Husband and I are traveling to NYC for a week this May. We've both been a couple of times before and are wondering if there are any day trips that would be interesting/worthwhile and reachable by public transportation? We'd rather not rent a car. I realize this is a somewhat vague question, but dont really know what our options are outside of Manhattan.

The month of May would be the perfect time to visit the NY Botanical Gardens.

http://www.nybg.org/whats_on_now/whatsonnow.php

You can take the subway - perhaps someone else can tell you which subway to catch.

Also, a short walk from the gardens, is the Bronx Zoo.

Just a couple of ideas. Have a great trip!

Take 30-40-minute trainride to Tarrytown and tour Kykuit, the magnificent Rockefeller Estate. You can easily make a day of it, as there are two or three tours you can take on the property, plus there are other sites worth visiting the area, such as Lyndhurst, the Jay Gould estate that was used in the filming of Dark Shadows.

If you're a fauna fan -

The Wildlife conservation Society runs the Bronx zoo - purportedly the best in the world

And coney Island - as well as its own tacky attractions - including Nathan's Famous - also has a great aquarium

Long Island has a myriad of beaches, a number of wineries and several museums and houses from its colonial whaling towns

Also - you can easily take a Circle line cruise up the Hudson - I believe - depending on the dates - they stop at bear mountain and/or west point military academy

Thank you for the great suggestions - they all sound like fun to me!

NYTRaveler - I'm intrigued by the Long Island idea. Would we take a ferry and then just walk around? Or find a taxi or ??

Long Island is a huge island, about 50 miles long. And two boroughs of New York City - Bronx and Queens - are on Long Island. You don't really "take a ferry" to Long Island, as it's connected to Manhattan (another Island) by many road and rail bridges & tunnels.

The most common way to travel to the middle and eastern parts of Long Island is by the Long Island Railroad. Its Manhattan terminal is at NY Penn Station, but you can also pick it up at various points in Queens.

I'm not an expert in LI, so I'll let others give you the specifics.

Long Island is actually 110 miles long - out into the Atlantic. It contains two of NYC's boroughs - Brooklyn and Queens and 2 suburban counties - Nassau and Suffolk. The part I mentioned is the far end - which you would reach either by Long Island Rail Road or Hamptons Jitney (luxury bus service).

Unless you want to rent a car you would either have to select the North Fork - wineries and beaches - or the South Fork - beaches, trendy upscale towns such as Southampton, East Hampton, Amagansett and Sag harbor (an old colonial fishing village with whaling museum etc) - all of which have nifty shopping and antiquing. Transport once you're there would be by cab.

There is a lovely restoration that I have never seen mentioned here, called Old Beth Page. I was there a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It is a working restoration including a farm, grainery, a couple of restaurants and more.

It is in Beth Page Long Island and is easily reached by the Long Island Railroad. Not sure of the stop, but when you get off a taxi would be available at the station to take you to Old Beth Page.

In May, unless we are having an unusually warm spring, the weather will probably not be beach weather just yet. The "season" does not kick in until Memorial Day weekend, so most of the "summer towns" in the Hamptons will not be quite as happening.

You might do a search on google for winery tours on Long Island, as I suspect there are several.

In the city if you have never been to The Cloisters, go, it is part of the Met Museum and has some incredible art from the 1500 to the early 1700s. It looks like an old castle, and was bought in pieces in Europe, and assembled here in one building. Some VERY RARE pieces of art are displayed.
There are also several beautiful gardens overlooking the Hudson River and you will have no idea that you are still in Manhattan. Take the A train to 190th St and walk up through Ft. Tryon Park, which should be in full bloom by May.

Have a great time

Oops... Sorry, of course LI is about 110 miles long. I have no idea why I said 50. That was a ridiculous mistake on my part.

BROOKLYN! Well, it's not technically outside NYC, but it is outside of Manhattan. So much to do. You could walk over the Bklyn Bridge, great ice cream shop, pizza place and Jacques Torres chocolate shop near or on Fulton Ferry Landing right at base of bridge on Bklyn side. Unbelievable views of Manhattan. all in the very happening, arty DUMBO neighborhood. Or you could take subway to Brooklyn Musueum, see fabulous new entrance. From there, right behind it, is Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in lovely spring bloom in May. Also within easy walking distance from museum is Prospect Park (same designers as Central Park, some say PP is better!), the sweet little zoo in PP, and lovely Park Slope, a brownstone neighborhood with restaurants, shops, etc. You would have a very lovely day.

Some great ideas were mentioned, but I don't believe I saw Ellis Island. Fascinating, and reachable by ferry. Also, you could take a boat trip up the Hudson to Westpoint or the Vanderbilt Estate, the latter would be my choice. I second the Cloisters I went last fall, and it was wonderful, since they have their own gardens May should be lovely. Entry is included when you buy entry to the Metropolitan Museum (which you could take the entire week to explore). I don't think you need a car at all.