I'm bringing my daughter (just turning 15) to NYC for her first trip there. She's staying for 4 weeks of ballet intensive.
We'll have 6/21-6/23 to stay in a hotel, explore and savor the food of New York before she starts her dance program. I come back to see her perform and spend 7/19-7/21 with her before we fly out. We're both foodies, love to shop and fashion, and exploring cool neighborhoods, farmer's markets, flea markets etc. She will see a Broadway show and a few ballets during her intensive. I know our time is limited.

What are some great places to eat, to explore and where should we stay? I haven't been in NYC since I was 20!
Also I'll have some time in NY by myself, so adult things... I love art, theater, museums, thrift stores, strong coffee and all kinds of food.

We live in Seattle.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Do you need to stay near the dance studio (at the beginning) or doesn't it matter?

We visit the City from upstate about once a year and like to stay in the Chelsea/Flatiron areas. It's away from the crowds of Times Sq, and is a nice mix of commercial, retail/dining, and residential.

Handy to the Highline, lots of good restaurants, Saturday farmers market at Union Sq, and various thrift and consignment shops, as well as fitness activities of all types - yoga, spinning, barre, etc.

We don't need to stay by the studio. We can stay wherever we like.

In Manhattan except on the extreme East Side and West Side, you are always near a subway station.

You will find Manhattan is very easy to navigate between the trains, walking, and buses.

As for restaurants the worst values are in midtown and Times Square. The East Village has great variety and at reasonable prices, not as cheap as it once was. The West Village is a little more mature, while Chelsea has become extremely popular in the last 10 years with the Highline. There are scores of art galleries there.

The most unhip areas are the Financial District and the Upper East Side. Many consignment shops by young designers are on East 9th, 10, 11th Streets between Second Ave and Ave A.

We did a long trip to New York and DC with the whole family. I enjoyed the day I spent with just one of my kids. Your weekends sound really fun.

• Remember that Central Park is indeed outside, and go morning or evening if you're there in a heatwave.
• Consider outside festivals.
• Look at which museums are open late in the evening. Those can be fun with cafes open or live music.

Hotels. I obsessed about them as they can be expensive in New York. New Yorkers on this board were very helpful, especially with picking hotels. Should be easier for just 2 people. Spend some time on booking.com and play with the filters. If you can't afford the prices, ask here. Or check Tripadvisor. Or look at Hotwire.com or Priceline.com . There's a site called Betterbidding.com that explains how to bid on those sites. But again, I think you'll find one.

travelzoo often has specials for Manhattan hotels in the summer.

Right now they have a good one for the Stewart on 7th Ave @ W 32nd. Worth checking for other offers.

I stayed on 37th near 8 in January (for my first visit since a teen). And while it was a "fine" location, i think I would maybe try to go a bit further north next time, depending on prices.

We've really enjoyed the food tours we've done: www.foodsofny.com

For our last trip (November 2018), we stayed at The Belvedere Hotel which was a great location. Someone here on Fodor's recommended it. www.belvederehotelnyc.com It's on 48th Street between 8th & 9th.

Two hotel recommendations from friends when they visited with kids: The Edition and The Roxy. The Roxy is the hipper of the two but both are in good walking/shopping/dining neighborhoods. I don't know what your budget is but my favorite hotel by a mile is The Greenwich in Tribeca. The best farmers market hands down is Union Square. Go early because it gets crowded. I prefer Wednesday mornings because they're a little calmer and all vendors are there. Breads Bakery is nearby for croissants and babka.

There are so many great food options. If you can tell us more about what you guys are into, that will help. My kids love Rosie's on 2nd Avenue. You could explore the Lower East Side for shopping and then hit Rosie's for dinner. Make sure you stop at Economy Candy and possibly take in a picture at Metrograph or an exhibit at the New Museum.

My kids love Chinatown too and particularly love Taiyaki for ice cream.

Something we all love: Governors Island.

Williamsburg might be fun too but the L train is kind of a mess these days. Make sure you check the MTA service advisory page before you go.

The website The Infatuation is a solid restaurant resource if you want to search by neighborhood.

There are many fashions shop in the East Village between E 9-11 Streets from 2nd Ave to Ave A. There are some owner/designers, others consignment. Google it.

And although prices have gone up, the EV is still best food value area offering many different types of cuisine. There are about 7 places that make their own ice cream/gelati within a 15 minute walk.

Part of the NY culture is to shun box stores, although is becoming harder and harder with the increasing rents

Definitely do high tea at the Plaza Hotel. My 17 year-old daughter and I did and it was quite nice. Go to some of the places that are known for their food, such as find your favorite NYC Babka (hint: I'd start with Russ and Daughters). You can rent bikes and ride around Central Park - we walked it one day and biked another - both were fun but the bikes were faster if you are on a tight schedule.

The son of friends did an intensive there last summer. Good luck to your daughter.