My husband and I are heading to NYC this month. I've been to a few travel websites and I am somewhat overwhelmed. We plan to stay in the Midtown section of Manhattan, which seems to be fairly close to the places we would like to visit. However, we would consider staying somewhere else if it is convenient to get to the usual attractions/events and is a lot less expensive, yet still safe and clean. Are the buses and the subway convenient, or a big hassle for people not used to using them? We would like to see the usual attractions, most likely a show or two, Statue of Liberty, Time Square, museums, etc. We would also like to visit places like Chinatown or Little Italy if these are worth visiting. Any comments? Can people offer some tips on getting around, things we "must see" beyond what I stated above, etc. Also, do they have some kind of "reservation" system for people for some of the sites, e.g. some attractions in a city close to my home allow you to reserve a ticket by paying ahead online, eliminating the need to stand in line for an hour or more before the place even opens. Thank you!
Definitely avoid the tourist traps like Times Square, US liberty, Empire State, etc; if you do go to these places make sure you eat before because just like any tourist traps the price of food inside these places is outrageous. Also, if you can walk as much as possible and avoid the tour buses...NYC is one of those places you really want to explore on foot.
This is usually my answer...if you want to see lots of a city at one time, book a tour! I know that Gray Line offers a ton of tours of Manhattan and beyond that go to Manhattan and other top attractions. Another fun way to see things is on a boat tour. Circle Line and Spirit Cruises have some really cool trips. You get better access to lots of places and it can be cheaper than going to see everything on your own. Broadway tickets can be purchased for the day of the show (probably not for Hamilton unless you're a zillionaire) at the theaters and booths on Broadway. I'd also throw in a plug for a walking food tours. There are some good pizza tours and other tours that take you off the beaten path to some good local food. As for the buy-head pass, you could go with CityPass. I've used that in lots of other cities and paid online in advance. It saves you some money, and you don't have to wait in the long lines to buy tickets. In New York, the City Pass includes: The Empire State Building Experience American Museum of Natural History The Metropolitan Museum of Art Top of the Rock Observation Deck OR Guggenheim Museum Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Please let us know about your trip and what you'd recommend. Destination360 has oodles of guides for New York City here. That's a great place to start too. Circle Line Tours Photo: Jim Henderson
My best advice, is do not drive and use the subway system. I learned the hard way by taking my 5 speed through Manhattan. Not a good idea!
Agree with Fiona, best is not to drive and use bus or train system, this way you will be more comfortable and will be enjoy the trip.
For tourists/first timers, I would say (in no particular order of coolness) 1. Empire State Building 2. Statue of Liberty 3. Top of the Rock Observation 4. Circle Line Boat Tour 5. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 6. Broadway Show 7. Rockefeller Center 8. Metropolitan Museum of Art 9. American Museum of National History 10. Wall Street (lots of walking tours, plus you can get a picture with the Bull statue) That's just Manhattan. Destination360 has lots of articles for New York City. Beyond Manhattan, you've got Coney Island, Yankee Stadium, the botanical gardens, Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown....it goes on and on. If you haven't been there before, Toxict, picking a walking tour would be a fun way to see the top things to do. Good luck!