New York suggestions
 

We are going to NYC for a 3 day two night trip to celebrate our anniversary. Other than an evening Yankee game on the first night we have no other plans. Dont want to do any touristy things. Would love tips on your favorite NYC Spring day activities. This will be a Mon- Wed trip.

Well, this is a pretty broad question. You say you don't want to do any "touristy" things ... what do you consider touristy? What kinds of things do you *like* to do. One of my favorite spring things to do is to visit the formal gardens in Central Park at 5th Ave and 103rd, but who knows if that's the kind of thing you like to do.

I do not know what touristy means. We have two of the world's greatest museums and simply because they are popular does not minimize the colelctions.

Would help to know where you are staying, as well as what your (non-touristy) interests are--want to walk around an interesting neighborhood? Be outdoors? Shop? See art other than at the Met or MoMA?

I can only chuckle when someone says, "Don't want to do any touristy things." Two realities:
*Touristy things come in all shapes and sizes.
*If you come to New York and don't do any "touristy things," then perhaps you've wasted your trip.
If you tell us what your interests are, perhaps we can help. But, be forewarned, I guarantee a lot of our suggestions will be "touristy things"!
Hey, nay would consider going to a Yankee game a "touristy thing"!

For us, going to the theater is always at the top of our list.

One New Yorker's favorite spring activities:

Bike ride to Nyack and back
Read in CP
Get *OUT* of the city - a round of golf
Greenmarket shopping

"Don't want to do any touristy things"

Bring your laundry and any clothing that needs buttons sewn back on. That is not touristy.

The touristy things in NYC are what make it the attraction it is...and the people too. The plethora of museums, Central Park, The churches, the tall buildings, the varying neighborhoods and their unique offerings are very much the reason people visit.
You may want to consider spending time in one these unique neighborhoods and eat their food, shop at the boutiques, walk in their parks and strike up a chat with a local...

I am sure you will enjoy yourself no matter what you choose to do.

Do what I do during peak tourist street-traffic times here in SoHo: stay in your apartment and call for a deli delivery.
Throw away the crap mail collected during the week. Go to the gym. Call your friends for an early dinner when tables are open, then move to the bar for drinks until late.
Maybe the touristy stuff doesn't sound bad.

My friends who live in Manhattan do this on their day off:

Clean the apt
Walk the dog
Order take-out
Watch TV

I would suggest a walk in Central Park - the trees and flowers should be blooming soon. Look up Central Park Conservancy as they offer several walks during the week (for free).

I always try to see what's on at the Metropolitan Opera House and go see an opera.

And of course, a visit to any of the NY museums is a must. My favorite is the Neue Galerie.

Not sure what you mean by non-tourist like others here but Theater is always on the top of my list when visiting NYC!

You could also go to the Hamptons for the weekend.

Seriously - a couple of weeks ago I spent several hours at a museum and walked around Central Park. In May my huband and I are going to the Intrepid. The only things a NYer considers touristy is getting your name printed on rice or having a Chinese man make "art" out of your name and a few magic markers. If I were you I'd either walk around the Village (which I did last Friday night) or take the train out to the NY Aquarium in Brooklyn.

What a charge, for a small word's error...
Turisty but not too turisty : a jazz concert out of the great club(the smoke jazz club in upper west side is a good choice), The lower east side tenement museum( not in the first list of the turists...), the museum of the indians in lower manhattan, Arthur avenue in the Bronx(but it's a relatively long way in the transport to go there...), Grand Concourse, near Yankee stadium(it was safe 2-3 years ago, I don't know now..).
Find the DE La Vega paintings on the walls in El Barrio and the RIP , also wall's paintings in harlem or El Barrio.
The museum of the city of NY,always with nice expositions and the Central park part near it(Shaekspare garden),then Central park North and the Upper West side, but Broadway and Amsterdam avenue, less turisty than Columbus....
A walk on Manhattan bridge(Brooklyn bridge is turisty, but Manhattan bridge, not too...).
And if you can get tickets...a playoff game of the Knicks...
Ah too bad...it's not turisty it's a dream...
Erik

"The museum of the city of NY,always with nice expositions and the Central park part near it(Shaekspare garden)"

The garden on the East side of the Park near the Museum of the City of New York is the (quite lovely) Conservatory Garden. The Shakespeare Garden is at the foot of Belvedere Castle.

Yes, you're right ,I've written too fast and a part of my sentence miss...
Conservatory garden, then CP south, UWSide and Shakespeare garden with Belvedere castle on the west side...That was the itinerary...Thank's for the correction.
Erik

Ok...I get it. Sorry for the "touristy" comment. I guess what I meant is that New York is this great city that has tons of great museums, parks, galleries, open markets and just things off the beaten path. Little favorites or discoveries that you may have made that you think makes NYC the jewel that it is.

When I think of tourist things I think of Statue of Liberty, Empire State Buliding, Ground Zero,Times Square, Grand Central Station...places you would want to see on your first visit. I agree that these are great place but this is not that trip. This is a anniversary/birthday trip and I thought about going for a run or playing frisbee in the park, looking in the paper for special events that were in the city during that time, off broadway shows.

Thanks for whatever you can share.

Oh and we are staying at 7th and 53rd :)
As far as interests go we love live music of all kinds, museums, being outside, and we have never been to Brooklyn but would love to go there too

Thanks for being a good sport after all the sarcastic (and funny!) answers.

If the weather is good, you could spend a good part of the day enjoying Central Park Start at the north end by the Harlem Meer and walk south along the east side of the meer and into the Conservatory Garden. After exploring the garden, walk across the street and visit the quirky Museum of the City of New York. That takes care of one morning.

You'll be only four blocks south of Carnegie Hall.