The Top 10 Things to Do on Your Visit to New York City
Planning a visit to New York City? To be honest, it can be a little overwhelming because there is so much to do and so much to see! To help, here is our guide to the top ten must see places and things to do in New York City.
Take advantage of Central Park
Central Park has it all. There are plenty of things to do for visitors and locals alike. First, so many movies were filmed in Central Park so there are many iconic locations and it’s fun to find them all. There is also Summerstage, Manhattan’s free concert series and the Good Morning America concert series. Finally, there are also a bunch of interesting places to dine in like Tavern on the Green (67th St Central Park West). Oh, did we mention there is also a castle in the park?
Visit the High Line
Another must see park is the High Line. This park is unlike any other and it is located on abandoned elevated railroad tracks on the west side. If you get hungry walking along the High Line, the Chelsea Market (75 9th Av) is close by the south side.
Check out Rockefeller Center and the Top of the Rock
There are a ton of shopping options in and around Rockefeller Center. You can also visit the Top of Rock observation deck, which has breath taking views of the city. We highly recommend both!
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
There are also breath taking views of the city as you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. When you reach the Brooklyn side of the bridge be sure to also check out DUMBO, the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (1 Water St, Brooklyn), which is one of our favorite ice cream shops in New York City.
Try an authentic pizza, bagel, hot dog and/ or pastrami sandwich
Pizza, bagels, hot dogs and pastrami sandwiches are all iconic New York foods. Here is a list of our favorite pizzerias and for bagels, we love Kossar’s Bialys (367 Grand St). For hot dogs and pastrami sandwiches, you can’t beat Katz’s Delicatessen (205 E Houston St).
Join us for a food tour
Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting is THE best way to explore Chinatown and Little Italy’s culture and cuisine. From a cheese tasting at the oldest Italian cheese shop in America to a dim sum lunch from the oldest tea parlor in Chinatown, it is a lot of fun for the whole family!
Get a coffee at a cafe in Greenwich Village
If you are looking to take a break from all the shopping and sightseeing, there are a number of cafes in Greenwich Village. Some of our favorites include Third Rail Coffee (240 Sullivan St), Joe Coffee (9 E 13th St) and The Uncommons (230 Thompson St), a board game cafe.
Explore a museum
New York City is home to a number of world class museums and a number of them are along 5th Avenue aka the Museum Mile. Our favorite along the Museum Mile is the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 5th Ave) aka the MET. More museums of note in NYC include the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park W & 79th St), the Museum of Modern Art (11 W 53rd St) aka MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum (1071 5th Ave) and the Tenement Museum (97 Orchard St).
Shopping at Macy’s
If you love shopping, Macy’s in Herald Square has to be on your to do list. With 2.2 million square feet of space, it is one of the biggest department stores in the world.
Catch a Broadway show
Broadway is an iconic Avenue and it is the epicenter of the theater world. If you are flexible with the show time and perhaps flexible on what show to watch, the TKTS booth in Times Square sells discount tickets (often 40% – 50% off) the day of the show. While you wait, you can check out Times Square.
