NYC is one of my favorite cities in the United States and in the world. I love its diversity, I love its energy, and I love how all cuisines in the world are a few subway stations away. New York City truly has it all: great food, great entertainment, and a plethora of attractions waiting to be explored. It’s impossible to see everything in the city in one trip, but this beginner’s guide to NYC will help you prioritize.
I’ve lived in NYC for almost 10 years, so this list includes my recommendations of must do activities and tips for a first trip to the Big Apple. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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What to visit in NYC
Times Square
Times Square is one of the most iconic places in New York City and you have to check it out if it’s your first time in the city. You’ll be able to see all the billboards, the iconic red steps, and the building where the ball drops every New Year’s Eve. You should visit both during the day and at night to see the vibe difference.
You can check out the M&M’s store or the Hershey’s store to get your chocolate fix. Or you can get a slice of the famous Junior’s cheesecake at their restaurant.
There will be a lot of street merchants selling posters, paintings, and souvenirs. You’ll also be able to take a picture with the iconic Naked Cowboy or Mickey Mouse. And lately, you can pay to get an awesome selfie video with a selfie ring provided by the merchants in Times Square.
I’m not going to lie, locals avoid Times Square at all costs since it’s always crowded and packed with tourists. But as first-time visitors you have to experience it.
Central Park
Central Park is an oasis of green and calm in the middle of a hectic city. It’s a really large park as it spans 51 blocks, so you will probably be able to see only parts of it. You can always explore more during your next trips to NYC.
Some great spots to tick off your list during a stroll in Central Park are:
- The pond (entrance at 59th street): Make sure to get a picture on the bridge that spans the neck of the Pond
- The Mall (around 69th street): It’s such a great place for a stroll! There are trees and benches on both sides, so you can also sit down to recharge and do some people watching.
- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain (around 72nd street): if you keep going straight after The Mall ends you will get to the Bethesda Terrace. The fountain and the stairs to get to it are featured in a lot of movies, so it’s cool to see it in real life
- Alice in Wonderland statue (around 75th street): This is a really cute bronze statue of Alice in Wonderland. It’s located by a pond which is also worth checking out.
- Sheep Meadow (around 68th street): You can have a picnic here or just sit on the grass and people watch for a few minutes.
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is worth visiting during every season, but it’s really special around Christmas. In December you can see the Christmas tree, the light show at Sack’s Fifth Avenue, and the angel statues that start at 5th avenue and end at Rockefeller Plaza. Then you can go to a Rockettes show at the Radio City Music Hall down the street.
During the winter you can ice skate, and during other seasons you can roller skate at Rockefeller Center. There’s always music on the rink, so it’s a fun atmosphere.
There are also shops at Rockefeller Center where you can grab a bite to eat. I recommend the Alidoro sandwiches.
Fifth Avenue
If you like shopping then Fifth Avenue is a dream. You can find all kinds of shops here: designer, sports, mid-budget. There is something for every taste on Fifth Avenue. Because it’s such a popular place, Fifth Avenue is probably the busiest avenue in NYC.
Once you’re done with shopping and need to go to your next destination I recommend you walk on Madison Avenue instead. Since there won’t be as many people, it will take you less time to get to what’s next on your itinerary.
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge is not just a beautiful bridge, but it offers some of the best views of Manhattan. Walking the bridge should definitely be on your itinerary.
If you want great views of the bridge you need to go to DUMBO. It’s an awesome neighborhood and you can take some amazing pictures of the bridge. If you like carousels, you should go on a ride at Jane’s Carousel. It costs only $2 and it’s so much fun, even for adults.
If you’re in DUMBO you need to get a coffee at Arabica %. It’s a great coffee shop and if you manage to get a chair by the window you will have unbeatable views of Brooklyn Bridge.
If you’re hungry while visiting DUMBO you should get food at Celestine. Both the food and the views are 10/10. So good!
Metropolitan Museum of Art
I’m not a traditional museum person, but I’ll still visit major museums that have impressive art collections. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of them. It’s the fourth largest museum in the world and its permanent collection has over 2 million artworks.
You could easily spend an entire day here if you want to see everything. If you used to watch Gossip Girl, the steps at the entrance should be familiar. Sitting down there for a while and pretending you’re Serena van der Woodsen could be fun. XoXo
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Modern art and digital art are my jam. These are the museums I like to visit. MoMA is a fantastic museum right in midtown Manhattan. It has one of the best collections of modern Western masterpieces, including works of art from Picasso, Dali, Monet, and Constantin Brancusi.
Statue of Liberty
No first trip to NYC is complete without seeing the Statue of Liberty in person. In case you didn’t know, the statue was a gift from the French people and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. Yes, the same Eiffel who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Observation deck
Since NYC is the city of skyscrapers, going to an observation deck is worth it if you want to get an amazing view of the city from above. There are multiple options for observation decks and I’ll go over each of them so you can pick what you would enjoy most. My personal preference is Summit One Vanderbilt > The Edge > Top of the Rock > Empire State Building.
Empire State Building
This one is the oldest out of all the observation decks. It’s also a symbol of NYC. So if you’ve seen it in movies or heard about it in songs and want to see it in real life, then you should go for it.
In my opinion the view from Empire State is the worst out of all observation decks. It has metal fencing at the observation deck on the 86th floor, so you are not able to take great pictures and it kind of ruins the view.
Top of the Rock
Top of the Rock is another old observation deck, along with Empire State. It probably has the best location for an observation deck: the middle of midtown, close to Central Park. You’ll be able to see the Park up close from above. Plus, you won’t have the metal fencing like the one at the Empire State, so the views will be much better.
The Edge
The Edge and Summit One Vanderbilt are newer skyscrapers compared to Empire State and Top of the Rock. So the observation decks will have a much more modern vibe. The Edge is located in NYC’s trendy new neighborhood, Hudson Yards. It is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere.
It has a funky design, where part of the outdoor terrace is suspended in mid-air. So you kind of feel like you’re flying. They also offer the City Climb adventure where you can lean out of the building while being strapped in so you don’t fall. If you dine at Peak, the restaurant at the top of the Edge, entry to the Edge is free.
Summit One Vanderbilt
As I mentioned before, I love digital art and any kind of interactive art. And that’s the key differentiator for Summit One Vanderbilt. It’s not just another observation deck, but it has three levels of immersive space.
It has mirrors, a room where you can play with silver balloons, a room full of silver art, and a wall of moving clouds that makes you feel like you’re floating. So cool! It’s a very unique experience. If you like immersive art, you should prioritize Summit One Vanderbilt.
Financial district
NYC is famous for being the financial power of the US. You can visit Wall Street, the NY Stock Exchange, the Bull Statue, the Little Girl Statue, and the 9/11 Memorial. If you visit during the weekend it will be less crowded since the people who work there will not be at work.
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a cute little park in midtown. You can sit down on one of the many chairs they have and eat your lunch there. If you visit during the summer you can sit on the lawn. Some days they have free movie screenings on the lawn, so that can also be a cool activity to do.
If you visit during the winter you should definitely check out Bryant Park’s Winter Wonderland. They have a Christmas market where you can buy gifts and food, an ice-skating rink, and an indoor area with bars and restaurants.
Right by Bryant Park you can find the New York Public Library. It’s the fourth largest public library in the world. You can snap some pictures outside with the iconic lion statues, or you can also visit the inside.
Catch a Broadway Show
I was never a fan of musicals, but I loved every single Broadway show I’ve been to. I highly recommend you experience one. Tickets can be expensive, so here are my two tips for getting cheaper tickets:
- Go to the TKTS booth in Times Square, underneath the red steps. They offer discounts of up to 50% for same-day shows.
- Time your visit with Broadway week. During Broadway week you can get two tickets for the price of one. You can buy tickets online, but you need to act fast because tickets sell out super quickly.
The High Line
The high line is an elevated park that was built on a railroad. It connects Hudson Yards to the meatpacking district. The park has a lot of plants, benches, overlooks where you can take pictures of the city, and art works. It’s a unique park and it’s perfect for a nice stroll.
What and where to eat in NYC
Bagels
Getting a bagel sandwich in NYC is the perfect way to start your morning. My personal favorites are bacon, egg and cheese or smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado and tomato, on a multigrain bagel. So good!
I tried so many bagel shops and I highly recommend Liberty Bagels, Best Bagels and Russ & Daughter’s. Their bagels are so good and they have a lot of flavors to pick from.
Pizza
NYC style pizza is something you need to try. Opinions on it are mixed: some people love it, while some people hate it. Usually the people who hate it are fans of the Neapolitan style pizza (the Italian OG).
For NYC style pizza I recommend Di Fara, L’Industrie Pizzeria, and Koronet’s Pizza if you want a really big slice.
If you want to try square slices (Detroit style) you should try Mama’s Too, Emmy Squared or Prince Street Pizza.
For Neapolitan style pizza I recommend Eataly and Norma Gastronomia Siciliana.
Hot dog
Getting a hot dog from one of the street carts is another thing you have to experience in the city. All carts have similar quality hot dogs, so pick whatever cart location is most convenient for you.
Brunch / lunch recommendations
There are so many good restaurants in NYC for both lunch and dinner! It can get so overwhelming to pick. I tried a lot of them and this is my short list of places I take my out-of-town friends to.
Avra Madison
Avra Madison Avenue is a fancier place right next to Central Park. They serve fantastic Greek cuisine. Besides the a la carte menu, they also have a daily 3-course prix fix for lunch which costs under $50.
The Smith
The Smith is a great place for brunch. They have multiple locations in the city. It’s a great choice if you are craving traditional brunch items.
La Grande Boucherie
La Grande Boucherie is a large restaurant on Avenue 6 1/2 in midtown. It serves amazing French cuisine and the vibe of the place is top notch.
RH Rooftop Restaurant
RH Rooftop Restaurant is great if you want to eat on a rooftop. It’s located on top of a furniture store and they serve great brunch food.
Mercado Little Spain
Mercado Little Spain is the place to go for simple, but so delicious Spanish food. The quality of the food is top notch and you feel like you traveled to Spain.
L’Artusi
L’Artusi is a great little Italian restaurant that makes some of the best pasta in the city. For dessert I highly recommend their olive oil cake.
Cathedrale Restaurant
Cathedrale Restaurant is a very unique restaurant. Like the name suggests, you feel like you’re dining inside a cathedral. The decor is not something you see every day and the food is so delicious.
The Halal Guys
If you want to try street food, The Halal Guys is a great option. They are one of the OG food carts in the city and there is a line every day for their delicious sandwiches and bowls. You can grab some food from their cart near MoMA and then eat it in Central Park while you people watch.
Dinner recommendation
It was hard to pick only a few places, but I love all these restaurants and I’ve been to them multiple times.
Scarpetta
Scarpetta is an Italian restaurant a bit on the fancy side. The food is delicious, but their bread with mozzarella and prosciutto (that you get for free) is something you’ll crave every day. My friend and I eat here a few times a year just for that bread.
Manhatta
Manhatta is a fancy restaurant in downtown. It’s at the top of a skyscraper and you get amazing views of downtown. I ate here for my birthday and they gave me a little birthday cake for free to make my day more special. The service, the food, and the attention to detail are all 10/10.
Ilili
Ilili is a Lebanese restaurant close to Madison Square Park. Some people call it the best Lebanese restaurant in NYC and I can understand why. Their food is delicious. And the restaurant itself is very spacious for NY standards, so you won’t be sitting super close to people at other tables. I really like that.
Carbone
Carbone is THE Italian restaurant in NYC. All famous people eat here while in the city. It’s very hard to get a reservation, but it’s worth trying. It’s a great restaurant.
Eataly
I already mentioned this place in the pizza section, but I’ll mention it again here because it’s that good. Eataly serves some of the most delicious pizza and pasta in NYC (the restaurant is called La Pizza & La Pasta). It’s that traditional Italian pizza and pasta, not the Italian-American variation.
When I was having dinner there one time, there was an Italian couple sitting at the table next to me and they were saying how the taste of the food is like what they eat in Italy. If you time your trip with NYC Restaurant Week you can get a 3-course dinner for $30 or so. It’s a steal.
Gramercy Tavern
Gramercy Tavern is an iconic Michelin star restaurant in Gramercy. It has been operating for a long time and the quality of food and service remains top notch. It’s a great place if you want to splurge on a fancier dinner.
Chama Mama
Chama Mama is a Georgian (the country) restaurant. They serve all the traditional dishes from Georgia and the people working there are super nice. If you want to try a new cuisine I highly recommend this place.
Where to stay in NYC
Mid-budget hotels
NYC is expensive, but you can still find a good number of mid-budget hotels. Here are my recommendations based on what people I know who visited NYC shared: Artezen Hotel, citizenM New York Times Square, and InterContinental New York Times Square.
Luxury hotels
If you have a higher budget and are seeking a more luxurious option in Manhattan, then New York EDITION, The Langham, or Mandarin Oriental are all great options.
Hostels
Unfortunately, I am not the right person to recommend you any hostels. I am in my 30s and I value comfort, so I will always choose to stay at a hotel vs a hostel. I can see how a hostel is a great option for younger people, but I’m at a different stage in life, so I prefer hotels.
Airbnb
I also tend to pick hotels over Airbnbs because I feel like it’s less of a risk and it’s a more reliable option. One time when I visited Miami with my friends we booked an Airbnb that looked great in pictures but looked really bad in reality. We ended up going to a hotel instead. After that experience I tend to avoid Airbnbs altogether. I’m sure there are great Airbnb options in New York City, but they are not my cup of tea.
How public transportation works in NYC
Subway
For the longest time you had to buy those yellow Metro Cards to ride the NYC subway system. You would then have to swipe them to enter. They were my biggest pet peeve because I would swipe, it would tell me to try again, but it would eat my money. A really annoying system.
But they finally started to modernize the payment methods and now you can use Omny, where you can use a credit card or digital wallet to pay per ride. You have to register your credit card online on the Omny website before you can pay with it though. In a lot of places in Europe you don’t need to register your card to pay for public transportation, but I’ll take the Omny win for now. Maybe in a few more years you won’t have to register your card before you can use it to pay for the subway.
There are a lot of subway lines in the city, so it’s very easy to get from one neighborhood or borough to another. You can use Google Maps to figure out which subway line you should take.
Buses
The same rules for riding the subway apply to riding the bus. You can pay with a credit card registered on Omny or you can pay with a Metro Card. The good thing about using Omny is that after paying for 12 rides in a week all other rides are free. You can use Google Maps to figure out which bus you should take.
Cabs / Ride shares
NYC is notorious for traffic jams. Especially around rush hour. If you can avoid being in a car, you should.
If you do need a ride, it’s super easy to get a car. You can hail one of the iconic yellow cabs, or you can order a car on ride share apps like Uber, Lyft, or Revel.
How to get from the airport to Manhattan
JFK
If you land at JFK you can take the AirTrain and you’ll exit close to the E train stop, which can take you to Manhattan. You need to pay to ride the AirTrain and then you’ll have to pay the regular subway entry fee to take the E train. AirTrain now accepts both Omny payments and regular MetroCards.
If you don’t want to deal with public transportation you can take a taxi or an Uber. An uber costs between $60 – 150, depending on time of day and traffic. Taxis have a flat fee between JFK and Manhattan (currently $70, plus an extra $5 surcharge during peak hours).
Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.
LaGuardia
If you land at LaGuardia you can take the M60 bus if you need to get to uptown Manhattan. To get to midtown you can take the free LaGuardia Link Q70 bus to Queens, then take either the subway or a LIRR train to Manhattan.
If you don’t want to deal with public transportation you can take a taxi or an Uber. An uber costs between $40 – 80, depending on time of day and traffic. Taxis do not have a flat fee between LaGuardia and Manhattan, unlike JFK.
Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Nomad eSIM (use code IOAN43TM for 25% off your first purchase). You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Hidden gems in NYC
If you’re like me and you like to combine iconic tourist attractions with a few hidden gems during a trip, I got you. These are my top 5 hidden gems in New York.
Pier 57 Rooftop Park
Pier 57 Rooftop Park opened only in 2022. It’s still not that busy, maybe because it’s not located at street level, so unless you know about it, you won’t see it.
The park is one of the largest in NYC and it has 360 views. As the name suggests it is located at Pier 57, which is very close to Chelsea Market and the Highline. Little Island is right across the street, so you’ll have a fabulous view of it from Pier 57 Rooftop Park. You can also see the Downtown Manhattan area, including the new World Trade Center building.
There are lots of benches where you can sit down with a snack from Pier 57 Market (my personal favorite is ice cream from Malai) and watch the view while catching up with a friend.
There are also multiple lawns where you can have a picnic or just lie in the sun. And it even has bleachers that can be used for movie screenings during the summer.
The park is open from 7am to 10pm every day and it’s definitely worth checking out.
Rain forest inside the Ford Foundation building
When you think of New York, one of the first things that probably comes to mind are skyscrapers. That’s because there’s over 7,000 of them in NYC. One of the last things that comes to mind is a rain forest.
So, what did the designers of the Ford Foundation building think? We can’t have a rainforest in the city, so we’ll put it in a skyscraper instead. A jungle in the middle of the concrete jungle, the Ford Foundation Garden is home to about 40 different species of plants. It also has a small, square, reflecting pool.
The Ford Foundation building has an art gallery next to the garden. Visiting both the garden and the art gallery is free.
The exact address is 320 East 43rd Street. The garden is open to the public from 11am to 6pm Monday-Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm only when the gallery has an exhibition on view.
A piece of the Berlin Wall
What if I told you that you don’t have to travel all the way to Berlin to see a piece of the Berlin Wall? It’s true! There’s a small piece of it on display in Manhattan.
You don’t even have to go to a museum to see it. It’s located in Kowsky Plaza in Battery Park City and it’s free to the public. It’s a very short walk from the 9/11 Memorial. The exact location is 393 South End Ave, New York, NY 10280.
The piece was gifted to the Battery Park City Authority by the German Consulate in 2004 as a thank you for their commitment to use street art as a means of education. It features one of Thierry Noir’s famous heads against a green background. It’s amazing to have such an important piece of history in New York City.
Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island is a small island between Manhattan and Queens named after the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt. Throughout its history the island was mainly used for hospitals, and it currently houses the ruins of a smallpox hospital from 1856. I recommend you visit it in the spring because it has a lot of cherry blossom trees and it’s gorgeous. While you’re there, get a drink at the Panorama Room, a rooftop bar with 360-degree views of New York City.
This little Island is a great spot to visit, but how you get there is equally as cool: the Roosevelt Island Tramway. It is the oldest urban tramway in the United States that’s still operating today. You can take it from the Upper East Side and in a few minutes, you’ll be on the island. The view is amazing, especially on the way back when you can see the Manhattan skyline in front of you. A ticket costs $2.90 one way, the same as taking the subway or bus in the city.
Greenacre Park
Greenacre Park is a small, urban park located in midtown Manhattan, close to Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art. The exact address is 217 E 51st St, New York, NY 10022.
The park was opened in 1971. It has a waterfall made of granite blocks, colorful flowers, and trees. There are chairs throughout the entire park where you can sit down and take in the serene atmosphere. This little park is such a tranquil spot in the middle of the busiest part of town. I highly recommend it if you need to recharge your batteries for a bit.
The park is open from 8am to 6pm every day. Is NYC safe?
Free things to do in NYC
As fun as NYC is, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the world. But it also offers so many free things to do. You should definitely check out NYC For Free to get all the updates on free things to do in the city during your visit.
Because NYC is so big and there are so many people living there, brands always organize pop-ups where they give away freebies. Plus, there will be parades, open streets events, block parties. You just need to find out the dates and locations and you won’t have to spend too much on entertainment. Tapping into the free events is a great way to save some money and experience what locals do.
Birthday freebies
There are so many brands that offer a free treat on your birthday as long as you sign up for their rewards program. Some names that come to mind are Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, and Ole & Steen. You could literally spend an entire day just walking through the city and collecting free things on your birthday. NYC For Free has a comprehensive list of birthday freebies.
Pop-ups
There are so many days when I just take a walk and I bump into pop-ups. They usually set them up in locations with high foot traffic and give you a freebie if you visit the pop-up.
When Crumbs, an iconic NYC cupcake shop, re-opened after a few years of being closed they were parking their cupcake truck in different locations in the city and were giving away free cupcakes to people. It was an awesome way to advertise they are back in business, and everyone appreciated the sweet treat.
There are also flower shops, skincare, chocolate, fashion, movie pop-ups. NYC has everything and you’ll definitely find a pop-up you enjoy no matter when you visit.
Parades
NYC has some iconic parades: Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, St. Patrick’s Parade, the Easter Parade, the Halloween Parade. They are all free and joining them can be a lot of fun.
NYC Open Streets
Every summer NYC closes Park Avenue on a few Sundays from 7am to 1pm so people can walk, bike, and roller skate without car traffic. This is one of my favorite events in the city. I always enjoy walking in the middle of Park Avenue along fellow New Yorkers. The energy is amazing.
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