“New York is Always a Good Idea”
I’ve been to New York 15 times and still long to go back! Every time you visit there is something new to do. Also, the different seasons bring different activities to enjoy! From a day at the beach to a picturesque walk around Central Park in the snow! In fact, there’s so much to do that I created a New York series of posts! Topics will include posts on the different areas of New York (Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown), where to stay, shopping, nightlife, and eating spots.
The following sections are included in this post (click to navigate directly to the section):
- Finding Your Way Around
- Tourist Deals
- When to Visit NYC
- Where to Stay/Dining
- Museums
- Tours
- Watch my YouTube
1. FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND
Areas of Manhattan
Manhattan is composed of different areas and, with so much to do in each, I decided to write a series of posts for each of the most popular locations. Accordingly, these posts will allow you to plan your trip as per the area you plan to visit each day! Some of the prettier neighborhoods, smaller art galleries, boutiques, nightlife, cobbled streets, and impressive townhouses are outside the busiest section of NYC (Midtown).
However, as a first-time tourist, you are likely to spend most of your time in Midtown. It is where many of the main tourist attractions are. Here, you will find Times Square, the busiest section of Fifth Avenue, and a LOT of shops!! Midtown is very easy to navigate because the streets and avenues are in a gridline order. See below for a list of what is covered in my NYC posts by area:
UPTOWN
Read my Uptown post to discover information on Central Park, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Art & Design, Museum Mile, Roosevelt Island Tramway, Dylan’s Candy Bar, and more.
MIDTOWN
Read both of my Midtown posts to discover information on Times Square, Fifth Avenue (Rockefeller, MoMA, Bryant Park, New York Public Library, Empire State Building), Grand Central, Chrysler, Union Square & Gramercy, Garment District, Hudson Yards, Highline walk, Chelsea, and more.
DOWNTOWN
Read both of my Downtown posts to discover information on the Financial District (One World Trade, Wall Street, Seaport, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Irish Hunger Memorial), Tribeca, Chinatown, Little Italy, NoLita, East Village & Lower East Side, SoHo, NoHo, West Village (Greenwich Village), the Meatpacking District, and more.
BOROUGHS/NEW JERSEY
(coming soon) Read this post to discover all of the great things to be found on the outskirts of Manhattan. For example, a trip to Coney Island or Manhattan Beach, a New Jersey cycle along the Hudson with amazing views overlooking Manhattan, fantastic flea market shopping, enjoy a picnic by Pebble Beach, Bridge Park (DUMBO, Brooklyn – by Brooklyn Bridge with fabulous views of Manhattan), and more.
Airtrain
If you are landing at JFK airport and on a budget, the Airtrain / subway is the best option. A taxi from the airport to the city is VERY expensive – though it’s not so bad if you are splitting the fare between several passengers. However, if you are traveling alone, it is a lot cheaper to take the Airtrain and subway. The Airtrain leaves from inside the airport and will drop you directly to a subway station. From the subway station, you take a train into the center of Manhattan – all for under a tenner!
Subway/WiFi
The quickest way around the city is the subway. If you navigate the subway, you will save a lot of money and time. Traffic can be at a standstill in Manhattan so try to avoid taxis! Once you get the hang of the subway, they are pretty easy to use – the main thing to remember is if you are heading Uptown or Downtown. You can’t go too far wrong once you establish that when entering the station! In most cases anyways! ? Subway cards can be bought at most stations and topped up as you go. Review the subway card prices here.
All subway stations have free wi-fi; this is great because it means that you can search google maps for your point of destination. Google maps will then inform you of exactly which subway you need to take to get there! I rely so much on google maps for subways while I’m away!
There are fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn and New Jersey. Both are only a short subway ride from Manhattan. It’s a PATH subway that you will need to take to get to New Jersey – a subway ticket is accepted on this.
Ferry
The free Staten Island ferry will take you on a quick ferry ride from the tip of Manhattan (Whitehall Terminal) to Staten Island. This ferry is a great option to view The Statue of Liberty for free as it travels very close by it. Also, check out other ferry rides from Manhattan to Brooklyn, Coney Island, Governors Island, Rockaway, and more!
2. TOURIST DEALS
As a first-time tourist intending to visit several attractions, it is advisable to check out some NYC city deals. I have found the attractions in NYC to be very expensive. Many pass cards include a selection of museums, The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and the option to skip queues into attractions. Some even include a return bus ticket to Woodbury Common Shopping Outlet (which can be pricey to buy separately). Groupon NY often has good deals on bus tickets to Woodbury Common.
City Pass NY can be expensive for what it offers – several of the museums on its list are free in/’pay as you wish’ anyways, it may work out cheaper to go without the pass! Instead, I would look at the option of NYC Sightseeing Flex Pass. I haven’t tried the New York Pass, but it is another card that you can check out online.
3. WHEN TO VISIT NEW YORK
Winter
If you love the magic and bright lights of the holiday season, you need to visit NYC during the Christmas season! There is nowhere as magical as New York during Christmas. It renewed the Christmas spirit that I hadn’t felt since I was a kid! Also, there are some fantastic sales at this time of year. Furthermore, see the Holiday Markets, spectacular light shows and decorations, ice skating, and even the possibility of some snow. I have visited many times during November / December.
Most of these trips required a hat, boots, gloves, and thermals as essentials. However, there were other cases whereby a jacket was rarely needed when racing around during the day. Don’t presume that Christmas in New York is always freezing. Keep an eye on the weather forecast a few days before your trip. I have found that temperatures can change quickly in NYC, especially around this time of year! I had a friend who even walked Central Park in a t-shirt on Christmas Day (though this was quite an exception for this time of year!)! It does tend to get colder in January/February. This is the time of year when you are likely to find the cheapest prices to visit the city. However, I prefer to spend a little more money to visit during the Summer or Christmas period.
Summer
If you want to fully enjoy wandering the streets, dining outside, visiting a beach, a boat ride in Central Park, an outdoor cinema, then Summer is the time to visit! Weather-wise, Summer seemed more predictable any time I visited during these months. However, we still had a few dull mornings with light rain (but it cleared pretty quickly and was followed by sunshine!
Autumn/Spring
I have not yet visited New York during Autumn or Spring. The weather can be pleasant, and the colors of Central Park look so pretty in Autumn! During Spring, plenty of Cherry Blossom photo ops appears to be found around the city! One popular spot that I often see online is a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline from Roosevelt Island. From there, the Cherry Blossoms line the path along the river where you can sit and enjoy the fantastic view!
4. WHERE TO STAY/DINING
Check out my list of Where to Stay and My Favourite Food & Sweet Spots in NYC!
5. MUSEUMS
With every trip to NYC, I find a new exhibition/museum to explore! It is one of the main reasons why I love the city so much!
ART
Modern/Contemporary
I love modern and contemporary art. Therefore, a trip to MoMA was first on my list of museums to visit! I have since returned to MoMA several times now. You can gain free access to MoMA every Friday from 5:30-9:00 pm. However, expect it to be very busy during these hours! The Guggenheim Museum, by Central Park, is a beautiful spiral building and another fantastic museum for contemporary art. I have returned here a second time too because I loved it so much!
The Whitney is another museum that I very much enjoyed. It features American art of the twentieth century to the current day. The Museum of Arts & Design is by Central Park – it focuses on art, craft, and design. While I enjoyed my visit here, I was not expecting so much craftwork on display. Thus, I preferred the prior museums mentioned. The prior museums had more famous pieces of work too. Next on my list to visit is the New Museum! Similar to the Guggenheim, this funky-looking building provides art through its building design alone!
The MET
Of course, you can’t talk about Museums in New York without mentioning one of its most famous, The Met! The Met is the largest art museum in the USA and the fourth most visited art museum in the world! Therefore, be prepared to spend a lot of time here! The Met is located roughly halfway up Central Park. Many people wish to visit even just to see the exterior of the stunning building. Also, to sit on the steps like in Gossip Girl!. It also features a rooftop garden bar which provides views over Central Park. The museum includes exhibitions from musical instruments, costumes, classical antiques and sculptures, paintings by the European Masters, weapons, and, armory to name a few. Personally, as more of a modern art lover, I prefer to visit modern art museums. However, at least one trip to the Met is recommended.
Smaller Galleries
If you are an avid art lover, don’t just rely on the usual large museums found in NYC. If you have time, check out what is happening in some of the smaller galleries around the city. New York is a hotspot for great art. With the abundance of talent in the city, you will often find impressive exhibitions in the smaller galleries too!
I am a big fan of the artist Yayoi Kusama – I was lucky enough to be in the city when one of her exhibitions was in the David Zwirner gallery. I did have to stand in queue for an hour!! But it was worth it! This gallery is close to an exit from the High Line walkway (in Chelsea). Chelsea is known for its great art galleries. Therefore, you can take a detour from the High Line and stop by some of the great galleries here!
FASHION
For a true fashionista, I suggest a trip to The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology)! This small museum had been on my list for a while before I finally visited. However, though I was glad to make it there, I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I hoped. I am a fan of fashion. However, not so much the finer details (such as textiles, patterns, history of fashion, fashion dresses throughout the years, etc.). If this sounds like your thing, it is worth popping into the museum if in the area (especially as it is free)!
OTHER MUSEUMS
Top of my list of other museums that I visited would be The Tenement Museum. I loved it so much I returned for a second visit too! Also, emotional but worth the visit is the 9/11 Museum. The stunning library found in The Morgan Library was worth a visit too. Even if you are not interested in the books, the beautiful photos you can get here are fantastic! There are art exhibitions on display in The Morgan too.
The American Museum of Natural History: With over 30 million artifacts, this museum consistently receives impressive reviews. I was happy to have visited here though I wouldn’t be a huge fan of Natural History Museums. At times I was slightly bored and tired. However, I still spent a lot longer than I had planned to here! The museum is large! At 1.5 million square feet, if you are a science lover, you should put a lot of time aside to spend here. There is a lot of space to cover!
I also visited The Frick Collection, though I didn’t spend too long here. The Frick allows you to gain insight into how the mansion houses of the Upper East Side were lived during the 20th Century. The Frick is an old mansion house and holds an impressive collection of old master paintings and fine furniture. As mentioned, I prefer contemporary art so I didn’t spend long here. Its website provides a great virtual tour if you wish to take that instead!
The Skyscraper Museum is another museum that I have visited. It is small and mainly consists of reading, photos, and models. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are very much interested in architecture/the growth of the NYC skyline throughout the years. The Federal Reserve (though not quite a museum!) offers a guided tour that covers the history of the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve. It includes artifacts too. There is even the chance to go underground and view the gold bars in the gold vault! The Federal Reserve tour is free but needs to be pre-booked before you visit. Spaces fill up quickly so book it as soon as possible! It was quite the experience traveling all of the way underground to the vaults!
MUSEUMS STILL ON MY LIST!
Next on my list is the Colorfactory, Museum of Illusions, and Museum of Ice Cream. All of these look like they will be fun and colorful trips! They should be good fun if you have children too! Other museums that I have not yet visited but often see advertised online include the Museum of Sex. Also, the more kid-friendly SPYSCAPE! Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is another popular museum that I hope to visit one day!
6. TOURS
Below lists a variety of tours that bring you all over different sections of NYC! For details of things to do in specific locations, check out my posts by location of Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown. Review all of my NYC posts on my complete NYC series page!
Walking Tours
As I usually visit New York during the Winter season, walking tours are not always top of my list! However, I want to return during the Summer months and take in some of these tours! I have not yet been on either of the following tours but they gain great online reviews; Experience First and Free Foot Walks. For those interested in fashion, there are shopping walking tours available in the Garment District. Two popular shopping tours that receive good reviews online include Style Room and Shop Gotham. Another walking tour that sounds good is the Rock n Roll Walking Tour. For architecture, check out the Small-Group Walking Tour of New York City Architecture. Please let me know if you take any of these tours and how they go!
Bus Tours
We took the Downtown Hop on Hop Off bus tour. This tour was a great way of gaining a good overview of the different areas and neighborhoods of Downtown NYC. It included stop-offs such as Greenwich Village, SoHo, the Financial District, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side. Unfortunately, it was raining and very cold on the day we took the tour. Therefore, sitting upstairs on an open-top double-decker bus was not so enjoyable! However, it is a great way of getting around a lot of areas Downtown if you are unfamiliar with these areas!
Christmas Light Tours
Renowned for its holiday lights, there is nowhere quite as magical as New York during the Christmas season! So much so that there are even several Christmas Light Tours on offer over the holiday season. On Locations offer a Holiday Lights & Movie Sites tour that I’m sure would get you very much into Holiday mode! City Sightseeing is another good company that provides a tour of the Holiday lights.
We took one of the Christmas light tours along Fifth Avenue. It provided a better view of the lights than viewing them from the busy footpaths below. However, we got a great deal online – I would not have paid the full price for this tour. It was expensive for what you got. Probably the most popular Christmas lights tour is the Dyker Heights Tour. My aunt is a huge Christmas lover and took this tour. She said it was one of the highlights of her trip!
Movie & T.V Tours
There are many movies and t.v. shows set in NYC. Thus, there are several tours which will bring you to some famous filming locations! On Locations are one such company. They offer tours such as Gossip Girl, The Sopranos, and Sex and the City. I took the Sex And the City tour (twice!) and loved it both times! This tour was not only fun, but it was also a great way of seeing around a lot of the city! Plus, with a cosmo included along the way! It took us to many different locations in Midtown and Downtown. Our tour guide was a lot of fun and provided a brief overview of the areas!
Cruise & Helicopter
I have not taken a cruise or helicopter tour as yet. TBH I don’t foresee myself taking a helicopter tour – I’m far too afraid of heights! If you are interested in a helicopter tour (and feeling adventurous), check out the Fly Nyon tours. These tours even open the doors during the helicopter ride in the sky! Think of the amazing photographs!
I very much want to try out the classic Harbour Line Cruise tour. I mostly visit over the Christmas period – I’m waiting for a Summer trip to take the cruise!
Other Tours
For a mixture of walking, pub crawls, shopping tours, and nightclub tours, check out Uncle Sams New York. I haven’t taken any of these tours (yet!). However, the company receives fantastic reviews. Also, it lists a few unusual tours on their page that may be good to do rather than the regular touristy ones!
WATCH MY YOUTUBE
COMING SOON
Additionally, I am considering doing more posts to include information on nightlife and shopping in the city. Let me know if you would be interested in this! Also, let me know if you have any tips for my trip number 16 to NYC!
Thanks for reading,
Anita
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