"Not interesting in getting in too many lines with a lot of fat, whiny tourists from Canada."
Gee, then, I guess you better stay home. Those fat, whiny tourist from Canada just seem to be everywhere in New York City these days.
With a name like Yeehaw123, you shouldn't throw stones.

It's impossible to answer your question.

You want to see:

1. The most famous sites in the world.

2. But don't want them to be crowded.

That's not going to happen. Your questions are also impossible vague:

"but would like some more specific areas to visit within the area including:"

You don't provide any interests or preferences. I suggest a lapdance at Scores (60th and First Avenue). You may get to see Howard Stern!

"best times of day or night to hang out;"

Where? To do what? I suggest the Polo Grounds Houses (Edgecombe Ave at 155th Street) at 3:30 AM. You'll love it!

"restaurants for lunch and/or supper;"

No mention of what you like or don't like. I suggest Alain Ducasse, they can whip up anything you like for only $350/head. Your kids will like that you get to keep the pens you use to sign the bill!

"inside scoop on show tix;"

What show? When? What do you like? I suggest "Cats". It's not running anymore, but don't let that deter you.

"and, any other non-traditional (not crowded) areas of interest."

WHAT DO YOU LIKE?

Things guaranteed not to be crowded:

Yankee Stadium when the Yanks are on the road.

St. Mary's Park, Soundview, The Bronx

Underneath Riverside Drive, Manhattan

Governor's Island

Fresh Kills Landfill

Wow - what helpful replies here . . . how about taking the girls to Serendipity for Sundaes? Friends of mine took their kids there and they loved it. It can be crowded, but maybe someone here can suggest the best time to avoid it and you can plan from there. 225 East 60th St. Frozen Hot Chocolate, sundaes, banana splits, etc.

Serendipity - 60th (between 2nd & 3rd)great place for kids to eat.

Great NY Noodletown - on Bowery (corner of Bayard) Chinatown. Hole in the wall, cheap and delicious chinese food. Open 24 hrs I think. NOTE: Chinatown is "always" busy/crowded, until stores close around 5/6 pm I think.

TRATTORIA Dell Arte - 7th (between 56th/57th) , great food all around.
Don't forget the choc. cannolis with rasberry sauce.

KATZ DELI, CARNEGIE DELI, 2ND AVE DELI
Pastrami sandwich, Matzo ball soup , corn-beef sandwich. That's all you need to order. HUGE portions.

Brunch at the Plaza Hotel or
River CAfe - great view/good food !
View of the Bklyn Bridge and the skyline
Walk back to the city for pictures and just for fun!!!

CIAO BElla gelato (better than ice-cream)- on Mott St (corner of HOuston). NExt to Mulberry St.
Best Gelato in town.
You'll feel like you're in Italy.

PIZZA at Grimaldis (Front and Water STs)Bklyn, right over the bridge. . the Best in NYC.

RARE - great hamburgers between $10 - 15 dollars. At the Shelburne Hotel on
37th and Lexington. DELISH!!!!

YOur 2 daughters should enjoy shopping at MACYS. Big selection for their age-group as well as yourself.

JEWISH MUSEUM - highly recommended. great view of the Statue of Liberty.

PS...you're visiting NYC, not just your average city, it's an International city, expect a lot of people, long lines in popular places etc.
Make the best of it and enjoy what's "different" from what you're accustomed to.

Just a correction to dita: the "Jewish" museum in Battery Park is actually the Museum of Jewish Heritage, devoted to Jews in the 20th Century, and is memorial to the Holocaust. (Might not be appropriate for his daughters). This is not to be confused with The Jewish Museum at 1109 5th Avenue (92nd St.), a great museum devoted to the life and culture of Judaism.

Yeehaw 123. I don't know what "best sights that these girls need to see means" Need for school? Need to be able to brag to friends about? Specificity will yield more answers.

grantop - I think HowardR hit the nail on the head. Maybe you didn't read the original post carefully enough. You just jumped in like fodorites usually do with helpful information.

But with the line HowardR alluded to: "Not interesting in getting in too many lines with a lot of fat, whiny tourists from Canada." - how much help do you want to give? (and btw - you did a wonderful job). I mean why do you slam a country - and its people - when you are requesting help?

I thought that a boat, planes and a submarine would be for boys but our three girls loved the Intrepid Museum.

Just goes to show you can never judge.

Richard (from Canada)

For the girls would also reccomend the ESPN zone it is a huge arcade so they really might enjoy - also for food what about jekyl and hydes for lunch food is ok but the kids would really enjoy the atmosphere!

< "Maybe you didn't read the original post carefully enough. You just jumped in like favorites usually do with helpful information" > No, I read the post, and unfortunately I don't have hours to spend typing sarcastic, or reprimanding replies like a lot of people here. The OP asked a question and I answered. If Yeehaw123 goes some where and sees the Fat Canadians he is trying to avoid I'm assuming he will leave the site - however, he'll probably be surprised that if he were to poll the fat people he would find that most would be Americans, especially those who are whining.

WOW! Thanks to the guys with the sincere, helpful replies and many apologies to the people I offended. Lighten up folks I did not intend to seriously besmirch any particular group of people, just thought the Canadians could take a joke, I could have just as easily referred to the people from. . .no, I better not go there. I guess what I was really trying to learn were some of the "hidden" or "off the beaten path" kind of places that were still part of the NYC experience yet not easily found or known about, like "dita's" post. Your posts thus far have been invaluable, even the ones from the thin-skinned guys, I like your spunk! Yeehaw (am I a red neck or what?)

You're safe, Yeehaw.

I read in the Daily News today that when all those "fat whiny tourists" heard that a self-proclaimed redneck was coming to NY, they all went back to where they came from.

Just back from NY with our daughters,
16 and 10 ys old(their 2nd times...).
What they loved :
-Lower east side tenement museum(the tours -you can combine 2 tours-one with
a "young lady" who welcomes you as new emigrants and the visit of 2 appts...
It's possible to go to the musueum at morning-reserve the tours for 1 and 2 p.m. or 2 and 3 p.m.). And so before you
can visit LES or Chinatown/Little Italy or better for daughters Soho and have a lunch at Katz's deli....
You can return at Soho after the tenement...
It's better to make that after Ellis Island(so the "emigrant way" is complete...).
The day of Ellis Island, try to be early there and so you will be in the 1sts ferries...After an interesting museum is the museum of the indians...
After you can have a lunch at southstreet seaport(bridge cafe has been a favorite of our "teens" and then
walk in southstreet seaport...) and if
they are not too tired, walk by lafayette street(some nice shops: Brooklyn.com, the Keith haring shops,...).

They have loved the 42 nd street, from
the 8th. avenue to UNO : both architecture, animation in Times Square, Bryant park, Library and the buildings of the east part(Chanin,Chrysler, Dg Central, daily news,...).
And there are some shops : it can be an all day walk...
Finally another hit was Spanish harlem to see the wall paintings of dela Vega : you can take the subway to Lexington/110th and walk down by Lexington/Park : paintings are elsewkhere and De la vega has a shop at Park/95th.

The shows : 42nd street was their favorite and then Mamma Mia and in 3rd,
Hairspray(they missed the too difficult
jokes to understand with parallelism
gays/blacks but music was good...).
Taps dancer in 42nd have impressed them...
Restaurants : Bridge Café+++, Canaletto
an italian restaurant at 3rd/61st,
Uncle Jacks(steakhouse+++) and definitevely for them, Jackson Hole for
juicy burgers : event after o,ne week back in France they talk us about those burgers...
Erik and Anny.
NB : they love also the Chelsea market : shops and restaurant in an old
cookie's factory.

LOL Leona!

OK, Yeehaw, for the sake of the girls, a few tips/thoughts...

You can buy tickets online ahead of time for the Empire State building & avoid some line standing.

The Museum of Modern Art is temporarily moved to Queens (out of the city). Save it for next time.

In addition to Serendipity (rent the movie of the same name for them) there's Dylan's candy store nearby which they'll love.

If they're into American Girl dolls, take them to the new American Girl store at Rockefeller Center.

As to theater, the best way to get discount tickets without standing on line is to get a discount code (free) on one of the websites such as playbill.com, hitshowclub.com, broadwaybox.com. Not all shows will be available, but enough to choose from.You can then buy tickets on the web or by phone.

While you're downtown, the girls might like to shop along Canal St.

There's also lots more info on this board if you do a text search (try
teen girls AND nyc) Have fun.

Any suggestions regarding Ground Zero? Is there anything remarkable still here to see? Recommended tour(s)? Thanks.

Wanted to jump into this lively and entertaining conversation - since you new yorkers are all so helpful! I'm from Wisconsin, but yeehaw please don't go there! Anyway - we're planning a NYC trip this sumeer with a 10 y.o. boy and 13 y.o. girl -so a harder to please pair than 2 teen girls. We love ethnic dining, fun shopping (not just clothes), bookstores, "non-boring" museums (you know what I mean!). It's obviously much harder to please the 10 year old! Also trying to choose a suite hotel - looking at doubletree and embassy suites. Is Embassy suites too inconveniently located? We always used to stay on the upper east side - but that was before kids. I hope I've been specific enough - though I'm sure someone will find fault with my post! Thanks in advance for your input!