From the first step out of a subway station a wall of noise hits you. Sirens, car horns, music, people, everything about New York is a sensory overload. The buildings tower above you and feel so familiar, because you’ve seen them so many times before, that they almost don’t feel real.
I didn’t know what to expect from my first visit to New York and spent a lot of time researching and planning things to do. Being a first time visit, hitting the top tourist spots was high on the to-do list. Afterall, they’re famous for a reason. Here’s a tried and tested five day itinerary for New York, giving you a guide to making the most of your trip without coming away feeling like you haven’t had a holiday.
Still deciding when to go? New Yorkers say shoulder seasons are the best time to enjoy the city and I’d agree. Visiting in October, just before a peak tourist season for Christmas in late November and December, was perfect. Not too busy and not too cold. Although the weather was unseasonably warm, and we found ourselves enjoying late autumn sun, t-shirt weather and blue sky days, we still experienced that ‘fall’ magic with the leaves turning making it a lovely time to visit.
Day One
Depending on your flight time and how jet-lagged you are, you might just want to go for a walk, check out Times Square and head for dinner before crashing out. Getting from JFK to Manhattan is easy enough by public transport, look for the Airtrain, or you can take a yellow cab to go direct. It’ll take about the same amount of time. Seeing the skyline appear for the first time as a wall of skyscrapers is pretty impressive and makes the taxi journey worth it.
Times Square reminded me a lot of Leicester Square, to be honest. I enjoyed the walk there, taking in the sights on the way, like Radio City and the Rockerfeller Centre. A real introduction to how overwhelming New York is on the senses; the lights, the noise, everywhere you turn something going on. At one point, I turned around to find a man holding a giant python and gesturing people to take photos. That was enough adventure for one day!
Day Two
Walk Brooklyn Bridge and explore Dumbo
The views from Brooklyn Bridge are incredible. The earlier you go, the less busy it will be.
Walking through Brooklyn Bridge Park and along the water to Pebble Beach, with the sun on our backs and views across the water felt so peaceful in such a busy city. We stopped and sat by Jane’s Carousel which features in Past Lives, one of my favourite films, and is a perfect spot to take it all in.
Statue of Liberty
It goes without saying that you’ll want to see the iconic Statue of Liberty. There are several ways you can do this but you’ll need to head to Battery Park for the Staten Island Ferry terminal. From there you can either take a tour of Liberty and Elis Island, which gets you up close to the statue and allows you to climb it as well as visit the museums, or you can go across to Staten Island giving you views across the Hudson to the Statue and the city skyline. You’ll need to get off and reboard at Staten Island and the round trip takes about 40 minutes. This was honestly such an enjoyable experience and is a great way to get off your feet after a day of walking.
Top of the Rock
There are so many observation decks and skyline viewpoints to choose from across the city but the one at the top of the Rockerfeller centre offers unobstructed views of the Empire State Building and across to the Statue of Liberty. You book a time slot for entry, so we planned to arrive an hour before sunset which meant we caught the golden hour as well as the sunset and nightfall. I loved seeing the city change in the evening light from 70 floors up. There are three levels which you can walk between at your own pace, the top deck did get crowded as the sun set but the lower decks had plenty of space and we were able to get lots of golden hour photos.
Day Three
Central Park
This was one of my favourite days of the trip, starting the day with a long walk to explore all corners of Central Park. We visited the Strawberry Fields memorial to John Lennon, saw people cutting across the famous ice-rink, soaked in the colours of the season. We even saw painted turtles in Turtle Pond! The park feels so far removed from the city, with forested areas like The Ramble and boating lakes where you could people-watch till dusk.
American Museum of Natural History
Situated on Upper West Side, close to Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History is a must-visit. You could easily spend a whole day exploring each of the exhibition halls, covering animals, fossils, cultural artifacts and even a planetarium.
Day Four
The High Line
The High Line is a public park built on a 1.45 mile long elevated railway track, winding its way from Gansevoort St. to 34th St. on Manhattan’s West Side. Wander along the landscaped walkway, take in the sculptures and street art as well as the views of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District.
Catch a Broadway show
We saw Back to the Future at the Winter Garden theatre and it was so good, genuinely laugh out loud funny. The set, costume and story (which has been updated) were all fantastic. Catch it before it finishes in January. You can buy discounted on the day tickets at the box office in Times Square but be prepared to queue, or just buy them in advance online via the theatre’s website.
Day Five
Visit an art gallery
New York is home to iconic galleries including the Met, MoMA and The Guggenheim. I’d have loved to have visited all of them but my top tip for visiting New York as a first timer is not to pack too much into each day. Remember that the city is huge, so walking between places takes time. Although I much prefer walking and taking the scenic route, don’t be afraid to hop on a subway. Despite what people will tell you, it’s relatively easy to use if you have apps like CityMapper and are used to an underground system.
If you have time, head to the Met for it’s beautiful architecture and a collection spanning 5,000 years. Or try MoMA for contemporary art, or The Guggenheim for a museum that’s as impressive in design as the work it holds.
Pier 54
If you’re looking for somewhere to watch the sunset, head to Pier 54 close to Chelsea Market. The structure has a landscaped garden and amphitheatre overlooking Jersey offering lovely views. We got lucky with the sunset when we visited.
(More) things to do in New York
There’s no shortage of things to do in New York but some highlights of the trip were the more stumbled-upon spots. As well as ticking off all the must-see attractions, you can get so much out of just wandering around the city, taking it all in and finding hidden gems.
- For incredible views of the city take the tram to Roosevelt Island, over east river, at night. The aerial tramway goes between high rise buildings and apartments and is unlike anything I’ve experienced before.
- Explore neighbourhood by neighbourhood, giving yourself time to just wander. See brownstone buildings all decked out for Halloween in October, grab a bagel from a local spot, pop into pop-up shops. Soak in each area’s history, like Greenwich Village for example.
- Rooftop bars are in abundance and so are hidden speakeasys in subway stations, if you’re looking for unique nightlife New York is the place to find it.
- Eat – New York is famous for it’s food. From pizza (‘za to the busy New Yorker) by the slice to bagels stuffed with smoked salmon. Finding what’s good in a city with so many options can be tricky but check out food markets and look for reviews of local spots away from the centre, much like London, and you can’t go wrong.
New York surprised me. I’d love to go back and explore further afield to Coney Island and see more of Brooklyn. Some of my favourite moments were just observing the city and people going about their daily lives. The culture and feel of the city is so different to London, or anywhere else I’ve been in Europe, that it leaves you wanting more.
