My friend and I would like to surprise our daughters with a trip to NYC in June for their 13th birthdays. Any suggestions for "not to miss activities"??

Well, sure, but it depends on what your daughters like! Are you coming from another big city, or a small town? Are they "young" 13 year olds, or too wise for their years?
Do they like music, technology, dance?
When my cousin who's around that age comes to NY, she loves musical theater, the huge Apple Store on 6th avenue,clothes shopping,and pizza...

American Girl Place, Legally Blonde and/or Wicked, Century 21 for shopping for starters.

I second going to see Legally Blonde. We saw it last year and it is a very fun show to watch. Even my husband, who's not big into sitting at the theatre for several hours unless we're watching a "guy" movie, enjoyed it. It's perfect for a young teen.

Doug - American Girl Place for 13 year olds???? Have you met a 13 year old girl? AGP is for 6-11 year olds at best . . .

I took my then-13 yr old daughter to NYC. She really liked the Confino family tour at the Tenement Museum, the old time penny candy store close to Katz deli (and eating at Katz), a street fair we found out about online that happened in Grenwich Village, shopping around Union Square and in Soho(we tried Century 21, but it was too crowded and claustrophobic for her), the MTV store, Virgin records store, Hershey store, Top of the Rock at night, Pearl River Mart, pastries in Little Italy, and Ellis Island.

I agree that American Girl is too young for a 13 yr old. I took my daughter to American Girl in Chicago when she was 8, and that was a good time, but it is way un-hip to be into dolls at age 13, at least for my daughter.

My 13 year old liked:
**Top of the Rock at sunset (buy tix online),
**the tour to Ellis Island (we took 1st tour,and did not get off at the Statue of Liberty, following excellent advice of other Fodorites...Ellis Island was plenty fascinating and time consuming by itself, and uncrowded),
**the Tenement Museum,
**the walking food tour of Greenwich Village (FoodsofNewYork.com),
**Legally Blonde, Wicked, Spamalot.

Awesome ideas, thanks! We are coming from Charlotte, so a little of the city life. These girls are mature, not too street wise though. Love shopping, sightseeing, and of course being "seen!" I do believe they have outgrown AGirl. Any other suggestions would be welcome. How about a fabulous birthday restaurant?

Thanks!!

Definitely - Hairspray, my 11 yo also liked Mama Mia!

Chinatown, SOHO, Fifth Ave

Bloomingdales for sure.

I think you all probably have all the recognizable 'chain' stores for shopping like A/X they would think were cool.

Century 21 might be too old for the girls.

H&M might be a good place to shop.

The 13 year old female NYers I know love Union Square - DSW, Forever 21, American Eagle, Strawberry, Diesel . . Virgin Records and Barnes and Noble and then mediocre chocolate at Max Brenner Chocalate by the Bald Man - that's the circuit on Fridays after school.

The 16 year-old female NYers I know love lower Fifth Avenue from 23rd down to 14th Street - Anthropologie, Victoria's Secret, Express, Bebe, Club Monaco, H&M, Kenneth Cole . . . it's an outdoor mall .. .

Stop in City Bakery on 18th and 5th for great chocolate chip cookies, tarts, lemonade and fancy sandwiches and salads.

Do they have any special interests? In NYC you can find a museum or tour for almost anything.

I would NOT miss the Met. Check the web site to see what departments or special shows they might like (Costume Institute?)

Thanks, nytraveler! They are definitely into interior design, fashion design and cooking! Any suggestions?

For Fashion and interior design interests, definitely a trip to the Met - the costume institute: http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Ar...tume_institute
and the American decorative artshttp://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/american_decorative_arts/index.aspx?dep=1&vW=0
can spark a lot of ideas . . . for food, one of the food tours or a walk through the Chelsea Market http://www.chelseamarket.com/ could be fun, too.

My 13 yr old really enjoyed the NYCParty Shuttle for a good overview of Manhattan. She also loved Canal Street, pasta at the Blue Grotto in Little Italy and seeing "Rent". The Met is awesome, so is Central Park...always something crazy there. Second Top of the Rock.