There's a wealth of fantastic museums in New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art and Natural History Museum are must-sees. Buy a weekend newspaper or search for "New York Museums" online. What you want to find is the free admissions times, often Tuesday or Thursday evenings; otherwise you pay $5-$12 each. There are also tons of wonderful free galleries AND shopping AND food in SoHo and Greenwich Village. Also in the village: same day half-price theater tickets, cheaper than the downtown tix. Great food everywhere, really -- take it from a native. And yes, take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Be prepared for pushing crowds. Hold your purse in front of you. Probably warm weather, possibly hot and humid. I have no idea about accommodations because I stay with relatives. Parking costs 17 arms and 3 legs, so check into daily or weekly unlimited transportation passes. Public transportation is excellent and takes you everywhere.