<p>You are right, there are lots of performing venues such as Joe’s Pub to check out and see if there is something playing you want to see. I had asked your dates but they don’t coincide (misses by a couple of days) because actually my own daughter wrote a musical that Joe’s Pub is going to produce on July 16 right before you get into town and she is in another musical there in June. So, there is lots of stuff that costs less than a Broadway ticket worth seeing that your D should enjoy.</p>
<p>mommafrog - I know I focused more on the “sights side of things”, but I noticed someone posted about Ellen’s Stardust Diner, and it kind of got ‘buried’ along the way, so I thought I’d resurrect it.</p>
<p>Ellen’s is located on Broadway and 51st, and although the quality of the food is somewhat debatable :), visiting Ellen’s has turned into a big tradition for my D (who now lives in NYC) and I, and whenever she has MT friends in town. The wait staff sings (a lot of them actually have Broadway credits) and are quite talented. You will also sometimes run into “Broadway folks”, who stop by to support their waiting table friends.</p>
<p>You actually get to eat, and are entertained for free. Can’t really beat that :D!</p>
<p>There have been lots of replies about shows and food but I have some thoughts on what you might do minus D. I would suggest heading up the Cloisters - Uo in Washington Heights for an afternnon. It is (well was, I haven’t lived in NYC since the 80s Ugh do I feel old). But it has a completely different feel, away from the rush of the city.
Also when we lived in NYC and finally on our last visit, we got D to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and in to lower Manhattan. Long before we had D, Husband and I would do this in the early morning (8am ish) and into the China town market area were they were bringing the fish and produce in. It’s not like it is exciting but it was like being in a different world.
When D is busy, I would suggest hopping on some of the subway lines and just riding. Once out of Manhattan lots are above ground and it is an amazing view of just places - like this enormous cemetry that goes on forever in Brooklyn. I would suggest a tip to Coney Island, not because it is great but just because. Also if there is anything happening out at the Belmont at anytime, we spent some fun afternoons out at the race track. We never actually went in but out by where they saddle up.</p>
<p>One thing D loved about being in the city last summer was going to a mid-night movie. Not something you would send your 16 year old to in Ohio. But she loved being at a movie so late and getting home by herself. I don’t know what your D is doing if she want to be out so late.</p>
<p>Funny how you mention that a midnight movie is something one might do in NYC but not Ohio. 
The thing that strikes me more than the late movie is how late everything is open in NYC and how people are on the street at any time of night. It is always bustling. My D and I just had this conversation as she lives in NYC and was home for a few days last week and in our rural town, every store closes at 5:30 PM and the market is open later than that but not late at all. Nothing is open but restaurants (not that late though). And in NYC, you can buy anything at any time of night and people are all out and about. It is an extreme stark contrast to where we live. I don’t know what sort of area you live in but simply just BEING in NYC, without any special sites to visit, is just an EXPERIENCE!!</p>