As you know, one of my favorite cities is New York City. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere; the freedom of expression of the New Yorker. The design; everywhere you look you may find something interesting. its gastronomy and infinite architecture through history; to get lost in its neighborhoods among many other features fills us with life, energy, and inspiration whenever we have the opportunity to go. Here you can find my guide and some of my favorite places for traveling to New York:
Know Before Visiting NYC
Here are some quick pro tips for you to know before you plan your journey.
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Best Time to Visit NYC
Year-round. Central Park is as beautiful in full bloom as it is blanketed in snow. Each season offers something just a bit different—and equally worth seeing.
Consider opting in for some deals on hotels—and experience NYC when it’s not packed to the brim!—just after New Year’s and in summer. These seasons offer easy access to what would otherwise be crowded exhibitions, activities, and restaurants.
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Transportation
With more than 650 miles of subway track and the largest fleet of buses in North America, NYC’s public transit system is the easiest way to get around. A single MetroCard ride (good for all subway and bus routes, plus access in and out of New Jersey on the efficient PATH train) costs $2.75; a seven-day unlimited MetroCard costs $31.
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Weather
January is the coolest month with an average temperature of 36°F (2.2°C). July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 83°F (28.9°C).
Places that you must see in the Big Apple
There is essentially a huge list of places that you can actually visit in the city of New York but here is a shortened list of what I think you must see
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Set Sail Into New York Harbor
See New York like you never have on this 2-hour sail aboard the Adirondack, a wooden 80-foot pilot schooner. Within five minutes of leaving the dock, you forget the mayhem and noise of Manhattan street life, and you feel the relaxing breeze of New York Harbor!
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Spend an obnoxious weekend in the Hamptons
Sleep on the floor of your coworker’s girlfriend’s 15-person share house; spend way too much money on rosé; go on a lobster roll crawl through Montauk; or just hang out at the beach — but don’t let all your summers in New York go by without experiencing the over-the-top weekender destination that is the Hamptons.
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Times Square
I don’t have to tell you that visiting the Times Square is always a must. I love to be part of the whole energy of this place and also I love to check the fun stores around this place.
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Brooklyn Bridge
Connecting Manhattan and Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Bridge is not only a helpful asset to the transportation network it is also a place you don’t want to miss as a tourist. When you have some extra time you should take the pedestrian walkway over to Williamsburg. You will have many beautiful and unforgettable views.
Tip: The tip that applies to all good viewpoints – Arriving shortly before sunset allows you to enjoy the view in the light and the dark.
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Manhattan Bridge
Everyone knows one thing to do when in New York is a stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge. While I definitely agree I would like to add something to the agenda: a stroll over the Manhattan Bridge. If you aren’t deterred by the trains to Brooklyn rattling by just a meter next to you, you are rewarded with an amazing view of Downtown and the Brooklyn Bridge. And the best part is: you have the view nearly all to yourself!
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Explore Central Park
Central Park is New York’s backyard. with a lush 843-acre patch of nature, including a lake, in the middle of Manhattan. This is one of the city’s biggest attractions and greatest assets, enjoyed by tourists and used by locals year-round. Countless scenes from movies and TV shows have been filmed here over the years.
The park is home to scenic hills, meadows, playgrounds, skating rinks, ball fields, and many well-known attractions. This is including Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle, and the Central Park Zoo. Be warned; the park is huge. The best way to explore it is to stop by the visitor center and pick up a map. This will show you the various attractions and things to do. And then plan out a walking route or take a tour.
Official website: http://www.centralparknyc.org/
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Go up to The Empire State building / Top of The Rock
To visit the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock is almost a must to do in New York. From the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, you get a spectacular view of Manhattan from above Rockefeller Center; one can look out over Central Park and New York’s many skyscrapers.
Official website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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Take in The Met
The massive Metropolitan Museum of Art – better known as The Met by most New Yorkers – tops our list of the can’t-miss museums in NYC. Measuring in as the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, visitors could easily get lost for hours taking in any one of the collections here, with a staggering selection of arts and artifacts spanning some 5,000 years of world cultures.
Peruse Greek and Roman statues from antiquity, stare at the intricacies of Egyptian hieroglyphics and sarcophagi (don’t miss the astounding Temple of Dendur), or wander through halls dedicated to pretty much every other culture and era, including African, Indian, Byzantine, Islamic artworks. There’s an impressive display of European paintings, too (including Rembrandts and Vermeers, as well as plenty of Impressionist pieces); if that wasn’t enough, look out for more than 30 special exhibitions held every year, too. Today, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and cultures.
Open Seven Days a Week
Sunday–Thursday: 10 am–5:30 pm*
Friday and Saturday: 10 am–9 pm*
Official website: https://www.metmuseum.org/
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Go to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Many visitors to NYC feel compelled to not only pay their respects to the site of 9/11’s Ground Zero but to also see how the World Trade Center area has gone on to reinvent itself since that fateful day in 2001. The outdoor National September 11 Memorial, which opened in 2011, fills in the imprints of the original Twin Towers with two reflecting waterfall-fed pools, traced by memorial walls that depict the names of 9/11 victims (it’s free to the public). In 2014, the adjacent National September 11 Memorial Museum opened its doors, serving to present the story, impact, and significance of September 11 through historical artifacts, multimedia displays, archives, and oral histories. The museum (admission fees apply) unfolds at the foundation, or bedrock, of the former World Trade Center site and centers on two core exhibitions. The “In Memoriam” exhibit pays tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks, while a historical exhibition examines the events surrounding the three American sites struck during 9/11, including contributing factors to the tragic incident, as well as its aftermath and worldwide impact.
See my other NYC articles.
