I have an afternoon/evening layover in Dusseldorf. Need a nice place to sit and people watch and wander around a bit.

Konigsallee,no doubt.

Yes the Ko, as they call it is one of the most fashionable streets in Europe, reflecting Dusseldorf's status as a fashion centre competing with the likes of Paris and Milan.
The leafy suave street has a canal running down its middle...i'd also walk thru the restored Old Town near the Rhine - this is a restaurant and beer hall ghetto that can be quite animated.
And walk along the Rhine on the Rhine paths.
Actually in a few minutes from Dusseldorf Airport you could be in Cologne by train, where next to the station is the world's largest Gothic cathedral (or one of) - a remarkable site and Cologne's riverside walk is a bit more nice than Dusseldorf's.
Both towns have pleasant pedestrian shopping zones.

Thank you so much

I am glad that you will pay a visit to Düsseldorf. You have different options:

1) You can take a taxi into the Altstadt (old town - public transportation is also available, but it takes more time) and walk a loop. Interesting points:

- the Rheinufer (riverwalk) with nice views, the historical harbour and vibrant life
- the baroque Carlstadt with special atmosphere (the southern part of the Altstadt), visit the Maxkirche, a masterpiece of baroque architecture, where composers Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Robert Schumann worked
- the Altstadt with the historic City Hall and hundreds of bars and restaurants (all styles & price levels)
- the art museum K20 - an outstanding collection of art from the 20th century - or, if you are more daring, K21, a collection of very contemporary art
- the Königsallee, an elegant shopping street, however expensive

2) You can take a taxi to the Neanderthal Museum and pay your ancestor a visit. It is an outstanding, very modern museum that has not only the world's most famous skeleton on display but state-of-the-art reconstructions of Neanderthal life and wonderful stories which are told by audio-guide (in English).
It is also a history of mankind, including food, housing, communication etc. Everything world-class.
If the weather is nice you might enjoy a walk through the Neanderthal. It is a picturesque valley with a murmuring stream (the Düssel) and has corrals with ice-age animals which have been rebred.

Enjoy your stay in Düsseldorf!

I'm going to follow the thread and print it before I leave. Thanks, you are all so helpful. The neanderthal museum sounds interesting. I travel a lot so I'm certainly open to something different.

http://www.neanderthal.de/

Public transport to Neanderthal is 51 min from the Airport. You take the S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof (main station) and change to the S-Bahn S28 or S7 directly to Neanderthal Museum.