour info.

Sorry Doug--You CAN go to Flushing directly from Penn Station if you take the Long Island Railroad. Doug has described correctly the way to go from Penn Station to Flushing by subway.

Off-off Broadway!

http://www.hospitalityholdings.com/

for a rest-your-feet, evening cocktail in luxury, try The Campbell Apartment at Grand Central, or one of their other offerings.

There's a hidden subway station at City Hall which can be viewed by staying on the 6 train when it turns around at the Brooklyn Bridge stop.
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/stations?5:979

what is fishs eddy?

Fishs Eddy is my favorite store in NYC

It started selling vintage dishes and they've added new lines and some other products...but mostly it's a funky dish store

My favorite umbrella =
http://www.fishseddy.com/browse.cfm/2,57.html

A great gift for people who love NYC. A little bit different and easy to find in a sea of black umbrellas

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/a-native-nyer-plays-nyc-tourist-what-would-you-dosee.cfm

Here are some more ideas from a variety of posters -

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/nyc-10-days-of-unique-shops-stores-snacks-share-your-favorites-please.cfm