Re: NYC - places to go
I would definitely visit Central park, and if you get a chance just take the red tour bus, its not a bad deal and you see everything in a day. Also go to the top of the Empire State Building maybe.
I would check out the Village area, lots of good food in that area, also lots of local art galleries. Check out Zagat, they usually publish a little brochure in the summer that lists all the galleries and their openings. usually openings also offer snacks and drinks for free :)
Hmm head over to Roosevelt Island.
Anyone who said there is nothing to do in long Island...well you can always go out to Fire Island or Jones Beach for a day by the water.. .... bunch of shows down there as well.
I would get an unlimitee Metro day pass so you can hop on and off the subway wherever you choose. If you had time for just 1 museum I'd go to the Museum of Natural History, they have the adjacent planetarium and I think they still have the butterflies exhibit up.
Ooh and they also do dinner cruises on the Hudson river passing under brooklyn bridge. Another place u can go is in palisades park lookout or sumthing, over the GWB, amazing view.