If you've been to New York City, you probably long to go back. And if you never have, it's on your bucket list. Whatever your age, the choice of things to do is staggering. Elizabeth Sleith highlights eight of the best 1) GET YOUR BEARINGSA great way to narrow down your to-do list is to cram in some highlights right off the bat - and an open-top, hop-on hop-off bus is great for that - though you'll have to factor in traffic. These will run you past the most famous landmarks, including Central Park, Times Square and the new One World Trade Centre, with commentary to clue you in as you chug from spot to spot. Several companies run such trips with multi-day options and night tours. Try Big Bus Tours or New York Sightseeing.You can also do your sightseeing by boat. The New York Water Taxi is delightfully decked out like a floating yellow cab and offers hop-on, hop-off tours from the harbour on a 90-minute loop. Thrill-seekers may prefer The Beast, a speedboat tour that zooms up the Hudson at up to 75km/h - they recommend you wear a wetsuit.story_article_left12) HEAD TO THE TOPNYC has a skyline made for the movies. In that architectural hall of fame, no one stands taller than the 102-storey Empire State building. When it opened in 1931, it was the tallest building in the world - and remained so until the mid-'70s. Today, visitors can explore the splendid art-deco lobby and the two exhibits on the lower floors before shooting up to the 102nd floor for the swoon.Though it's not as high, the Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Centre - built by the oil tycoon during the Great Depression - offers a ride on a glass-ceiled sky shuttle to the 70th floor, for stunning open-air, 360-degree views.3) ISLAND HOPManhattan is the Big Apple's core island but there are a few others worth a look. Liberty Island and Ellis Island, both of which fall under US National Parks.Liberty is, of course, home to that colossal, thorny-crowned statue gifted to the US by France in 1886. The ride to her feet will give you wonderful views of both the great lady and the city she watches ever over.Nearby Ellis Island is where more than 12 million people first entered the US, starting in 1892. Its Immigration Museum lets visitors relive the experience as if they were new arrivals themselves.Coney Island is actually a neighbourhood in southwest Brooklyn. Known mainly as a giant amusement park, the area has more than 50 separate rides and attractions. Luna Park is the latest incarnation of rollercoasters and scream machines. There's also a beach and boardwalk, an aquarium, a circus sideshow, and a fireworks display on the beach every Friday at 9.30pm in season.full_story_image_hleft14) STEP UP TO THE PLATESports fans should explore that quintessentially American pastime, baseball. Take a "Hands On" tour at Yankee Stadium for the chance to swing Babe Ruth's bat and brandish several World Series trophies.You can also visit the "world's most famous arena", Madison Square Garden, boasting over 130 years of showmanship. It's where Muhammad Ali suffered his first defeat in the "Fight of the Century" in 1971 to Joe Frazier; and where, in 1985, Hulk Hogan and Mr T teamed up for the world's first WrestleMania event (Ali was a referee and Liberace was the timekeeper). It's also where Marilyn breathed Happy Birthday to JFK in 1962.mini_story_image_vright25) FIND YOUR MUSE(UM)With an official 83 museums within the five boroughs, good luck if you're a lurker trying to narrow down.One of the deservedly more legendary is the American Museum of Natural History, which is an adventure in itself for every age, including a fake rainforest and a whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling. It also has the world's largest collection of dinosaur and other vertebrate fossils and recently unveiled a replica skeleton of the "newest" one, a 37m-long titanosaur, discovered in 2014 in Patagonia.At the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum you can see the aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise and a guided missile submarine.The Brooklyn Children's Museum, founded in 1899, is the world's first museum for kids, including under fives.For pop culture, Madame Tussauds is the ultimate pick, with over 225 life-like wax models of stars and icons, and a punch-packing Marvel Super Heroes 4D Experience.6) SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE (WITH PIE)Thanks to its massive multicultural past, NYC has a vast array of cuisine to explore. Food On Foot Tours calls it "the largest buffet in the world" and takes visitors to some of the best insider spots.For a more DIY experience, try the popular Chelsea Market. Throughout much of the 20th century, it was the National Biscuit Company (now Nabisco) factory, turning out treats for good little boys and girls across the nation. It's also where "America's favourite cookie", the Oreo, was invented in 1912. Now it's an enormously popular food mecca, and a great spot to people-watch and tick off some other NY staples too - bagels, pastrami on rye, cheesecake, hot dogs and pizza, oh my.story_article_left27) ON WITH THE SHOWFans of film and theatre know that all of New York is a stage - or a prop or set. For a two-hour walking tour of the Theatre District, with some history and the inside scoop on some of its most famous names, click on over to Inside Broadway Tours.You could also stand where the stars stood on various film-set tours. From Breakfast at Tiffany's to Sex and the City to the Sopranos, couch potatoes are sure to find a backdrop that hits the mark with On Location Tours.For a different sort of drama, The Ride is an interactive tour of Manhattan on a custom-built bus, which turns the very streets into the theatre.8) GET STUFF TO STRUTFashionists can follow their bliss in this sartorial capital. Go solo down the world's most famous shopping streets, Fifth and Madison avenues, or warn your bank manager that you have bigger plans. Do a high-end shopping expedition to designer showrooms and buy at wholesale prices with Shop Gotham NYC Shopping Tours. Or make your rands go further with the Elegant Tightwad Tour, which explores some not-so-expensive destinations...