I did practically the same like two weeks ago! Here's some tips: 1. You Want To Get Around: get yourself a MetroCard. DO IT. At any subway station you can get a 7-day Unlimited pass for $32. When you get a 'regular' pass it's $2.50 every time you want to get into the subway - which in my case was often. If you only use it for one roundtrip every day, it's worth it. The other three days I'd suggest doing per-ride and planning around that, or getting another 7-day if you feel like traveling. Also: you can get on the Roosevelt Island cablecar with your MetroCard. Also, the Citymapper app is FANTASTIC when you can get wifi. Do note that the time indication is kinda off. 2. You Want A View: you kinda have to. Stay the hell away from the Empire State building. Not worth the hours of waiting. I found the Rockefeller Center's top floor (dubbed Top of the Rock) to be way better and less touristy. 3. You Want A Museum: the best thing about Top of the Rock is that at the Top of the Rock desk, you can get a combo ticket to the MoMa. Saves you about $15 I think, and the ticket to the MoMa also gives you free access to MoMa PS1 in Brooklyn, so basically an entire day of things to do for $44. I didn't go to the Guggenheim or one of the other famous museums - but there are plenty for you to enjoy. 4. You Want the Food: I found that the area around Fulton Street subway station has lots of food restaurants. There's a TripAdvisor app which saves a lot of restaurants, ATM's and attractions on your device. It's how I found some really neat places I'd otherwise not go to. 5. You Want the Culture: lots of places that are hidden. I recommend the Chelsea Market (great food and awesome place) and the High Line that's next to it (although it's a bit touristy nowadays). Williamsburg is up-and-coming and Brooklyn definitely has character but I didn't get to spend that much time there. 6. You Want to Feel Like A Local: I think nowaypablo can help here. For me, the best way to enjoy NYC is to just explore and go in with only a loose plan. Stroll around places like DUMBO, the Flatiron district, Upper East Side, Central Park, and you'll go where 90% of tourists don't bother with.
MUSEUMS THAT MUSEUM GO-ERS SHOULD GO TO, THAT AREN'T MOMA: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. There are no exceptions. You can't go to museums here and not see the met. It is amazing. And ranges from free to $5. The Frick Collection. The Morgan Library The Guggenheim. A must-go for modern art with actual substance and quality, you will evade the inevitable heaps of shit that rot in the MoMA. . AREAS YOU MUST VISIT IF YOU HAVE EYES AND FEET ESPECIALLY EYES SoHo, AND Chelsea, which are nearby to each other, and are a must must must must Columbus Circle/Lincoln Center NOT TIMES SQUARE
That is all. Enjoy.
Edit: NikolaiFyodorov, this is for you. Also note that my taste is a little more hipster and places like SoHo and Chelsea are cultural dens of beauty and modernity and art and wealth, as opposed to locations like the Empire State Building, or Times Square which are just 'wow look at how big these shiny things are' kind of wealth. That said, I'll second veen's suggestion of going to the Top of the Rock. Seriously, forget the State Building, and either way you're probably gonna pass through Times Square during your journey, and a pass-through is all you need. Lincoln Center/Columbus circle are in my opinion far more extravagant than the Rockefeller center, though that is also awesome. For context, all of these places are actually only a few blocks from each other, in what is called Midtown. Columbus Circle is also right by the South end of Central Park. Going a little more South, lands you in the Rockefeller Center. Avoid a cab unless you can really afford it, and don't be afraid of the Subway. Keep us posted on your plans!
Never been... to either! Nowadays if I'm spending time in the city I go to a cool district (love me the West Village and Chelsea) and I walk around alone or with friends. It's the beautiful perk of Manhattan that you can get off at any street and have a place to party.
PS1 doesn't really have much up at the moment, but Nikolai, if you're here when the NY Art Book Fair is happening, that's the only art thing you really need to do. It takes place at PS1. Keep a whole day free for it. It is the art event each year. http://nyartbookfair.com/ Other than that, screw the Koonsy Whitney right now, MoMA's inbetween some better shows... but actually the New Museum has a surprisingly good show on right now though.
The Art Book Fair looks fantastic, and since I'm arriving on the 27th, there's every chance I can make a visit. Thanks a lot, romkeh.
Thanks a lot, nowaypablo. A friend of mine resides in SoHo so I'll certainly be spending time there. Is Chelsea home of the famous Chelsea Hotel? I'm going to eschew google and just assume that it is.
Yeah, it's one of the coolest things about the area that the most modern buildings and galleries in Manhattan are snuggled in between awesome historical landmarks.
Thanks a lot veen. I'll definitely put the Rockefeller Centre (and therefore MOMA) on top of my list. Speaking of museums, word has it that the Tenement Museum is a total gem, so I'll probably give that a look in. And yes, I also plan to spend at least several days involved in aimless wandering to see what comes up. Restaurants are going to be slightly complicated because my girlfriend is vegan. Hopefully TripAdvisor will help there (I'm downloading the app now). The city is supposed to be a vegan mecca, anyway. Thanks again.
One of the good things about NYC is that the restaurant market is so competitive that shitty restaurants have a difficult time surviving. They have to be a bit expensive, because real estate is so valuable, so no one is going to pay premium prices for shitty food. Therefore, you can find something decent (including vegan food--especially in trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods like Williamsburgh, Greenpoint, Bushwick) pretty much where ever you are. If you can't find good food in NY, you really have to be trying not to.