48 Hours in New York City

New York is known for a wide variety of cuisines, thanks to its history as a place where immigrants settled, but few restaurants have remained as important to the identity of the city as its Jewish delis. The smoked meat sandwich at Brooklyn's Mile End Delicatessen is great, and its matzo ball soup and the Reuben are classics, but if you're feeling fancy, try the poutine or the duck grilled cheese!

You can't visit New York without trying a slice of New York-style pizza! Franny's in Brooklyn is nice enough for a relaxed, sit-down dinner. Order some wine and the pie with meatballs if you're feeling ravenous, or the pizza topped with clams if you're feeling adventurous.

Part bowling alley, part restaurant, part bar, and part music venue...Brooklyn Bowl is a lot of things, which might be why it's so popular. Grab a drink, listen to whatever show happens to be going on, and enjoy the people-watching!

Ramona is a totally different side of Brooklyn than Brooklyn Bowl. The craft cocktail bar serves up inventive and delicious drinks in a beautiful, sort of vintage-y environment. Order something different, like the Osculum Infame, with peppercorn rum, vermouth, lillet, Campari and an absinthe rinse.

The Gibson is a no-frills neighborhood hangout with an impressive selection of whiskey and beer, a friendly crowd of locals, and a foosball table, just for kicks. Fancy drinks and showy decor can be fun, but they're definitely not requirements for a good night!

Since you're in New York, finding a good place for a boozy brunch is mandatory. Prune is an East Village favorite for late-morning eating, with its tasty eggs Benedict, Dutch-style pancakes, and long list of Bloody Mary variations (the Chicago Matchbox style, with house-pickled veggies, is much beloved).

Head down to the harbor and hop on a ferry out to NYC's most famous icon: the State of Liberty. Whether you've bought tickets to tour the museum in the pedestal and to access the crown, or you just want a closer view of Lady Liberty, it's definitely something to cross off your bucket list.

Head to the famed Katz's Delicatessen for lunch...but bring an appetite, because the sandwiches are utterly massive. Mouthwatering sandwiches piled high with pastrami, brisket, corned beef, and other meats can feed at least two hungry patrons. Top it off with pickles and matzoh ball soup. Bonus: this is where the famous "I'll have what she's having" scene from "When Harry Met Sally" was filmed!

You can tell just by looking at the outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that it's the biggest art museum in the country: the building is massive. With more than two million masterpieces inside, it helps to pick out a few must-see exhibits, galleries, styles of art, or pieces, and just hit your personal must-sees at the Met. Pro tip: the Costume Institute uses the Met's galleries to host two different exhibits each year, and they're always outstanding.

Designed in the 19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, every year around 40 million people traipse around New York's Central Park, a lush oasis, smack dab in one of the busiest and most-populated cities in the world. You could spend days exploring the 843 acres of hiking trails, walking paths, lakes, gardens, museums around the perimeter, and more (there's even a zoo, and the 19th century Belvedere Castle).

Tavern on the Green is a landmark eatery that went from being a barn that housed the sheep who grazed in the meadows of Central Park to an" elegant but affordable" eatery, known for its outdoor patio and bucolic views between the 1930's and early 2000's. It closed for a few years before undergoing a massive renovation and re-opening.

Grab a post-dinner drink at the historic PJ Clarke's, which has been open since the 1800's. Nat King Cole was a fan of their bacon cheeseburger (and even went so far as to call it the "Cadillac of burgers") and Buddy Holly proposed to his wife here...on their first date! Other celeb patrons include everyone from Jackie Kennedy and Frank Sinatra, to Dave Matthews and Johnny Depp.