My Guide to New York City

---

Must do in New York City:

I’ve been to NYC many times. Recently I was there for only 2 days. Therefore I had to figure out what I wanted to show my touristy friends in a very short amount of time. There is so much to see in this city but here is my recommendation if you only have a few days in the “Big Apple”. (This is not exactly what we did, I can upload that list if requested, but this is what I suggest having organized my master list by areas of the city.)

First, decide exactly what you want to see/snap pictures with.

My master list: (no order)
Central Park

LOVE sculpture

Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral

New York Public Library

Bryant Park

Times Square

Grand Central Terminal

Chrysler Building

Empire State Building

Herald Square

Flat Iron Building

World Trade Center memorial

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

Trinity Church

Wall Street

New York Stock Exchange

Brooklyn Bridge

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)

American Museum of Natural History

Coney Island boardwalk

Broadway performance

Yankees game

Comedy club

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (Between 5^th and 6^th ave, 53^rd street)

Suggested route:

I suggest starting near Central Park East (5^th Av/59^th St subway station) and meandering south through Manhattan along 5^th avenue as several tourist attractions are along this route. You could easily go over to the LOVE sculpture at 6^th and 55^th. Continue down 5^th avenue to Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral (5th and 50^th), then the Empire State Building (5^th and 34^th). Go east to see Herald Square which is at 6^th and 34^th. You can get a pretty good view of the Empire State Building from below if you just continue down 5^th Avenue a few more blocks and stand on the opposite corner. Going up it is pricey and windy, but does give you a nice view. Just plan about two hours for getting up there and enjoying the view.

The New York Public Library and Bryant Park are at 5^th and 42^nd. From here you could go east to Times Square (7^th and 42^nd) and/or west to Grand Central Terminal (Park and 42^nd). Times Square is super crowded day or night. If you pose with characters they’ll expect tips. There is a subway line that goes directly from Times Square to Grand Central. The Chrysler Building is at Lexington and 42^nd, just west of Grand Central. Continuing down 5^th avenue you’ll reach the Flat Iron Building (5^th and 23^rd).

Take the subway into Lower Manhattan. The World Trade Center memorial has its own subway spot. The Bowling Green subway station will get you to Battery Park, the place to catch the ferry to Liberty Island for the Statue of Liberty and/or Ellis Island depending which ticket you buy. If you are going out to Liberty Island I’d plan at least 2 hours round trip and for taking pictures, more if you are stopping at Ellis Island for their museum. Go as early in the day as you can manage because lines are long for the ferry.

Back in Battery Park head north to Trinity Church and then east down Wall Street, the famous financial area of New York City. The New York Stock Exchange is at Wall Street and Broad Street. Continue east to the East river and walk north toward the Brooklyn Bridge, which you should be able to see from afar. Walking out to the edge of the South Street Seaport pier will give you a nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn across the East River. There are also some nice shops here.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is at 5^th and 82^nd and directly across Central Park from it is the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West and 81^st). The 81^st street subway station takes you right to it. I love both of these museums, well worth spending 3-4 hours wandering. Both are suggested admission, meaning you pay what you want but there is a suggested price for adults, students, etc. and special exhibits are extra.

Overall just plan to do what you care about and have fun. If you find anything awesome comment and let me know!



Must eat in New York City:

- Bagels. New York City bagels are the best on earth. I even convinced my Parisian friend to have one and she liked it! Poppy seed bagels are my favorite and I usually go to Coney Island to buy them, but you should be able to find them at any decent cafe. Have a bagel with cream cheese ("smear") and enjoy!

- Pastrami sandwich from Katz’s Delicatessen. This famous deli serves up the best pastrami sandwiches, and they are HUGE. You can easily split one with a friend. They are pricey but well worth it. Take a ticket at the door, watch what others do, and then order and enjoy!

- Hotdog from Nathan’s Famous at their Coney Island location. A NYC staple, part of Coney Island history. This is also where an infamous hot dog eating contest goes down (pun intended) in July.

-NY-style pizza from Village Pizza in Greenwich Village. This is real NY pizza and the slices are huge, 2 is a very full meal for me. Cheap, delicious, and not greasy! It’s a hole-in-the-wall place but it’s great pizza. Fold the pizza in half (hotdog-style) to eat it like a real New Yorker.

- NY is famous for its cheesecake. I know Carnegie Deli has some, but it’s $12 (as of March 2012) and you can’t split it with a friend. I’m not a big fan of cheesecake so I don’t have a location recommendation for you. If you find a good place, comment and tell me.

- Try something from a street cart vender. I recommend roasted nuts if you are there in winter, the hotdogs are a popular choice in summer.



General tips for tourists in New York City:

- Avoid the tourist shops in Manhattan, they are really not worth the money and most of their stuff is really poor quality.

- Take a lot of pictures and ask people to snap a shot of you if you feel safe to trust them with the camera/phone (or use a disposable for those situations). Pictures make the best souvenirs.

- Don't talk to or make eye contact with strangers on the subway.

- Don’t count your money in public.

- Don't be personally offended if someone is particularly rude. New Yorkers live in their own bubbles and have a reputation of being aggressive, fast-paced, and unintentionally self-centered.

- Move "with purpose" on the sidewalk, step aside if taking a picture, NEVER "jaywalk" (crossing the street not at a crosswalk), NEVER follow a stranger (directions yes, leading you there NO).

- There are a lot of street sellers around tourist attractions (Empire State Builiding, Rockefeller Center, Central Park). They peddle everything from carriage rides to comedy shows. Just be aware that their job is to sell, yours is to distinguish a deal from a scam.

- If you are interested in going to a Broadway show, you can buy cheap tickets at TKTS Discount Ticket Booths around the city. Off-Broadway show tickets are also available.

- Carry your purse in front of you, across the chest, not over a single shoulder. / Keep your wallet in a closed (snapped/zipped) pocket, preferably on your front, not back side.

- Be aware of your surroundings. NYC is very large city but it’s a grid system so it’s fairly easy to transverse on foot. Still, the skyscrapers block your ability to refer to the rivers or sun for direction, so just pay attention to where you are.

-I recommend downloading a map on your phone, screen-shot it, and refer to as you roam. Also study it a little before arriving. The majority of tourist attractions are on Manhattan along 5th Ave.

- Don't give cash to homeless people or anyone on the street without a legitimate business (cart, magazine stand). Homeless people are taken care of by the State and shouldn't be asking for funds.

- Remember to tip servers 15% on the cost of your meal/drink in restaurants/cafes.

- The easiest way to travel around NYC is on the subway. As of June 2013, a week pass for an adult was $30. I was there for 3 days and spent about $35 using a refillable pass. So my recommendation is to get the week pass if you are there for more than a single day. Passes also work on the buses and there are no zones in NYC.



Enjoy "the city that never sleeps" & "take a bite out of the Big Apple". I hope you enjoy New York City!

Comment any tips you want to share!

---

Photos

Empire State Building
My friend and I on 5th Ave with the Empire State Building behind us.

Brooklyn Bridge
From South Street Seaport area.

Pastrami sandwiches at Katz's Deli
Pickles and cucumbers on the side.

View of lower Manhattan from the Liberty Island Ferry
From the boat taking us to see the Statue of Liberty.