With more than 600 species of animals inhabiting its 265 acres, the Bronx Zoo offers days’, if not weeks’, worth of entertainment. Next door to the zoo is the New York Botanical Garden, with 250 acres of flora—more than 1 million plants in all, so there is always something that’s beautiful whatever the season.

Start your explorations at one of the borough’s most vibrant spots: Coney Island, home of the historic Cyclone roller coaster in Luna Park. If the temperature’s right, you can dip your toes in the Atlantic Ocean, stroll past bathing beauties on the boardwalk and let the salt spray whip through your hair.

From the Met, head south through Central Park to Midtown. Your destination: Rockefeller Center and its 70-story-high observation deck, Top of the Rock, or, another dozen or so blocks south, the Empire State Building’s 86th and 102nd floor observation decks. Reaching the top to marvel at the sights spread out below is reward enough, but why not treat yourself for your accomplishments thus far? After lunch, take the subway south to Chelsea, and walk along the High Line. The park is among the most popular of the City’s newer attractions, but you should be able to find plenty of quiet spots, especially on a weekday. Make some time for a spin around the airy galleries and outdoor terraces of the Whitney Museum of American Art, which just returned downtown after 50 years on the Upper East Side. Wander into Greenwich Village—both neighborhoods abound in pretty, tree-lined streets, welcoming cafés and small, romantic restaurants. Swank, trendy Le Bain lets you imagine you’re in an episode of Sex and the City. If you’re more comfortable in boots than heels, join the folks downing shots and dancing on the bar at Hogs & Heifers Saloon. A different yet equally perfect Manhattan evening involves taking the subway to Times Square for a Broadway show. Go with The Phantom of the Opera for the classic route or Hedwig and the Angry Inch for an alternative selection.

From the Met, head south through Central Park to Midtown. Your destination: Rockefeller Center and its 70-story-high observation deck, Top of the Rock, or, another dozen or so blocks south, the Empire State Building’s 86th and 102nd floor observation decks. Reaching the top to marvel at the sights spread out below is reward enough, but why not treat yourself for your accomplishments thus far? After lunch, take the subway south to Chelsea, and walk along the High Line. The park is among the most popular of the City’s newer attractions, but you should be able to find plenty of quiet spots, especially on a weekday. Make some time for a spin around the airy galleries and outdoor terraces of the Whitney Museum of American Art, which just returned downtown after 50 years on the Upper East Side. Wander into Greenwich Village—both neighborhoods abound in pretty, tree-lined streets, welcoming cafés and small, romantic restaurants. Swank, trendy Le Bain lets you imagine you’re in an episode of Sex and the City. If you’re more comfortable in boots than heels, join the folks downing shots and dancing on the bar at Hogs & Heifers Saloon. A different yet equally perfect Manhattan evening involves taking the subway to Times Square for a Broadway show. Go with The Phantom of the Opera for the classic route or Hedwig and the Angry Inch for an alternative selection.

Get a sense of the tremendous diversity in Queens by breakfasting at the New World Mall food court. Rather than fare from Subway or Sbarro, you’ll find steamed buns, dumplings, soups and noodles from China, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. After wandering the streets of Flushing and its Chinatown, head over to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

If you’re a sports fan, detour to Citi Field, where the Mets play, or the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the US Open every summer. After a quick subway ride, you’re in Astoria. In addition to having some of the finest Greek and Egyptian food around, this neighborhood has a longstanding connection to television and the movies. Indeed, Orange Is the New Black and Sesame Street are two of the shows being shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios, anchor of Astoria’s arts district. Learn all about the fine art of making motion pictures at the Museum of the Moving Image, which counts among its permanent collection the head-spinning dummy from The Exorcist, original Star Wars figurines, and costumes from shows and movies like Mork & Mindy, Chicago and Annie Hall. Make your way over to adjacent Long Island City, also a player in the entertainment business—its Silvercup Studios is home to shows like Girls and Elementary. At the neighborhood’s northern edge, Gantry Plaza State Park offers amazing views of the east side of Manhattan.

Want to see the Statue of Liberty while taking in the sights of New York Harbor—for free? Hop on the Staten Island Ferry. Instead of turning around and heading back to Manhattan, disembark and visit the September 11 Memorial next door to the ferry terminal.

Learn about the life of Alice Austen, one of the earliest female photographers in the United States, by visiting her house. Continue in the same direction to Lakruwana, where you can sate your hunger with authentic Sri Lankan fare: the restaurant’s massive, all-you-can-eat buffet on Saturdays and Sundays includes deviled chicken and other food bursting from clay pots.  During the summer, you can watch the Staten Island Yankees battle minor-league foes like the Brooklyn Cyclones, their cross-Narrows rivals. You might catch a show at St. George Theatre, a baroque performance hall that opened in 1929.