We hope that you (especially those of you out-of-town/first-timers!) are able to take advantage of all that New York City has to offer while you’re here, or at the very least check out some of its highlights. Below we’ve listed a few of the classic sights as well as a few of our personal favorite locations within the city.
The Biggies
These are the ones that every tourist puts on their list to see. You may encounter some long lines and crowds, but that’s because these places are iconic and worth seeing at least once in your life.
The Empire State Building
The Statue of Liberty
Times Square
Grand Central Terminal
Rockefeller Center
Central Park
The New York Public Library/Bryant Park
The Brooklyn Bridge
On Broadway!
Or even Off-Broadway. Try to take in at least one show while you’re here. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget. Register for one of the websites below (the only cost for signing up is that you’ll receive e-mails from them) and look for discount tickets, or head to one of the TKTS booths and see what what they have for cheap that day.
Museums
New York has so many fantastic museums that you could make a trip out of seeing them alone. These are a few of the major ones. Insider tip: Admission to the Met and AMNH are suggested donation only, so you can pay the full price or just slip them a quarter to get inside!
American Museum of Natural History
Brooklyn Museum of Art
The Guggenheim
Metropolitan Museum of Art
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)
The Whitney
Shopping
Even if you don’t actually walk out with anything, many of these stores are the first, the biggest, or the best of their kind. If you have a couple hours to kill and are attracted to shiny objects, stop by for the drool factor alone.
The Apple Store on Fifth Avenue
Bergdorf Goodman
FAO Schwarz
Macy’s
Saks 5th Avenue
Tiffany & Co.
Iconic Eats
These places are NYC gems. You’ve got to go just so you can say, “I’ve been there.”
Chinatown (Walk by and see your dinner hanging in the window. Just pick a restaurant. The food can be hit or miss, but taking the risk is half the fun.)
Cozy Soup ‘n’ Burger (A favorite of NYU students. Featured in the Adam Sandler flick, Big Daddy)
Grimaldi’s (Take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and line up for coal oven pizza. Rated by Zagat as the best in NY.)
Jekkyl & Hyde Club (Okay, not an NYC gem per se, but a good time nonetheless. Enjoy some mediocre food, animatronic wall decor, and have fun heckling and getting harassed by the actors.)
Katz’s Deli (“I’ll have what she’s having.”)
Little Italy (Everything in this neighborhood is delicious! Just stop into any of the dozens of cute Italian restaurants–or enjoy a little live music with your dinner at Puglia.)
Max Brenner (A chocolate paradise. Wear stretchy pants and order the chocolate soup.)
Magnolia Bakery (It’s all about the cupcakes here, and by cupcakes I mean buttercream.)
Murray’s Cheese Shop (Cheese. I think that’s all I need to say.)
Serendipity3 (Reservations for dinner only, but you want to go for dessert. Up to a 3 hour wait, so plan to put in your name, take a walk and come back later.)
Food for the Gluten-Free
These places are safe for those of us with gluten sensitivities….and delicious for everyone!
Babycakes
Bistango
Blue Smoke
Friedman’s Lunch
Pala Pizza
Mozzarelli’s
Nizza
Risotteria
Tu-lu’s Bakery
Fun Stuff
These places are just plain fun–and some of them are tasty too.
Bowlmor Lanes
The Chelsea Market (Home of the Food Network! Fun foodie shopping and good eats.)
Dylan’s Candy Bar
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
Union Square Greenmarket