Here comes the second part of the itinerary for the first day (note: the Empire State Building is not included in the map since it is further south)
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After this take Park Avenue up and you will arrive at St Bartholomew Church, surrounded by skycrapers...
St. Bartholomew Church
From there go back to Fifth Avenue towards the Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller Center
View from the Rockefeller Center
You might want to go up to Top of the Rock, the observatory. In my opinion it is totally worth it. You can see Central Park on one side and the Empire State Building at the other, obviously none of those is possible from the Empire State Building observatory, though I would also recommend it :)
View from the Rockefeller Center
In this area you also have a Metropolitan Museum Shop and an impressive Lego shop. If it’s winter you may want to ice skate a bit…Now go up 5th Avenue, you will see St Patrick’s cathedral and you might like to do some shopping in this area -the famous Tiffany is just aroun the corner- or visit the MOMA Museum.
St Patrick's Cathedral
You will eventually arrive at the Plaza Hotel. Here you have an entrace to Central Park. A good way to see it and to enjoy it is by renting a bike. If you are walking I would only see the south bit and leave the rest for another day. Here you have a map. In this part of the park I wouldn't miss the Pond, the Carusel, the Mall, the Lake and its possibilities for great pictures -make sure you see Bow Bridge-, Strawberry Fields, Bestheda Terrace, Bestheda Fountain and of course Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Andersen by the Conservatory.
Central Park from Top of the Rock
The Mall
Bestheda Fountain and Terrace
The Lake
Finally, if you are not exhausted by now take a bus or the subway to the Empire State Building, try to get there in time for the sunset though probably about a thousand more people will be doing the same as you J Take into account that even if you have bought the tickets online it might take you a lot of time to get to the observatory. And as you don’t have a limitation of time once you are there –at least there is no sign about it- just lounge for a while and enjoy the view for a great finish to your first day in New York...View from the Empire State Building