Thousands of people visit New York City every year. Some go to tour the old city, shop in Times Square, spend an afternoon in Central Park, and much more. Most people hit the main, well-known attractions of the city, but regardless of why you choose to go to New York City, there are a few places you need to visit and a few things to do to truly complete your experience.
Disclaimer: These are all places that I have personally been to, so I may have missed other amazing places you can go. This by no means is a complete list of everything you can do in New York City, but some suggestions based on first-hand experience.
1. Go shop at Times Square
Shopping at Times Square is perhaps one of the most iconic activities to do in New York City. You can find this on practically every list for places to visit in NYC, but to stand in the middle of Times Square, see the streets bursting full of people and all the dazzling billboards puts being in New York into perspective. While a lot of the stores can be found pretty much anywhere, the branches in Times Square have huge locations and multiple floors, so there is huge product variety.
2. Walk along 5th Avenue
This is yet another one of the iconic things to do in New York City. 5th Avenue is long and you probably will not get through the entire street. However, if you search up which stores you want to go to and their respective locations, you will probably save a lot of time when you do go. For a head start, here is a visitor's directory of 5th Avenue. Many of the stores can get incredibly expensive, so you’ll probably end up window-shopping for the most part.
3. Watch a show on Broadway
Most of the big names like Phantom of the Opera and Wicked are well known, but all of the shows on Broadway are truly worth watching. Even if you can’t find time to watch a show, even walking on Broadway is a satisfying experience. I actually took a wrong turn when walking back to the hotel I was staying at and ended up on Broadway, the buildings covered in massive billboards that advertised various shows. Here is the Broadway website that has the list of shows as well as ticket-buying options.
4. Go to the American Museum of Natural History
The tickets may seem expensive, but the price is completely worth it. While some of the special exhibits require an even pricier ticket for entry, the other exhibits are just as amazing. The stuffed animals (not the cute furry toys given to youngsters) look incredibly realistic. Even if you’re not super keen on learning history during your vacation, the exhibits are fun to just look at as well. Visit the museum's website to keep track of which exhibits are available, the museum's calendar and ticket buying options.
5. Walk in Central Park
Yet again, this is a typical tourist-y place to visit. The gigantic rocks are fun to climb and take pictures on, especially with the city as the backdrop. In addition, there are playgrounds that children run around in as well. However, make sure you get to the pond in the center. The bridge overlooking the water is absolutely stunning. If you’re not in the mood for walking around the whole park, there are always bicycles you can rent.
6. Tour Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is one of the world’s greatest locations a musician could play in, and it recently celebrated its 125th year. This historic building has tours open for the public, but if you have time listen to a concert in the hall. The acoustics are amazing, and you are definitely in for a top-notch performance. Check the Carnegie Hall website to see if you're interested in any of the upcoming performances.
7. Walk around Bryant Park
This piece of green in the middle of the city is not only a place you can go to get away from the busy streets, but the scenery is amazing. Located between 5th and 6th Avenues and between 40th and 42nd street in Midtown Manhattan, the photogenic park is filled with cute green chairs and tables with the trees creating a beautiful background. There are also a few cafes nearby that I have been to, and the food is amazing. Especially in the winter, it’s nice to just sit down and enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the frigid temperatures.
8. Take a picture with the Statue of Hope
Located on 222 W 53rd Street, this statue says “HOPE” in red lettering. The sculpture is rather popular with thousands of tourists taking photos next to it each year.
9. Eat cheesecake!
New York City is famous for its delicious cheesecake. While the best cheesecake shop in New York is a hotly debated topic, I’ve been to multiple shops and they all tasted great (I’m no food critic so I’m not sure how valid my opinion is). However, I’m sure there are some phenomenal cheesecake shops all around New York and if you really want to find “the best,” this site seems to have a list of the most popular cheesecake shops in the city.
10. Buy food from street carts
Besides the Duluth/Suwannee food trucks, here in Johns Creek, we don’t really get the full experience of buying food from street vendors. The carts in New York sell hot dogs, soups, noodles, pretzels, and much more. The Halal Guys carts and the meat skewers carts are a good place to start (the churro carts are really good but that may just be because I love churros.) You can also get you groceries from certain street vendors as well (Snapples are really cheap!).
11. Eat at Fresh & Co.
This chain restaurant is found everywhere over New York. They sell quinoa salads, sandwiches and soups. The food tastes incredibly fresh and the salads are customizable so you can get exactly what you want. I’ve always wanted to compare this restaurant to Chipotle as they are similar in their methods of ordering food.
12. Take the subway and go to Grand Central Terminal
Taxis may seem a lot easier to travel around in because you don’t have to worry about switching train lines and getting off at the right stop. You can just get in and get out of the taxi and be done with it. However, taxis are rather expensive, and you can easily get to the same place on a subway (albeit a little more walking around) and save a lot on travel fare. There’s just something about swiping those bright yellow Metro Cards and getting on the subway that makes you feel like you’ve immersed yourself in the Big Apple culture. If you do go on the subway, make sure to stop at the Grand Central Terminal. It looks like a scene from a movie, from the ticket selling stations to the grand halls and elaborate chandeliers. Underneath, there is an area where food is sold, so if you’re in a hurry, you can grab a quick bite at the little shops set up.
13. Walk around at night
You can’t complete your experience in NYC without seeing the lights of “The City That Never Sleeps!” The city looks completely different at night when all the lights are on. Of course, please be careful if you’re out at night, but the view is absolutely spectacular.
