What sights are a must for a first time visiter to NYC?

Question

I'm from the UK and I want to see the very best of NYC.... what are the unmissable things to do...

Thanks for any suggestions.

Answer 1

Buy a copy of the magazine TimeOut New York - if you can, get one now to help you plan your trip and buy one when you get to New York. The magazine is a fairly complete guide, including museums - which exhibits are being shown that week, events, benefits, book signings, concerts, movie schedules, theatre schedules, designer sales and much more.

Check out the Off-Broadway shows - some of them are better than those that are on Broadway and tickets are much cheaper.

The Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center has an observatory - better view than the Empire State Building and shorter lines - on a clear night, the view is spectacular.

Be sure to leave Times Square and check out a few of the residential neighborhoods. The East Village has interesting little shops and boutiques and many inexpensive ethnic restauants. (Note, while New York has wonderful restaurants, the Indian restaurants here are inferior to those in London - avoid them). Walk in the West Village - many historical houses where artists and authors lived. The Upper West Side is a nice area to see and you can go into Central Park. If you are interested in art museums, the Metropolitan is the one to not be missed - it's one of the finest museums in the world. The Museum of Natural History is fascinating.

New York is a shopper's paradise; if you are interested in shopping, see Macy's, Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdales and check out these stores:
Century 21
http://www.century21deptstores.com/......

Loehmann's
http://www.loehmanns.com/skipintrofinal....

Daffy's
http://www.daffys.com/index.cfm......

Filene's Basement
http://www.filenesbasement.com/master.ht...

Barney's
http://www.barneys.com/b/;jsessionid=dkj...


Ride the Staten Island Ferry (it's free) - you will get a great view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. Walk down Fifth Avenue; you will see Rockefeller Center, St Patrick's Cathedral and a lot of New York's high end shops. Radio City is a block away at Sixth Avenue.

Don't miss Chinatown - great inexpensive restaurants and the best place to buy little gifts to take home - also really good prices on handbags, scarves, costume jewelry.

You can't do it all this time, but you will love New York and you can do more on your next trip.

Answer 2

There are so many things in NYC that it'll be difficult to list them all. If you're an artsy kind of person, I would suggest Soho because there are many art galleries there and sophisticated establishments like coffee houses. In Manhattan, you must go to Broadway no matter if you like theater or not. The Metropolitan Art Museum is nice to visit. There are also many clubs or venues with shows such as CBGB. I would also check out the usual sights like the Empire State Building and Times Square. I'm from Boston, but I've been to NYC enough times to know the sights. Hope you have fun during your trip!

Answer 3

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Fifth Avenue & 82nd Street (entrance fee)

Bloomingdales - a department store on 59th St. & Lexington Avenue

a boat ride around Manhattan Island, The Circle Line - get at Pier 83 on West 42nd Street right on the Hudson River ...

my favorite hotel - the Plaza is closed for renovation and will re-open sometime this year ... you might check to see if it is open by the time you get here .... in that case it would be fun to have lunch or dinner there....

Peace & Love

Answer 4

The very first thing: take the Greyline boat trip around Manhattan. It is a very good way to get oriented.

Answer 5

empire state central park statue of liberty times square 9/11 site
Niagara falls

Answer 6

Everything there is so amazing its hard to say but if you've heard aout 911 then maybe ground zero would be a good place to go just so you can say you've been there.