New York City Travel Guide: Best Places to Visit

New-York City. The Apple of discord. The City which never sleeps.

New York City has five boroughs and a population of more than 8 million people, with a culture mandated at machine-gun speed. Moving the City can be thrilling–and quite hectic.

This travel guide to New York City is the guide you need to make the best out of your visit. It covers the best spots to visit and where to stay, getting around the city, and the best seasons of the year to visit it; essentially, this is a to-the-letter guide that helps you make a memorable trip to this bustling city.

Discovering New York City

There are five boroughs that constitute New York City:

Manhattan – The heart of the city, with Times Square, Central Park, and Wall Street.
Brooklyn – Place of food, night out, and the artistic flare, popular for the hip areas.
Queens – The most heterogeneous boroughs with fantastic international cuisine.
Bronx – The birthing place of hip-hop and home of Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo.
Staten Island – The least urban, having parks, beaches and the Staten Island ferry.

All boroughs are charming and very different. New York is one of those cities which most tourists base in Manhattan because it is central and has concentration of touristic attractions, but it becomes more complete to explore beyond Manhattan.

What is the Best Season to Visit You?

New York being a year round destination has a different experience at every time of the year.

Spring (April to June): pleasant weather, flowers in parks, less people than in summer.
Summer (July–August): Hot and vibrant, outdoor festivities, rooftop bars and extended day light.
Fall (September–November): Cool air, red and gold leaves in Central Park and less tourists.
Winter (Dec. to III): Very cold and get-up-to-date with holiday markets, Rogefeller Center tree, and an occasional clearness after New Year.

To get out of high hotel rates and tourist congestion, it would be better to visit during the shoulder seasons that include April to early June and September to early November.

Travelling and Transportation

Having Come to NYC

JFK and LaGuardia as well as Newark are the three major airports serving New York City:

JFK International Airport (JFK): Located in Queens, approximately 15 miles in Manhattan.
La Guardia Airport (LGA): In Queens as well and the closest to Manhattan and was primarily used by domestic flights.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR): In New Jersey, it gets close to Manhattan by rail and bus.

Both airports have numerous public transport and ride-sharing services that will take you to the city.

Travelling in NYC

New York is blessed with one of the best systems of commuter activities in the world.

Subway: The vein of NYC. Operates 24/7. To travel in subway, purchase a Metrocard and reload when necessary.
Buses: Not convenient as the subway, they are, however, convenient in places where there are no trains.
Taxi cabs and Ride-shares: Uber, Lyft, and the classic yellow cabs are everywhere.
Walking: NYC is an easy place to get around on foot and paying a visit to a neighborhood by strolling around is one of the best ways to visit and see it.
Ferries: Staten Island Ferry is free, and it provides excellent looks at the Statue of Liberty.

Where to Stay: The Best Districts

The location where you are staying will form much of your experience.

Manhattan

Midtown: Close to Times Square and Broadway as well as most activities.
Lower Manhattan: It is near to the ferries, 9/11 Memorial and the Financial District.
Upper West/East Side: Residential area, less noisy, closer to the Central Park and museums.

Brooklyn

Williamsburg: Cool and urban with lots of cafes, music hall and artistic venues.
DUMBO: Gives you fantastic views of Manhattan and not faraway Brooklyn Bridge.

Queens

Long Island City: It has skyline views, modernized hotels and close-knit subway to Manhattan.

The accommodation sections include budget accommodations (hostels and renting through Airbnb), as well as something much more luxurious such as The Plaza or The Ritz-Carlton.

The NYC Top Attractions

The list of must-see spots in New York is quite long. The followings are the highlights:

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Visit these historic places through a ferry at Battery Park. Reserve tickets to get the pedestrials or crowns access.
Central Park
A green garden in the center of the city. Take a bicycle, have a picnic or go to zoo in Central Park.
Times Square
Lit, chaotic and full of activity. Take a night excursion to look at it in full neon splendour.
Empire State Building
It has panoramic observations decks. Otherwise, visit Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center to see Empire State too.
9/11 Memorial and Museum
An emotional commemoration of the lives taken in September 11.
Broadway Shows
Visit Theater District to attend a musical/plays. The trend is that the popular shows sell out several weeks before, hence booking early.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)
The art museum is one of the greatest in the world. It is worth visiting even briefly.
Brooklyn Bridge
Bike or walk over to get good skyline views and reach DUMBO.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
There are Van Gogh, Picasso, Warhol, and others.
One of the most visited has been the One World Observatory at the top of the Rock.
They sit on the top of the Freedom Tower, offering a spectacular view of the whole city.

What to Eat: New York City Food Culture

New York is diverse, and this is observed in its cuisine. You can eat in NYC a year and never not eat the same item twice.

NYC Classics That You Can Not Miss:

Bagels & Lox: It is best to get it at Russ and Daughter or Ess-a-Bagel.
New York-style pizza: Take a slice of either the Joe Pizza or Prince Street Pizza.
Hot dogs: Take a one off Gray Papaya or Coney island Nathan brushness.
Cheesecake: The original place is in Brooklyn at Junior.
Halal food carts and Pretzels: The culture of the street food.

Food Neighborhoods of Legend:

Chinatown: Dumplings, noodles and endless dim sum.
Little Italy: Pasta, cannoli and espresso.
Koreatown: Barbecue, Korean fried chicken and karaoke.
Queens (Jackson Heights): Indescribable Indian, Tibetan and Latin American cuisines.

Planning Your Days

The following is an example 5 day plan that you can follow:

1: Landing & Midtown

Hello again, I am at my hotel Check In
Visit Times Square
Take a trip to Bryant Park and New York Public Library
A restaurant on rooftop dinner

2: The Lower Manhattan

Statue of Liberty Ellis Island
9/11 Memorial Museum
Charging Bull and Wall Street
Take a stride across Brooklyn Bridge during sunset

3: Museums and Central Park

Central Park in the morning
Go to The Met or American Museum of Natural History
Evening show at Broadway

4: Brooklyn and Williamsburg

DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights promenade
Visit the villages of Williamsburg stores and cafes
Sunset at the Domino Park

5: Uptown & Departure

Go to Harlem or Upper West Side
Breakfast on the block
Within the 11th hour during shopping in Fifth Avenue or in SoHo
Book a flight to the airport

Tips of Safety and Etiquette

Pay attention to what happens around you and during night time particularly.
Do not go in the empty subway cars at a late time.
Tipping is expected, whether it is 20 percent in restaurants, 1–2 in drinks, tuk-tuk and hotel.
Directly ask nicely–New Yorkers are notorious on being very blunt, yet helpful when asked.
Do not walk slowly and no walking on the walking track—people here are impatient.

What You Will Be Paying?

New York is not a cheap place, though proper planning saves.

Miscellaneous Daily Costs:

Budget traveler: $100–150 (hostel, subway and street food)
Medium tourist: $200–350 (3 stars hotel, cafes and restaurants, sights)
High-end traveler: $500 and more (4-star/5-star-hotels, fine restaurants, personal tour)

The Following Are Tips to Save:

Visit the metro rather than a taxi cab
Get food in local diners or food trucks
Make use of the attractions, which do not cost money (Central Park, street art, Ferry)
Purchase a CityPASS or Explorer Pass to have discounts to attractions

Final Thoughts

New York City is not the location it is the pulse it is a continual movement it is a lovely mess of their cultures it is stories and dreams. You can see art and grit, the view of sky lines and the sight of musicians in the subway, tall skyscrapers and small coffee rooms.

It becomes a place where you can find something in every corner in case you are ready to look around. Then take your walking shoes, open your eyes and your ears and allow NYC to demonstrate to you why it is one of the greatest cities in the world.

No matter how long you are staying whether three days or three weeks, this is the only certainty; you will never forget New York City.

save pin for later