how to visit nyc
a tourists guide to America's best city
I feel like there are plenty of guides for nyc. Where to find the best dumplings, where to meet strangers, where to read with a view etc. They do a good enough job. And honestly, I think if you’ve lived here for longer than 2 years or so, you shouldn’t need a guide. Just find your own stuff. Wander around and decide what things you like what things you don’t like. Be your own tastemaker.
But for tourists, whats the guides are pretty dated or bad. I have lived here almost 15 years and I know what would make for a good visit and thats why I made this. My hope is that if you have friends that are coming to town for a week or so and are asking you questions about what their agenda should be, you can just send them a link to this and give them a decent baseline on how to do things right.
Its such an amazing place and tourists are such an integral part of it (even if they walk kind of slow) and I hate to see them going about it wrong and not seeing the magic because they are going to bad places.
Also shoutout to my friend Maiki who is coming to visit from Tokyo in September, I’m mostly writing this for you.
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Rules of the city
There are lots of unwritten rules in NYC. Well, now that I think about it, most of them have been written by this point. But if you’re a tourist you get a certain amount of leeway. You aren’t expected to swim through the city like a local. But you are expected to make some effort and that usually amounts to:
be aware of your surroundings. If you are somewhere super busy don’t stop in the middle of it. You will be blocking people. If you need to look at google maps or answer a text or tie your shoe, step to the side of the sidewalk toward the building so you aren’t blocking the sidewalk.
don’t be impassable when you walk. There is a good chance you walk slower than the people who live here. Thats totally fine. You are soaking it in and admiring things. Don’t rush. But also don’t walk all side by side so those who walk faster can’t pass you.
don’t talk to crazy people. Someone may come up to you and start rambling about something non-sensical. You may feel the polite thing to do is to hear them out or tell them no thanks or something. Ignore them. This is a rule for your own benefit.
Aside from those things, you should be fine. People here love giving directions too. So if you want to spend less time on your phone, don’t be afraid to ask a local for directions to something. Even if its non-specific like “do you know where to get a good sandwich around here?”
Major Tourist Attractions (Do’s and Dont’s)
Tourist attraction is such a dirty word. Well two words. But you know what I mean. It conjures images of pulling over on the highway to take a picture with the world’s largest rubber band ball or something. But some of the tourist attractions in New York are worth it. And by “it”, I don’t know what I mean, these things shouldn’t have lines. I don’t think anything is worth waiting in line for.
Do walk the high line
It’s a nice long walk with good views. Better than walking on the street in the same area. You don’t have to stop for traffic because its up in the air so there is no traffic. Just overall, very enjoyable. It also ends right at The Whitney, which I will get into in the museums section.
Don’t go to the statue of liberty
There are places where you can see it from in Manhattan. Get a nice pic with it in the background. The ferry there is disorganized, has a hellish line, and when you get there its sort of just like “oh thats it”. It also looks better from far away. Like you’re up close and you can’t even really tell what it is.
Do go up the Empire State Building
I don’t love this neighborhood. If you go, I’m sure you will get why. But going up the empire state building is cool. It has a great history and its a great view. I have heard that the top of One World Trade is also great. There are several tall buildings you can go to the top of. It’s quick and super enjoyable. But you only need to one. Once you’ve seen New York from the top of one tall building, you’ve seen it from the top of them all… as they say.
Don’t go to Hudson Yards
It’s a big shiny mall with all the same stores you have at the mall back home. Did you come here to see a Madewell or Chanel? It’s also not really near anything. So you’d be going out of your way to go to a mall thats just a shinier version of the mall you have back home. I mean take a pic at the vessel I guess since this is the other end of the high line.
Maybe go to Chelsea Market
It’s not an absolute must do. Like it’s a cool little food hall. I think all the eateries in it are unique to New York, so you won’t be going in to eat like Chic-Fil-A or something. But its kind of dark and crowded. It’s really nice if you are visting in the winter I think, but honestly not like a must do.
Sort of go to Oculus
So this is another one where its a mall with all the same stores at the mall in your home town. Like do you really need to spend time at an Apple Store or Banana Republic? BUT! It is a really beautiful architectural marvel. Go inside but don’t go down the stairs. This one only takes 5 minutes to fully take in. And when you go down stairs to the ground floor (actually underground) it seems less cool.
Do walk the Brooklyn Bridge
Well, actually I think the Manhattan Bridge is a better walk. But you should walk across one of these. The Manhattan Bridge is better because you get a really nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s not crowded. And instead of walking in the center of the bridge where you can’t see much over the sides, you get to walk on the side of the bridge and can actually see the neighborhoods you pass over.
Don’t go to Times Square
I mean, if it’s your first time visiting NYC, you’re gunna go to Times Square. Maybe you should go actually, just to see it. Because it is iconic and all that. But don’t talk to any of the people selling things there. It’s really hectic and miserable here but I get why you have to go.
The neighborhoods
There are lots of neighborhoods. Over 300 in NYC and over 50 in Manhattan alone. So you’re not going to “see them all” or even close. But honestly, most of them aren’t for you anyways. They are lovely to live in, but just won’t have that wow factor for someone who is only here for a short stay. I want you to walk around in awe and have a really amazing time here, so lets go through the ones you should prioritize.
Soho: You’re going to want to hit soho, it’s a great place to do shopping. But you want to avoid broadway. Broadway is the crowded center street of soho and it is all big chains. Utterly charmless. A really good soho street is Crosby. Walk down Crosby. It’s my favorite street here. Wooster is also nice. For cross streets Spring is nice. Just avoid Broadway and you’re good. Soho is not an ideal place to eat. So don’t plan on doing lunch here. Its a place to spend money on material goods, namely clothes.
Nolita: Nolita is like Soho’s cooler Gen Z cousin. Right to the east of Soho its a little more calm and has more interesting shops in my opinion. Elizabeth and Mulberry are great streets here. Lafayette can be a bit meh. Also on Elizabeth Street there is a great garden where you can bring an iced coffee and sit and read a book or play on your phone or whatever for awhile. The garden is filled with statues and is just really really pleasant. Also, Nolita stands for North of Little Italy.
The West Village: It has a reputation for a reason. Its very charming. One of the few historically protected neighborhoods in Manhattan, so no big buildings. Mostly quaint $25 million dollar townhouses. Lots of cobblestone streets. Cute shops. Lots of 28 year olds who work in finance or sell B2B SaaS. Great place to have coffee and a pastry. Highly recommend going to Three Lives & Co if you want to visit a book store. It’s the best one in the city in my opinion.
Upper West: Back when New York was gritty, everyone with money lived in Upper West Side or Upper East Side. Upper East was like the waspy bankers who voted for Reagan and Upper West was the more hippyish liberal Jews and bohemian types. Both touch up on Central Park. But Upper West has the added benefit of having Riverside Park on the other side. So it’s a park sandwich!
Tribeca: This is a pretty quiet neighborhood. Old factories turned into lofts where celebrities live. If you’re down here maybe get dinner at The Odeon. Classic old New York feeling brasserie from the 80s. Everything in this neighborhood is owned by Robert DeNiro. Also Tribeca stands for Triangle Below Canal.
Chinatown: I mean whats to explain about Chinatown that isn’t already in the name? Its a town that is Chinese. This might be one of the only places where you can still get a cheap bite and it will maybe be the best bite you have the whole trip. So go find some dumplings or noodles and enjoy. It’s one of my favorite neighborhoods, super windy random streets that you can get lost in.
FiDi: Aka Financial District. This neighborhood straight up feels like Batman. Super tall buildings and narrow streets ensure it’s kind of always dark and moody. Cool things to see like Wall Street. Just wind your way around here and pretend you are saving Gotham from the Riddler.
Lower East Side: Also sometimes called LES by people that think every neighborhood needs to be abbreviated. This used to be where the punks would hang out. Not anymore. Now it’s where college kids go out at night. But it still feels kind of punk. Just has that kind of vibe to it. Fun to walk around. Good food.
Brooklyn Heights: Okay, you probably want to at least see one other borough other than Manhattan. Staten Island is kind of New Jersey. Queens and the Bronx have cool stuff but they are more for the locals in my opinion. Sorry! So that leaves Brooklyn.
Now usually the tourist destination in Brooklyn is going to be Dumbo. But I think this is wrong. I think this happened because its the end of the Brooklyn Bridge which is a big tourist draw so naturally Dumbo became the Disneyworld of Brooklyn. But its kind of meh in my opinion. If you want to see Brooklyn you want to see charming Brownstones and tree lined streets and what not. So right next to Dumbo you will find Brooklyn Heights. I also recommend Park Slope and Fort Greene for this aesthetic but Brooklyn Heights is an easier trip and has the added benefit of having the promenade which has the most stunning view in New York City.Williamsburg: Great neighborhood. A plurality of my friends probably live here right now. I would say, not for tourists. Again if you want to see Brooklyn you are looking for a contrast to Manhattan where as Williamsburg is mostly an extension of Manhattan. I think of it as East East Village. If you are here just on a shopping trip then I would swing by here as they have some good shopping for sure. But if you want to see quintessential Brooklyn, this isn’t it.
Honorable mentions of neighborhoods you will almost certainly pass through: Greenwich Village, East Village, and Chelsea.
Museum Guide
New York, like all cities has great museums. You can’t do them all. I haven’t done them all and I have lived here almost half my life. So you have to prioritize. Here is the 411 on a few of the really good ones.
The Met: An absolute classic. Known mostly for its greek statues, ancient egyptian sarcophogi, and european paintings, a lot of people don’t realize that they also have a really good modern art section with Rothkos and Pollacks and the likes. A few tips for The Met. Plan on this being at least half a day. Grab some food at Butterfield Market before you go in so no one in your party gets cranky. Wear comfortable shoes. And rather than wait in the long line at the main entrance that is up the steps, go in the door right to the south of the big steps that is for handicapped people and there is no line. Just say you have erectile dysfunction or something. They can’t legally check if you’re actually handicapped.
The Natural History Museum: A great one for kids. They just added a new wing that has these giant ant farms in it. The main section with dinosaur bones and taxiderms hasn’t been updated in decades though. Which is kind of cool to think how those lions are older than your grandparents. A pro tip here for not waiting in line is to enter through the planetarium entrance.
The Whitney: This is all American Art and its in a great area. It’s also nice because it only takes like an hour to go through, as its not that big. I would recommend immediately taking the elevator to the top floor and then working your way down using the outdoor stairs which have a stellar view. Also this museum is as cool for the art as it is for the architecture of the actual building.
Chelsea Galleries: So if you’re really into art (nerd!) you should go to the galleries in Chelsea. They are all free. There are dozens of them. They are all between 10th and 11th ave starting at 19th street and going all the way up to 28th. Would recommend doing these on a weekday during the day. If you go on Thursday just after work hours you can find galleries having their openings and they will have free drinks at them and you can meet cool people.
There are obviously a lot more museums worth checking out like The Frick which is an old billionaire’s house and art collection. MoMa which is the museum of modern art and the guggenheim which is an architectural marvel. But this post is pretty long already so I am not gunna write all those up. The ones I listed are the best I think.
Parks Guide
Central Park: an absolute gem. Can easily spend a whole day here. Hell, you could spend a week here. Its gorgeous. Its perfect. Explore as much as you can. Try and find the castle!
Union Square: You can skip this one. Its pretty central when you’re downtown so you might pass through by accident. But its pretty grimy these days and not pleasant to hang out in. Really nice farmers market though. Go to Washington Square Park instead.
Washington Square Park: This is the fun one. Put your phone down. Don’t bring a book. Just sit on a black granite bench and just watch. I can be entertained here for hours. TikTok street interviews, skaters, NYU kids, people selling weed and mushrooms, poets, fortune tellers, artists. A fun place to be on a sunny day.
Bryant Park: If you work in finance and aren’t eating your sweetgreen at your desk then this is the place to be. Otherwise… skip!
Abingdon Square: An absolute gem. Grab a coffee at Casa Magazine and sit here with a book and look at the flowers. Quaint and cute and a good place to meet old people with stories.
Madison Square Park: Corporate sweetgreen spot as well. Skip!
AIDS Park: Used be a nice place to be but not anymore. Skip!
West Side Highway: This is a park in my opinion. Nice place to see hot people running. Also if you come here at sundown its a popular place for people to break up with their significant others. Something about looking at New Jersey must be anti-romantic. Also good place for a really long walk.
Prospect Park: Okay you’re in Brooklyn now. You probably heard how this park was designed by the same guy who did central park. I honestly dont think this one is worth your time as a tourist. I love it. It’s my backyard. But like if you want to explore a Frederik Law Olmsted creation, stick to Central Park.
Tompkins: Grab a bagel at Tomkins Square Bagels and sit on a bench and watch some of the city’s best skateboarders at one of the city’s best DIY skate parks.
Fort Tryon Park: I think you’re lost. Ask someone for directions to get back downtown.
Where to eat.
If I were to make an NYC food guide it would be a whole ‘nother 20 pages. But my advice is this. You aren’t going to go to the city’s hottest restaurants. Which are changing every month by the way. But like you don’t need to go to Carbone or 4 Charles when you’re here. If you can get a table, more power to you. I am sure you will enjoy it. But trying to do this kind of thing will make the trip stressful. Here are some tips.
Get a classic slice. You can go somewhere famous like Joe’s but the beauty of the New York Slice is that they are all pretty good. Anywhere that is advertising like a slice and a can of soda for $3 or less is going to be solid.
Get some noodles and/or dumplings in Chinatown. North Dumpling is really good. But there are lots of good ones. You can’t go wrong. You should spend under $10 or so on this meal.
Get som halal food. Like the chicken or lamb over rice from a cart. Or get a gyro from the cart. I don’t care. It’s just something to try.
Don’t eat at a chain. There are so many cool places that are only here. Don’t get something you can get back home. Skip the shake shack.
The smaller the better. General rule for New York restaurants. If its huge or if they have someone outside cat calling you to come inside, skip it. The best food you will find here are at places where you can’t fit inside if you’re wearing a winter coat, you hear every detail of the conversation next to you, and you knock over everyone’s drinks when you get up to use the bathroom.
Get a bagel. In the morning grab a bagel somewhere. Anywhere. Get it with creamcheese an lox. Or try a whitefish salad on it (Sable is really good). Get an iced coffee with it. Go sit in a park with it. You did it! Perfect NYC breakfast.
When should you visit?
I think April or May can just be the absolute loveliest time here. Cherry blossoms. Everyone is in a good mood because winter just ended. Cheer is in the air! But you do run the risk of it still being winter. Right now its mid-June and there is a general feeling that summer hasn’t started yet.
To keep it safe. September is pretty ideal. Days are still long. Its not too hot and sticky. You can have cool outfits. Pretty perfect. But not as many flowers.
Where should you stay?
I haven’t stayed at a ton of hotels in New York… because I live here. But I do have a few favorites.
Downtown
The Greenwich Hotel in TriBeCa is a beautiful hotel and the area is amazing. TriBeCa is a good base of operations for a tourist because its not super crazy. Not too crowded, no nightspots so you won’t find NYU kids throwing up on the curb when you go out to grab a coffee. But still close to a lot of fun neighborhoods that you will likely want to walk around.
Bowery Hotel and The Standard East Village. Also cool. Bowery has a great lobby with fireplaces. In the center of things but not on super crazy partying streets or anything.
The Standard High Line. As it’s name suggests this is right on the high line, which is a tourist must do. You are also a few steps from The Whitney which is a super cool museum, not just the art but archtecturally to walk around. Also, unlike many museums *ahem* The Met *ahem* you can do the whole thing in an hour, so you don’t have to set aside a whole day for it. You are also right by Chelsea Market, which isn’t a must do in NYC unless you’re here in the winter, but still cool. Downside is that there is a nightclub on the upper levels and meat packing can become a bit of a ruckus at night.
But unless you are staying at one of these, which are often not cheap, I would recommend staying uptown.
Uptown
I don’t really know the hotels uptown. But I do actually think it may be an ideal area to stay if you’re just visiting. You have Central Park, the museums, its not chaotic, its charming, and it hasnt changed much. It feels like a Woody Allen movie up there always and forever. I would recommend staying in upper west if possible. I find it a bit more charming than the east side.
Where not to stay
Because avoiding the bad is as important to a good time as seeking the good. So don’t stay in midtown. It is charmless. Don’t stay near Penn station either for the same reason. It will seem tempting because its near the Empire State building, can sometimes pitch itself as being “in Chelsea”. Just don’t.
Don’t stay outside of Manhattan. You may think you are saving a few bucks because you found somewhere to stay in Brooklyn or Queens or something. You’re here for such a short amount of time. Most of what you are here to see is in Manhattan. Be for real.
Do not. Do not. Do not. Get an AirBnB. They are illegal here so the ones you get are going to be sketchy. Like with the whole “tell everyone you are my sister and you are house sitting, dont say its an airbnb or i’ll kill you.” stuff. Also it probably won’t be that nice. No one with a really nice home in new york is gunna be listing it on airbnb. And most importantly.. this city is a bit dirty. Its not a clean city. It is very nice to come back after a long day and be in a clean hotel room. You will appreciate it.
Enjoy!
I love it here so so much. I hope whomever is reading this (if anybody) gets joy out of it. Obviously this doesn’t cover everything, but it should hopefully clear up a lot and make planning your visit easier. Hope to see you soon. If you want to hang out while you’re here just shoot me a DM. I dont have anything going on so Im down for whatever.
Bye. Love you.
I read this guide as if I never lived here and it made me so excited to visit. Then I read it as my real self and completely agree with all of these tips. Appreciate the love you give the UWS 🤍 but mostly appreciate the kind advice for a first timer.