In Three Days

You’ve seen a sizable chunk of the best of Manhattan, but there’s still plenty left to fill up a day. We haven’t even gotten to some of the city’s great museums or that urban oasis called Central Park. We’ll do all that and maybe even escape to the wilds of the Bronx before the day is done. If the weather’s nice, plan on a picnic in Central Park.

Start: B or C to 72nd Street.

1. The Dakota

We’ll start our day in front of this 1884 apartment building. This was standing when the only thing around it was greenery. The building has a dubious past: It was here where John Lennon lived (and where Yoko Ono still lives), and where he was shot and killed. Across the street in Central Park is Strawberry Fields, named in honor of the former Beatle; fans gather here every year on the anniversary of his death, December 8.

2. American Museum of Natural History

Don’t try to cover too much ground at this 4-square-block museum; you’ll be here all day. Pick a few of the highlights, like the Fossil Halls where the dinosaurs reside, the Hall of Biodiversity, and the Culture Halls. On the 81st Street side of the building, you’ll find the Rose Center for Earth and Space, where you can marvel at the beauty of the cosmos in the grand Hayden Planetarium.

3. Central Park

From the Museum of Natural History, cross the street to Central Park and enter at 81st Street. Follow the path east, and just south of the Delacorte Theater, you’ll see Belvedere Castle. Climb to the top and soak in the view of the park. To the north, you’ll see the Great Lawn, sight of so many concerts, and beyond that the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. To the south you’ll see the lake with its rowboats (rent one if you have time) and the skyline of Manhattan.

Tak a Break -- A Picnic in the Park -- If you didn’t pack a lunch, stop in the Zabar’s (at 80th and Broadway), and get your lunch to go. Head to the park and grab a bench, or spread out a blanket and take in the sunshine.

4. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Continuing east across Central Park, you’ll hit Fifth Avenue and the Met. As with the Museum of Natural History, there is no way you can see all the Met has to offer in one visit, but stop by the renovated Greek and Roman Galleries, and the museum’s collection of European paintings—including 5 Vermeers (more than any other museum in the world) and 38 Monets. There are various free museum highlight tours. They last an hour and will give you a pretty good overview of this great museum.

5. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Continuing on our minitour of Museum Mile, that stretch of artistic real estate that runs on upper Fifth Avenue, is the Guggenheim. You’ll know it when you see it; there’s nothing else like this Frank Lloyd Wright–designed museum, and now you have the chance to walk the spiraling rotunda. But get off the rotunda and take a look at some of the permanent collection that includes works by Picasso, Chagall, and Klee. Or wander into the Kandinsky Gallery for a dose of the master’s eye-opening works.

Take the M96 crosstown bus at Fifth Avenue and 97th Street West. Get off at Amsterdam Avenue and 96th Street and transfer to an uptown M11 bus. Get off at 110th Street.

6. Cathedral of St. John the Divine

On the east side of Amsterdam, you will see the world’s largest Gothic cathedral. Construction began in 1892 and is still not finished. You can explore the inside of the cathedral on your own or opt for a tour. If you’re here at Easter or during the Feast of St. Francis in October, don’t miss the blessing of animals—where the creature congregation has been known to include an elephant or camel.

Take the M7 uptown bus to 125th Street.

Take a Break -- Lenox Lounge -- Stop at this classic (circa 1930s) Harlem bar for a beer or cocktail. You might get lucky and Patience Higgings and the Sugar Hill Quartet will be playing some straight ahead bebop when you’re there. 288 Lenox Ave., between 124th and 125th streets. tel. 212/427-0253.

7. Apollo Theater

Here’s a city landmark that is as well known as La Scala or the Taj Mahal. And if it’s Wednesday, make sure you have tickets, because Amateur Night at the Apollo is an experience not to be missed. There would be no American Idol without this Harlem institution. But even if it’s not Wednesday, you can tour this historic theater where Bessie Smith, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and so many other greats played.