New Amsterdam, The Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, The Empire City, the city where dreams are made, the greatest city in the world. NYC has been called many things over the years, but one thing is clear- New York is one of the most, if not the most influential and celebrated city in the world. It’s also one of the most exciting cities to visit, but it can be overwhelming at first. Here’s our complete guide to take the stress out of planning your first trip to NYC.
Bright Lights, Big City
For anyone who hasn’t traveled to New York before, it can kind of feel like you know it, without really knowing it. We had seen and experienced New York in so many movies & TV series that we were already familiar with the sights & sounds of the Big Apple. We knew what the major attractions & landmarks were. We knew New Yorkers eat bagels & kebabs from street side food trucks. We knew about the subway, and yellow cabs and NYC style pizza by the slice. So naturally, we thought we knew more or less what to expect from our time in NYC. But boy oh boy was New York all that and so much more! It was exciting and overwhelming and intense and big and just completely unlike any city we had explored before.
New York for First Timers
Now I hail from a small country town in New Zealand’s South Island (i.e. one of the least densely populated places in the world) so perhaps it’s not surprising that New York was a bit of a sensory overload for me at first! The reality is that New York is gargantuan in so many ways. Not only is it the biggest and densest city in the USA in terms of population, it is also the city with the largest metropolitan area in the world. Finally New York is second only to Hong Kong as being the city with the most skyscrapers (with a whopping 278 buildings that are higher than 150m!) As such you will no doubt find yourself looking skyward with awe.
New Yorkers and their Food
There are 22 million people living in and around New York, and they are a hugely diverse population to beat, speaking up to 800 languages! That’s not surprising given that New York is the city with the highest proportion of foreign born residents in the world, with some 3.2 million residents hailing from abroad. All that diversity means that culturally NYC is one of the most interesting cities to visit. Each neighborhood is truly unique and has it’s own eclectic sub-culture. And of course, New York is second to none when it comes to it’s food – whether it’s bagels, donuts, pizza, dumplings, noodles, shawarma or hotdogs. You name it- you can find it in New York.
Where to Stay in New York
Ah the million dollar question. Food in New York may be cheap, but accommodation certainly isn’t. Even 3 star hotels in Manhattan will generally set you back a minimum of US $300 per night. As such it’s worth looking for a private room on airbnb with decent reviews that is located somewhere reasonably central to midtown. We went for a private room in Hell’s Kitchen which only set us back US $125 per night. If you’re looking for truly budget accommodation check out Hostelworld for dorm beds instead.
What to See & Do in New York
So given the sheer scale & size of NYC where do you start? Well New York is made up of 5 boroughs; Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx & Staten Island, but unless you have a lot of time to explore NYC, on your first visit you’ll probably want to focus your efforts on the heart of NYC: Manhattan Island. There is honestly enough to see & experience within Manhattan itself that you could spend a few weeks to a few years exploring just this part of the city! The easiest & most affordable way to get around is probably to use the subway, but you’ll find yourself walking a lot too, so be sure to pack some comfy trainers.
Manhattan’s Neighborhoods
Manhattan is made up of a lot of different neighborhoods, and they are all quite distinct and unique in their own way. But if you’re short on time you mainly want to focus on a few key areas:
- The first is Midtown, with the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, grand Central Station & Broadway.
- The second is Central Park & The Upper East Side, made famous by Gossip Girls. This is also where you’ll find a lot of the most famous museums & art galleries like the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
- Below Midtown there are a range of more residential & industrial areas, that don’t hold as much interest for first time visitors, but be sure not to miss the High Line, and you might also like to see the Flat Iron building.
- As you keep heading south you’ll reach Soho with it’s designer boutiques, fancy chain stores and high-end art galleries. It’s worth wandering around this part of the city, even if it’s a little out of your price range.
- Finally at the very tip of Manhattan Island is the Financial District, with the New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Centre and Wall Street. This is also where you can catch the Staten Island Ferry.
Top 8 Must Sees in New York
Now on our first time in NYC, we only had 4 days to see as much as possible, so we really had to whittle the long list of attractions down to the absolute must-sees! What’s more we were doing New York on a budget (which was fortunately easier than we expected.) Here’s our top 8 picks for things to do in NYC that won’t break the bank:
1. Go to the Top of the Rock
Now seeing NYC has so many high rises, to get a good overview of the sheer scale of the city, and get your bearings a bit, one of the first things to do is to go up a really tall building! Now many people will tell you to go up the Empire State building, but the thing is, if you’re up the Empire State Building you can’t actually see the Empire State Building, or get a good picture of it. So instead I would highly recommend going to the Top of the Rock instead, that is the viewing deck at the top of Rockefeller Centre. On one side you’ll see Central Park stretching out in front of you, and on the other side you will see the Empire State Building and right out to One World Trade center and the tip of Manhattan.
2. Marvel at Time’s Square
Another iconic New York location, Times Square is a major intersection in Midtown, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of the Broadway Theater District. Adorned with bright billboards & advertisements, it’s a busy place to be, with some 330,000 people passing through Times Square daily.
3. Take a walk through Central Park
Now Central Park is massive, so you won’t be able to see all of it, but do at least explore part of its 843 acres. After all this is the iconic setting to so many great movie scenes! If you want to do more than a short stroll to have a look around you can hire bikes or do a walking or running tour. There’s even tours in a pedicab or horse & carriage. The Central Park Zoo is also particularly impressive, featuring Grizzly Bears, Snow Leopards & Red Pandas (who are just the cutest!)
4. Go see Grand Central Station
This one’s fairly self-explanatory but it’s a pretty cool building. Also not a bad spot for lunch on the go. You may forget you’re not in the movies and expect a flash crowd to just start singing and dancing. (Hey, it could happen right.)
5. Walk along the High-Line
This is one of NYC’s newer attractions, an abandoned rail line that has been transformed into a multi-purpose space for public use. At it’s simplest, the high-line is an elevated walkway for seeing the west-side. But really it’s so much more than that- it’s an urban garden, a meeting place, a picnic spot, an outdoor stage, a viewing platform and an open air art gallery all at once.
6. Visit the 911 Memorial & Museum
Now of course New York’s skyline used to look quite different prior to the 9/11 terror attacks in that brought down the Twin Towers and resulted in the deaths of nearly 3000 people. Two twin reflecting pools now fill the spaces where the towers once stood, and the names of all of those who were killed in the attacks are etched into the sides. It’s a moving tribute to a devastating moment in history that touched us all. Nearby you’ll see the new One World Trade Centre which was completed in 2012.
7. Catch the Staten Island Ferry
Now you could take an expensive tour to get up close to The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, but the Staten Island ferry is a much smarter way to see Lower Manhattan and lady liberty from the water. For commuters it’s just a regular public transport option, carrying up to 70,000 people a day! For you it’s a genius way to get some really amazing shots of downtown NYC.
8. Camp out at a Rooftop Bar
Now the drinks won’t be cheap, but technically the views will be free. It’s worth finding a spot before sunset, so that you can enjoy the views before and after dark and nab a spot with a view before they all get taken. There are many rooftop bar options to choose from, though most of them are located in Midtown.
So there you have it, all you need for a perfect first trip to New York… I’m jealous already!
Travelling elsewhere in North America?