1st Visit to New York & Yes I am a Tourist

[Foreigner]

That's ok, horses for courses, you might love it ! Hope you do !

One WTC was not yet open when we were there but it offers a difference vantage point to ESB/TOTR which is quite similar in their midtown locations.
911 Museum also worth visiting, its bang on at the One WTC site so you probably won't miss it.

Great food in NYC and its a great city for walking/jogging, I often did my morning run to Central Park and back (I was staying in the West Village). Alot of good restaurants/cafes around that area (West Village, Chelsea, Greenwich Village). Chelsea markets worth seeing.

Not sure about Boston, we didn't go there.

Walk like there's no tomorrow...

NYC is great for walking and running. As is Las Vegas. Taking paracetamol before bedtime helped me for next day's repeat.

 

[Milboo]

Manhattan is completely walkable and the subway easy to master.

Like another poster, I eat with abandon when I am there and still lose 2kg on average each trip!

My preferred way of seeing the city is to identify something I want to see and then doing that and exploring the neighbourhood around it rather than going from sight to sight - so much of the magic of Manhattan is about what's around a corner. My last trip in Feb (my 4th) was centred around finding good coffee! I will be back around Jan/ Feb again and am still contemplating my theme - maybe doughnuts!!

I recommend heading over to Brooklyn and going to Brooklyn Bridge Park and watching the sunset over Manhattan and then catching the East River ferry back and getting those sweeping city views with the lights. Get off at East 34th just near the Queensboro Bridge.

 

[thommo9]

My 2 cents - ride the subway. Cheapest, easiest way to get around. Quintessential New York transport. For the price of a 7 day pass, it will pay for itself and then some.

Even riding a little later in the evening, the masses are still out, you won't be the only person riding the subway so do not worry about safety.

 

[chelzmalee]

Read the Trip Advisor forum on NYC - there's an Ultimate Subway guide and it is SO helpful in understanding how the NYC subway works. Once you understand, you'll be sweet!

Try to book a Big Apple Greeter - they're local New Yorkers and take you on a walking tour, show you how to use the subway etc. Ours went for about 4 hours and it's just your group and the guide (in my case, Mum and myself and the guide). You may have left the run a bit late for this but try anyway. It's free (though they encourage you to make a donation via post/online afterwards and the volunteers do not accept tips).

And if you're a photo/video nerd, visit B&H Photo Video. It's the biggest AV store in the world and just incredible to visit. The staff there are incredibly helpful, too. They're on 9th and 34th, and are closed Saturdays and Friday afternoons.

 

[dmitri]

This site has some handy info on it

The Official New York City Guide to NYC Attractions, Dining, Hotels and Things to Do / nycgo.com

 

[irv]

Read the Trip Advisor forum on NYC - there's an Ultimate Subway guide and it is SO helpful in understanding how the NYC subway works. Once you understand, you'll be sweet!


And if you're a photo/video nerd, visit B&H Photo Video. It's the biggest AV store in the world and just incredible to visit. The staff there are incredibly helpful, too. They're on 9th and 34th, and are closed Saturdays and Friday afternoons.

I have some secret plans for B&H, however I have given her license to delve into her interests, so will probably get away with it (maybe )

 

[irv]

Manhattan is completely walkable and the subway easy to master.

Like another poster, I eat with abandon when I am there and still lose 2kg on average each trip!

My preferred way of seeing the city is to identify something I want to see and then doing that and exploring the neighbourhood around it rather than going from sight to sight - so much of the magic of Manhattan is about what's around a corner. My last trip in Feb (my 4th) was centred around finding good coffee! I will be back around Jan/ Feb again and am still contemplating my theme - maybe doughnuts!!

I recommend heading over to Brooklyn and going to Brooklyn Bridge Park and watching the sunset over Manhattan and then catching the East River ferry back and getting those sweeping city views with the lights. Get off at East 34th just near the Queensboro Bridge.

Generally when we go away we come back lighter than when we left. Like a number in this post, walking is the way to truly enjoy where you are.

 

[get me outta here]

After ending up in a couple of places I wasn't intending to after taking the wrong subway and spending time standing around on platforms, I realised that walking was so much more enjoyable. I know some people think the NYC subway is good, but after comprehensible subways like Tokyo and HKG, the NYC one was a bit unreadable to me, but luckily, the natives are so friendly and helpful.

 

[Foreigner]

After ending up a couple of places I wasn't intending to after taking the wrong subway and spending time standing around on platforms, I realised that walking was so much more enjoyable. I know some people think the NYC subway is good, but after comprehensible subways like Tokyo and HKG, the NYC one was a bit unreadable to me, but luckily, the natives are so friendly and helpful.

And the NYC subway is damn noisy

 

[Milboo]

Check out New York - Walk and Explore on Facebook too.

 

[kevrosmith]

The ferry across to Staten Island is free and gives you great shots of Statue of Liberty.

I did a lot of the Free Walking tours and they were fantastic. Would highly recommend these as a way to join a group, explore different parts of the city and actually learn about what you are looking at.

Subway was easy to get around but I also found taxis cheap and quick. Sometimes it meant I could maximize my time at one spot before moving onto my next appointment/booking last minute.

I did TOTR in September. Think I arrived around 9 or 10pm (the entry was hard to find) but there was no queue at all. Didn't do ESB, but as someone pointed out to me, part of seeing the sky line is to see ESB, and you can't do that when you are on it. Once I'd done TOTR, I figured the view from ESB was similar so didn't feel the need to do both.

Passes us like New York City Pass give you access to many of the tourist attractions, and skip the line at some.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re day trip to Boston, it's doable but will be a long day. It's about a 4 hour train trip from Penn Station (34th St). You can buy your ticket at a ticket machine when you get to the station.

Given the travel time both ways, you could have 7 to 8 hours in Boston. Maybe do a bus tour, if the timing works. But Boston is like New York in that it is a great city to walk. It's also much more compact. You could do the "Freedom Trail" (follow the lines marked on the road and footpaths) which covers all the major sights. You can go to Paul Revere's house; visit the graveyard where many of the founding fathers are buried; enjoy Boston Common; visit many sites associated with the War of Independence. It's a great place for history buffs and just has a nice feel to it.

If you get the chance, visit Harvard (a walk through the Harvard Yard will give you a feel for the place) - you can get there on the subway. If you had longer, I'd also suggest visiting the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, but it's more out in the suburbs, so I doubt you'd have time to fit it in.

And from the shore of the CBD, look across the harbour at Logan Airport - so close to the middle of town!

 

[drron]

I know books are a little passe but when we first started to go to NYC we got this book.describes what you are seeing and makes planning easier-
City Walks: New York : Christina Henry de Tessan : 9780811874120

On line look at this site-
The 10 coolest NYC walking tours

And definitely second the Big Apple Greeter.Fantastic day.

 

[Denali]

I thought the VIP tickets for the Empire State Building were well worth it - skipped hundred and hundreds of people to get in but I would also say, having done both, do the Top of the Rock so you can see both ESB and Central Park.

When doing the Statue of Liberty/Battery Park, take some time to check out the Merchant Marine monument at the waterline/near the entry queue - its partly in the water, I thought it was amazing.

I also booked my husband on a walking photography tour with this mob, he really enjoyed it: new york photo tours

Have a great time!

 

[Alanslegal]

Walk the High Line btw they r trying to copy that idea in sydney with The Goods Line and I just LOL @ sydney

 

[burmans]

Walk the High Line btw they r trying to copy that idea in sydney with The Goods Line and I just LOL @ sydney

Without commenting on the Goods Line plenty of New Yorkers thought the High Line was a pretty stupid idea too and look how successful that has been

 

[get me outta here]

The High Line is great. I just hope the SYD people also spend the money on top notch Landscape Architects and horticulturists as they did in NYC.

Without commenting on the Goods Line plenty of New Yorkers thought the High Line was a pretty stupid idea too and look how successful that has been

 

[burmans]

I know nothing about what is planned in any detail except for the fact I've always thought the old Goods Line was a waste of good public space right in or close enough to the middle of the city. In my view it's an ideal piece of land to turn into public space and just about anything would be better than nothing.

Having said that public planners sometimes seem determined to show they can come up with something that's worst than nothing in far too many cases.

 

[irv]

Re day trip to Boston, it's doable but will be a long day. It's about a 4 hour train trip from Penn Station (34th St). You can buy your ticket at a ticket machine when you get to the station.

Given the travel time both ways, you could have 7 to 8 hours in Boston. Maybe do a bus tour, if the timing works. But Boston is like New York in that it is a great city to walk. It's also much more compact. You could do the "Freedom Trail" (follow the lines marked on the road and footpaths) which covers all the major sights. You can go to Paul Revere's house; visit the graveyard where many of the founding fathers are buried; enjoy Boston Common; visit many sites associated with the War of Independence. It's a great place for history buffs and just has a nice feel to it.


If you get the chance, visit Harvard (a walk through the Harvard Yard will give you a feel for the place) - you can get there on the subway. If you had longer, I'd also suggest visiting the JFK Presidential Library and Museum, but it's more out in the suburbs, so I doubt you'd have time to fit it in.

And from the shore of the CBD, look across the harbour at Logan Airport - so close to the middle of town!

Thanks John. I know it will be a long day, but hey we are on holidays. Thanks for your input, will definitely visit

 

[Cruiser Elite]

irv take subway to Coney Island Sat or Sun - crowded but just total fun - you can eat a Nathan's hot dog and do all the corny things the yanks do - we loved that trip.

High Line a must - if you like steak then Gallaghers or Uncle Jacks - B.B.Kings Blues Club - if you are grown ups and enjoy grown ups bars then Lillies off Times Square.

Central Park for sure - god I loved New York - what a sensational city to visit.