In this blog, we’ll cover all you need to know before traveling to NYC, including where are all the major attractions, the best time to visit, where to stay and for how long, public transportation, how much things cost, the best apps to use, the best views of the city, and a lot of other practical information.
Here are 15 essential tips to know before you visit New York City:
NUMBER 15: THE MAP OF NEW YORK CITY
The most crowded and most densely populated city in the US is divided into five boroughs:
Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
Manhattan is surrounded by Hudson River on one side and East River on the other. For orientation, let’s start with Central Park and continue to the south.
Central Park, the most visited urban park in America and one of the world’s most famous parks ends with Fifth Avenue on the east side. There you'll find many luxury boutiques, flagship stores, and museums. If you continue south on Fifth Avenue, you’ll find the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, famous for its Top of the Rock observation deck; and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
From Fifth Avenue, you can go west to the Theater District, where Broadway theaters and Times Square are located. Or you can go east to the Grand Central Terminal, the world-famous train station, and the nearby Chrysler Building.
The impressive New York Public Library’s main branch building is situated right next to the beautiful Bryant Park.
On Manhattan’s Far Westside, you’ll find the Vessel, one of the newest architectural marvels in NYC, located in Hudson Yards. Nearby you’ll find the popular High Line, an elevated park and urban food court, as well as Chelsea Market, a famous New York City food hall. From Chelsea Market, let’s go back to Fifth Avenue, where the iconic triangular tower Flatiron stands next to Madison Square Park.
And of course, we shouldn't forget about The Empire State Building, Lower Manhattan, also called Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York, which is home to the famous SoHo neighborhood.
Two other interesting neighborhoods here are Little Italy and Chinatown. In the Financial District, you’ll find the World Trade Center complex, which was rebuilt after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The complex’s main building is known as the Freedom Tower.
Just outside the skyscraper, there is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the Oculus, an impressive transportation hub. Further south of the Financial District, you’ll find Wall Street, home to the NY Stock Exchange. Let’s continue to Brooklyn Bridge crossing the East River and connecting Manhattan with Brooklyn.
The Statue of Liberty, a universal symbol of freedom and democracy, and Ellis Island, a former inspection station for over 12 million immigrants to the US are a ferry ride away from the southern tip of Manhattan. If you're in NYC between May and October don't miss Governors Island, also located in the New York Harbor.
Normally, you’ll arrive in New York at one of the following airports: John F. Kennedy Airport, New York’s largest airport located in Queens, Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, and LaGuardia Airport, which is also in Queens and is mainly used for domestic flights.
NYC is a big city. To get a better sense of distances:
A 2.6 mi. or 4.1 km walk from one side of Central Park to the other along upper Fifth Avenue takes about 50 minutes. If you walk and take the metro, it takes about 20 minutes. Also, it takes about 1h 15 minutes to walk from Time Square to the 9/11 Memorial, or about 25 minutes if you walk and take the metro.
NUMBER 14: WEATHER AND CLIMATE
New York City has a humid subtropical climate. Winters are cold and damp, with temperatures ranging between 27 and 52 °F or -3 and 11 °C. Temperatures can even drop to 10 °F or −12 °C several times during the winter.
You will most likely see snow in January and February. Summers are usually hot and humid. Temperatures range between 64 and 84 °F or 18 and 29 °C.
In spring and fall, the weather is unpredictable, typically mild with low humidity but ranges between chilly and warm. Temperatures are between 45 and 81 °F or 7 and 27 °C in spring, and between 43 and 77 °F or 6 and 25 °C in the fall. Rain is very common in New York City year-round so be sure to bring an umbrella.
However, these are all just averages. The weather and temperature can be different at the time of your visit, so remember to check the weather forecast before you travel.
NUMBER 13: BEST TIME TO VISIT
The best time to visit NYC is in spring from April to June, or in the fall from September to early November, when the weather is mild, and the tourist crowds are relatively small.
The cheapest time to visit New York is from mid-January to the end of February. But don’t worry, NYC is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in the world, so you’ll have a great time regardless of the season. And how can you figure out the best days and hours to see the attractions?
Just check Google to see how crowded a specific location is at a certain time of day. Of course, we recommend going early
during the week and in the morning.
NUMBER 12: LENGTH OF YOUR STAY
We recommend staying in NYC for at least five days. This way, you’ll be able to see most of its main attractions.
NUMBER 11: WHERE TO STAY AND COST OF ACCOMMODATIONS
Attractions in NYC are spread out, especially in Manhattan, so basically anywhere you stay, you’ll probably be close to at least one attraction. If this is your first time in the city and want to do a lot of sightseeing, you can choose accommodations somewhere in
Midtown. If you want cheaper accommodations, stay in the Lower East Side; for nightlife, stay in the East Village. For families, the best neighborhood is the Upper West Side. If you want to save money, you can stay in other boroughs such as Brooklyn or Queens.
However, be sure to check if there is a subway station nearby so you can easily reach Manhattan. For a hip experience, stay in Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Another important thing to know is, this is already the state of New Jersey and is not served by NYC public transport.
So do have that in mind if you choose to stay here as you’ll have to commute to Manhattan every day. Rates for NYC hotels range from reasonable to outrageous. The average price of an inexpensive hotel room is 200 USD and can easily go higher. Of course, that depends on the type of accommodations, as well as the location and season.
NUMBER 10: LINES AND CROWDS
With over 8 million people in a relatively small space, NYC is obviously a very crowded place. Even if you can't avoid all the crowds, you can do some things to make your trip to NYC a more pleasant experience. You can avoid peak seasons; avoid taking the subway during rush hours; get up early in the morning to explore the city without the crowds; use Google Maps to check how crowded a specific location is at a certain time of day.
NUMBER 9: TRANSPORTATION FROM AND TO THE AIRPORT
To get from and to From John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens you can use:
AirTrain, MTA Subway, and Long Island Rail Road, City bus, Shuttle bus, Taxi, Private car, limousine, and van transfer Uber and Lyft and car rental.
From LaGuardia Airport in Queens you can use:
The city bus, Shuttle bus, Taxi, Private car, limousine, and van transfers, Uber or Lyft, and car rental.
And from Newark Airport in New Jersey you can use:
AirTrain, NJ Transit, PATH, and Amtrak, Shuttle bus, Taxi, Private car, limousine, and van transfers, Uber and Lyft, and car rentals.
ARRIVING BY TRAIN
The two major train stations in New York City are Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. Grand Central is in Midtown on the East Side, while Penn Station is just below Midtown, on the West Side. Many subway and bus lines serve both stations.
ARRIVING BY CAR
You can use Google Maps to get driving directions to NYC.
You’ll also want to know where to park in advance. An app like SpotHero will help you find and reserve parking locations in the city.
GETTING AROUND THE CITY
NYC is well-covered with public transportation. However, you’ll still have to walk a lot, so bring comfortable shoes.
You can use: MTA: NYC public transportation system which includes the subway and buses. It's inexpensive and a great way to see sights throughout the five boroughs and it operates 24/7.
The cost of a single ride is $3 or $2.75 if you use the MetroCard. The price of a weekly MetroCard is $33. There can be two types of subway lines operating on the same track, local and express train. The local train stops at every single station, while the express train skips some certain stops.
There are many other transportation options in NYC, such as ferry, water taxi, boat rides, Hop On Hop Off buses, bike rentals, etc.
NUMBER 8: GENERAL INFORMATION
DRINKING WATER
It is totally safe to drink tap water in NYC. There are many free drinking water fountains throughout the city.
TOILETS
While there are public restrooms in NYC, finding
one close to you may be a little challenging. However, you can use the toilets at the museums, department stores, and coffee shops you visit. There are also toilets in parks, at Grand
Central Terminal, and on ferries providing transportation to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
FREE WIFI
You may be surprised at just how easily you can find many locations with free WiFi, for example, subway stations, parks, coffee shops, museums, tour buses, etc.
NUMBER 7: FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS
Here are some other things you should know for a nice and easy experience in NYC:
TRAVEL ADAPTERS
If you’re coming from outside the US, you will probably need a special US travel adapter to charge your phone and other devices.
If you travel a lot, consider buying a universal travel adapter that you can use in other countries too.
ALWAYS BRING SOME CASH
While most hotels, stores, and restaurants in NYC accept major credit cards like Visa or MasterCard, it is wise to always have
some dollars in your wallet.
MONEY EXCHANGE
To get US dollars, you can withdraw from ATMs. You can also consider using prepaid cards that don’t charge fees for ATM withdrawals. Or use a bank or a service such Revolut where you can withdraw a certain amount of money free of charge even when you’re abroad. You can, of course, exchange your foreign cash
for US dollars at currency exchange offices.
PREPAID SIM CARDS
You can purchase a prepaid SIM card to access the Internet on your phone. Local carriers include T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile, and Straight Talk.
POCKET WIFI
Alternatively, you can consider renting a pocket WiFi or mobile hotspot.
TIPPING
You should always tip at restaurants and bars in the United States, and therefore also in New York. The normal rates are between 15% and 20% pre-tax for waiters at restaurants, and $1 to $2 per drink or 15% to 20% of the bar tab for bartenders. You should remember that servers in the US are usually paid minimum wage or less and rely massively on tips.
LEGAL DRINKING AGE
In all US states, you must be at least 21 to purchase and consume alcohol legally.
TIME ZONE
NYC uses Eastern Daylight Time or GMT-4. It is 14 hours behind Sydney and 6 hours behind Paris. So, if it's 8 AM in New York, then it's 10 PM in Sydney and 2 PM in Paris.
NUMBER 6: SAFETY
New York is the safest big city in the US, with an overall crime rate lower than the national average Still, petty theft is common, given that NYC is the most visited city in the country. There are also some rough neighborhoods that are not recommended for tourists.
Also pay attention to scammers, especially the ones on Times Square: usually, people dressed in costumes, or someone trying to sell you fake or overpriced show tickets, etc. And typical for all major cities around the world, beware of pickpockets, especially close to major attractions. Watch your valuables, and use common sense. For emergency services, dial 911.
NUMBER 5: BEST APPS TO USE IN NYC
Your phone can be your best buddy in NYC. Here is a list of useful apps: NYC Transit, MyTransit NYC, New York Subway, for transit, subway maps, etc. Google Maps or Apple Maps for walking, public transportation, driving, etc. Google Maps also lets you download maps, which is a great option if you don’t want to use roaming.
Uber/Lyft for getting around the city Time Out, which shows all the latest concerts, exhibits, and events in NYC OpenTable for free restaurant reservations. Sit or Squat or Flush for finding public restrooms in NYC. Tap to find the nearest drinking water fountain, City Bike for bike locations, real-time availability, and route planning if you want to explore the city by bicycle.
TripAdvisor and Yelp for reviews of restaurants, hotels, museums, and tours. WithLocals or Eatwith to book an experience, a tour, or dinner with locals. WiFi Map or WiFi Finder, which helps you find WiFi throughout NYC.
NUMBER 4: FREE CITY TOURS
Walking tours are organized by professional guides who know a great deal about the city’s rich history. Some providers even offer free or pay-what-you-wish tours.
NUMBER 3: CITY PASSES
To save some money on attractions, you can purchase one of several passes such as: The New York Pass, CityPASS GoCity, GoCity, and others. Each pass offers several different bundles of attractions. Make sure that the pass you choose includes the attractions you want to visit.
NUMBER 2: FOOD AND DRINKS
On average, a coffee costs between $1 and $2 at cheap cafés and $5 at Starbucks. The average price of an inexpensive meal with a sandwich, pizza, salad, or ethnic dish is $10 to $15. If you want to sit down at a restaurant, the price can easily go up to $20 per person.
Dinners can range between $20 and $30 per person. A glass of wine costs between $4 and $6, a beer between $6 and $8, cocktails between $10 and $20, and a soda between $1.50 and $3. You will pay from $1 to $4 for a donut. The traditional plain bagel with cream cheese costs somewhere between $2 and $6 dollars. And you can get a hot dog from an iconic hot dog cart from $1 to $3.
We always suggest using TripAdvisor or Yelp to find nearby restaurants with good reviews. To save some money, avoid sitting down at restaurants next to major attractions such as Time Square.
NUMBER 1: BEST FREE VIEWS OF THE CITY
You can enjoy several amazing free views of New York City from: Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge, or Brooklyn Bridge Lookout, Gantry Plaza State Park, Battery Park, and many others.
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