It’s not easy to decide what to do in New York when planning a trip there. The city is known for not sleeping and having everything imaginable. But even so, it is important to make a list with the main tourist spots to organize and enjoy the trip. After all, the Big Apple has been part of our imagination since childhood.
From Central Park to Statue of Liberty, see our tips for what to do in New York:
What to do in New York
Before anything, remember that there’s a lot to do in New York and that you probably won’t be able to see everything on one trip (which is good because you’ll always have an excuse to come back). In addition, it is worth walking around the city to discover the less touristic corners, check the news of the showcases and just watch people running from one side to the other. That being said, let’s go to our list with what to do in New York.
TIMES SQUARE
There is no way!! You talked in New York, Times Square is one of the first places that comes to mind. Take the opportunity to walk around, enjoy the giant and light-filled signs, stroll through the famous shops, such as M&Ms and Hersheys and sit on the famous staircase to watch the time pass. You can even eat there. It has Olive Garden, Carmines, which has great prices, and Applebee’s. Ahh! If you do, go at night to have the real feeling of the lights on.
+ Find discount hotels in New York
CENTRAL PARK
Central Park is another must-see on the list with what to do in New York. It is worth booking a morning or afternoon to walk around the park, but, without forgetting, stop at the most famous spots, such as the Strawberry Fields, a tribute to John Lennon, The Gasptow Bridge, famous for the dove scene in “Forgot Me 2”, and the Sheep Meadow, which has the back buildings and is where the New Yorkers love to catch a sun in the summer.
STRAWBERRY FIELDS
West Side between 71st to 74th St
THE GASPTOW BRIDGE
East Side 62nd St
SHEEP MEADOW
West Side from 66th to 69th St
QUINTA AVENIDA
If you are in doubt about what to do in New York, the tip is to walk for nothing! And walking aimlessly along Fifth Avenue is even cooler. There are the biggest brands in the world with their big stores, including the most famous Apple Store of all. Also be sure to pass the Library and the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even the Empire State is on Fitth Avenue.
THE EMPIRE STATE
350 5th Ave
National Library
476 5th Ave
APPLE STORE
767 5th Ave
GUGGGENHEIM
1071 5th Ave
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ARTE
1000 5th Ave
This is the Freedom
Of course, the Statue of Liberty could not be left off this list. I confess that the first time I went to New York I was a little disappointed when I realized that I would not see the statue from everywhere, but then, when I saw it from close, the disappointment passed lol. There are two walking possibilities to see the Statue of Liberty: a free and one paid. We have already explained all the differences between them, but, in short, in the free people pass by ferry from the front of the statue, but we are not going close to it. Already in the pay, we came down from the boat and were very close to the monument. The two tours are good, do the math and see if it is worth spending money and time with it on your trip.
See the differences between the paid and free ride
TOURO DE WALL STREET
Charging Bull, known as the Wall Street Bull, is an indispensable attraction for those who are in need of a little luck lol. They say that passing your hands on your balls and on your horns gives an improvement in professional and financial life. As it is located already on the way to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, it is worth reconciling the two attractions on the same day. The bull was created by the artist Arturo Di Modica and weighs 300 tons. It almost always has a queue (well disorganized) to be able to place the hand on the private parts of the bull.
Photo via Shutterstock
End.: Broadway & Morris St
+ Find your hotel in New York with discount
ONE WORLD – WORLD TRADE CENTER
Opened in 2015, One World, or the New World Trade Center, is an unmissable attraction for those who like large buildings. The largest building in the West is 540 meters high and the observatory is on the 102nd floor. I bought the ticket at the ticket office the day before what I wanted to go and did not get a queue (Unlike when I first went to the Empire State, where I stayed 2 hours to get in), but you can also buy through the site. It’s a worthwhile ride, but if I had to choose between One World, the Empire State and the Top of the Rock, I’d take the Top of the Rock, since the view from there has the Empire in the background and Central Park as well. But for modernity One World wins from afar.
Photo by One World Observatory
+ See all our tips about this tour
End.: 285 Fulton St
MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM OF THE 11 SEPTEMBER
Since we talk about the World Trade Center, or One World, take the time to go to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The memorial is a mirror of water located exactly where the Twin Towers were. To access this monument, you do not have to pay anything.
The 9/11 Museum is a different museum from the others because almost everyone who passes by it lived this story somehow in 2001 and has scenes of the fateful day in his memory. In it are found objects of the victims, remains of the buildings and even fire trucks that participated in the rescue. Unlike the memorial, to be at the Museum it is necessary to buy a ticket. Entrance is included in the New York Pass.
End.: 180 Greenwich St
+ See more information on the official website
HIGH LINE
The High Line is a suspended park and one of the coolest places in New York. Inaugurated in 2009, it was built on a deactivated railway line. The High Line is 2.5 km long and passes through three neighborhoods of New York. In addition to park, it also serves as an open-air museum, as at every step a new work appears among New York City buildings. In fact, the graffiti of the Brazilian Kobra is one of the highlights of the region.
+ See more information about High Line
End.: It starts on Gansevoort Street in Meatpacking, to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues.
+ Do not travel without hosting! Find your hotel in New York with discount
THE EMPIRE STATE
The Empire State is one of the attractions that often appears on the list with what to do in New York. Always full, it is not easy to get a space only yours up there, but it is a historic place and it is worth going to at least once in a lifetime. The two times I went, I got a lot of queues to get up. You can buy the ticket through the site. Anyway, as much as you can’t get up in the building, it’s worth going through it to see all that immensity up close.
+ See how our experience at Empire State
End.: 350 5th Ave
| Find the best price in Insurance Viagem pros USA Do not travel to the United States without insurance. You avoid headaches with any health problems and even unforeseen events with flight cancellations and delays. Hospitals and doctors in the country are usually very expensive. Therefore, it is worth already leaving Brazil with guaranteed insurance. Use the coupon ESSEMUNDOSSO5 and get 5% more discount |
TOP OF THE ROCK
Top of the Rock is, as the name implies, the top of the Rockefeller Center, one of the most famous buildings in New York (mainly by the ice skating rink in winter). The great difference of it is that from above you can see the Empire State Building and also Central Park. The building is much more empty than the Empire. A cool tip is that at Rockefeller there is an NBC store and in the morning it is possible to watch the program Today through the glass studio.
End.: 30 Rockefeller Plaza
GRAND CENTRAL
Another program that should go on the list of what to do in New York is a tour of Grand Central. The central station of New York is famous for appearing in several films and is also the place from where several trains leave for all regions of the city and also outside it. In addition, Grand Central also works as a mall with several shops and restaurants.
End.: 89 E 42nd St
BRIDGE OF THE BROOKLYN
The Brooklyn Bridge is a must-see tour of New York. It is very worth walking around its less than 2km on foot to enjoy the look of the city. For those who want to access the bridge from Manhattan, the ideal is to get off at Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall station. But the opposite route is more worthwhile for the view you have of Manhattan. To do this, get off at High Street station.
Photo via Shutterstock
BROADWAY
What to do in New York besides eating, walking and visiting tourist attractions? Enjoy a Broadway musical! There are the classics, such as Mamma Mia and The Lion King, and the novelties that come up every year. I have two tips: the first is about English. If your English is not the best in the world, the ideal is to take a musical with familiar songs. If not, you will get sleepy because you will understand almost nothing. The other tip is the TKTS box office, which is very close to the theaters. On the very day of each performance, they sell tickets for a more comrade in the dear. However, for the most popular musicals, it is difficult to find promotions. Before you go, it is worth taking a look at the site to get a sense of values and schedules.
USMUSES
There is no shortage of in New York is a museum. It has for all tastes. You can’t get to know everyone on a trip unless you give priority to them. MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Natural History Museum, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), Guggenheim and the 9/11 Museum are some of them.
MET
1000 5th Ave
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTARY
Central Park West & 79th St
MOMA
11 W 53rd St
GUGGGENHEIM
1071 5th Ave
MUSEUM OF THE 11 SEPTEMBER
180 Greenwich St
SOURSORS
New York is not exactly the best place to shop in the United States when we compare it to Miami and Orlando. Still, be sure to go to Macys (apart the coupon of discounts for tourists), the largest department store in the world, and Century 21, which is close to where the Twin Towers were and has outlet-style products. I already made good shopping in this store. Speaking of outlet, for those with time, there are two options that went from Manhattan: Woodbury, about 1 hour, and Jersey Gardens, half an hour.
MACYS
151 W 34th St
CENTURY 21
21 Dey Street
WOODBURY
498 Red Apple Ct, Central Valley, NY
JERSEY GARDENS
651 Kapkowski Rd, Elizabeth, NJ
CURTIVE A ROOFTOP
The rooftop bars are a great tip for those who want to know what to do in New York at night. I followed the suggestion of Anna, from Us in the World, who has a great list of rooftops, and went to 230 Fifth. The view is beautiful! It’s worth it.
End.: 230 5th Ave
Have you had any questions about what to do in New York? Leave it in the comments!
