New york (Big Apple) - The city that never sleeps. The city I fell in love with as soon as I landed. Visiting New York is a dream for many youngsters from all parts of the world. I would like to share few facts from my past experiences about visiting NYC.

3 major things to think of as soon as you decide you want to visit NYC:
1. Where to stay? As soon as we start thinking of the hotel, we think its going to be very expensive. Well, it is for sure expensive but we need to decide wisely when we spend huge amounts on the accommodation. There are hotels all around the city, but the best place I would suggest is Manhattan(if possible around Times Square). Typically, the hotels would cost around 200 approximately in Lower Manhattan and 150-200 in areas like Brooklyn and Queens and the prices for hotels around Times square start from 270 and goes up based on the amenities you are looking for. I would highly recommend taking hotel around times square though it is a little expensive for two reasons, one - you get the feel of staying in the city that never sleeps, two - you can save a lot of time traveling as Times square is in the heart of the City. Most of the attractions are few blocks away(ex: Empire stare building, Grand Central, Rockefeller Center, Madam Tussades, Paramount pictures, Broadway Theatre and many more).
2. How to travel in the city? Don't even think of renting a car in NYC. The roads are jam packed with vehicles, people crossing on the streets when there is green for vehicles, single lane road appears to be a multi lane roads, you keep hearing horns very very frequently. It will be nightmare for drivers from well obeyed traffic rules cities to get a hang of driving in NYC. The best way to travel around the city is MTA. There are subways connecting all parts of the city and buses for connection between subways. Trains and buses run frequently and they are cheap and environmental friendly. Simply get a weekly pass or a 10 ride metro card from MTA based on your Itinerary and enjoy the transit.
3. Where to eat? Being in one of the best cities in the world people always tend to think you got to eat in fancy restaurants. You can always have a romantic dinner in one of the skyscraper restaurants or somewhere in Exchange place where you get a very beautiful skyline view of NYC, but everyone visiting NYC must taste the local foods. There are a variety of options based on your requirements. My all time favorites are:
3a. Halal - When I first stayed in NYC in 2007-2008 there were limited Halal stalls, but now a days you can find halal stalls in every street in Manhattan. I have tried quite a few and my favorite is Gyro's Halal in 53rd and 6th 53rdand6th.com, these guys maintain consistency in the quantity and quality. I like them the best, but as I earlier said each individual has a different taste so you may like something else. Any Halal stall you chose go during the busy hours, that's when you will see them make fresh. I wouldn't trust some food that's just parceled and given to me.
3b. Pizza - NYC has many famous local pizzeria's http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Best+Manhattan+Pizza&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY. I personally tasted Lombardi's Pizza and Grimaldi's and I loved them both. I cant really say which one is best but you will love both. So please try pizza from one of the local Pizzeria's in the city.
3c. Dessert - I heard many good reviews about Magnolia Bakery in Times Square and in Grand Central. I would also recommend Bouchon Bakery, they have a wide variety of bakery items.

Well, having said a lot already, I would like to continue with the most exciting part. What to see. There is a lot to see around NYC. But my Must see's include.
Times Square - There are tons of things to do in Times square ranging from hangout places to bars to historical places to movie theaters. http://www.timessquarenyc.org/entertainment-attractions/index.aspx, the activities keep you so occupied that you will never feel bored.
Statue of liberty - Sandy has drastically effected Statue of liberty, visitors are not allowed to the liberty island until 07/04/2013. For visitors prior to the opening date, they have a sightseeing cruise lines that start near Pier 78 http://www.newyorksightseeing.com/tourpage.php?item=NYWGLM. You can even get good view of Statue of liberty from the battery park.
Wall Street - Get a quick glance of the very popular NY bull and yeah there will be a line, so plan accordingly.
9/11 Tribute Center and wall street walks - If you are interested in having a tour of wall street and knowing history they do offer a variety of touring packages. https://www.wallstreetwalks.com/, you can also visit the 9/11 tribute center.
Empire State Building - The 86th floor observatory Offers one of the best views of not just NYC, but New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Central Park - Widely spread across half of manhattan, Central park in one of the beautiful must see places in Manhattan. If you are visiting with your spouse or gf/bf you can try the Horse Carriage ride http://www.centralpark.com/guide/activities/horse-drawn-carriages.html for a romantic tour.
Grand Central Terminal - Visit either while traveling to Connecticut or just to have food. This has good variety of places to eat. http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/
Rockefeller Center - 70th floor observatory deck offers the skyline view  similar to the Empire state building, you can visit either one for the skyline view. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting is a world-wide symbol of the holidays in New York City. Ice Skating Rink is open in winters thru april, please check calendar before planning as the schedule might change.
Visit one Pier - For a wide variety of seafood and exquisite views of Brookyln bridge and Manhattan bridge, do visit any one of the Pier's during dusk.

There are a number of sightseeing buses running around NYC. Think wise before choosing the tour package. Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy indivual tickets and sometimes its cheaper to buy the package keeping in mind you will be travelling a lot.

Have Fun :)