Bristling with global icons — from Times Square and Central Park to the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building — New York is an urban colossus: a city of cities packed with colour, energy and possibility. A kaleidoscope of neighbourhoods and cultures, this massive metropolis can be overwhelming in its magnitude — but that intensity is all part of its prodigious appeal.
The city is split into five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens and Manhattan, and the latter tends to be the primary focal point for foreign visitors. Here, on the world’s most famous urban island, you’ll find everything you need for an epic city break and more, from world-class restaurants and cocktail bars to heavyweight museums and art galleries, as well as shopping and entertainment options to rival anything else on the planet. Constantly reinventing itself, NYC is not a city you only visit once, it’s a destination you dive back into whenever you can, allowing yourself to be carried along once more by its irrepressible flow.
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What to do
There is, frankly, a little too much choice when it comes to things to do in New York, but a good start is always to lace up your most comfortable shoes and pound some pavement. It may seem strange considering its epic size, but New York in general (and Manhattan in particular) is a walking city. Simply strolling the streets here affords an excellent sense of the city’s character, from the ancient Jewish delis of the Upper West Side to the meandering cobblestone lanes of Greenwich Village and the hilly streets of Brooklyn, just across the majestic Brooklyn Bridge from Lower Manhattan. Don’t forget the graceful paths and trails of Central Park, the great green lungs of the city, either.
In recent years the High Line — the city’s popular elevated park, built along a disused railway line — has made Manhattan even more of a joy for pedestrians, with the final section linking to the shops and restaurants of the exciting new Hudson Yards development. After shopping and eating to your heart’s content here, you’re well positioned for another classic New York treat: catching a star-studded Broadway show, just a quick yellow cab ride away in Midtown West.
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Keeping an ever-watchful eye over proceedings, the Statue of Liberty* remains a must-see, with regular ferry rides to Liberty Island stopping at Ellis Island en route, where you can explore the captivating National Museum of Immigration. It’s just one of a magnificent assortment of world-class museums in the city, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History*, the Guggenheim*, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art*) and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Where to stay
New York might be the city that never sleeps, but you still have to – whether it be a superlative luxury hotel or a smart penthouse rental. Again, Manhattan is your best option, with Midtown a particularly good bet in terms of location and hotel options. Here you’ll find timeless classics such as the Ritz-Carlton*, the St Regis*, the Park Hyatt* and the Peninsula*, alongside boutique favourites including the Knickerbocker*, the Time* and 1 Hotel Central Park*. The last also has a spectacular sister property across the river — 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge* — which has become a flagbearer for fashionable luxury in Brooklyn, alongside other hipster-friendly boutique properties such as the Tillary and the Wythe (which just so happens to be home to one of New York’s most stellar rooftop bars).
If you want to extricate yourself from the madding crowd a little, head for Manhattan’s Upper East Side for some peace and quiet, where you’ll find well-heeled calm at permanent fixtures — I love the Mark, the Surrey and the Carlyle.
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Food and drink
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They say that you could eat at a different restaurant every night of your life in New York City and not exhaust the possibilities. Considering there are an estimated 25,000 restaurants across the five boroughs, with dozens of new establishments opening every month, that’s likely to be an understatement. The Big Apple is — and always has been — a world capital for food and drink, and your options here are near-limitless.
If you find the sheer amount of choice intimidating, head for the West Village — a quaint downtown neighbourhood where the twisting streets and well-preserved townhouses contain some of the city’s most intimate bistros, taverns and trattorias. Meanwhile, Little Italy in Lower Manhattan is, as you might expect, awash with incredible family-run Italian restaurants, while over in Brooklyn, Greenpoint (an old Polish neighbourhood with an ever-growing hipster population) has become the latest foodie hotspot.
If you want to go full kitsch, Coney Island, Brooklyn’s popular old beach neighbourhood where the hot dog was invented in 1867, is just a 50-minute subway ride from Midtown. Today the best hot dogs are served at Nathan’s Famous; the perfect fuel for an afternoon spent riding the rollercoasters and strolling the famous boardwalk.
Don’t miss
The Empire State Building* is the obvious spot to head to for spectacular Manhattan views, but the better bet is the Top of the Rock, the 70th floor observation deck at the top of the Rockefeller Center in Midtown. Not only is it always less crowded, but it has wider observation decks (indoor and outdoor), offering striking views of the Empire State Building itself.
New York has so many museums that several excellent institutions inevitably don’t get the attention they deserve in mainstream travel guides, including the Skyscraper Museum, the Merchant’s House Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian, which are all well worth exploring.
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Equally worthy of an entire morning or afternoon, Essex Market — a mainstay of the Lower East Side, selling some of the freshest ingredients and most imaginative street food in the city — recently moved into a sleek new space on Houston Street. Meanwhile, in Midtown West, Chelsea Market has transformed a crumbling former factory into another vibrant foodie hotspot. Just ensure you have some dollars in your pocket when you visit either market; some vendors won’t take credit cards.
Know before you go
It’s easy to forget that New York City swings between extreme temperatures. The height of summer can be unbearably hot, while the depths of winter can be bitterly cold. The best time to visit is in the spring and early summer — or alternatively, the autumn months between early September and Thanksgiving (late November). If you happen to find yourself in Manhattan during winter, don’t miss the outdoor ice skating in Central Park.
The subway itself can be daunting, but it’s straightforward enough if you take some time to understand the coloured number system beforehand. The most common mistake is taking an “express” train when you want a “local” one, so always double-check before boarding. Be particularly careful at weekends, when the rules often switch and some lines combine with each other.
Like most cities in the US, New York is sports mad. If you fancy a piece of the action, the easiest and most affordable way to do so is to aim for a baseball game, if either the Mets or Yankees are playing at home (the baseball season runs from April to October).
If you’re travelling with young children, it’s useful to note that there are two excellent zoos in New York City — one in Central Park and one in the Bronx; the latter is the larger, with more than 6,000 animal species spread across 265 acres of parkland.
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Inspired to visit New York City but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from Tui* and British Airways*. These are the best tours of New York City from our trusted partners*.
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