First-Time Visitor’s Guide to New York City
I have lived in California my entire life and hadn’t seen much of the US until the last few years. This year alone I have visited the states of Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, and most recently New York! New York City was, by far, one of my favorite places that I’ve visited. If you’re looking for must-see’s and must-do’s in Manhattan, New York, look no further. Be prepared…there’s so much to do in New York!
Union Square Park
Union Square Park is known to be the location for many community events, specifically the Greenmarket. The Greenmarket is a farmers market that is open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday year-round. The Greenmarket has many vendors selling a wide variety of items including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, honey, syrup, plants and more!
The Strand Bookstore
Located a few blocks from Union Square, the Strand Bookstore was founded in 1927 and is known for having 18 miles of new, used and rare books. This massive bookstore has a wide selection of books, which is a nice sight to see, since many bookstores are going out of business due to e-books and online stores like Amazon.
Fishs Eddy Store
Fishs Eddy is a unique store that is located near Union Square and across the street from the Strand Bookstore. Although it is labeled as a dish store, it has much more than that! They have a lot of unique (generally sassy) slogans that would be a perfect gift for your sarcastic friend or family member. They also have some New York themed items, so you may find a good souvenir here!
Flatiron Building
Known as a New York City icon, the Flatiron Building is a unique, triangular building located near Madison Square Park. This building was designated as a New York City landmark in 1966 and a National Historic Landmark in 1989. It is so cool to see in person!
Madison Square Park
Madison Square Park isn’t very eventful, but I love parks so I enjoyed visiting it! It is right across the street from the Flatiron Building so you can pass through it on your way to other attractions. We spent a solid 10 minutes watching dogs play at the Madison Square dog park!
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a popular location, but if you’re planning your first trip to New York City you may not know what there is to do there. There is much more to see at Rockefeller Center around Christmas time, but you still need to visit here no matter the season!
The Top of the Rock is located in Rockefeller Center, which provides a view similar to the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center also includes stores like the popular FAO Schwarz and the American Girl store.. Radio City Music Hall, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NBC Studios, and the Today Show sets are also nearby.
Times Square
From shows and movies to watching the ball drop on TV on New Year’s Eve, Times Square is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York! Times Square encompasses several blocks filled with busy streets, large billboards and countless shops and eateries. Some of the most notable attractions within Times Square are the Disney store, M&M’s World, Hershey’s Chocolate World, Dylan’s Candy Bar and more.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known as the Met, is one of the world’s largest art museums. The museum’s artwork spans 5,000 years of history and includes works from across the globe. My husband loved the extensive Medieval portion of the museum!
American Museum of Natural History
Founded in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History is dedicated to exploring human cultures, the natural world and the known universe. The museum is located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park. It contains fossils, cultural artifacts, human and animal remains, and much more. The museum is one of the world’s largest at over two million square feet, so make sure to bring comfortable shoes!
Central Park
I thought we wouldn’t spend much time in Central Park, because I thought it was like any other park. Boy, was I wrong. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of our trip! There are a lot of landmarks and attractions within the park, including: Pulitzer Fountain, The Grand Army Plaza, Bethesda Fountain, Balto statue.
Central Park encompasses 843 acres within Manhattan, so make sure to plan out what you’d like to see within the park prior to your visit. I would even consider splitting up walking around Central Park into two days so you don’t get too tired. We walked around Central Park and visited the above museums in one day, and I felt like my legs were going to fall off!
Top of the Rock
As mentioned above, the Top of the Rock is located in Rockefeller Center, which provides a view similar to the Empire State Building. We visited the Top of the Rock as we heard that the lines are much shorter.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum honors the almost 3,000 people that were killed due to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The museum also details the February 26, 1993 attack which I was not originally aware of. The museum is very impressive and I thought it does a great job of explaining of events of 9/11 and 2/26, the hijackers and their plan, conspiracy theories, and the aftermath of 9/11. We spent two solid hours and learned a lot within that time. We enjoyed the museum without an audio tour or tour guide.
Staten Island Ferry / Statue of Liberty
We wanted to see the Statue of Liberty but we didn’t care to pay for a tour that took us on the actual statue itself. Our trip was short and we were had limited time! After researching we learned that the popular Staten Island Ferry is free and takes you right past the Statue of Liberty on the way to Staten Island from Manhattan.
The Staten Island Ferry runs 24/7 and service is provided every 15-30 minutes depending on the time and day of the week. The only stipulation is that you cannot stay on the ferry for a round-trip, but all you have to do is step off, and follow everyone to the line to get back on the ferry. We were able to easily get back on the same ferry we arrived on!
Please beware of people trying to sell you tickets. There are some people selling tickets for tours with companies that cost money to see the Statue of Liberty, and there are also scammers trying to sell fake tickets for the Staten Island Ferry. If you want to take the Staten Island Ferry, remember that it is always free!
New York Supreme Court
If you’re a Law and Order fan, you must visit the New York Supreme Court building! The New York Supreme Court, located in Foley Square, is commonly known as the courthouse in the television show Law and Order. It was amazing to see in person! We went on a Sunday so there weren’t many people around, but I’m sure on a weekday it is very busy!
Today Show
If you’re willing to wake up early on your vacation, go to the Today Show in Rockefeller Center for a chance to be on television! The Today Show’s website provides all the details you need, and they even provide pens and posters if you want to make a sign once you arrive. You may have the opportunity to meet some of the show hosts!
St Patrick’s Cathedral
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral and New York City Landmark. It is truly amazing to see this century-old cathedral in the midst of skyscrapers and other new buildings. It is free to visit!
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Terminal, also known as Grand Central Station, is known for its beautiful architecture and role as a transportation hub. In addition to its 40+ transportation platforms, it also includes various shops and eateries, and events are often held here. At over 100 years old, Grand Central Terminal is designated as a national historic landmark.
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is another popular park in New York City that is frequented by many. This park hosts many public events throughout the year; from outdoor movies in the summer to ice skating and holiday shops in the winter, there always seems to be something going on. At different locations within the park they have areas to play games like chess, backgammon and pin pong for free. How fun is that?!
I knew that there was a lot to see in New York City, but I didn’t truly realize it until I started planning out our trip. I highly recommend putting together a plan to make sure you have time to check off all of your must-see’s and must-do’s. Lastly, wear comfortable shoes! You are going to be doing more walking than you think!
Do you have any questions about any of the above? Have you been to New York and think I’m missing one of your favorite attractions? Please leave a comment below!
