You're a musician obviously..SO go down to the West Village on a weekend night.. and make an evening of it. Lots of little pubs & bars & cafes, with all shapes & sizes of live music will bekon you.( Blue note, Fat Tuesdays, Peculier Pub, The Bitter End,The Bottom Line, 55 bar Its a must do for the out of towners.
Go see the MOMA ( museum of modern art, & the guggenhiem, & the metropolitan museum).
Took the words outta my mouth, Aydee, MoMA is a must see, W. Village is 1 of a kind place, E. Village as a little less musical, but better shopping(NOHO,SOHO). ALL the food is great, no matter where you are. If you like Greek food, go to Astoria, Queens. My personal favorite.
The WTC site really isnt much to see right now, except for alot of construction. Some of the memorials are still there, but it is worth at least a visit.
Maybe go to the South ST Seaport?, Alot of pubs/restaurants/shopping. Along with some renovated old-thyme ships.
GOTTA go to Times Square-anywhere from 36th st and48th St, between 3rd and 6th Ave. A must see, by all means! GO TO TIMES SQUARE!!
Visit the Dakota Building(where Lennon was shot) on the southeast corner of Central Park(60th and 5th), but while you re there, catch a horse-drawn carriage through the Mid-town of Manhattan.
Go down to Brooklyn and visit Coney Island. Birthplace of Nathan's Hotdogs, the Cyclone and the weirdest boardwalk you ve ever been to. Or cross the V.N. Br. to Staten Island and go to the longest boardwalk on the East coast.
Maybe go up to the Bronx and visit the zoo there,the stadiums, or some older sites like High-bridge, which was how NYC supplied water to the city over 100 years ago.
All in all, you need alot of time to really appreciate this city and all of its different attractions, It is quite huge, and you could spend a day in each boro(there are 5).
BUT MOST OF ALL----- tune your radio to 89.5fm!!! If you like hard rock and anything heavy, this is the best free radio station you will ever find.( Except for Sundays, its a lil different then)
Have fun man! And dont hesitate to ask for help from anyone. People there might seem like they re in a hurry or lacking subtlety, but make up for it in clarity and helpfulness...
Oh yeah, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are great....