New York City – The Complete Guide for traveling the Big Apple
There's no place on earth quite like the Big Apple – New York City. The number one tourist destination in the world, it's the most dynamic, vibrant, fascinating, spectacular, and thrilling city, where anyone can find their place and experience America at its peak. The most culturally significant center of the modern world glistens in the shaded streets of the city under the towering skyscrapers.
- The city is famous for its stores, luxury department stores, culinary experiments in Manhattan's thousands of restaurants, leading museums worldwide, sports, Broadway theaters, galleries, and all places where the human spirit meets the urban spirit.
- Throughout the avenues that crisscross Manhattan's streets lies the unimaginable power and wealth of the United States
- On the island of Manhattan rise some of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, led by the Empire State Building, the vintage skyscraper from the thirties, and the stunning Chrysler Building
- In Midtown Manhattan, there is an enormous amount of sites and attractions around the central Times Square
- To the north stretches the magnificent Central Park, the green lung surrounded by towers, flanked by luxury neighborhoods – the Upper East Side and Upper West Side
- To the south, in Downtown, another scar from the 9/11 attack is visible, above which rises the resilient New York – the sparkling One World Trade Center, taller than any tower in the Western world
- Between Midtown and Downtown, you'll find New York's famous neighborhoods – Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Soho, the Lower East Side, Chinatown, the East Village, and more
- In the outer boroughs – Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens, there's still plenty to see and do
Click here to purchase an online ticket to the iconic Empire State Building observation deck…
How many days do you need for a trip to New York?
As many as possible… but if you need to limit yourself, at least a week just in Manhattan.
Click here for a list of 12 great hotels in Manhattan…
Click here to check availability and prices for New York hotels…
These are 10 tours in New York that cover everything you can't miss in Manhattan ????
- Guided Sightseeing Tour of Manhattan’s most famous sites
- Guided tour to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- Guided tour of Ground Zero – the 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center
- Guided tour over Manhattan's skyline by helicopter
- Guided tour at the Metropolitan Museum
- Guided bike tour in Central Park
- Guided food tour in Greenwich Village's culinary scene
- Street food and restaurants of Chinatown and Little Italy – guided tour and tastings
- Free tour (pay what you wish with a tip) in Manhattan
- Guided day trip to nearby cities and sites from New York – Washington, Niagara Falls and more
16 must-see and do things in New York City
- An impossible view from midtown at the top of the Empire State Building
- A particularly stunning view from downtown atop the One World Tower
- A visit at the foot of the Statue of Liberty
- Breathe the air in Central Park
- Get lost in the dazzling evening lights of Times Square
- A musical or a play in one of Broadway's theaters
- Shopping at one of the city's leading department stores – Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more
- The unimaginable wealth of Fifth Avenue
- Top-notch art at the Metropolitan
- Exquisite modern art at MoMA
- The unimaginable economic power of Wall Street
- The unique architecture of the Guggenheim Museum
- The best historic delis in the Lower East Side
- Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge
- Catching a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden or the Yankees at Yankee Stadium
- The everyday life of Manhattan in Soho and Greenwich Village
Click here for purchasing the New York CityPASS online…
A Few Words About Traveling in New York
- New York is a huge, intensely vibrant, and quite expensive city. When touring the city, you must stay focused and know how to operate the transportation systems and manage efficiently.
- Winter in New York is very cold, so it's a good idea to dress accordingly. Summer can also be very hot, but it's usually quite pleasant.
- In recent years, Manhattan has deteriorated a bit. It's generally advisable to steer clear of trouble and not to respond or engage if someone approaches you.
How to get to New York?
- New York City is the gateway to the United States, and most people arriving in America, especially from Europe, come through here.
- New York is also the number one travel destination for tourists in the USA, although a large portion of those arriving by plane continues onward on a connecting flight.
- From the airports, you can reach Manhattan by car or train with a relatively short journey.
- For those who want to reach cities in the megalopolis (the large urban area between Boston and Washington), you can rent a car at the airports and drive from there.
- It's possible to reach Manhattan by car using a vast array of main roads branching from I-95, the highway connecting Maine with Miami along the Atlantic coast from north to south, and with I-80, the New York-San Francisco road crossing the USA from east to west.
- There are two tunnels and a bridge entering Manhattan from New Jersey.
Map of New York – All sites and attractions and how to get there?
Flights to New York
Newark Liberty International Airport – EWR
The second largest airport in the metropolitan area is located in New Jersey, between the city of Newark to the north and Elizabeth to the south. The airport has three terminals connected by an efficient elevated tram system.
- This airport is a hub for American Airlines, JetBlue, and American Express, making it accessible from every corner of the USA.
- The airport has many flights from all over Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, and South America.
- Liberty Airport in Newark, along with JFK, are the main gateways for tourists entering America.
Click here for a day trip from New York to Washington D.C…
John F. Kennedy International Airport – JFK
Named after John F. Kennedy, this is New York City's largest airport. It is located in the southern part of Queens, alongside Jamaica Bay, and is conveniently connected to Manhattan.
- This massive airport is a hub for U.S. airlines like Delta, American Airlines, and JetBlue, offering connections to every corner of the USA.
- Flights from around the world land at this airport—from Asia, South America, and a wide array of destinations in Europe.
How to get to New York by train?
Penn Station (Pennsylvania Station)
New York's main train station is located beneath Madison Square Garden, between 7th and 8th Avenues and 31st and 34th Streets. The station serves Amtrak lines to many major destinations in the USA and Canada. It also serves key metropolitan lines connecting New York to the legendary cities of the megaplex, such as the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit Rail Operations.
There's also a central subway station for lines 1,2,3 (the red line) and A,B,C (the blue line).
Click here for all the information on how to get to New York by plane, car, or train…
Public Transportation in New York
New York's public transportation is a colossal and immensely significant tool for the seamless operation of the city that never sleeps. The official municipal transport systems (alongside private transport companies) are iconic landmarks of the city. Leading them is the impressive subway system and, of course, the yellow cabs that traverse the streets of Manhattan around the clock.
The vast transit system of New York has been the subject of entire films, songs, and plays, and it is an integral part of the city's character and grit. Beyond that, this immense system provides convenient access to every corner of Manhattan and the outer boroughs. It allows you to mix transport systems and reduce travel costs in the city.
Click here for a cruise to the Freedom Tower and along the Hudson…
MTA New York City Subway
- The New York subway system is one of the largest transportation systems in the world and arguably the most famous of all
- The subway includes lines connecting Manhattan with the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn
- Staten Island has its own line separate from the rest of the city's system
- All the lines were built heading towards Manhattan
- The New York subway system handles the commuter traffic of millions of metropolitan residents towards downtown and midtown
- There are 36 lines with 424 stations, covering a total length of 400 km
- Throughout the year, almost two billion passengers use the system, mostly New York residents but also many tourists
- The main traffic and congestion occur at stations stopping in Manhattan
- The rush hours of the system are between 7:00-10:00 AM and 3:00-7:00 PM on weekdays, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday)
Click here for all the information about Manhattan's subway and public transportation system…
When is it best to visit New York?
The answer for when to visit New York is the simplest in the world – always. At any time, the city that never stops offers a plethora of fun and enjoyment for those who enter its gates.
Click here for a pizza tasting tour in Lower Manhattan…
- New York is an extraordinarily dynamic and active city, with always something to see and do
- Every season the city changes its face, but New York's summer is the city's peak. In the summer, the city is especially vibrant, along with late daylight hours (relatively, it's not Europe)
- The New York summer is packed with special events happening almost every night. It can get really hot sometimes, so that's the time to head outside for the pleasant breeze
- In winter, the city is cold and snowy, but its appearance is simply breathtaking. As Christmas approaches, the neon-splashed city ramps up its decorations as a compensation for the dark hours, and it's lit up in the most magical way
- In the fall, the city is cool and a bit stormy at times, but the weather is usually pleasant, and there's always something to do—even in the pouring rain
- The fall foliage period (September to early October) is perhaps the most enchanting time in the northeastern USA, and New York's parks enjoy the magical fall colors
- New York's spring is especially charming: sometimes cold, sometimes warm (and a bit hazy), but green and blooming
How to Plan a Travel Itinerary in New York?
How to Include New York in a USA Travel Itinerary?
New York is a unique tourist hub in the USA. Most people coming to the USA, especially the East Coast, will dedicate a few days to the city and incorporate it into their trip. Many arrive especially for New York and don't venture beyond. Those planning to include the city in a USA tour often start or end in the city, simply because it's the entry and exit point for most travelers.
3 Important Tips for Planning a Trip to New York!!!
- Car Rental – Since in New York it's better not to have a rented car (parking is expensive and traffic is terrible), it's advisable to rent a car only upon leaving the city or return it when arriving at the end of the trip
- You can fly from New York to anywhere in the USA and Canada, so it's possible to base your trip solely on flights between cities and sites
- Around the city, you can head out from New York for a trip towards New England and Boston northward or southward towards Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
For planning a travel itinerary in New York and seeking professional advice, click here…
Planning a Travel Itinerary in New York
- Most of your New York trip will naturally take place in Manhattan. Although it’s not large geographically (only 4 kilometers wide), it's jam-packed with things to do
- The heart of the city and the base for your trip is Times Square, from which all the Midtown sites and attractions are just a short walk away
- Since getting around the city is very easy and convenient with the subway (and also buses), there is no problem reaching any neighborhood or district and exploring them leisurely
- Downtown Manhattan isn't geographically large, but it's packed with skyscrapers, bridges, and an abundance of attractions, including a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty (free on the Staten Island Ferry departing from Battery Park)
- Neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan such as the Lower East Side, East Village, SoHo, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, and the NYU campus around Washington Square Park are must-visit places
- From Midtown, it's easy to reach Uptown as well, the Museum Mile in the Upper East Side, along Central Park, and the lovely streets of the Upper West Side
- Central Park is also a must-see destination, the place to breathe in the beautiful green lung.
- From downtown and midtown, it's also worth venturing out to the neighboring boroughs, whether it's the Prospect Park area in Brooklyn, Flushing Meadows in Queens, or the zoo and botanical gardens in the Bronx.
Click here for a free guided tour of Downtown Manhattan…
Were to sleep in New York?
New York City is one of the most popular cities to visit for tourists from all over the world. The experience of New York is unlike anywhere else in the world. With its towering skyscrapers, vibrant and dynamic streets where you can find everything. The city is a paradise for shopping, dining, entertainment, nightlife, theaters, sports, and everything that makes your vacation and trip dreamy. In New York, there is an enormous amount of hotels of all kinds and levels, with the only common factor often being their not-so-cheap price.
Click here for a list of 12 great hotels in Manhattan…
The cost of lodging in Manhattan is an important factor that affects how you budget your trip to the big city. In this page, we will help you understand the ins and outs of Manhattan and New York, where it's worth staying and where it's not, and how to find good deals for quality hotels in Manhattan.
The best neighborhoods to stay in New York and Manhattan
Where is the best place to stay in New York?
Here are the 5 neighborhoods we think are the best to stay in Manhattan:
- Times Square – Vibrant nightlife and theaters
- The Garment District – The best location
- South Midtown between Herald Square and Madison Square Park – A bustling area in the shadow of the most famous skyscrapers
- Soho and Chinatown – Pleasant evening atmosphere, plenty of bars and Lower Manhattan hangout spots
- Greenwich Village – The cozy and local New York
Click here to check availability and prices for New York hotels…
Map of accommodation areas in Manhattan
Everything to See and Do in Manhattan
Manhattan Midtown
Manhattan – Times Square and the Theater District
Times Square is the heart of Manhattan and accordingly, the heart of New York, and beyond that – the pinnacle of all America. The iconic square, named after the well-known New York newspaper, is the meeting place of Seventh Avenue and Broadway. In and around the square, there are dozens of theaters at the peak of Broadway as a symbol of New York City's central entertainment hub.
Click here to purchase tickets for the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Times Square…
The area near Times Square is called the Theater District, and every evening the neon-lit square is filled with thousands of tourists and visitors coming to the theaters and crowding the bustling square's shops, chains, and restaurants.
Click here for a night tour through the neon lights of the Theater District and Times Square…
Around the square are well-known skyscrapers, giant hotels, and important New York landmarks, with the city library at the charming Bryant Park leading the way. Times Square is alive and breathing at all hours of the day, and it's the most dazzling symbol of the city that never sleeps.
Click here for all the information about Times Square and the Theater District…
South Midtown Manhattan and Chelsea
The southern part of Midtown Manhattan is darker and less glamorous than the streets and avenues to its north, between Times Square and Central Park. Yet, this part of the city has sites and an atmosphere that most strongly express the gritty and intense character of New York.
The pinnacle of the area between 34th and 14th Streets is, of course, the Empire State Building. This imposing and historic skyscraper is unlike the modern skyscrapers in nature, serving as a vintage piece of the city's early 20th-century development. Nearby, the bustling streets of the Garment District are filled with numerous restaurants and shops, and the city's legendary stadium – Madison Square Garden.
Click here to purchase online tickets for the Empire State Building Observatory climb…
Just south of the towering buildings of the Garment District, in the Flatiron District, we return to the New York of previous centuries. The area boasts old and magnificent skyscrapers, with the unique Flatiron Building at its pinnacle. Surrounding are beautiful streets with small parks and a vintage atmosphere. To the east lies the trendy neighborhood of Chelsea, which has undergone rapid gentrification and now offers plenty of entertainment while preserving its glamorous and wild past.
Click here for everything you need to know about South Midtown and the Chelsea neighborhood…
Manhattan – Midtown East
The eastern part of Midtown is among the top tourist sites in Manhattan. Between the East River to the east and Fifth Avenue to the west, you'll find a multitude of important skyscrapers, international institutions, museums, and luxurious department stores. Fifth Avenue is Manhattan's premier shopping artery with tons of sparkling luxury brands. Above it, famous skyscrapers like the Chrysler and MetLife buildings, the cathedral dedicated to Saint Patrick, and department stores led by Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the city's most prestigious.
East of Fifth Avenue, all the way to the riverfront, lie other important avenues such as Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Lexington, where you'll find the famous Bloomingdale's department store, one of the city's icons. Along the East River are the UN institutions and the iconic building overlooking the river.
Click here for all the information about touring Fifth Avenue and Midtown East…
Manhattan – Upper Midtown
Upper Midtown is the cultural heart of New York and the entire USA. Every evening, thousands of people dress well and swarm to the Theater District, where there's an amazing concentration of shows, musicals, movie theaters, restaurants, and more.
Click here for online tickets to MoMA…
From Times Square north to Central Park, dozens of main streets and avenues encapsulate all that New York has to offer. This includes the city's best museums like MoMA, major shopping and entertainment centers like Rockefeller Center, stunning skyscrapers and unique architecture. Upper Midtown is the place to hang out after long city walks all over Manhattan, including shopping, entertainment, and the best food in the city.
Click here for all the information about the sites between Times Square and Central Park…
Downtown Manhattan
Downtown Manhattan is one of the most popular areas for a tour in Manhattan. Downtown is everything one can imagine in terms of power and height, with enormous skyscrapers, imposing bridges, financial offices, parks, restaurants, shops, chains, and attractions. Downtown New York is the commercial growth engine of the city, at its heart is Wall Street, arguably the beating heart of the financial world. On Wall Street, you'll find the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Hall.
Click here for a guided tour of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the 9/11 Memorial…
Just south of the Financial District is the green Battery Park, from which ferries depart to the Upper Bay Islands towards Staten Island. Just north of the park are the two enormous bridges – the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge, and beside them is the revamped Seaport area, now a popular entertainment spot for locals and tourists alike.
Click here to purchase online tickets for the 9/11 Memorial Museum…
In the northern part of downtown, the open space left by the Twin Towers, and beside America's resounding answer, the glistening Freedom Tower, the tallest building in the Western world.
Click here for the complete guide to touring Downtown Manhattan…
Upper Bay Islands
The Upper Bay Islands are among New York City's most famous tourist attractions.
The Statue of Liberty, perhaps the largest and most impressive of all American symbols, dominates the skyline south of downtown, serving as the brightest and clearest symbolic gateway to the American spirit. The Statue of Liberty is one of the most famous sculptures in the world, and as befits New York, it's a colossal statue, standing nearly one hundred meters tall against the downtown backdrop.
Click here to purchase tickets online for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island cruise…
Ellis Island, the neighboring artificial island, is the place to learn about and explore the history of immigration to the USA. The island’s famous terminal, which received more than 12 million immigrants from the end of the 19th century until the mid-20th century, is now a popular and very busy museum. Access to the islands is via a free ferry connecting Manhattan with Staten Island. Governors Island, the third of the upper bay islands, is now a beloved leisure and recreation spot for Manhattan residents.
Click here for all the information on a trip to Liberty Island, Governors Island, and Ellis Island…
Lower Manhattan
Greenwich Village Washington Square Park
The midtown area of Manhattan, nestled between the towering skyscrapers of Midtown to the north and Downtown to the south, has historically served as a sort of frontier of the historical settlements in southern Manhattan. This area has constantly reinvented itself, transitioning from rural to urban, and today has solidified its status as a highly sought-after and upscale residential space.
Click here for a special foodie tour of Greenwich Village's food scene…
The current status of the area echoes the gentrification process that began in the 1960s, when it was home to dockworkers and the lower-middle class.
Today, Greenwich Village is a semi-rural residential area (by Manhattan standards), a vibrant space full of restaurants, hotels, boutique shops, and all of Manhattan's innovations.
Click here to purchase online tickets for the Whitney Museum…
The neighborhood also includes the West Village. Historically, the area northwest of downtown was part of the equality movement for the LGBTQ community, and to this day, the area is identified with gays.
Click here for the New York Sandwich Tour…
A bit to the east, in the district surrounding Washington Square Park, is also a serene and upscale residential area. This is where the scattered campus of New York University is located, and the area is filled with students and academics. The space between Washington Square Park and Union Square is a peaceful and pleasant part of Manhattan with an elegant touch.
SoHo, Tribeca, and City Hall Park
Soho and Tribeca are the westernmost neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan. These areas were historically commercial and industrial but have undergone gentrification, transforming them into some of Manhattan's most sought-after neighborhoods. In the 1960s, the industrial buildings and warehouses of cast-iron structures became popular living spaces for artists and hippies. With the artists came those with means, who turned industrial buildings into lofts and trendy apartments. Today, Soho and Tribeca are filled with galleries, designer boutique shops, excellent restaurants, a buzzing nightlife, and everything trendsetters love.
A bit south of Soho and Tribeca, heading towards downtown, is New York City's governmental center. Around City Hall Park, you'll find an impressive array of courthouses, each a masterpiece of architecture. City Hall is located in City Hall Park, and nearby is the NYPD headquarters.
Click here for the complete guide to touring Soho, Tribeca, and City Hall Park…
The Lower East Side and the East Village
The Lower East Side of Manhattan is almost universally recognized as the Jewish area of New York. Nowadays, not many Jews live in the neighborhood, but the community's influence on the southeastern Manhattan area is of immense cultural significance. The Lower East Side has always been a neighborhood for immigrant absorption. Immigrants arriving in New York settled there, as the housing (while generally very basic) was accessible to those who could barely afford it.
Click here for a foodie's tour of the East Village's restaurant scene…
In the Lower East Side, all the ethnic groups of the northeast have passed through – Jews, Italians, Russians, Irish, and more. Today, the dominant ethnic group in the area is the Chinese immigrants, and the developing Chinatown continuously changes the neighborhood's character. The Jewish influence on the district still exists in the remaining synagogues, orthodox yeshivas, and primarily the deli culture that grew in the neighborhood.
A bit north, the East Village was once the worst neighborhood south of Harlem. Alphabet City, centered around Tompkins Square Park, was identified in the sixties with the hippie culture. Later, in the seventies and almost up to today, it was the hub for punks in America. Today, this neighborhood is also undergoing rapid gentrification.
Uptown Manhattan
The Upper East Side
The eastern part of Uptown Manhattan, the Upper East Side, is a blend of luxurious residential buildings and important New York institutions.
Click here to purchase online tickets for the Guggenheim Museum…
Click here to purchase online tickets for the Frick Collection Museum…
The impressive Museum Mile of the Upper East Side is among New York's must-see attractions. Along Fifth Avenue and Central Park is an enormous lineup of some of the most important museums in the city and the world, with the Metropolitan, one of the world's major museums, at the forefront.
Click here for a guided tour of the Met and skip-the-line museum entry…
Nearby is the Guggenheim housed in Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic building and the super high-quality Frick Collection. Among these museums are some of New York's most expensive homes, historic mansions, and private residences where the descendants of New York's aristocracy and historical magnates still reside.
Click here for all information on traveling to the Upper East Side…
The Upper West Side
Manhattan's Upper West Side is largely a peaceful and prestigious residential area. The neighborhood stretches west from Central Park and Central Park West Avenue (the continuation of Eighth Avenue) and includes luxurious residential buildings (as you get closer to the park, the price increases), shopping boulevards, excellent shops, more and less expensive restaurants, all with a New York style that's a bit different.
Click here to purchase admission tickets to the American Museum of Natural History…
The theoretical New York space of Seinfeld (filming took place in Los Angeles) is the pleasant and quality New York of movies and TV shows. Broadway, the wide avenue, crosses the district northwards towards Morningside Heights and Columbia University, where you'll find several important churches and sites associated with the prestigious institution.
Click here for the complete travel guide to the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights…
Central Park
New York's Central Park is probably the most famous urban park in the world. The park stretches in the heart of Manhattan and is part of the city's urban planning, alongside the grid structure of avenues and streets. The park was designed in 1853 by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as part of the urban planning of Manhattan north of 59th Street.
Click here to purchase online entry tickets for Central Park Zoo…
The park is part of the Uptown area of New York City, stretching eastward from Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side and Central Park West (the continuation of Eighth Avenue) on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Its southern boundary is 59th Street, and to the north, it is bordered by Central Park North (the continuation of West 110th Street).
Click here for a guided electric bike tour of the park…
The real estate surrounding the park itself is considered some of the most prestigious in Manhattan, including several of the city's important attractions like the Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim, the Plaza Hotel, the Dakota Building, and more. In between, you'll find luxurious residential towers that have historically housed the city's wealthy, and still today are home to a large number of celebrities living in New York.
Click here for a horse carriage ride around the park…
The entire park is an artificial and planned landscape design, featuring open green spaces, a variety of attractions with a rural character, sculptures, walking, running and cycling paths, and an impressive lineup of 36 unique (and iconic) bridges designed by Vaux.
Click here for all the information about a trip to Central Park…
The Boroughs of New York
Trip to Brooklyn and Queens
Brooklyn is the most populated of New York City's boroughs, with nearly three million residents. Although when thinking of New York, Manhattan with its skyscrapers, museums, and all the world's offerings might come to mind, Brooklyn also has plenty to offer. Like New Amsterdam in southern Manhattan, Harlem in the north, and Flatbush and Bushwick in southern Brooklyn, Brooklyn also grew from a Dutch settlement. It is named after the city of Breukelen, north of Utrecht.
Click here to purchase online tickets for Brooklyn Nets NBA games…
The character of Brooklyn is fundamentally different from Manhattan, being more residential with distinct ethnic neighborhoods. Historically, immigrant populations from the Lower East Side of Manhattan moved to improve their living conditions in Brooklyn. Borough Park is a large concentration of Hasidic Jews, with nearby Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge home to the Italian community.
Click here to buy online tickets for Coney Island's Luna Park…
North of Brooklyn, the Queens district is a somewhat dull residential area, part of which is also undergoing gentrification. To the east is the Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home to the famous Unisphere from the 1964 World's Fair held there. The park hosts the Grand Slam tournament of the US Open and is also the home ground for the New York Mets baseball team.
Click here for the complete guide to touring Brooklyn and Queens…
Tour in the Bronx and North Manhattan
A trip to Northern Manhattan and the Bronx borough is a slightly different taste from a tour among the skyscrapers of Southern Manhattan. The northern part of Manhattan is characterized by low-rise buildings and is lush with greenery and views of the Hudson River. The Cloisters Museum in Washington Heights is one of New York's important museums and attracts visitors to an area mostly dedicated to residential living.
Click here to purchase online tickets for a New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium…
Click here to purchase tickets for the Bronx Zoo…
Across the Harlem River, the Bronx borough is also primarily residential but houses some attractive attractions. The borough is home to the New York Yankees baseball team with its legendary stars. North of the stadium are the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, and the sprawling Cortlandt Park, which all make for great family outings. City Island to the east is a taste of New England with excellent seafood restaurants overlooking sailboats crossing the Long Island Sound.
Click here for everything there is to see and do in North Manhattan and the Bronx…
New York's Sports Teams
Sports in New York is a vital part of the city's fabric. New York boasts a huge number of popular sports teams across all the major American sports leagues. The New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets represent the city in the NBA, the National Basketball Association of the USA. The Giants and the Jets represent the city in the NFL, the football league, although their home stadium is located in New Jersey. The New York Rangers represent the city in the NHL, the National Hockey League, along with New Jersey's team – the Devils.
Click here to purchase tickets for Knicks games at Madison Square Garden…
Click here to purchase tickets for Rangers hockey games at Madison Square Garden…
At the heart of it all are the city's baseball teams – the Yankees and the Mets, the most iconic symbols of the city's sports culture, with legendary athletes like Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax, and Joe DiMaggio. The city also hosts an MLS soccer team and a successful women's basketball team, the New York Liberty.
Throughout the year, other major sports events are held, like the US Open Tennis Grand Slam tournament, which takes place in Flushing Meadows, Queens, during the summer months.
Entertainment in New York
There aren't many cities in the world that have what New York does. Perhaps only London can compare, with New York offering an almost unimaginable abundance of cultural events, theaters, shows, public gatherings, famous band and singer performances, lively nightlife, and everything related to entertainment and fun after dark.
The city hosts famous public events like New Year's Eve in Times Square, the Tribeca Film Festival, St. Patrick's Day celebrations, and so on. These annual mass events have become attractions in their own right. Besides these, almost every night in the city sees massive cultural events like concerts from top global singers and bands, Central Park outdoor events in the summer, and more. The endless abundance in New York requires keeping a finger on the pulse during your stay in the city.
If you didn't manage or didn't find an event to your liking, don't worry. Every night of the week, and even more so on weekends, the city offers an almost unimaginable amount of evening entertainment and nightlife. The city has countless music clubs, theaters, nightclubs, trendy restaurants, bars, or just taking a stroll with thousands of people under the neon lights of Times Square. Every evening, you can find something to do in this magical city that never sleeps (except maybe on Christmas Eve).
Performances
In New York, there's an almost unlimited amount of major events usually held in sports stadiums. Madison Square Garden in the heart of Manhattan, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and even Citi Field in Flushing Meadows and Yankee Stadium host massive events attended by tens of thousands. The most convenient venue in the city is, of course, Madison Square Garden, where something happens every evening. During summer days, there are also big events in Central Park or the parks of the other city boroughs, so it's important to stay updated.
Theaters and Musicals
Apart from London's West End, there's no rival to the entertainment power of Broadway. The theater district near Times Square boasts dozens of theaters presenting the top musicals, theatrical shows, and more every night. TKTS Times Square is the place to check for where to go in the evening, offering significant discounts on ticket prices.
Off-Broadway
While Broadway theaters are considered the top of the American entertainment world, Manhattan has dozens of theaters that fall under the term Off-Broadway. These halls host more experimental and less conventional shows. Sometimes Off-Broadway shows offer much deeper content and less focus on pure entertainment. Off-Off-Broadway features almost underground theaters that offer pure art without apologies.
Nightlife
There are no bounds and no end to the nightlife of Manhattan. The city has a massive number of places active after ten in the evening, including pubs, restaurants, and countless nightclubs. The nightclub scene is particularly elusive, with places opening and closing and different neighborhoods hosting the trendiest clubs.
Personal Safety in New York
Over the years, personal safety in New York has seen its ups and downs. In the 60s and 70s, Manhattan was considered quite unsafe, and it was only after the thorough cleanup by Rudy Giuliani in the early 90s that it became the city it is today (more or less). In recent years, along with COVID and various events within the USA, the sense of personal safety in Manhattan has somewhat decreased again. Even though things are pretty stable today, it's always wise to stay alert.
The gentrified neighborhoods of Manhattan are considered relatively safe. Still, it’s very advisable to stick to some basic rules. It’s better not to walk alone in the dark, and if you do, stay on busy avenues and streets. Always keep your wallet and valuables discreet, both on the street and when riding the subway. There are areas and neighborhoods in New York that are best avoided as there's not much to do there, including taking extra caution when visiting the Harlem district north of Central Park.
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What is New York?
When we think of New York City, we mainly mean Manhattan. This central borough of the massive city is one of the most attractive and bustling tourist destinations in the world, crowded with an incredible array of attractions, entertainment venues, elite (and casual) restaurants, some of the finest museums, and countless iconic sites. The stunning island is packed with skyscrapers, from those a mere 50 stories tall to those towering high above the skyline like the Empire State Building, a quintessential symbol of the Big Apple. Manhattan's streets are some of the most vibrant on the planet, showcasing nearly perfect execution of the capitalist dream that made America a breathtaking powerhouse.
The History of New York and the City's Emergence as the Heart of the Modern Western World
- Manhattan began as a Dutch colony after being purchased from the Lenape tribe for glass beads
- In 1624, Dutch settlers built New Amsterdam in what is today downtown Manhattan
- In 1664, the British conquered the colony and renamed it New York, after the then King of England, James II, the Duke of York
- New York's status was solidified during the battles of the American Revolutionary War in 1776, and the city's first president of the Federal Union, George Washington, was sworn in there
- At the beginning of the 19th century, the city became an empire with the ambitious urban planning of the 1811 master plan, which laid out streets and avenues in a grid pattern, with Broadway cutting diagonally through the city
- During this period, the city began to receive an unimaginable number of immigrants from Europe, becoming one of the largest cities in the world
Today’s modern New York is the most important city in the world commercially and culturally. After World War II, major cultural centers, particularly leading modern artists who were concentrated in Paris, moved to New York, establishing it as the world’s cultural hub. The city was also flooded with giant corporations, and ever since, its skyscrapers have housed the offices of thousands of the world’s most important companies, close to the famous trading arena – the New York Stock Exchange, on Wall Street.
