InterContinental New York Barclay

Everybody knows the Empire State Building. For a different view, start the day with a visit to Rockefeller Center. Go to the Top of the Rock observation deck, an Art Deco masterpiece filling floors 67 to 70. The unobstructed 360-degree view through the crystal-clear glass is astonishing, with the cityscape stretching for miles in every direction. Find your way up to the second deck. Here it is just you surrounded by a beautiful Art Deco wall totally unobstructed. It leaves you awestruck at how beautiful New York really is. You'll need an hour up here at least. Come back to earth with a walk down 5th Avenue past icons like Saks and Tiffany to Central Park. For a complete change of pace, rent a bike with Citibike at the corner of 51st Street and Lexington Avenue, or at 72nd Street near the Boathouse, to give you time to really explore.

The Four Seasons restaurant — not to be confused with the hotel — is another New York landmark. Its Pool Room is said to be the most beautiful place in any New York restaurant. Walk down "Picasso Alley" between the Pool Room and the Grill Room and see something many locals miss: the monumental Picasso on the wall. It should give you a taste for a stroll along 53rd Street between 5th and 6th avenues to New York's newest landmark: the stunning, recently renovated Museum of Modern Art. Take in an exhibition or spend the afternoon meditating on the work of a favorite artist. Try a glass of fine wine and sample the exceptional desserts in the Terrace 5 cafe overlooking the Sculpture Garden before you leave.

Head to Broadway and see how a show is really done on the "Great White Way." We can arrange tickets — even to the sold-out shows. Afterwards, take a cab down to the Meatpacking district for some super-chic dining at Morimoto. Rub shoulders with the famous while sampling the latest delicacies from Japan's "Iron Chef." New York does a cocktail better than anywhere in the world. Have yours in Gansevoort's rooftop lounge before dancing the night away in the district's top clubs. Watch the sunrise at the Cafeteria Restaurant over coffee and scrambled eggs.