In One Day

If you want to have any chance of seeing the best of New York in just 1 day, you need to get an early start. You also need a plan of attack. You don't want to waste time zigzagging around the city to various attractions. So I recommend taking on New York by thirds. On the first third, we will concentrate on the best of midtown Manhattan. Start: Pier 83 on 42nd St.

1. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise

By starting your day on the water on this 2-hour half-island cruise, you'll get a good overview of Manhattan. You'll pass by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; see the lower Manhattan skyline; head up the East River, where you will go under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges; and view the United Nations and the East Side skyline, including the Empire State and Chrysler buildings.

Afterwards, take the M42 42nd Street crosstown bus to Fifth Avenue, where you'll come to the:

2. New York Public Library

You'll recognize this building by the lion sculptures guarding its gates. Step inside for more grandeur, especially the incredible Main Reading Rooms, where you might want to take a break and read the paper (if you have time). While you're here, take a look at the library's backyard, Bryant Park. If there are tents up, it means you're here during one of the two Fashion Weeks. Or between November and January, The Pond ice skating rink will be up.

3. Grand Central Terminal

Before stepping into this magnificent working train station, take a look east toward Lexington Avenue and then crane your neck up. You'll see my favorite skyscraper, the Chrysler Building. Okay, now enter Grand Central, where approximately 500,000 commuters dash through daily. I hope it's not rush hour . . . but even if it is, you really won't have to worry about colliding with a commuter: The building and the stupendous main concourse were constructed so cleverly that despite the perceived chaos, people rarely bump into each other. You'll want to spend hours examining the beautiful detail throughout the terminal, but you don't have hours to spare. A walk through the main concourse and a look at the sky ceiling will be evidence enough.

4. Grand Central Terminal

You're hungry now and the choices in the Grand Central Terminal dining concourse are plentiful and good. Chow down on anything from Indian food to pizza. Or opt for a heartier (and more expensive!) lunch at the legendary Oyster Bar & Restaurant or upstairs overlooking the concourse at Michael Jordan's -- The Steakhouse.

5. Empire State Building

It's an 8-block walk down Fifth Avenue from Grand Central Station to the Empire State Building. Let's hope it's a beautiful day because I want your view from the top of this historic structure, the tallest building in New York, to be pristine. You already have your tickets (don't you?), so you don't have to wait at the ticket booth. The elevator will zip you up to the 86th story, where you will get a panoramic view of Manhattan.

Take the B or D train uptown to Seventh Avenue. Walk east across 53rd Street to the:

6. Museum of Modern Art

Yes, the $20 suggested admission is outrageous, but this is New York and you are getting used to outrageous. And you'll forget about the admission charge once you peruse the exhibits in this beautiful museum. Airy and expansive, with sky-lit, open galleries along with smaller, intimate rooms, the museum is one of a kind.

7. Rockefeller Center

A short walk from MoMA is the Rockefeller Center complex. If you are here during the Christmas holidays, you'll fight the crowds for a glimpse of the Christmas tree and the skaters in the small rink. If your timing is right, you might be able to squeeze in the 70-minute NBC Studio Tour. If not, you'll see Radio City Music Hall and 30 Rockefeller Plaza. If you did not have advance tickets for the Empire State Building and the line was much too long, take the elevator up 70 floors to Top of the Rock for, arguably, as good a view as you would have at the Empire State Building. Across the street (Fifth Avenue) you'll see St. Patrick's Cathedral.

8. Fifth Avenue

Is a street an attraction? When it's one of the most famous in the world, it is. Walk north up Fifth Avenue from Rock Center and pass big-name stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, the NBA Store, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwarz, and The Apple Store. You'll also see Trump Tower from the popular Apprentice TV series. At 59th Street you'll see the ornate Plaza Hotel, which, after extensive renovations will reopen as a hotel/condo in 2008. Across the street you'll see the southern end of Central Park.

9. King Cole Bar

Now would be a good time to rest your legs as well as your senses. Head back down Fifth Avenue a few blocks to the lounge at the St. Regis Hotel. This is where the Bloody Mary was supposedly invented, and it's the perfect place for a late-afternoon or early-evening cocktail. 2 E. 55th St., at Fifth Avenue. tel. 212/753-4500.

10. Times Square

You've got tickets for a Broadway show, so before you head into the theater, this is your chance to see what Times Square is all about. The lights are blinding, the crowds are thick, and the noise is infernal, but that's Times Square. There's nowhere like it in the world. But don't linger too long! Broadway curtains rise promptly!