St. Patrick's Cathedral
FAO Schwartz
42nd Street Library

the ToysRus is a blast!Take lots of pictures in Times square area. You can easily kill the time there with all the shops!

There's an H&M right on the corner of 51st and 5th ave....perfect for trendy clothes shopping without spending alot of money

Forgot to mention that Radio City gives backstage tours. They're led by a Rockette and the girls might get a kick out of it.

No pun intended.

Tavern on the Green is a restaurant I suggest, although there are so many good eateries in Manhattan. Times Sq. any more is set up as a mock disney, shopping there would appeal to a student. If your close to Rock center, many shops and restaurants are right there -thought about some of the fine museums for the girls? They have restaurants and gift shops also.

Go up Top of the Rock.

Do not go near Tavern on the Green. Very pricey, not near your area - and 12 year olds probably won;t appreciate it.

If you want a "touristy" place to have lunch go to Rock Center Cafe. But - check menupages.com beforehand to see menus and prices.

I would think 12 year olds would prefer Ellen's Stardust Diner - just regular diner food - but the performing waitstaff are all out of work Broadway chorus boys and girls.

restaurants

>Ellen's Stardust Diner with singing waitstaff. Corny, but kids love it and the food's not bad. (near Top of the Rock which is a MUST. NBC tour in same building).
>John's pizzeria in Times Square in converted church also a good bet.

shops

>lots of shops in Rockefeller Center including the H & M, Anthropologie
http://www.rockefellercenter.com/shoppingandentertainment.pdf

>American Girl Place is across the street.
http://nymag.com/listings/stores/american_girl_place/

I second John's Pizzeria.

I just came back from visiting NYC with my 13 year old niece. She really loved Serendipity 3, which is a great little restaurant that is great for dessert and/or lunch. I have also been there with other girls around that age and they all love it. It would be the perfect way to spend the afternoon with girls and is within 15 minutes walking distance of Rockefeller Center. Here is the website http://www.serendipity3.com/main.htm

If you don't want to venture outside of Times Square, you can take them to the wax museum, the Hershey Store, and Toys-R-Us (yes, even kids that age like it).

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. You've all given me plenty of options for rainy or nice weather!

Ferris Wheel in Toys R' Us
Serendipity
American Girl Place