what to do in ny/usa?

going on holiday with my girlfriend to the united states for 3 weeks in june/july. shes got a family wedding in vegas which is the main point of the trip. will also be visiting some of her family in texas and boston.
we have a week in new york to ourselves which could be my only real opportunity to do whatever i want (starting 4th of july). maybe a day in LA just before we come home.

since we started planning this trip i've discovered my knowledge of american geography is a little below average and i wont infact be able to check out mount rushmore while we're in new york.

apart from visiting her family, she wants to go to a harry potter exhibition or something thats on, presumably alot of girly shopping and we have tickets to a broadway show.
i want to eat a b&g lobster roll in boston that i saw on tv once.
thought about visiting indian larrys workshop from the biker buildoff series but not sure its something i could just walk into to poke around.
oh i also kinda want to mail order a reef angel and possibly a rapidLED kit while over there lol. will no doubt do a liberty, empire state building tour etc but i'm sure theres alot more to do, i just dont know where to start looking.

has anyone got any suggestions of what to look into doing while in any of these places?
what happens for 4th of july?
are there any must see aquariums or fish shops?
i'm not big on sport but should we check out a baseball game or something anyway?

thanks

 

If the Govmn't shuts down my states G'vner is putting state employees in the park so MT. Rushmore may be the only National Monument you may be able to see.

 

i'll try not to wear a hawiian shirt and camera around my neck, but the accent might still give me away as an outsider lol, i think im reasonably capable of not looking too stupid if its in my best interest but thanks for the tip.
central park looks massive compared to what i expected. will definitely be exploring at least some of it, now limited to daylight hours.
hadnt heard of the flat irons or ellis island, but they do look awesome. a romantic night cruise would have to earn me some brownie points too lol.
the 9/11 site didnt strike me as a tourist location but it sounds like somewhere i should check out now that you mention it
i might be able to swing some 'play time' in the other cities too if theres anything absolutely 'must see'?

i knew 3reef could help with anything lol

 

oh wow, 'the tank' at the golden nugget?
looks like they have a water slide through it? thats crazy!
if its easy enough to get to from our hotel i will have to look into that
thanks

 

Here are a few things for the Boston area.

Boston Aquarium

Phantom Gourmet is a TV show that reviews area restaurants. Here's their website, it has a search for Boston area restaurants.
Phantom Gourmet

Summer Nationals

 

In NYC?
A few recommendations:

Get an Italian Pastry in Little Italy (and possibly dinner)

BUT FIRST! check out The Bodies Exhibit in the Southeast corner of Manhattan near the famed Fulton Fish Market: BODIES...The Exhibition Home

But remember go BEFORE you eat.

Chinatown is also a lot of fun and is right below Little Italy. While you are down in that area you are not terribly far from the World Trade Center.

Dinner cruises around the city are popular and fun - just research them before you go and be sure to get tickets in advance.

Also if you find yourselves in the area of Madison Square Garden - there are many street vendors (and they are actually all over the city) that sell pretty amazing Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food from little trucks - some of the best $5 meals you can get anywhere IMO!!! Just go to one that has a line - that guy's got something better than the guy down the street who is reheating a 3 day old Shishkabob!

A note about the subculture in NYC:

It is true that it is not the most outwardly welcoming city - you will not likely find a native New Yorker, eyes scanning on the horizon with a smile in anticipation of meeting a new stranger - the fact of the matter is you have to watch where you are walking in NYC - you have to watch your feet all the time - there are potholes that could swallow a small child and other variations in the walking surface which are all part of the experience. New Yorkers are not cold - they are just making sure they don't trip all over themselves!

NY is a wonderful city with a pulse and beat all its own. Some of my fondest NYC memories are just from days when I have had no plans and just walked around seeking tucked away little shops, bakeries, and galleries which are not advertised on the beaten path.

You guys are sure to have a great time the entire time out in the US!

Ellis Island/Statue Of Liberty are really neat - but try to avoid Weekends/Fridays as you will spend many hours waiting on line to get in - but totally worth the wait.

 

I've always wanted to go out an meet Joe. Atlantis Marine World - Long Island's Aquarium

 

NYC on 4th of July should be interesting, lots of big fireworks. Can't help you any more than that, as I'm not a big fan of NYC.

Mandalay Bay hotel in Vegas has an aquarium. Not sure how long you'll be in Vegas, but you can take helicopter rides from there and fly over the Grand Canyon. A couple of years ago it was only $80 (probably per person) to do so.

Where in Texas are you visiting?

 

the boston aquarium has been mentioned as something we might get to look at. their website looks pretty impressive
wow m-ocean man, you're al over this new york thing! am gonna have to copy this thread onto my phone to make sure i dont forget anything.
atlantis looks like it has some really cool stuff (cuttlefish! electric eels! gf loves jellyfish!), could be a bit far out tho? although my judgement of distances has let me down a few times already lol
will be in vagas a bit under a week, but as gf is to be a bridesmaid i'm expecting alot of our time there to involve wedding related activities (hope she doesnt get any ideas! lol)
a helicopter ride over the grand canyon would be sweet tho! will be looking those up!
we're flying into dallas for a couple days (i think!) then going somewhere smaller thats on the way to san antonio for the rest of the week then flying out of san antonio. would probably help if i knew where these places were, but we're staying with her family there so i've assumed i'll mostly be going with the flow and looking to buy a cowboy hat/boots