Hi all,
I am visiting New York in May for two week by myself.
This will be my first US trip and I am very excited and nervous!
Would love to hear everyone's experiences and esp their recommendations.
Can you give me your best 5 things to do, see and eat?
Cheers
PS. I will be 27(male) during the trip if this makes it easier as few seem to ask my age.
Also, I have created a poll as I am unsure when would be a best time to visit free tourist places-
Yeap, on my list.
Give me your best 5 experiences?
Guggenheim museum is really amazing - inside and out
Met gallery is pretty cool
Staten island ferry
Buying a slice - then arguing about where the best slice of pizza is in new york
High line park is meant to be great but i missed that
Generally just walking around is pretty great.
people watching they so many 80s tv stars walking around the street like there nobody.
Time Square
list above. guggenheim is totally worth it.
High Line isn't amazing, but might as well check it out while you're there. It's certainly not BAD.
I did this, was a lot of fun. Central park is amazing - such a huge sanctuary in the midst of a metropolis.
I was lucky that day, there was a TV shooting in progress and they interviewed me :)
It is such an amazing contrast between the concerte jungle and big park itself, I cannot wait to see it in person.
Bronx Zoo and catch a ball game NY Mets
heard NY has more Mets fan than Yankees now, to see both play against would be epic!
Problem there is that the Mets are in the National League and the Yankees are the American League, so short of the both playing the in the world series it's not going to happen.
since 1997, they have interleague play, also known as the subway series.
Mets and Yankees play every year at least 2 games in each stadium. Same for the Chicago teams and the Bay Area teams.
There are 15 teams in each league so most days during the regular season there is a game between an NL and and AL team.
Given how good the Yankees are going and will be for the next few years and how bad the Mets are, Yankees would be the place to be (and I am a Mets fan).
I loved the science museum - my hotel was across the road from it
If you go in summer (June-August) be prepared for the stink, they haven't heard of wheelie bins over there (people just dump their rubbish on the footpath)
Did you go to other museums? Which one was your fav?
Also, going in mid May, so hopefully its not that bad!
I was only there for a few nights and bf was sick for most of it - so I didn't get to see any others sadly (just remembered proper name was Natural History Museum). I saw the library and went on a tour in it and heard the history, it was pretty neat. I regretted not buying one of those cat clocks.
Oh and first thing in the morning go queue for tickets to an NBC show (out the front of the Rockefeller Centre), that gets filmed in the afternoon! I got to go on Seth Meyers, I am in the audience of the episode where Keegan Michael Key was on it, and they talked about Pokémon Go. We got in cause there was less demand for it, but if you get there earlier than we did you can get to see even better shows.
Oh and there are loads of the tourist bus things, so get a week's pass (or however long you're there) and you can jump on and off to see all the sights. There's guys flogging tickets at each of the stops. They'll give you a discount if you try for one.
One last thing that I found REALLY weird. Hotels don't have fridges, or coffee and tea making facilities, or biscuits. And they don't have any laundry facilities (where you can stick in your dollar coin in the machines and wash your clothes). They instead have a laundry service where you have to pay like $5 to wash 1 sock. So if I were going again, I would pack lots of Kmart $2 undies and socks and buy new clothes as I went, throwing away the dirty ones (unless you can find a laundromat). If I had the space in the suitcase I'd probably also bring a small kettle and cup so I'd be able to have tea in my room (perhaps leaving them behind and using the space for souvenirs when going home).
Yeah I always try to get enough clothes to cover for the trip and save on laundry…one thing i hate spending cash on, its crazy expensive. Strange that they didn't have fridges!
There's laundromats everywhere.. a lot of new yorkers don't have laundry facilities at home
Places that wash your clothes for you, charging by the kilo, are very common and fairly cheap.
Americans don’t have electric kettles, their power voltage can’t handle it. Coffee pots can get the water warm, but not full on boiling like our electric kettles can’t.
@gina:
Not entirely true. Kettles will work the same way but it would take longer for water to boil. I'd rather a slow automatic electric one vs a manual stovetop any day
Save on laundry but pay USD $25 per bag on domestic flights… plus the hassle of carrying extra clothes everywhere
MET and the Frick collection! But I love art so…
They do have color coded rubbish bins though, same like ours. Some rubbish just don't fit in the bins and that unfortunately ends up on the road, like many places here too.
Go to TripAdvisor and find the NYC forum for more advice than you can possibly ever need. Look for trip reports and read what people have done. There are a couple of very helpful Australian destination experts who are very helpful.
Yeap I use TripAdvisor as a bible when I travel so thats always there.
I thought I see what our fellow OzB users have to say..
We stayed in a hotel in Jersey and took the dollar bus in, that was pretty cool and if I remember correctly it was an ok saving.
Na, I am planning on staying around SOHO, East Village area.
Probably not the best savings there but I recon it would be worth it!
That sounds awesome, I was only there for a couple of days, wish I had longer to explore!
East Village is super cool. lots of great cafes.
staten island and visit the wu tang clan
Ah you just bought back memories, I had a massive W-logo tshirt when i was a kid ;P
Many years ago I rented an apartment in the East Village but these days short term lets are not legal, although of course ppl still do them.
My favourite experiences - small bars, quirky shops, sleazy clubs, history, shopping, architecture, food, art and so many opportunities for people watching.
I live in South Yarra, Melb and would love to stay in an equivalent area in NY oreven like Richmond, Brunswick, Collingwood.
Basically I want to break my trip into being a tourist and do the popular attractions and then live like a local, wake up, go cafe, brunch, go running, walks, you know the deal
Based on that, I think that you might find that Brooklyn is worth investigating for accommodation. I'd seriously hit up the TripAdvisor forum for recommendations. Let them know your exact dates to stay, your ideal cost in USD and what bed configuration you are after.
BTW if this is your first trip to the US be prepared for taxes (which are not included in the sticker price unlike our GST), and of course tipping.
Sure thing, will look into Brook.
I have heard it can get annoying with the taxes and tips. Hopefully my accounting background will finally come to use in personal life!
@NEVERfullprice: But don't worry though.. even after taxes and tips, things will be cheaper than here. ;). Love your handle here (NeverFullPrice).
Definitely Brooklyn, around Prospect Park if you want to run (Park Slope is great). I was in NY in October, stayed in Williamsburg this time in an Airbnb (loved it). I've stayed in East Village before which is one of my favourite parts of Manhattan but its gentrified and lost its edge over the last 10 years. Lots of bars on Ludlow Street on lower East side but quite a young scene there. Red Hook has some Melbourne vibes and laneways too but is a bit isolated. I've stayed upper west, lower east, Harlem too.
After the first few times I started staying in Brooklyn, once you've done all the sites its more about hanging out in NY's great bars and restaurants. Pick the right spot and its 15 mins by metro to Manhattan. Queens is a bit hard to get around as it has poor transport links and is a much more working class place (with accommodation prices significantly lower).
For the record, I live in Brunswick (Melbourne not New Jersey) and have been to NY more than 10 times. As for things to do, lots of good suggestions in the thread but a first time visitor will take up most of the time with the big hitters.
Do/See
1. Top of the rock - great views of Central Park
2. Top of Empire State Building - great views downtown
3. Walk along High Line
4. Walk across Brooklyn bridge (towards Manhattan)
5. Self guided Brooklyn street art tour
Eat
1. Pizza by the slice - anywhere
2. Original Shake Shack at Union Square
3. Dim Sum in China Town
4. Grinders at any deli
5. Chelsea Market
What was your fav slice ;) and from where?
Just a giant pepperoni or salami pizza slice from wherever sells pizza - it’s all roughly the same. There’s some fancy/touristy pizza places on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge (Juliana’s etc) but I reckon they all taste about the same.
For regular slices, goto Joe's Pizza, sauce is nice and sweet. I like plain slices. Juliana's great, but is different from regular slices.
You forgot
WTC memorial
Central Park
Museum of natural history
Food: get a bagel!! Then go and walk across the high line. Best breakfast.
yes, kill me if I come back without eating a Bagel !
Batam Bagels balls….i still think about them 3 years on…
Leo's Bagels …downtown.
I'm not super into Musical Theatre - but I went and saw The Phantom of the Opera and it was amazing!!! Definitely recommend.
Yeap, me neither but will def do one Broadway show atleast!
I would recommend wicked if you haven't been to musical before.
The musical Chicago is amazing in New York also, and can be fairly cheap if you look for deals
Katzzzz, Yes!
Combine with a visit to PDT bar while you're nearby (needs booking).
We did that after visiting Coney Island to recreate a Mr Robot scene.
Any other speakeasies you know of? #pleasetell
look up fried chicken in new york on youtube. you're welcome
mannn, that my second fav thing after ice-cream so will def do more than just youtubing..haha
there is a place called serendipity ice cream. where you can get one of the most expensive icecreams around
Yeap, I recall watching a video about it on youtube.
Thanks for reminding me. I cannot rememeber how expensive they were but from my memory, they were bloody expensive!
there is aplace just around the corner from time square called magnolia pattiserie, good coffee and awesome pastries
meat packing district in Soho.
ahh Levain, I will find it and I will eat it!!!
trump tower. spray paint "shithole" on it.
13 great tips from Davo, just need another 1,098…
Well said Davo, cheers!
We got a citipass thing while we were there, but the downside they don't tell you is you have to join the main queue to redeem. We had over an hour wait at the natural history museum while the credit card kiosks were empty. Same with 30 rock. Doing it again I'd pay the extra few dollars and skip the queues buy getting the ticket there.
Broadway. There are so many shows but we saw Les Miserable and it was amazing. We bought our tickets from those TKTS booths. There are a couple around the city, the tickets are slightly discounted.
Remember to tip 20% at restaurants or else the waiting staff may approach you to get "feedback".
You can use Zomato to find nearby restaurant ratings. Depending on your budget, you can go for the high end ones like Per Se (just make sure you book in advance) or those local bistro type joints that are pretty amazing also. There are way too many choices in NYC.
Yeah, need done the tipping bit(clearly an OzBargainer) so this should be interesting, mhmm
It's pretty unnatural for an Australian Ozbargaining accountant to tip, but the increase in service level is immediately apparent versus Oz in the vast majority of cases.
I know you said you got your accommodation set….but this is ozbargain.
I always stay in Long Island City.
Just a couple of subway stops and you’re in Manhattan.
AUD at 80 cents at the moment. Might be worth hedging some usd this week.
Will consider and I agree, THIS IS SPAR…. OZBARGAIN!
pay you respects at ground zero please.
Will do, fosua
I said pay!
If you’re not a fan of walking (personally I’m not and I was there in winter both times I visited) then stay as close as possible to a subway station and get the weekly unlimited pass. Trains come every 2-3 mins and Manhattan is deceptively large! Just hop on a subway and take it where you need then come back to hotel drop off shopping or relax etc then hop on subway to the next activity! Was really good in winter and the only way to avoid being out in -15 degrees.
You can save a bit of money and not be in the most central spot in terms of hotel as long as you are near a subway station!
I would catch 8-10 trains a day when I was there even just a couple stops up/downtown rather than walk in the cold- cheapest and quickest way to see everything!
Yeah true, I dont mind walking but would prefer if I have an option not to.
Agree, will be catching PT most time there, plus I love taking trains/buses on new countries for some reason.
Intrepid museum on a friggen aircraft carrier!!!
https://www.intrepidmuseum.org
The concorde and space shuttle is there too.
that looks cool, will put on my list, cheers!
I've only been to NY once and that was almost 20 years ago. Did heaps of touristy things but the most memorable experience was drinking beer in McSorley's Old Ale House - only choice of drinks sold is either dark or light beer.
close to Guinness ?
McSorely's is a must
Grand Central Terminal is also worth checking out - its history, architecture, the whispering gallery …
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - if you are lucky, as I was, there were free tickets to orchestra performance.
Guggenheim museum, esp for the architecture; The Met and Frick Collection for the fab collections.
Staten Island Ferry and Central Park.
Two weeks … how exciting. I am sure you will have a great time! :-)
Yeah I feel like GCT is a must, its just one of the things that come to my mind when I say NY.
Rest, will have to weigh between what I want and what I can choose due to limited time.
I wish longer but hope to make a visit again for the things i cant this time! ;)
I love New York, without doubt my favourite city.
1 - Circle Line Best Of NYC cruise. We did this the day we got there and I cannot recommend it enough. It does a full lap of Manhatten Island and stops in front of the Statue of Liberty, goes under the Brooklyn Bridge, past Yankee Stadium… It gives you an idea of the city, its scale, layout andall there is to see.
https://www.newyork.com.au/circle-line-best-of-nyc-cruise/
2 - Top of the Rock. It's cheaper than the Empire State Building and IMO better located. You can look out the north side over Central park, and to the south and see the Empire State building, the lights reflecting up from Times Square, the WTC off in the distance, it's great. I recommend getting there in the late afternoon, get some day time shots then hang around for the sunset when all the city lights come on.
3 - Central Park. We started walking, zig-zagging across the park, after a whole day we made it half way up (to the Guggenheim). We grabbed a horse-cart ride and that was great, got you round a bit quicker and spoke of the history.
4 - Check out Central Station then across the road to the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. (See I snuck 3 in there…)
5 - Grab a Shake Shack burger at Madison Square Park and eat it under the trees. At night it's even more amazing.
I am contemplating on whether i should walk or ride along Central Park, maybe both if i have time?
Its freaking huge so unless you want to walk around it for many hours…
Looking back on my trip my favourite part was walking through Central Park a little after sunset and meeting a family of racoons
I thought you would say, 'cats' ;P
Given this is ozbargain, here are some Stingy NY tips
Museums often have free or 'pay as you wish' days. ie 9/11 Museum Tuesdays from 5pm (make sure you get the tickets on the Monday before online), MoMa on Friday evenings, Gugenheim Museum on Saturday evenings, Frick Collection Wednesday afternoon. Sadly the Met converts to a mandatory $25USD ticket starting March (currently pay as you wish).
Stratten Island Ferry as some have mentioned is free if you aren't able to secure tickets for Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty - the Ferry passes by the Statue although your photos will still be small. You have to disembark the ferry once it gets to Statten Island and reboard another ferry back to Manhatten although there will be a new factory outlet opening on Statten Island soon if shopping is your thing.
Good to see you doing justice to your username ;)
If you like burgers, go to Five Guys. Get the cheeseburger and say all toppings. You won't regret it… although it like 1000 cal lol.
Burger is my fav meal, although pizza is pretty close by. What are your thoughts on Shake Shack ?
Five guys is greasy, shake shack is amazing.
I enjoyed it but there was a long queue to get inside and order!
I tried shake shack once and I didn't see (or taste) any amazing about it. Expect a normal fast food burger that takes a while to come out and above average cheese fries and a regular shake.
Five guys is greasy but the flavours are there.
Burgers is my life. Shake Shack is definitely the best for burgers followed by Five Guys. So do try both if you can. The chips at Five Guys is better though. Always eat the chips with Mayo and Tomato sauce!
Also tried In n Out and I don’t see the hype. I reckon Mcdonalds is much better than In n Out.
I went to White Castle in Harlem.
Now, that was a burger experience.
Now, that was a burger experience.
Too good or super bad?
If you're so inclined, hire a bike and ride around Central Park. You can also join bike tours that will tell you a bit of the history - nice way to get around.