Things to do in New York City
Spring and fall are ideal. Summers are hot and humid; December is cold but the holiday city is at full power. Most of Manhattan is best covered on foot plus subway.
Best months: April, May, September, October, December
Finished plans for New York City
Complete day-by-day itineraries, free to read with no account.
What is worth your time in New York City
9/11 Memorial & MuseumDo not miss
The twin reflecting pools in the tower footprints and the profoundly moving museum beneath them.
Historic Site · 2.5 hr4.8
Brooklyn BridgeDo not miss
Walk the 1883 promenade from Brooklyn toward Manhattan for the skyline reveal -- go early to beat the crowds.
Landmark · 1.3 hr4.8
Central ParkDo not miss
843 acres of designed wilderness -- Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, the Mall, and Belvedere Castle are the classic loop.
Park · 3 hr4.8
The Metropolitan Museum of ArtDo not miss
Two million works spanning 5,000 years -- the Temple of Dendur, arms and armor, and the rooftop in season.
Museum · 4 hr4.8
Empire State BuildingDo not miss
The definitive Art Deco skyscraper -- the 86th-floor open-air deck is the classic New York view.
Landmark · 1.8 hr4.7
Grand Central TerminalDo not miss
The 1913 Beaux-Arts cathedral of transit -- the celestial ceiling, the clock, and the whispering gallery.
Architecture · 45 min4.7
Statue of Liberty & Ellis IslandDo not miss
Lady Liberty up close plus the immigration museum where 12 million Americans' stories began -- one ferry covers both.
Landmark · 4.8 hr4.7
The High LineDo not miss
A freight rail line turned 1.5-mile garden walk through Chelsea -- art, architecture, and Hudson views.
Park · 1.3 hr4.7
Times SquareDo not miss
The crossroads of the world -- overwhelming, electric, and obligatory once, especially after dark.
Landmark · 45 min4.7
Top of the RockDo not miss
The best view IN New York because it has the Empire State Building and Central Park in frame.
Viewpoint · 1.6 hr4.7
Brooklyn Bridge Park
85 acres of piers facing the lower Manhattan skyline -- Jane's Carousel and the Pier 1 sunset lawn.
Park · 1.5 hr4.8
Lincoln Center
The Met Opera, NY Phil, and City Ballet around one plaza -- the fountain at night is pure New York.
Cultural Experience · 2.1 hr4.8
St. Patrick's Cathedral
America's grandest Neo-Gothic cathedral, defiantly dwarfed by midtown glass across from Rockefeller Center.
Architecture · 38 min4.8
Storm King Art Center
A 500-acre open-air sculpture park in the Hudson Valley about 90 minutes north of NYC -- monumental works by Calder, Serra, and di Suvero across rolling fields make a perfect full-day trip.
Day Trip · 6.5 hr4.8
And 31 more, which the planner picks between based on your dates, pace and what you are into.
Worth knowing
- OMNY contactless tap works on all subways and buses; fares cap at the weekly pass price automatically.
- Book Statue of Liberty, Empire State, and observation decks ahead; sunset slots sell out first.
- Walk avenues, subway the long hauls; 20 blocks is about a mile.
- Many major museums have pay-what-you-wish hours for NY State residents; check ahead.
- The Staten Island Ferry is free and passes the Statue of Liberty.