New York City Travel Guide

New York City is never short on things to see and do, no matter what your interests are. Check out the view from the top of the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, or One World

New York City is never short on things to see and do, no matter what your interests are.

Check out the view from the top of the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, or One World Observatory. Starting at the northern end of Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you can go on a museum tour. The Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of the City of New York, two of the best sites to learn about New York City’s history, are just a few blocks north of each other.

You can have dim food in Chinatown and cannoli in Little Italy. Visit a jazz club in Harlem, a gallery in Chelsea, Fifth Avenue, or the Statue of Liberty when in New York City.

It’s easy to lose yourself for the day at Central Park’s zoo, carousel, water features, and ice rink. On sunny days, a number of gardens and meadows hold spontaneous musical performances and are great places to people watch. Are you planning a summer vacation? Check the schedule to ensure that you don’t miss out on Shakespeare in the Park.

Sports, movies, and live music are what you enjoy? Attend a New York Yankees, Mets, or Knicks game at Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, or Madison Square Garden. Find the locations where your favorite films and shows were filmed. Seinfeld, Sex and the City, “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Serendipity,” and “Home Alone 2” are just a few of the many films that have been shot in Seattle.

Some of New York’s most memorable experiences can be found by chance, and they’re often the ones you’ve never heard of before. It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for; New York City has it. Make sure you don’t try to accomplish too much in a single outing.

Best Time to Visit

When it comes to visiting New York, summer is the finest time of year to do it. Outdoor concerts are in full flow now that the weather has warmed up. The city’s parks are filled with free movie screenings, street vendors, and street festivals. But the city’s high-rises may be sweltering, and the metro platforms can grow crowded. To avoid this, plan to come between Thanksgiving and New Year’s when temperatures are cooler, and department store displays are decorated for the holidays. Manhattan’s three largest outdoor ice rinks are open, Rockefeller Center has a big Christmas tree, and holiday light shows are unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Things to Keep in Mind

Each of the five boroughs of New York City has its distinct character. There is a handful in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, but the majority of them are in Manhattan.

It’s pointless to drive across Manhattan, and the city provides easy access to a wide range of transportation options, including metro, bus, taxi, and foot. While ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are widely available, finding a parking spot may be a hassle and be prohibitively expensive. Meanwhile, the metro is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The pace of life in New York is lightning-quick. Remember to stand on the right side of the escalator, so that rushed commuters can walk on the left when you’re using your phone.