NORTH AMERICA / USA / NEW YORK / NEW YORK CITY / SEE & DO
7 of The Best Things to Do in
New York City
by Courtney Delfino / November 10, 2018
As one of the world’s leading metropolises for art, fashion, food and theater, New York is a city every traveler should visit. Whether you come for a day trip or for an extended stay, choosing what to see and do is the toughest part – the possibilities are endless. Here are 7 of the best things to do while visiting New York that will be an unforgettable experience.
New York City skyline from Top of the Rock
1. VISIT BRYANT PARK
Bryant Park is a locals park located in Midtown, Manhattan that is great for people watching. It has beautiful seasonal gardens and fresco dining. During Christmas, they set up the winter village which houses specialty small business shops, an ice skating rink, and even to-go cocktails!
Bryant Park Farmers Market
2. TAKE A STROLL THROUGH CENTRAL PARK
Central Park, smack dab in the middle of Manhattan, is one of the city’s most photogenic places. Wander through its vast space to discover a favorite spot – whether Strawberry Fields, where John Lennon is commemorated; the bronze sculpture of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland; or the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace at the heart of the park. Opened in 1858, the park was designed by Frederick Law Omstead and Calvert Vaux, who followed it with Brooklyn’s Prospect Park in 1867. Both parks have zoos, lakes, tens of thousands of trees and glorious meadows. You can skate and play hockey at Central Park’s Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink (a swimming pool in summer) and at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center.
Central Park Mid-day
3. SEE SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
NYC’s art scene is unparalleled. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and other museums present great art from around the world, while galleries in the Lower East Side and Chelsea promote new talent. There’s much more to savor than art, however. See the famous blue whale and animal dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History; learn about America’s most famous jazzman at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and about the history of Lower East Side immigrants at the Tenement Museum; walk along the deck of a World War II aircraft carrier at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum; and ask everything you ever wanted to know about lovemaking at the Museum of Sex.
Guggenheim Museum
4. EXPLORE MIDTOWN
5th Avenue is said to be the most expensive street in New York and the best place to shop in the world. Shopping may not be one of the free things to do in New York, but window shopping costs nothing. On 5th Avenue, in addition to luxury stores, are some of the most famous buildings in New York: Empire State, MOMA, and Flatiron Building.
Flat Iron Building
5. GET LOST SHOPPING IN SOHO
New York City's SoHo (shorthand for South of Houston Street) is synonymous with shopping thanks to its mix of major chains -- Uniqlo, H&M, Victoria's Secret -- and high-end brands such as Marc Jacobs and Prada. But as one of Manhattan's best-known neighborhoods, there's also world-class food, drink and art as long as you know where to look.
Soho boutique
6. STAND IN AWE OF THE SKYSCRAPERS
Few experiences are as humbling as walking down a Manhattan street with skyscrapers towering over you. From 1930s monuments like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building to the One World Trade Center (aka the Freedom Tower), completed in 2013, these gigantic beauties have to be seen to be believed. The views from the Empire State Building are not only awe-inspiring, by day and by night; they also communicate a sense of the city’s vastness within the context of the surrounding land; on a clear day, five states are visible from the observation deck.
Interior and exterior of the World Trade Center
7. DISCOVER DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS
No two neighborhoods in New York City are the same. Brooklyn’s Park Slope, with its rows of expensive brownstones, is adjacent to Gowanus, an area of light industry that has become home to a new art scene. Once dangerous, Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan’s midtown west has been taken over by restaurants and gay bars, but it’s still markedly different from the ritzy Theater District nearby. Walking from SoHo into Chinatown, you find yourself in a new world. That’s the beauty of New York.
Interior and exterior of the World Trade Center
IN: TRAVEL, TRAVEL GUIDES, USA TRAVEL | TAGGED: NEW YORK, USA