Plan a 3-day NYC trip in this order: Midtown → Uptown/Bronx → Lower Manhattan. Day 1 · Midtown: head up the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock for skyline views (NYC has 100+ buildings over 500 ft), stroll Times Square after dark, and grab discount Broadway tickets at the TKTS booth. Day 2 · Uptown/Bronx: walk the Museum Mile — the Met (82nd St, 2M+ works) → Guggenheim (89th St) → Museum of the City of NY (104th St); or visit the Bronx Zoo (250 acres, 6,000 animals) and NY Botanical Garden. Day 3 · Lower Manhattan: cross the Brooklyn Bridge, then ride the free Staten Island Ferry (5 miles, 25 min) for views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.