Top sights and things to do in New York. Whether you are going with friends, as a couple or on a family trip to NYC on a budget, here you will find a list of our favourite attractions we think you have to see in New York City.
1. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
This is a must when visiting New York, especially if for the first time.
I recommend doing it either for sunset or sunrise, that way you will get to see that gorgeous orange sky!!
If going for sunset you can head to Time Out Market for food. They have a range of different vendors where you can try out some famous local food and desserts. They also have a rooftop bar where you can listen to some music, have a cocktail or two and look at the stunning Manhattan skyline from across the bridge.
If going for sunrise I recommend grabbing breakfast in Dumbo area and going for a spin in Jane's Carousel. This antique carousel was built in 1922 for an amusement park in Ohio. It has since been restored and can now be found inside a glass box right at the bridge. It's open year round and will be great fun for kids and adults alike :) I mean who doesn't love a carousel!!
2. See the Statue of Liberty on the Staten Island Ferry
We absolutely loved this experience as we got to feel like a local for a few minutes :)
The Staten Island Ferry can be found at 'Whitehall Terminal' just across from Battery Park in the Financial District. The ferry is completely free and takes you right passed the Lady of Liberty herself.
The ferry takes about 20 minutes in total and you get amazing views of the Manhatten skyline. When you arrive at Staten Island you must get off the ferry and you can choose to hop straight on the return ferry or check out the area. The ferry goes every 30 minutes and times can be checked on the website.
If you want super up close views of the Statue of Liberty, this might not be the way for you, but if you want a quick boat trip that's super convenient, doesn't need to be booked in advance and costs nothing, then this will not disappoint.
3. Get a taste of Broadway at Ellen's Stardust Diner
Yes this diner is probably one of the first things you will see when you google 'What to do in NYC' but that is for a reason!!
This diner is absolutely one of a kind and is a must visit for your trip to New York, especially if you have kids/teens or if you just love a fun atmosphere. All of the waiters are trained singers and have amazing voices. They sing while walking around serving people and even get up on the tables singing all sorts of Broadway musicals.
What I loved the most about this is that so many of the singers actually get cast from this restaurant so who knows you could be getting served pancakes by the next Idina Menzel (Elsa).
4. Cycle around Central Park
There's no doubt that Central Park is on your bucket list, and I can't think of a better way to view of than on a bike. We hired bikes for two hours from a company called Bike Rental Central Park. If you book online in advance you can get a good discount on bikes. We rental our bikes for 2 hours, which cost €16/adult and €12/child.
If you have enough time I'd recommend getting the bikes for at least a half day so you can really take your time and have a picnic. This is such a kid-friendly thing to do in NYC. Bring some cash with you so you can stop at one of the carts for a hotdog or pretzel.
There are a number of top sights to see at central park and will all be highlighted on the map provided by the company.
If you have kids with you, there are a number of different playgrounds and rocks to climb. Make sure to watch out for the squirrels!
One thing to note is that you must stick to the cycle paths, which are one way. When not on the cycle path you must de-mount the bike and walk.
5. See the City from above at Summit One Vanderbilt
There are a number of observation towers to choose from in NYC so it can be hard to choose, which is best. We went for Summit One as it provides a full experience. There are 3 floors with different views of all angles, with lights, mirrors and a full sensory experience.
The views of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building were to die for!
I highly recommend going 30 minutes before sunset so that you can experience the beautiful orange sky as the sun goes down. They also have a rooftop cocktail bar where you can treat yourself to a vino or cocktail while taking in the views. Be warned, it will set you back $18/cocktail, $14/wine and $10/beer.
The prices were: $39/adult and $33/child with an extra $10 per person if you want to visit for sunset.
6. Experience another culture in China Town
China Town in New York City holds the a large concentration of Asian immigrants and will offer you a feast for the senses. With street after street of food establishments, shops, cafe's and food markets.
Take a walk along Canal St. where you can do some souvenir shopping (much cheaper than any of the NYC stores in Times Square). Try out the wide selection of restaurants and bakeries in the area, grabbing yourself some dumplings, pork buns, or bubble tea before heading to Columbus Park where you can relax, soak in the culture and watch the locals playing games such as Chinese checkers.
7. See the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is a must if visiting the Big Apple with Kids, especially if they have watched 'A Night of the Museum'.
There's so much to see here so I recommend giving yourself about 3 hours here and deciding in advance what exhibits you want to visit. The place is so big that you will wear yourselves out trying to see everything.
Exhibits worth seeing at the museum are:
Northwest Coast Hall - Amazing exhibition showing sculptures, totem polls and momumental carvings from the Pacific Northwest Coast natives.
Blue Whale Model.
Hall of Pacific Islands -> Rapa Nui (Easter Island) AKA "Dum Dum give me gum gum".
The Hall of Biodiversity - a full rainforest, a fossil of a dodo bird, Siberian tigers.
Mammal Halls - see a number of life-size animals such as elephants, cheetahs, monkeys and apes.
Centre for Space and Earth - a number of space exhibitions and meteorites
All of the Fossil Halls - especially dinosaurs
Hall of Human Origins - learning about how we have evolved from Neanderthals and chimpanzees.
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall & Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda
8. Experience the city from a different viewpoint by walking the Highline
The Highline is fantastic way of spending an hour or two in New York without spending any money. It's an elevated park built on an elevated abandoned freight rail line on the West Side of Manhattan. The highline is 2.33 km long and about 30 feet above street level so gives you amazing views of the streets below.
A really nice thing to do is to walk along the Highline through Chelsea and end up in Chelsea Market for a bite to eat and a drink. This is an indoor market with an assortment or bars, restaurants and food stalls. Here you will find something to suit all tastes and budgets!
9. Experience all of the hustle and bustle at Times Square
TS is a controversial one but in my opinion you can't visit New York and not see TS. From the lights, the billboards, the different shops and restaurants to Broadway itself, TS is the heart of New York. My recommendation would be to go here once, get your pics, check out a few of the shops and then you're done :)
Some tips: avoid the characters walking around like the plague. Unfortunately they will come directly up to your children and I did see a few people with toddlers getting stuck for photos.
If you get a photo with them you have to pay or form what I heard they can get quite aggressive. My advise would be to stay away form them at all costs but if you have a child that really wants the pic then ask how much first so you're not stung.
10. Go to a Broadway Show
This is a costly experience but definitely worth it in my opinion. We went to see Wicked and it was absolutely incredible. From the singing, the acting and the stage set, it was an experience never to forget.
We booked our tickets in advance on the official website www.broadwaydirect.com as we were bringing our 9 year old daughter and wanted to be sure to get tickets to a child-appropriate show. The tickets weren't cheap at $150 per person but it was really worth it. We got excellent seats, only 5 rows from the front. If you have a specific show in mind I definitely recommend booking far in advance to get the good seats.
If you don't mind what show you want to see, there are a number of booths around Times Square where you can get tickets on the morning of the show for much cheaper.
So there you have my top 10 things to see in New York City. If you're a first timer to the Big Apple, this is the perfect starting point to for planning your itinerary
Make sure to subscribe to my page for updates on all of my blog posts. Next up will be my 'top tips for a trip to NYC' followed by a sample '4 day itinerary' and 'things to do with kids in NYC'
I would love to hear in the comments if you have been to any of these or if you have any other favorite things to do in New York that I haven't mentioned here.
Thanks for reading,
Jess
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