I'm arriving mid-morning in Manhattan and going straight to my daughter's office at 276 Fifth Ave., near 30th St. I've got a couple of hours to kill from about 11-1 while she works, then, both of us have some time from 2-4, when we go back to her apartment uptown. Not a very big window. I was thinking of going to the Empire State Building by myself then when I meet up with her maybe walking around Bryant Park and having lunch before leaving. I have mixed feeling about the ESB because of the price and possibility of a wait. Any thoughts on that or other ways to kill a couple of hours in the area by myself?
Thanks

There are excellent free tours of the New York Public Library at 11 am and 2 pm Monday through Saturday. Takes about an hour. You can grab a sandwich at a number of places on 42nd St across from the Library and Bryant Park -- Pret a Manger, 'Wich Craft, etc. -- do what the locals do and take it into the Park if the weather's nice.

I also love the New York Public Library. It is a very beautiful building to walk around. Also, there are a number of incredibly cheap stores around there that sell all kinds of useful accessories. You can also find good bargains on the clearance racks inside Lord & Taylor's.

If it is raining and you'd rather not eat in the beautiful park, then try Le Pain Quotidien,

You could also check out what's on at the Pierpont Morgan Library and see if that appeals to you. They have a lovely cafe.

Reco against the ESB due to the length of the wait. The other options listed seem like much better options.

Walk down 5th to EATALY, good for a few ours.

Eataly. Ugh. For that vibe, I'd rather walk up to the zoo and eat a banana in the Monkey House.

I just noticed that, as part of the Public Library's current extended exhibit about the history of the lunch hour in NYC, they've partnered with some trendy food vending carts to offer lunch in Bryant Park. Lobster roll sandwiches, that sort of thing. If you don't want to see the Library's incredible 15th century map collection (also now on exhibit), you could check that out. It's on the website.

The Morgan Library is nearby and is just the right size for the length of time you have. Check the website to see if the exhibits interest you.

http://www.themorgan.org/home.asp

It may be raining on Wednesday, but otherwise 2 hours is not enough time for the ESB. You could go to the Museum of Sex, which s fairly nearby or the Morgan Library. I think Eataly is also a good suggestion, but there's not enough there to occupy yourself for 2 hours unless you eat. There are also walking tours of Grand Central (audio).

Sorry ... I just realized that I misread this. It's Thursday, not Wednesday, so it should be a nice day. In that case I think you should do something outside. Perhaps walk over to Madison Square Park, then Eataly, and perhaps a little window shopping on 5th Avenue? In any case, there are plenty of things to do besides the ESB.