What to do in New York


One Day In New York City Itinerary:

Breakfast: Le pain Quotodien
Morning : Metropolitan Museum or American Museum of Natural History & walk through Central Park
Bus Tour : Ride the M1 Bus down Fifth Avenue
Lunch : Lombardi's Coal Oven Pizza
Afternoon: Greenwich Village
Dinner : Thai Food in Union Square
Night : View New York City from the top of the Rockefeller Observation Deck
Night Cap: West Village jazz bars

New York City – Attractions By NeighborhoodManhattan Neighborhoods Map - New York City

Bronx: Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park, The Cloisters-The Metropolitan Museum, Yankee Stadium
Brooklyn: New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo
Queens: New York Hall of Science, Queens Zoo, American Museum of the Moving Image
Central Park: Central Park, Central Park Loeb Boathouse, Central Park Zoo, Central Park Conservancy
Chelsea: Chelsea Piers, Empire Diner, Chelsea Market
Financial District/Battery Park City/South Street Seaport: Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York City Fire Museum, New York City Police Museum, New York Stock Exchange, New York Mercantile Exchange, Trinity Church, Wall Street, World Financial Center, South Street Seaport Museum, Brooklyn Bridge, Fulton Fish Market, South Street Seaport, Battery Park, Ellis Island, Immigration Museum, Statue of Liberty
Gramercy Park/Flatiron District/Garment District: Flatiron Building, Teddy Roosevelt's Birthplace, Union Square
Greenwich Village/West Village: Washington Square Park, Forbes Magazine Galleries, Gay Pride Week and March, New School University, New York University (NYU), Parsons School of Design, Village Halloween Parade, Yeshiva University, Bleecker Street (often misspelled “Bleeker”), Elliot Smith Gallery, Gray Gallery of Art

East Village/Lower East Side: The Ukranian Museum, Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Harbor Islands: Ellis Island, Roosevelt Island Tramway

Harlem: Mount Vernon Hotel Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, Columbia University, Sylvia's Restaurant, Abyssinian Baptist Church

Midtown East/Murray Hill: The Museum of Television & Radio, Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Trump Tower, United Nations Headquarters, Bloomingdale's, Saks 5th Avenue, Tiffany & Co.

SoHo/Little Italy/Tribeca/Chinatown: Guggenheim Museum SOHO, New Museum of Contemporary Art

Theatre District/Midtown West: Broadway Theater Tours, Carnegie Hall, Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, Museum of American Folk Art, ESPN Zone, Herald Square, Javits Convention Center, Madame Tussaud's, Nasdaq Stock Exchange, Penn Station, New York Public Library, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Toys 'R Us, TKTS Ticket Booth

Upper East Side: Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, El Museo del Barrio, Frick Collection, Museum Mile, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Jewish Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gracie Mansion, Sotheby's

Upper West Side: American Museum of Natural History, Avery Fisher Hall, Children's Museum of Manhattan, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The New York Historical Society, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Columbus Circle, Dakota Apartments, Julliard School, New York Philharmonic, Vivian Beaumont Theater













Manhattan Neighborhoods

DOWNTOWN
Financial District
Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, the financial district has long been established as the economic center of the country. Sometimes referred to as Wall Street (or simply, The Street), the area exudes capitalism. Its tall stately skyscrapers are synonymous with Manhattan itself; buildings worth a second look include the stately Equitable Building and 40 Wall Street, which once vied with the Chrysler Building as ‘the world’s tallest.’ Though the New York Stock Exchange is no longer open to the public, you can learn about Wall Street history at the nearby Museum of American Financial History. For a whiff of spirituality amidst the commercial vibe, visit the elegant and historic Trinity Church with its 17th century graveyard. Appropriately, this is the final resting place for Alexander Hamilton, the first United States treasurer, along with signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Little Italy/Nolita
Visitors will find family-style trattorias, specialty food stores, and pastry shops touting scrumptious cannolis that transport you back to Italy. Though you won’t find many Italian-Americans living here, special events such as the Feast of San Genarro, held every September, bring them back to the neighborhood. While its name implies otherwise, Nolita lies within Little Italy. Fashion boutiques, independent labels, and chic bars and restaurants dot Mott and Mulberry Streets, making the area a popular destination, and a less crowded alternative to SoHo.
Chinatown
Reportedly the largest Chinatown outside Asia, food dominates here. Buckets of live seafood, roasted ducks in shop windows, baskets of exotic fresh fruits and vegetables, and tasty snacks are everywhere. Home to Chinese and more recently, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese Americans who brought along their exotic cuisines, you’ll find traditional herbal shops alongside specialty Asian groceries, and hundreds of reasonably-priced eateries that cater to an eclectic, diverse crowd. In the bustle of this extremely commercial area, you’ll find pockets of ethnic life. Elderly men and women gather at Columbus Park (Bayard and Mulberry Streets) to play mahjongg and dominoes, or to practice tai chi. Nearby, Chinese American heritage is presented at the Museum of Chinese in the Americas.
Tribeca
Found in the Triangle Below Canal Street, this area is quickly following in Soho’s footsteps. In the midst of a massive gentrification, Tribeca’s former factories and warehouses now play host to celebrities such as Harvey Keitel, Ben Affleck, and Robert De Niro, who owns two high-end restaurants here. As in Soho, you’ll find many restaurants, art galleries and shops that cater to its trendy residents, but there is a unique Hollywood buzz here. Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Film Center on Greenwich Street hosts regular screenings, while the Tribeca Film Festival attracts thousands of film buffs in May.
SoHo
Once known as Hell’s Hundred Acres, Soho is now a seminal lesson in community preservation. A former manufacturing and industrial heavyweight, this neighborhood SOuth of HOuston Street has been dramatically transformed into small boutiques, decorative and furnishings stores, trendy bistros, and art galleries. Designated a historic landmark district in 1973, you’ll find elegant cast iron buildings that have been lavishly converted into residential lofts. With its distinctive architecture, Soho makes for a glamorous stroll along its charming cobbled streets.
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side is the story of New York’s immigrant community. Eastern European Jews were among its first settlers, and more recently, Asian and Latino immigrants. Despite a recent influx of trendy restaurants, shops, and boutiques, remnants of its genesis as a cultural melting pot can still be found. Locals head here for Jewish and Eastern European specialties such as kosher pickles, knishes and bialys. You’ll also find clothing and accessories at bargain prices along Orchard Street’s Bargain District. For a glimpse of 19th century immigrant life and its challenges, head for the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
Greenwich Village (East Village)
Once populated by writers, artists, and political activists, a celebrated counterculture continues to thrive here. An area of immense creativity—the writer Allen Ginsberg resided on East 12th Street, while Leon Trotsky ran a printing press on St. Mark’s Place—galleries here were the first to discover and display the works of artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. A unique East Village culture lives on today with frequent indie film screenings, performance art, and poetry readings. You’ll also find fiercely independent stores, second-hand clothing stores, grunge bars, and inexpensive cafes.
Greenwich Village (West Village)
Synonymous with a bohemian lifestyle, artists, writers and jazz musicians settled here, and the Village still inspires new traditions in literature, music, and art. Some of the best American writing—including those of the Beat poets--emerged here and you’ll find traces of their spirit in the coffeehouses along Bleecker Street. A high level of creative energy is everywhere in the Village—including Washington Square Park—popular with musicians, street artists, and NYU students.
Meatpacking District (also known as MePa, The Meat Market, or Gansevoort Market)
North of Gansevoort St., south of 14th St., and west of Ninth Ave. Normally known as the Meatpacking District, this tiny stone-covered four block area tucked into the northwestern corner of the West Village around 14th Street between Hudson Street and the water was, not long ago, a seamy locale with a herd of wholesale butcher shops and unsavory characters. But the past few years have seen this neighborhood morph from creepy to hot, with a roster of trendy restaurants, bars, boutiques, galleries, dance joints, furniture and antique stores, and not much left to beef about.
MIDTOWN
Flatiron District
Taking its name from the triangular and aptly-named Flatiron Building, this district is best known for design-conscious shopping. Madison Square, one of two public squares, was once known as the ‘Ladies’ Mile’—referring to the shops of household goods and clothing shops found there. You’ll still find many housewares and furnishings merchants, from the mass market to the exclusive. Union Square—known as center stage for political rallies--is also home to Union Square Greenmarket, a lively farmer’s market with gorgeous produce from local farms.
Chelsea
A former working class and industrial enclave, the neighborhood is now the center of a vibrant art scene and, in more recent years, has been home to a large gay population. Not surprisingly, epicurean pursuits run high here; smart, chic restaurants have clustered around many of the art galleries and experimental and performance art theaters. Visitors should not miss the Chelsea Market--a paradise of gourmet and specialty shops--including purveyors of French cookware, fine wines, fresh seafood, a bakery, and exotic imports for the professional and home chef.
Gramercy Park
Noted for its distinctive architecture, leafy streets, and luxurious townhouses and apartments, the area exudes a quiet elegance. While only residents can enter inside the tranquil gates of Gramercy Park—a small square of greenery at Lexington Avenue—everyone can bask in its elegant environs and rich historical and literary significance. Here you’ll find Theodore Roosevelt’s birthplace, a street named after writer Washington Irving and the pub where O. Henry penned his magical and classic short story, ‘The Gift of the Magi.’
Murray Hill
A largely residential but powerful neighborhood that includes Park and Madison Avenues, the area also boasts the Empire State Building as well as the J. Pierpont Morgan Library that houses manuscripts, prints, and silver and copper collections.
The Garment District
New York’s Garment District is at the center of America’s billion-dollar clothing industry. Here designers plot, create, and predict what we’ll be wearing next season. While most of the clothing manufacturing has left the island, you’ll still find fabric shops along the area. Stretching along Seventh Avenue—the district’s main drag—you won’t miss Macy’s, which touts itself as the largest department store in the world.
Broadway and Times Square
Originally called Longacre Square, the area adopted ‘Times Square’ after The New York Times moved to the area. Glitzy and flashy, this is the heart of New York’s entertainment business. Scores of music studios, record labels, and production companies call this home, and over 30 theatrical stages can be found along Broadway. Eateries in this area cater to theatergoers, and Restaurant Row (46th Street between Eight and Ninth Aves.) has plenty of them. For a bit of whimsy, and to escape the bright lights circus, visit the Toys ‘R’ Us flagship store with its infamous 60-foot-tall indoor Ferris wheel.
Fifth Avenue
Chic, sophisticated, and elegant, Fifth Avenue is home to a powerhouse of shopping, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and Donald Trump’s gilt-trimmed Trump Tower of a shopping mall. Tourist attractions dominate this area: Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, the United Nations, St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Notables include the New York Public Library—a gorgeous Beaux Arts building guarded by two infamous stone lions—and of course, the Empire State Building. Its 102nd-floor observatory offers magnificent views in every direction and is most popular—and romantic—at sunset.
UPTOWN
Central Park
A resplendent 843-acre oasis in the middle of a bustling metropolis, Central Park provides a necessary respite for busy urban dwellers. Runners, cyclists, and roller bladders abound in the country’s first man-made, landscaped public park. Central Park is an ideal destination for families. Here you’ll find a vast playground with a carousel and a children’s zoo. During the winter, arrive with your ice skates for a postcard-perfect turn at Wollman Rink. Frisbees and soccer balls fly across the field at Sheep’s Meadow, and rowboats and gondolas are available for hire at Loeb Boathouse. The latest addition to the park is the beautifully landscaped Conservatory Garden, near the northeast corner of Central Park on Fifth Avenue at 105th Street.
Upper East Side
The arrival of Central Park also brought luxurious apartments for the city’s most affluent residents, and you’ll find the most exclusive homes dotting Fifth, Madison, and Park Avenues. Long synonymous with upper crust New York society, evidence of their philanthropic gestures abounds here. The area is home to the Museum Mile—including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Cooper-Hewitt Design Collection, the Jewish Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Frick. Madison Avenue, stretching from 57th to 86th Streets is home to elegant designer boutiques.
Upper West Side
Running along the west side of Central Park, a rich and sophisticated cultural life thrives here. You’ll find the impressive Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the American Museum of Natural History, and the city’s oldest museum, the New York Historical Society. Foodies should not miss Zabar’s, a gourmet food emporium, and H&H Bagels; both are New York City institutions.
Harlem
A mecca of African American culture and the site of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s, Harlem gave the world Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, and Langston Hughes. Several cultural holdovers from the Renaissance remain such as the famed Cotton Club. Rich in historic districts, gorgeous brownstones and numerous churches, its heritage is chronicled in The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, with an impressive archive of over 5 million documents, ephemera, and films relating to the African diaspora.

Abingdon Guest House is a small, affordable hotel in the historic Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. It is perfect for a romantic getaway, sightseeing, shopping, a comfortable business trip, or enjoying the nightlife of New York City. The Abingdon is a great deal, a bargain, a boutique hotel on a budget in a central location.


New York Public Library
You’ll recognize this building by the lion sculptures guarding its gates. Step inside for more grandeur, especially the incredible Main Reading Room, where you might want to take a break and read the paper (if you have time). While you’re here, take a look at the library’s backyard, Bryant Park. Between end of October and February, the Pond ice-skating rink will be up. You can also go round and round on Le Carrousel.

Grand Central Terminal
Before stepping into this magnificent working train station, take a look east toward Lexington Avenue and then crane your neck up. You’ll see my favorite skyscraper, the Chrysler Building. Okay, now enter Grand Central, where approximately 500,000 commuters dash through daily. I hope it’s not rush hour but even if it is, you really won’t have to worry about colliding with a commuter: The building and the stupendous main concourse were constructed so cleverly that despite the perceived chaos, people rarely bump into each other. You’ll want to spend hours examining the beautiful detail throughout the terminal, but you don’t have hours to spare. A walk through the main concourse and a look at the sky ceiling will be evidence enough.


Museum of Modern Art
Yes, the $20 admission is outrageous, but this is New York and you are getting used to outrageous. And you’ll forget about the admission charge once you peruse the exhibits in this beautiful museum. Airy and expansive, with sky-lit, open galleries along with smaller, intimate rooms, the museum is one of a kind.

Rockefeller Center
A short walk from MoMA is the Rockefeller Center complex. If you are here during the Christmas holidays, you’ll fight the crowds for a glimpse of the Christmas tree and the skaters in the small rink. If your timing is right, you might be able to squeeze in the 70-minute NBC Studio Tour. If not, you’ll see Radio City Music Hall  and 30 Rockefeller Plaza. If you did not have advance tickets for the Empire State Building and the line was much too long, take the elevator up 70 floors to Top of the Rock for, arguably, as good a view as you would have at the Empire State Building. Across the street (Fifth Ave.) you’ll see St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Fifth Avenue
Is a street an attraction? When it’s one of the most famous in the world, it is. Walk north up Fifth Avenue from Rock Center and pass such big-name stores as Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, the NBA Store, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwarz, and the Apple Store. You’ll also see Trump Tower from the popular Apprentice TV series. At 59th Street, you’ll see the ornate Plaza Hotel. Across the street you’ll see the southern end of Central Park.


Ellis Island
Your Statue of Liberty ferry ticket also includes a stop at Ellis Island on your way back from Liberty Island; ferries leave every 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the season. (They will leave less frequently in the dead of winter.) The Immigration Museum is one of the most touching in the city. Incredible, personal details of the immigrant experience are on display, from letters and jewelry to battered valises. You could spend all day there, but you don’t have time! Wander through the Registry room and you’ll hear the echoes of hundreds of different languages of immigrants who came through these doors to a better life.

Wall Street
Back in Manhattan, the walk up to the Financial District is not long. Along the way you’ll see structures such as Castle Clinton National Monument, the remnants of a fort built in 1808 to defend New York Harbor against the British, and the impressive U.S. Customs House, which houses the Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Once on Wall Street, stop for a photo op at the Federal Hall National Memorial, with the statue of George Washington in front, and the New York Stock Exchange, across the street. Unfortunately, the exchange is no longer open for tours, but if you are a person of some significance, they might let you ring the opening day’s bell.
Take the free Downtown Connection bus that travels from Battery Park to South Street Seaport, with stops along the way including one at Wall Street.

South Street Seaport
Here the streets are really old—so old they are rough with cobblestones. This is a 17th-century historic district with restored 18th- and 19th-century buildings still standing. The interesting South Street Seaport Museum will fill you in on more of the 11 square blocks of seafaring history. Also part of the seaport complex is Pier 17, a historic barge that now is the home to various stores that you are probably very familiar with.
Take the A or C train at Broadway–Nassau Street toward Brooklyn and get off at High Street, the first stop in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Bridge
You have been well fed, so now you have the energy to make the approximately half-hour stroll back to Manhattan across one of the greatest suspended bridges in the world. The view of the Manhattan skyline is spectacular—make sure you have plenty of room in the card of your digital camera.

Washington Square Park
Welcome to the center of Greenwich Village. This neighborhood’s bohemian tradition is best represented by this park and the characters in it. It recently went through a major renovation and so is looking the best it has in years. On the north end of the park, you’ll see a row of elegant late-19th-century town houses and Washington Square Arch, patterned after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Union Square Park
About 10 blocks north of Washington Square Park, you’ll find this small but welcome bit of park. And if it is a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday, you’ll be in for a treat because the city’s best greenmarket, the Union Square Greenmarket, will be buzzing with activity.

Take the M5: A City Bus That Hits the Highlights -- If your feet are worn out from walking, but you still want to see some sights, I suggest hopping on the M5 bus. Its route runs from Washington Heights down to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. If you board uptown, around 125th Street and Riverside Drive, and take it downtown, you’ll pass landmarks such as Grant’s Tomb, Riverside Church, Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, the New York Public Library, Empire State Building, Flatiron Building, and Washington Square. And all you need is your MetroCard (or exact coin change) and your trusty Frommer’s New York City guide with your maps in hand. The bus will move slowly enough where you will be able to consult your book and find the corresponding landmarks.

  • Statue of Liberty - An icon for democracy, Lady Liberty held up her torch to welcome immigrants to America over a century ago. Today, you can climb 354-steps to her crown, and whisper Emma Lazarus’ famous poem at the base of the statue: ‘Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’ Leave time for a visit to the Ellis Island Museum and its chronicles of approximately 12 million immigrants that made their way through Ellis Island from 1892 to 1924.
  • Times Square - New Yorkers call this intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street the "Crossroads of the World." It is the most recognized intersection on earth -- millions of people see it on television every New Year's Eve. Some people say it's the best place in New York to people-watch. At night, the illuminated signs in Times Square make an amazing light show.
  • Empire State Building - Built in 1931 in just 410 days, this skyscraper was the tallest in the world for half a century. You'll get a great view of the city from the art deco tower's observation deck.
  • Central Park - Who would have thought that a city filled with people, traffic and skyscrapers, could offer visitors such an incredible natural oasis? The park is full of rolling meadows, trees, water bodies and stone bridges. The best part? It's all free. Sunbathe on Sheep's Meadow, stroll through the Shakespeare Garden, play softball on the Great Lawn or climb up to Summit Rock, the highest point in the park. For a fee, you can visit the park's zoo, rent a boat or take a carriage ride through the park.
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art - If you see only one museum in New York City, the Met, as it is known, should be the one. The museum houses over two million works of art ranging from Egyptian to Medieval to 20th Century.
  • The Museum of Modern Art - MoMA, as it's usually called, boasts the world's greatest collection of painting and sculpture from the late 19th century to the present, including everything from Monet's Water Lilies, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avigno, and Klimt's The Kiss to later masterworks by Frida Kahlo, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and many others. Top that off with an extensive collection of modern drawings, photography, architectural models and modern furniture, iconic design objects ranging from tableware to sports cars, and film and video (including the world's largest collection of D. W. Griffith films), and you have quite a museum. If you're into modernism, this is the place to be.
  • United Nations - You can't miss the 188 nations' flags flying high above First Avenue in front of the headquarters of this international organization. Tours take you through the Security Council and General Assembly Halls.
  • New York Stock Exchange - Like many tourists, here you can see where tons of money is made and lost. From a visitor's area, you can observe the world's busiest trading floor, check stock prices on the ticker and hear the famous closing bell.
  • Grand Central Terminal - Sometimes mistakenly called Grand Central Station, this is no simple train terminal. Grand Central Terminal is used by more than 150,000 commuters each day. Refurbished in the 1990s, the terminal is a must-see attraction offering a variety of restaurants, shopping, and ample opportunity for people-watching.
  • World Trade Center site (Ground Zero) - The World Trade Center dominated the skyline of lower Manhattan until it was destroyed by acts of terrorism. The six-hectare (16-acre) work site that has emerged from the rubble of the twin towers has come to symbolize the dreadful events of September 11, 2001 when almost 3,000 people lost their lives. The 1,350ft (411m) World Trade Centre towers were the tallest buildings in New York and symbols of the city’s skyline. Millions now come to pay tribute at the site and witness the devastation from one of the viewing sites.
  • New York Botanical Garden - Located in the borough of Brooklyn, the garden is home to more than 12,000 kinds of plants from around the world.
  • Bronx Zoo - Though outside Manhattan, it's worth the trip to see this -- the largest urban zoo in the United States. The Bronx Zoo is home to more than 7,000 species of animals in exhibits like the Congo Gorilla Forest and Jungle World.
  • Museum of Natural History - Come to this museum to see the famous dinosaur halls and the most technologically advanced planetarium in the world. Kid-friendly exhibits such as a reproduction of a massive blue whale, a butterfly exhibit of over 600 species, and several ‘please touch’ displays leave ample opportunity for learning.

Insider Information
Every great city has its insider information and New York City is no different. Here are a few tips that every visitor should know:
  • Theater Development Fund/TKTS - If you want to see a Broadway show while you are in New York, you may be surprised at the high price of theater tickets. At 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square, you will notice a long line of people. They are waiting to buy theater tickets that are discounted up to 50 percent for same-day performances. Get here early, get in line and you can save a significant amount of money. Although there are many show choices, don't count on getting tickets for a particular show -- tickets depend on availability. If you are flexible with your choices, you can get a great deal. TKTS is open Monday through Saturday from 3pm to 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 2pm for matinee performances and Sunday from 11am to 7pm. They only accept cash and traveler's checks.
  • Staten Island Ferry - There is no better deal in Manhattan than the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry is free, operates 24 hours a day and leaves every 30 minutes (15 minutes during rush hours) and every hour at night. Try a sunrise cruise for an incredible view of the harbor, the city and the Statue of Liberty.
  • Street Fairs - A real treat for New Yorkers in the summer months are the numerous street fairs that take place throughout the city. Street fairs offer a variety of vendors, food and entertainment.
  • Restaurant Week - If trying the amazing variety of food that New York restaurants offer is important to you, think about visiting the city during Restaurant Week. Especially for this event, many participating restaurants offer fixed price meals well below what it would normally cost to eat in these restaurants.
  • Walking Tours - It is common in New York to see tour buses loaded with sightseers. Though many tourists choose to see the city on wheels, a walking tour is a fun way to investigate a smaller area more intimately. Several walking tours are themed. If you're interested in history, architecture, literature, film (or a variety of other subjects), there's bound to be a walking tour for you.

New York City insider tips

The Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline (clemmesen/www.sxc.hu)
By Shandana A. Durrani, your New York City expert
I write for GoodLifeReport.com, .... Read more

How to save money plus other advice on New York City

Some official, and unofficial, ways to see the best of the city while saving money. See my advice on:
Eating and drinking
Getting around
Sights and attractions
Other useful tips

Eating and drinking

  • Don’t leave NYC without having “a slice”; a big greasy triangle of pizza that would not be recognized as such in Naples but is delicious nonetheless. Best spots: Joe’s Pizza on Carmine Street, Coronet’s on Broadway and 102nd street and Ben’s in Soho where the New York staples sells for about two bucks and fifty cents apiece.
  • Many of the city’s more popular restaurants do not take reservations now. Unless you want to eat at 5.30pm or 10.30pm, your best bet is often to stake out a place at the bar: most places offer the same menu at the counter, often with better service since the bartender has fewer guests to serve.

Getting around

  • The term “gridlock” was invented to describe Manhattan’s streets during the work days. Whatever you do, don’t try to take a cross town bus during rush hour, you’ll end up watching an old lady on the sidewalk outpace you.
  • The subway is really best way to get around, especially during the rush hour. The machines take credit cards, and if you’re in town more than a couple days, look into the 7-day unlimited use Metrocard for $29. See more on How to get around New York City.
  • Sure it’s touristy but the Circle Line boat ride remains the best way to take in the spectacle of Manhattan’s beautiful skyline from the water: www.circleline42.com.

Sights and attractions

  • If you plan on packing in visits to a lot of different sights, look online for money-saving multi-attraction passes at www.newyorkpass.com.
  • The top museums have one evening a week where they extend their visiting hours, and it’s often the best, and most atmospheric, time to visit the popular collections, The Met stays open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays; the Guggenheim Museum stays open until 7.45pm on Saturdays (and you can “pay what you wish” from 5.45pm-7.45pm, last tickets 7.15pm); The MOMA stays open until 8pm on Fridays (and is open till 8.45pm on Thursdays throughout July and August, and the first Thursday of the month).
  • Watching a Major League Baseball game is a great way to spend a summer evening with 30,000 other New Yorkers. Both local teams, The New York Yankees and the New York Mets have brand new state of the art stadiums with much improved access and facilities. And with 86 home games a year, tickets are usually available: www.yankees.mlb.com; and www.mets.mlb.com. Don’t miss stadium hot dogs and a cold beer, there are few greater pleasures on a balmy night.
  • A ticket to the Metropolitan Museum includes same-day admission to the Cloisters Museum. Don’t be put off by its uptown location. It’s a relatively quick trip on the A train, and the quiet beauty of this medieval collection on the northern tip of Manhattan is transporting. Don’t miss the stunning view of the Hudson from its contemplative gardens.
  • On a sunny work day at lunch time, Bryant Park becomes one of the city’s top people watching locations. It has free WiFi and often there are free live performances. Also, the Bryant Park Film Festival has become a new summer tradition in New York with a huge open air screen erected every Monday at one end and classic films played at dusk. Secure your place by around 5pm and bring a blanket to spread out and a nice bottle of wine www.bryantpark.org.
  • Steeply discounted standing room tickets for the normally sold out and very expensive Metropolitan Opera go on sale at 10am each day at the box office, for information call +1 212 362-6000. Just bring comfortable shoes for the show!
  • Same day, 50 per cent off tickets, are available to top Broadway shows at the TKTS booth in Times Square and at South Street Seaport starting at 3pm each day, www.tdf.org.
  • Yes, believe it or not, there are polar bears living in Central Park. Well, in the Central Park Zoo anyway. It is a hilarious and endearing sight to see seals swimming with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop: www.centralparkzoo.com.
  • With kids in tow, consider the petting zoo at the Central Park Zoo, the wonderful Children’s Museum (www.cmom.org) and the Coney Island Aquarium (www.nyaquarium.com).

Other useful tips

  • Sometimes tourist boards can be a waste of time but luckily the official New York Tourism department actually has a great special offers section on its website with details of 2-4-1 deals on Broadway shows and discounts on museum entry. Check www.nycgo.com/offers before you book.
  • When you hit town, pick up a copy of Time Out New York from a news stand to see the latest listings for live music, films and weekly events. You can also get updated highlights from www.nymag.com which is one of the city’s best, most easy to navigate, websites.
  • A couple of pronunciation tips to avoid sounding like a clueless foreigner: Greenwich Village is pronounced in the British style: GREN-itch; Houston Street is NOT named after the city of Houston, and pronounced HOUSE-ton.
  • While New York is much improved when it comes to safety as compared to the 1980s and 90s, it’s important to abide by some basic rules of street smarts: beware of pickpockets in the subway and crowded pedestrian areas like Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Don’t respond to solicitations or offers from people on the street. Keep your valuables locked in your hotel room and not on your wrist or around your neck, and definitely don’t accept a ride from cars except yellow taxis.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity