Times Square And Broadway
Chances are youve seen Times Square on television. Its a busy and bright place to go. Youll see the iconic stacked billboard ads and yellow taxi cabs. This is also the space you want to head to if youre going to fit a Broadway show into your trip. Buy your a ticket to a world-class performance and enjoy a night in the lively atmosphere.
New York City really is a top travel destination. So if youre visiting, youre bound to have a great time. Use this information as a guide to ensure you make it to all these must-visit places in New York City!
Top 21 Things To Do In Nyc For 2022
New York City is one of the most happening and exciting cities to visit which is why you should not only visit, but be prepared to do ALOT. The area would be considered my home turf so get ready for an action-packed list of the best things to do in NYC from a local.
Pro Tip: If you are planning a trip to New York, bookmark this article in your browser so you can circle back to it and take a glance at where to stay in New York.
Visit The Intrepid Sea Air And Space Museum
Have you ever been on a submarine? You can do just that at this museum, which proudly charts Americas military and maritime history from Word War II to the space race.
Explore the Space Shuttle Pavilion and be amazed at original artifacts from the Marine Corps and NASA. There is an aircraft carrier and a supersonic reconnaissance plane to check out too.
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Things To Do In Nyc Embrace The Madness Of Times Square
For longtime New Yorkers Times Square is a no-go zone, a place reserved for tourists and those unfortunate souls who have to work there. For a first time visitor, however, Times Square can be a magical place of blinking lights and dazzling displays.
Back in day, as late as the early turn of the century, Times Square had a dark reputation for being a seedy and sometimes dangerous area of Manhattan. Those days are long, long gone. The modern Times Square is policed to the point of feeling occupied, and is totally safe day and night. The major avenues running through the Square have been closed to traffic and turned into a pedestrian zone for tourists to slowly walk along, or sit at tables while eating an overpriced snacks.
There are a bunch of stores in Times Square that you can get shopping done at, although we arent sure why you would pick that area for your shopping needs. You can also find many restaurants here, all of which are overpriced, but the excitement of dining in Times Square convinces some people to splurge.
Overall, while locals avoid it like the plague, Times Square should be on every first time visitors list of things to do in New York City.
Pay Respects At Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial
Two reflecting ponds now live where each building once stood to commemorate the victims and heros of that day. Instead of using the property to rebuild new tours, the city of New York created a mammoth memorial.
The memorial is free to visit since it is an outdoor memorial open 24/7. That said, there is a museum and souvenir stand which generate revenue to support the memorial.
While you are there, definitely walk through the Oculus at the World Trade Center PATH station which connects 12 subway lines and is honestly one of the most beautiful subway stations on Earth. The station, according to NY Port Authority, serves over a million people every week.
The station even has its own specially built crane named Big Red to reach the taller points of the atrium when construction, or light bulb replacing, needs call for its help!
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Things To Do In New York City Brooklyn Bridge Walk
As one of New Yorks most iconic works of engineering and design the Brooklyn Bridge has connected lower Manhattan with lower Brooklyn for over a hundred years. We highly recommend you take a walk or a bike ride over the bridge, and stop along the way for some unforgettable views and photos.
If you are feeling particularly adventurous plot a course to leave Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge and return via the Manhattan bridge, which is a bit further up north. If you do so on bike the trip will take no longer than two hours.
While you are in the vicinity you might want to stop and have a pie at Grimaldis, one of the very best places to get delicious NYCs pizza.
Things To Do In New York City
Please make sure to check with each attraction before booking to see what their current procedures and opening times are. Things are changing constantly these days.
There are five boroughs of the city that are all worth exploring, but we are going to focus on Manhattan as this is where most first-timers begin and where we always tend to hang out the most.
We decided sort this list of what to do in New York City by wow factor. Putting the must-see things to do at the top and the things we feel you can leave for a second or third visit near the bottom. We also give prices and Google map coordinates to help you find each attraction. So happy browsing!
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The Top 3841 Things To Do In Nyc
So I didnt have enough time to include everything on this list. A lineup of 12 attractions is manageable as a place to start. But this is New York City, and theres a lot more to take in here another 3,829 amazing experiences beyond the dozen listed here.
From Hudson Yards to Saint Patricks Cathedral, wed love to show you around our city. We can share some of these top attractions plus unique insights from a locals perspective. Just because youre in the big city doesnt mean you shouldnt get an insiders view of these iconic sights. See you in NYC!
The Empire State Building
This New York City attraction has been made famous time and again with cameo appearances in films like An Affair to Remember, Sleepless in Seattle, King Kong, and more. Be sure to head to the Empire State Building‘s 86th-floor observation deck to check out amazing 360-degree views of the city.
Take a self-guided multimedia tour to learn more about the incredible sights youll see from the top of the city. The Empire State Building even accommodates late-night visitors thanks to opening hours that extend until 2AM.
Fun fact: ESB was the tallest building in the world for almost four decades, and was designed by renowned architecture firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon in the early 20th century. For more info, check out our guide to visiting the Empire State Building.
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Watch The Commuter Rush At Grand Central Station
TripSavvy / Kelsea Watkins
The world’s largest railway station serves nearly a million commuter daily. And while it’s utilitarian in purpose, it’s also among the city’s most beautiful public spaces. The 12-story main concourse is modeled after a Roman public bath, albeit with shimmering chandeliers and a map of constellations painted on the ceiling. Befitting of such a grand station, Grand Central is home to many shops and dining options, too.
Radio City Music Hall
Part of the Rockefeller Center is this iconic Art Deco live entertainment venue that opened in 1932, hosting major concerts, awards ceremonies and live broadcasts of TV shows.
From the outside the Radio City Music Hall is unmistakeable for its long marquee sign on the corner of 6th Avenue and 50th street, and the seven-storey signs on 6th Avenue.
It might be enough to stop by and grab a photo of these signs, but if you want to walk the halls of the Showplace of the Nation the Madison Square Garden Group gives tours, revealing the history of the famed Great Stage, getting you up close to exquisite Art Deco details and maybe giving you a chance to meet a member of the resident dance troupe, the Rockettes.
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Whitney Museum Of American Art
In 2014 the foremost museum for 20th-century and contemporary art in the United States relocated to a Renzo Piano-designed building in the West Village/Meat Packing District.
The Whitney Museum of American Arts collection runs to more than 20,000 works, by hundreds of renowned artists, among them Alexander Calder, Georgia OKeefe, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper and Helen Frankenthaler.
In 1932, the museums founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney launched the Whitney Biennial.
Almost 90 years later, this is still a landmark event in the United States cultural scene, introducing new talent and mapping the latest developments in American contemporary art.
On Fifth Avenue at the downtown end of Madison Square is one of those New York sights etched into the worlds consciousness.
This wedge-shaped Renaissance Revival skyscraper, named for its resemblance to a clothes iron, was one of the tallest buildings in the city when it was completed in 1902. The Flatiron Building stands just shy of 87 metres and sits neatly on a triangular block caused by Broadway.
As well as being a sight to kindle some Manhattan romance, the Flatiron Building has a small gallery, the Flatiron Prow Artspace.
This is run by the ground floor tenant, Sprint, and hosts exhibitions centred on sustainability and eco-friendly technology.
A few steps away is the capacious indoor market/dining destination, Eataly Flatiron, an ode to Italian cuisine
Best Accommodations In Town
We personally stayed in two different neighbourhoods TriBeCa and Midtown West and both are great options. TriBeCa feels a little more local, and has good access to the southern tip of Manhattan, while Midtown West is more central located on the west side of the island.
Best Hostel in Manhattan Jazz on Columbus Circle
Staying downtown in Manhattan is always going to be expensive, but if youre in a budget and still want to be in the heart of everything, then the absolute best hostel in town is Jazz on Columbus Circle.
Its a small, boutique hostel and has been renovated to have modern amenities throughout. It has a funky vibe with some awesome decor, and the dorms are small with between 3-6 beds.
Best Mid-Range Hotel Pod 51 Hotel
High-quality accommodation in New York City is not cheap, but the closest balance you can get between affordability and quality is at Pod 51 Hotel.
The rooms are no-frills, but clean, bright and more spacious than you might expect. The location is great, theres fast wifi and an amazing rooftop garden to enjoy.
Best Luxury Hotel in Manhattan Hotel Giraffe by Library Collection
This is it the top of the cream for hotels in New York that you can still get for well under $1000 a night.
The Library Collection has some of the best hotels all around the city, but our favourite is Hotel Giraffe. Youll be treated like a king or queen here!
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Eat A Classic New York Pizza
TripSavvy / Kelsea Watkins
Among other things New York is famous for, pizza is undoubtedly one of them. Is it the water? The flour? Generations of pizzaiolo knowledge passed down among families? Who knows, but it goes without saying that New York City pizza is a must-try for anyone’s first visit to the city. Among our favorites: Patsy’s, which has been slinging pies since the 1930s in Harlem, Lombardi’s, which calls itself America’s first pizzeria, and Prince Street Pizza, whose square slices are loaded up with the best pepperoni you’ve ever eaten,
/11 Memorial And Museum
One of the most important places in all of NYC is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, located on the site of the former World Trade Center. This moving attraction recounts the tragic history of one of the darkest days in recent US history in informative and moving exhibits.
The Museum has three separate sections, detailing the lead-up to, day of, and aftermath of the attacks, as well as the stories of the lives lost and the relics that remain from the rubble. The outside Memorial is also popular for photographs and is well-known for its signature water feature and lighting.
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The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
Backing onto Central on Fifth Avenue, the immense Metropolitan Museum of Art charts 5,000 years of applied and fine arts from all ends of the earth.
At the largest gallery in the United States you can chase your sense of curiosity down any number of rabbit-holes, marvelling at Sumerian cuneiform tablets, Chinese calligraphy, Classical sculpture, Egyptian mummies, Old Masters, Moorish textiles, Rococo fashion, armour worn by European monarchs, invaluable musical instruments, and thats just to get started.
You could spend a whole day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and leave knowing that there was more to see.
But a few of the indispensible exhibits are the transposed Egyptian Temple of Dendur , Raphaels altar painting of Madonna and Child , Rembrandts Aristotle with a Bust of Homer , Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze and van Goghs Self Portrait with Straw Hat .
New Yorks population doubled in the 30 years up to 1855, by which time the burgeoning city was in desperate need of more green space.
The answer was to cut a giant strip from the middle of Manhattans grid system, from 5th to 8th Avenue, and from 59th to 110th Street.
The list of things to do is almost endless, and includes a zoo, boating, yoga classes, outdoor theatre and horse-drawn carriage tours.
Such is the size of Central Park, two wheels might be a better way to get around than two feet, and you can hire a bike via GetYourGuide.com.
Drink A Manhattan Overlooking Manhattan
One of the coolest things about a city packed with skyscrapers and tall buildings is that some of those places have bars & restaurants on top! So go ahead, make a reservation or roll the dice by walking in, but definitely enjoy a drink and maybe some food overlooking Manhattans skyline.
You can do that in Manhattan or ideally in Brooklyn overlooking The City. I recommend Harriets Rooftop & Lounge which is located in Brooklyn Heights. You get a killer view of manhattan and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge!
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Have Fun In Central Park
No visit to New York is complete without popping over to Central Park, the iconic green hub sitting pretty in the middle of Manhattan. The grounds are a great place for a picnic or horse-drawn carriage ride, and the wild inhabitants of Central Park Zoo are a favorite with families.
Feeling energetic? Then jump in the saddle for a guided bike tour around the park and nearby sights.
Best Hostel In New York City The Local Nyc
If, like us, budget travel is more your style dont fret. Staying in a fabulous budget friendly hostel in NYC is an option. The Local NYC is likely the best hostel in New York City. The Long Island City hostel is located right across the East River from Midtown and is only a 10 minute subway ride away from 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
The hostel has a lovely rooftop patio with skyline views of Manhattan, large and immaculately clean rooms with lockers and uber comfy mattresses, and an onsite bar for mingling or to enjoy live music and locally crafted brews on tap. For the cheapest prices at The Local NYC click here.
As always, happy travels, and well see you on the road!
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Go To The Statue Of Liberty & Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty is more a symbol of the United States and the values embodied here than any other monument in this land.
It was most certainly a welcomed site for immigrants coming to the United States through Ellis Island which makes sense. If you havent seen it in person, its massive which makes it very cool to visit.
The Statue of Liberty is grouped into the category of Colossal Statues and the first on record was built in 280 BC in Rhodes. The Roman Emperor Nero, first century AD, also built a colossal statue in his own image in the valley where the Colosseum would later be erected. Youd never have guessed, but all three of these statues were about the same height!
The Statue of Liberty is far from the largest statue in the world today, this position is taken by the Statue of Unity in India which is over three times its size! However, it is arguably the most recognized statue on Earth in competition with Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.
Check out this article Statue of Liberty Tickets, Hours, Tours, and More! or check out our Statue of Liberty tours directly.
Earn Your Freedom And Escape The Room
Solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints, and strategies to complete the objectives at hand. Get out of the room on time and earn your freedom. You have 60 minutes max, so be quick!
The Escape Rooms of Clue Chase are suitable for everyone and fun is guaranteed! It is rated as one of the top things to do in NYC by Tripadvisor.
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