Answering the request - What's the best way to have fun in New York? Very broad subject, which can be interpreted in many ways. Fun as in clubs and nightlife? Fun as in going out and enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City? Fun as in shopping? Fun as in adventures, thrills, assorted sports and risking your neck on the radical range of things to do in New York? Fun as in a romantic pre-theater dinner followed by a Broadway show? Well, lets see what we can come up with.

Photo by Between a Rock via flickr (creative commons). For a New Yorker, there are two places you can head for, when you need to have fun. The Meatpacking District, or Harlem. Broadway, and 5th Ave, and the rest of the cool places fileld with tourists we'll get down to later.

The Meatpacking District is the fastest growing and by now the trendiest part of New York City, filled with people from NYC's fashion industry, along with a healthy dose of West Coast A-listers. All these high-flyers gather in select clubs and upscale restaurants, go shopping in the posh boutiques, and once the sun goes down, its party time at hot locations like Club Lotus and the Gansevoort Hotel's rooftop pool lounge - The Plunge. If you want to enjoy the Meatpacking scene, just hang out at one of the street side cafes and watch the flow of people. People watching in the Meatpacking District is quite an enjoyable experience, actually.

Depending on what kind of a person you are, its a tossup whether or not you enjoy the Harlem diners. What you get, at select diners, is a healthy dose of soulfood to match the jazz and R&B belting out of juke boxes. Try the M&G diner, at the corner of 125th & Morningside near St. Nicholas Ave, or Amy Ruth's at 113 W 116th St, or Londel's Supper Club on Striver's Row where teh jazz is live on weekends. Sumptous hot food, cheap and great music. Nice atmosphere. Perfect to relax and get to know the real New York, as opposed to gawking at the neon lights in Times Square or the glitzy stores on 5th Ave.

If you're looking for some 'conventional' fun, then you can go to the Museums like the MET and Guggenheim, or the Museum of Sex. If you're looking for a free boat ride, try the Staten Island ferry or the Governor's Island ferry. If you want something new, go visit the NYC Waterfalls. If you want a good view of the City, go to the Empire State Building or the Rockefeller Center. Amusement park and/or Zoo? Central Park and Astroland, Coney Island. Vegas style fun? Atlantic City. Beaches? Here's the list, but people prefer the NJ shore. Outdoors? Head for the Adirondack Mountains and try your skills at fishing, rafting, mountain climbing, horse riding, camping out and nature exploration in general. Winter sports and skiing at Lake Placid. Shopping? 5th Ave (overpriced), flea markets (neat way to end up buying things you don't really need) and discount stores (great bargains). Pre-theater dinner? See the reviews. Cheap Broadway show tickets? You got it. Anything else you want to know? Post in the comments.