Slowly Going Bald

Attend a Yankees game. Bleacher seats are the cheapest and give a great view, but you can't have beer and you'll be in the sun the whole time. However, the people are great and it's fun.

Lucky Cheng's in the Lower East Side is a restaurant featuring a transvestite wait staff and entertainment. It's REALLY fun if someone in your party isn't in on the joke before-hand.

Sol Y Sombra makes the best tapas in New York City and they have a great selection of food and drink. They're on Amsterdam Ave at 82nd St.

I think "Top of the Rock" is better than Empire State Building. Cheaper, shorter lines and glass barriers (still outside) instead of an iron grate to peer through. (Rockefeller Center)

The Strand Bookstore is the largest book store in Manhattan. You can find LOTS of hard to find stuff there.

Take a walk through Sheep's Meadow or the Great Lawn (both in Central Park) on a warm day to see tons of bikini babes.

Serendipity III has the biggest desserts in the city, but you can have up to a 3 hour wait depending on what time you go.

I have lots of recommendations, but few on the Upper East Side.

don't go to a yankee's game, or any other sporting event
contact L Goode - she know's some amazing places

there's a restaurant where everything on the menu is chocolate

little italy is great - gotta eat there

go to shows

TRL is a must. If they still do it.

Mcsorleys. Oldest Irish pub in NYC.

go see TMLMTBGB!! http://www.neofuturists.org/

I went last week for the first time and loved it!

I would also recommend a Yankees game, partly because this is the stadium's last year.

McSorley's can be great, but it can also be very overcrowded with locals and tourists both. If it's packed, I'd pass it up. (But read Joseph Mitchell's old story about it -- incredible stuff.)

The Strand is incredible. A must. And in the same general neighborhood are two of my favorite non-used bookstores in the city -- St. Mark's Bookshop:

http://www.stmarksbookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

and Shakespeare & Co. on Broadway.

They both have great film sections (especially Shakespeare), among many other things.

Restaurants/Bars:

-- I really like an Italian place called Frank on Second Avenue. It's not well-marked, but it's between 5th and 6th. It's also very small, but that's part of the greatness -- get there pretty early or pretty late if you don't want to wait.

http://www.frankrestaurant.com/

-- John's is another good Italian place on the east side, on 12th St. just off Second Ave. The vibe there might be a little too "date-y" for your purposes, but just a little. I think a scene in the Sopranos was shot there. (I've only seen a few episodes, shamefully.)

-- Von is a cool bar on Bleecker St., near Bowery. Worth checking out.

All of those -- the bookstores, everything -- are bunched on the east side, between 14th and Houston.

In the West Village, there's a very relaxed, small, cool bar called The Four-Faced Liar. It's on 4th St., just off of 6th Ave. That's not too far from Film Forum, which a movie geek like you should get to if you've never been.

That's all for now. I'll think of more.

If you're up for it and have a guide, you can try the 5 burrough tour. A drink in each burrough in one night. It's a haul, but it can be a lot of fun.

For extra fun, you can try to theme your drinks, Manhattans in Manhattan, Brooklyn Lager in Brooklyn, Long Islands in Queens (Long Island, right?)...and um, we did shots in the Bronx and 40's in Staten Island (there's a bodega about 100 yds from the port).

Carnagie Deli, 854 Seventh Ave. Best. Cheesecake. Ever.
(And pretty good sandwiches, too.)

Lots of good suggestions already. Definitely do central park if you can, it really is magnificent. Also, try the bacon at Wolfgang's Steakhouse. I've never been impressed by the steak itself but the bacon is fantastic. Don't be put off by the $6/slice pricetag - it's a huge slab.

Bar wise: From where you're staying, you've got easy access to the East Village; I suggest taking the 6 train down to Astor Place and walk east down St. Marks Place. Plenty of good bars and eateries, and once you're in that location you can wander in any direction and find something good. St Marks Place between 1st and Ave A has both Crif Dogs and Bua (a bar) - both are great.

Other easy access options are to take the 6 train to Bleeker street and walk west. It'll take a few blocks but you'll hit both Greenwich and West Villages, which are chock-a-block with good bars and restaurants (and vintage music shops). Peculiar Pub, on Bleeker between LaGuardia and Thompson has an excellent selection of bottled beer.

And Williamsburg (which is beloved by many, though not by me) is reasonably easy to get to: take the 6 to union square and then the L to brooklyn and get off at the first stop, Bedford Ave.

Note: All these recommendations are more for relaxed/divey bars; if you're looking for clubs or something, I'm afraid I can't help.

Hells bells, upper east side? I got nuthin' for ya up there. I tend to stay below 14th.

I never make a trip to NYC with out getting a plate of pierogis at Veselka (2nd and 9th). I recomend the sweet potato and the spinich and cheese, boiled (natch).

And if you're a fan of lox and bagels you will never in your life have better than what you'll find at Ross and Daughters. Houston and... 1st? 2nd? I think?

The Living Room is my favorite place to hear music though I believe they've moved since last I was there.

Being that this is your first trip, you'd be remiss if you didn't soak up the culture with all the other out-of-towners: Met, MoMa, Guggenheim. The Frick is fabulous. http://www.frick.org/ And a long walk, gallery hopping in SoHo is also delightful.

But for really, NYC is best without a plan. Take a train below 14th and start walking. Hard to go wrong.

"But for really, NYC is best without a plan. Take a train below 14th and start walking. Hard to go wrong."

I was about to write the same thing.

also, if youre making it out to Queens at all, I suggest the Bohemian Beer Garden in Astoria; if in the Bronx, get high and go to The Zoo - you won't regret it.

Upper East Side suggestions:

Bars:
Marty Obriens, 88th and 2nd Diviest of wonderful dive bars, awesome jukebox, pool, and lots of cops.
Pheonix Park, 67th and 3rd
Great outdoor space, wicked good disco fries (gravy, cheese), do not, under any circumstances eat anything else they serve.

Restaurants:
Isohama, 93rd and 3rd.
Amazing, surprising, sushi
Sfoglia, 92nd and Lexington
Rustic Italian, make a res now

When you go downtown: Molly's pub(23rd and 3rd), walk the Brooklyn Bridge over to Grimaldi's and get a slice, Joe's Shanghai (Pell Street), Otto(w. 8th), Artichoke Pizza (14th Street)

If you go to Queens: Totally agree on the Beer Garden suggestion - the place is magical.

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Sex and the City tour! I didn't take the tour, but I did go see Carrie's stoop, the sex store where Miranda got the rabbit, the cupcake bakery, etc. It's totally "you" Dan, and you'd love it. ;) Well, at least the cupcake place. Also, NY has a huge H&M store. And FAO Schwartz!

I second McSorley's. It is the awesomest.

Also, Corner Bistro is the best burger spot in the city.

Well, a bunch of other people have mentioned the Strand, which was gonna be my contribution, so I'll mention Shakespeare & Co., which is also in the West Village.

The one place I have to eat at every time I go back to NYC (went to college there) is Ollie's. It's a chinese place that has a few locations around the city now, one around times square, a couple on the upper west side. The one I love with my heart is at 116th St. and Broadway, since it's right across from the dorm I live in 3 out of 4 years in college. If you do decide to trek up there, you can wander around Columbia's campus or you could go to Tom's Restaurant (of Seinfeld fame), which is just a few blocks south on Broadway. The only thing they used was the sign but the place is full of Seinfeld memorabilia and loads of college students who have eaten there forever. Those are just a few suggestions, but I second those who tell you to wander around.

Also, go to the MOMA and the Met.

Totally forgot to tell you that if you eat at Ollie's you must order Scallion Pancakes. You'll probably want a whole order just for yourself, or at least, that's what I would want. I've never seen a good Scallion Pancake outside of NYC and Ollie's are simply the most delicious of all.

Also, see you're reading Blindness. Fucking incredible book.

Corner of Broadway and 5th...ask for Melody and tell her you want the "Boston Strangler". Just make sure you give a safe word.