New York Itinerary
NYC, a city indefinitely influx, is not possible to”watch” in 1 trip. You merely need to starve yourself to this truth, if you don’t proceed here (and not even then), you’ll only hardly scratch the top! By the moment you leave, fresh places will soon probably have cropped up. Last week I had been walking outside and stumbled to some (yummy ) Japanese food festival. It had been there! You will don’t know exactly what you should see in NYC. Since I have written a guide book for the particular city, I’ve lived here for near five decades, run tours, also, overall, only been anyplace in search for knowing the most useful what you can do in NYC, I do wish to share with you the most useful what you can do in NYC and allow you to organize everything that the city has (also it’s a lot ) right into a simple to check out itinerary that will assist you to take advantage of your trip! There are means to create the most of the constrained period travelers possess in new york. You want three or more days to truly observe the city, even though an instant strikes might possibly be carried out at two day NYC itinerary. Therefore, now, this can be a proposed four (or five or even five or seven) afternoon Newyork itinerary comprising my favorite things to do from NY: It’s really a program for this particular New Yorker! The town, home to over 8.5 million people, comprises a lot to see and do, so you may scarcely scratch the top onto your own average four- or – even five-day trip. (However, on the other hand, I really actually don’t believe a four-month trip could be enough to visit NYC!) As a traveler, just how do you see NYC? What’s the destination for NYC? Just how do you take advantage of energy?
What to Do in NYC: Day 1
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
Price: $18.50 for that ferry-free to gain get to the base and Ellis Island’s Great Hall, +to gain get into to the crown. Tickets (notably overhead tickets) has to be purchased well beforehand! Discounts for seniors and kids. Hint: in the event the line is overly much time and that you also don’t want to hold back, simply just take the free Staten Island ferry to get photos of the statue and then also harbor. Though the point for your ferry from Battery Park is long, when you make it first, you are able to avoid all of it. (Come and you’re going to need to wait for a couple of hours.) Even the Statue of Liberty is spectacular to find yourself close (she is as big as you possibly imagine), but the actual highlight with the combo is Ellis Island, in which you are able to understand the immigrant experience and find a feeling of the men and women who helped build NYC (you’ll also find my loved one’s name engraved on the wall! ) ) . There is such a fantastic feeling of history that you can not help but be impressed.
Battery Park
Named Battery Park for the old batteries (cannons) that defended the city, stop here for music and street performers, people-watching, relaxing, and all other park-related activities. You can also explore the ruins of the old fort that kept watch over New York City. Battery Park is large and hectic, but I still love walking through here. There are tremendous views of the harbor, too.
Wall Street
Take a photo with the famous bull and then walk to Wall Street and see where all those bankers destroyed the economy. There’s heavy security in the area, but you can sit and watch people whiz in and out of buildings on their way to cause some other financial disaster.
Federal Hall
Opening hoursMon–Fri (9am–5pm), Sat-Sun (shut ). Also, open on Saturdays (9am-5pm) at summertime. Probably one of the most overlooked museums at the city sits next door by the NY Stock Exchange (NYSE). Federal Hall, built-in 1700, is where George Washington took his oath of office (it’s possible to begin to start to observe the Bible he had been sworn in about!) , was that the very first capitol building of the United States, and has been the first website of this US Customs House from the late 1700s. It’s among my personal beloved attractions within the region. I especially adore the older vaults of all Customs House. I strongly advise that you see, also it’s small and will not take longterm.
Museum of American Finance
Down on the Road from NYSE and Also Federal Hall is the Museum of American Finance. Housed in a historic bank building on WallStreet (of course!), it’s permanent exhibits on the economic markets, including currency, banking, equity, along with Alexander Hamilton (the creator of the US economic climate ). If you would like to know the joys of what goes on on Wall Street, that can be the ideal destination for a get started. Opening hours Tues–Sat (10 am — 4 pm). Price: $8, discounts for seniors and students. Note: In the time of writing, the museum is now closed as a result of damages. Re-open date is TBD.
Trinity Church
Trinity Church is one of the oldest churches in America. The original building burned down in 1776, but the current church is still beautiful, with an ornate Gothic-style structure. The church is most famous for its colonial graveyard, where you’ll find many famous Americans, including Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s founding fathers.
World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial and Museum
The newly opened”Freedom Tower” provides you with a panoramic view of this metropolis, and there’s also a great deal of information in regards to this 9/11 terrorist strikes. Together with the elevator, it is also possible to see pictures of this historical evolution of NYC. At the base of the tower is still a playground commemorating the victims of these strikes together side a thorough museum. The memorial houses moving displays concerning the need for 9/11. For an extra fee (at the top of this entry fee), you can find guided tours.
What to Do in NYC: Day 2
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
Right near City Hall (see the next entry), the Brooklyn Bridge offers an easy 25-minute walk into Brooklyn and the waterfront park on the other side. Stopping to take photos and meandering along the way will make the walk about 40 minutes. You get a lot of wonderful views of downtown as you make your way across (and especially from the park). I enjoy doing this walk at night when downtown Manhattan is all lit up.
City Hall
Pre-reserved tours are generally available for classes (10–20 people) on Saturdays and Tuesdays at 10:30 am and also for folks on Thursdays at 10 am. Additionally, there are first-come, first-served tours on Wednesdays at 12 pm. New York’s City Hall can be actually really just an excellent bit of historical architecture and also has a gorgeous little park that is full of workers in offices throughout lunch (in addition to a circular tablet on your website’s history). To understand the construction history, art, and structure, choose one of those tours. In this manner, you are going to have the ability to observe that the landmarked rotunda, city council room, Governor’s Room, and also the City Hall Portrait Collection.
Empire State Building
After you finish up with lower Manhattan, jet up to this historic landmark in New York City. The 1930s art deco interior is beautiful, and the view from the top is breathtaking. You can get a real feel for how densely populated New York is as you stare out at the city. Get here early or during lunchtime to avoid the lines and tour groups.
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal is the city’s historic train station. It was going to be torn down in 1975 but was saved by Jacqueline Kennedy, who raised money for its preservation. There are free historical tours on Wednesdays. I love coming to the main concourse and looking up at the “stars” in the ceiling and people-watching as everyone races to and fro. All those people — where do they go? What do they do? Also, there’s an amazing eatery in the basement called the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant. And for fancy (and expensive) cocktails, visit the Campbell Apartments and step back into the 1920s (dress code enforced). Space was once the office of John W. Campbell, a member of the New York Central Railroad’s board of directors and finance tycoon from the 1920s.
Rockefeller Center
This area is always filled with hustle and bustle. Wander around Rockefeller Center to see where they film The Today Show, shop, snack, and take the elevator to the “Top of the Rock” for another bird’s-eye view of the city (which I personally think it better than the Empire State Building, since from the top of here you can get that building in your picture too!).
Times Square
No matter when you go to Times Square, it will be packed with people (usually other tourists). There are pedestrian areas where you can sit and hang out. If you aren’t shopping or eating or seeing a show, there isn’t much to do in the area (and no New Yorker hangs out there), but it’s still a fabulous place to people-watch for a few minutes from the top of the red steps of the TKTS kiosk.
What to Do in NYC: Day 3
Central Park
The perfect way to relax in the city and leave the crowds behind is to spend the day in Central Park. It’s free, there are lots of paths to walk (or run), bike lanes, lakes to row in, and a zoo. Since the park covers over 150 square blocks, it’s easy to spend hours wandering around. During the summer months, there are often free concerts and theater productions (line up early for tickets to Shakespeare in the Park). From the late spring to the early fall, there are free guided walks run by the parks service on Saturdays at 11 am. I’m a big fan of laying out in Sheep’s Meadow on a hot, sunny day with a book, some food, and a bottle of wine.
Several excellent museums can be found in or on the edges of Central Park:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met is one of the biggest museums in the world, and if you only see one museum in New York, I recommend this one. It has a wide array of art, historical artifacts, photographs, and other exhibits. There’s even a real Egyptian tomb in here! I like its expansive impressionist and Greek exhibits. It’s chaotic and filled with people, especially on the weekend, but since it is so big, you can usually find some quiet spots away from the crowds. Budget a lot of time as a few hours won’t do this place justice.
American Museum of Natural History
Made even more famous by the Night at the Museum movies, this museum also requires a lot of time. The exhibits on nature, human history, and marine life are interesting and detailed, so I wouldn’t try to rush your visit. My favorite is the one on the origin of humans. Learning about how we came to be is fascinating. Also, don’t skip the section on space (because space is awesome!) at the Hayden Planetarium, which is run by science god Neil Degrasse Tyson. They have really detailed exhibitions on the origin of the universe.
Budget tip: The “fee” here is also suggested donation so you can pay what you wish.
The Frick Collection
This collection features paintings by major European artists (lots of Dutch masters here) as well as 18th-century French furniture and Oriental rugs. You have to really love Dutch artists to want to spend time here (I do) but be sure to visit their website because they do a lot of wonderful temporary exhibits featuring famous works of art.
Budget tip: Visit Wednesdays between 2pm and 6pm and the entrance fee is “pay what you wish.”
The Guggenheim Museum
This museum is home to a renowned collection of impressionist, post-impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art. The cylindrical museum (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) is considered one of the 20th century’s most important architectural designs. It’s one of my favorite buildings (and museums) in the city. Admission is steep ($22 USD).
Budget tip: Saturday nights (5:45–7:45pm) you can pay what you wish.
The Museum of the City of New York
This museum will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about New York City, including its architecture, parks, streets, as well as its people, culture, and various sights. There are multiple rooms that highlight various time periods in NYC history featuring interviews, maps, interactive exhibits, profiles of historical figures, and various artifacts. It’s the best history museum in the city. There’s a cool exhibit here where you can create the future NYC a la Sim City style. (Great for kids or people who are childlike!)
Broadway Show
You can’t go to New York City, the theater capital of the world, without seeing a show. Current highlights and my favorites include:
- The Lion King
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Wicked
- Dear Evan Hansen
- Aladdin
- Chicago
- School of Rock
- Come From Away
- Hamilton
You can find discounted theater tickets at the TKTS offices around the city (Times Square, South Street Seaport, and downtown Brooklyn) for shows that day. They also have an app where you can see what they offer too!
What to Do in NYC: Day 4
The Cloisters
Few men and women make this up into the Cloisters (it has all of the way up close 204th Street), also a branch of the Met dedicated to medieval Europe. It took me years to finally view this, and that I kicked myself for waiting so very long. (They stipulated that the property on the other side of the river could forever stay undeveloped therefore that the opinion could be unspoiled!) . The construction and its own magnificent cloistered garden have become, very calm and lovely. It’s among the greatest what. You’ll find free tours daily which spell out the foundation of the museum and also the paintings and shows.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Head over to the MoMA for lots of beautiful (and weird) modern art and some vivid impressionist art. I hate modern art. I just don’t “get” it. How is shovel on wall art? I dislike modern art BUT this museum does have Van Gogh’s Starry Night as well as other post-impressionist art so I can’t hate it completely. If you love modern and contemporary art, this (I’m told) is one of the best in the world. On Fridays after 4 pm, the museum is free (and I like seeing Van Gogh for free)!
The High Line & Whitney Museum
The High Line is a converted train track that is now an urban walking park. It goes from 34th Street down to the Meatpacking District (and vice versa). Lined with overlooks, gardens, public art, food stalls, and greenery, this walk is one of the best things to do in the city, especially on a nice day. Go for a walk, sit with a book, people-watch — the High Line is a must-see and a true favorite among locals.
Next to it, in the Meatpacking District, there’s the new building for the Whitney Museum of American Art (a museum that collaborates with the Met). Even if you don’t go inside, the building is worth seeing, as it is a work of art in itself. But I would recommend going inside as there is a wonderful exhibit of American art.
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
This museum gives people the ability to see former tenement apartments to the Lower East Side. You’ll discover how immigrants from all over the world dwelt throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s while they strove to produce it in America. It’s really a fantastic followup to that which you’ll find on Ellis Island. You may just pay a go to this memorial via guided tours plus also they ought to be reserved beforehand. I like the”Meet the Residents” excursion, at which live actors reveal and share with the narrative of newly arrived immigrants.
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