Read the introduction to my New York City Guide first here.
Uptown
Central Park – there are places to avoid on the weekend, but CP is not one of them. The atmosphere is even better on a Sunday in Sheep Meadow and there is still room for everyone! At least once you also need to go to the Onassis Reservoir to be able to capture the stunning contrast of the park and nearby buildings. It’s also a terrific place for a run!
Summerstage in CP – walking up to the door, even though an hour early, for a sold out concert does not give a great deal of expectation, but getting the last of 40 tickets to Foster the People and Kimbra was one of my biggest highlights of all my trips to NYC. Watching a concert in CP is great, especially with brilliant entertainment and boutique beer and wine on offer (with hardly any line!) Whatever is on, it’s worth checking out.
830 5thAvenue, Upper East Side
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) – I’ve been here a few times and you can spend a quick couple of hours or an entire day if it takes your fancy. On the East side of Central Park you can combine a visit with some relax time too. I really like the way they have done the Ancient Egypt exhibit. And just relaxing or eating lunch on the steps is iconic. One thing to note is that entry is free, but they suggest a donation (which we always pay).
Guggenheim – I visited the Guggenheim on a trip with Trav and as well as the building being architecturally fantastic, the actual exhibits as you meander up are great too. If you have the energy this can be done before or after the MET.
Columbus Circle and the Time Warner Centre – I’m not sure why I love the South West corner of CP so much, but it is a combination of the monument to Columbus, the globe outside one of the Trump buildings, the high class shops at the Time Warner Centre, and the fact my favourite restaurant is upstairs (Per Se). I should also mention the toilets on level 3 are some of the best public ones around!
60thSt and Broadway in West 60s
Midtown
Broadway – I’ve now been to Broadway a couple of times, and it can be a highlight of any trip to NYC. Lion King and Hamilton were terrific, Catherine loved Wicked too, and I take it you can’t go too far wrong. We booked tickets early and as a result, got very good seats so recommend you do the same. However, you can book last minute and try your luck as well. Do not bother with the nearby dining! Eat early somewhere else, or later after the show.
Times Square – while we had a good look at the light show on the Tuesday before the Lion King, I like Times Square best in the day. We had a “gourmet” hot dog in the middle, which was good with the traditional sour krout, but a bit expensive, as you’d expect given the location. Walking around is good fun – you can’t really go wrong.
Grand Central Station – Grand Central is just a beautiful building with amazing architecture and a roof covered with stars in the solar system. There’s plenty around the area which is a major transport hub. Funnily enough the oyster bar is said to be one of the best, and we personally know a great couple who were engaged there!
Fifth Avenue shopping – it doesn’t get much more fun than window shopping (or even actually buying!) down Fifth Avenue. It is extravagant often, but there are still plenty of affordable places in between. The move of the amazing FAO Schwartz to Rockerfeller still leaves a bunch of great places to go to including our favourite, Tiffany!
MoMA – the Museum of Modern Art is a great space, but I really only loved the 5thfloor with late 19thcentury and early 20thcentury art from Picasso, Monet, Klimt, Cezzane, Van Gogh, Dali and many others. The rest was a bit too modern (some literally white paintings were displayed) and I’m not learned enough to understand the relevance! Personally I think the Guggenheim is best to look at, with some really interesting pieces but only if you have time. The best of the three majors is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The MET is amazing to look at, incredibly diverse and interesting, and backs on to CP, using the views to advantage.
11 West 53rdStreet, Midtown
The Villages
Washington Square – out in the heart of NYU territory is Washington Square which is a beautiful place to relax with top quality NYC buskers. If it’s coffee time get one from Stumptown which is only a couple of blocks away.
There are two ways – have a burger or drink at Minetta early and try to get door tickets to one of the sessions at the Comedy Cellar. You put your name down exactly 30 minutes before the show, go for a walk or hang around, and if tables don’t show you may get in (make sure you wait out the front at start time for the show as the staff show you around the corner and call out names of those who’ve secured tickets). I think probably about 20 people were as lucky as us! The 6 comedians ranged from good to excellent and all had credentials that came from shows such as Chappelle, Saturday Night Live, Letterman and other well known breeding grounds for popular comedians.
The other way is to book ahead like we often do, this being a favourite NYC outing. One particular time would turn out to be our best time at the Comedy Cellar which is always a great night out. While the host, and the first couple of comedians were excellent, third up was Ray Ramone! He knocked it out of the park with a terrific routine that had elements we are familiar with, but more impressively, a lot of very funny unfamiliar content. The last guy was pretty crude, but very funny too, and Guy seemed to particularly like him! In the process he excitedly ordered our third pitcher of Sam Adams too (don’t do that)!
117 MacDougal Street, Greenwich Village
Blue Note – we caught the 8pm show at the Blue Note in West Village, which is one of the most well known Jazz Clubs going around. It was good fun at the bar and the show was great, even if it was completely centred around a tap dancer (a very good one though). The performance, history and vibe in equal parts are the reason you go (and the drinks are strikingly strong too!)
131 W 3rdStreet, West Village
Highline – out below Penn Station through Chelsea and West Village is the Highline which converted from a earlier 20thcentury railroad for bulk goods to an early 21stcentury oasis for tourists and locals alike. It offers terrific views along the way, artistic installations, food and drink, sun baking spaces, water features, and beautiful landscaping. Around it, the food and bar scene has intensely grown to cater to the crowds and there are plenty of new places.
Little Island – very impressive as a statement in the Hudson just after the start of the High Line. The views from the top are fantastic, and it was a clear day where you could clearly see the sights, including Liberty where we would head in coming days.
Chelsea Market is at the start of the Highline (from the South). We had lunch here, sharing a Nonna ciabatta from Capone’s which is one of the many food outlets. The Artists & Fleas shop was great to look around and we later came back on a Monday to buy one of the pictures and a tote for my Mum. The Mexican (Los Tacos No.1) is fantastic too.
SoHo shopping – there is so much around SoHo that in my experience, nowhere else offers the diversity of shopping and style as here. There are the usual names, lesser known designers, and all sorts in between covering clothes, shoes, furniture, gifts and heaps of other odds and ends. Our faves were Hugo Boss, Kenneth Cole, Victoria’s Secret, Onassis and St Barths/Calypso. Favourite streets were Green, Prince, Spring, Mulberry and Crosby.
Madison Park and Flatiron District – this is a part of town that shouldn’t be missed! On one side you have Eataly (Italian food market), the other you have Eleven Madison Park (one of the world’s best restaurants), and in the park you have the original Shake Shack. All three are in sight of the Flatiron Building which has to be one of the world’s architectural masterpieces. A touch uptown you have 230 which will give you a rooftop view of the Empire State Building.
Empire State Building – my only advice is get your tickets prior and go late at night (closes 1am for entry) where waits are probably down to about 45 minutes. The view is spectacular and it is the world’s best known building after all! Top of the Rock also offers great views (I’ve been told), and the Chrysler Building is lovely to gaze upon from any vantage point.
Broadway and Fifth Avenue – there are heaps of great walks in Manhattan, but walking up Broadway from SoHo and veering on to Fifth Avenue after checking out the Flatiron Building is one of my favourites. You go past lots of shops and sights such as Union Square. We did over 60 blocks on this day and it didn’t take too long.
Downtown
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island – okay, Monday seems to be no less busy than any day. We lined up to get our tickets but opted for the 9am Tuesday booking, rather than wait in line for the ferry too. When we got there on the Tuesday morning we realised that the best option is to just get there at 8.30am the morning you want to go and you’ll have no problems. The other achievement was checking out the main hall at Ellis Island after running off the boat, getting a couple of photos, and still getting back on the same boat! Having been there before it is the lesser light of the compulsory ferry ride, especially the second time round (but still very interesting).
Battery Park – New York, NY 10004
Fearless Girl, The Bull, Broad Street, and Wall Street – it doesn’t take long, but whether you are in finance or not, it is a sight to behold, with beautiful old buildings and history all around, along with so many movies for reference.
Brooklyn Bridge at sunset (or anytime) – a quick sub from our early dinner at Momofuku, we walked the bridge as the sun set and the views of the East River, Financial District and beyond are just spectacular. This is a very busy tourist destination but it is terrific. One of my best experiences was a dawn run from Brooklyn over the bridge and back when the tourist population is almost non-existent.
Century 21 – Opposite is Century 21, the most exciting discount shopping centre I’ve entered. The bargains are insane. Sure it is busy, but it’s worth it. There are other options I’ve heard of, but not so close to the well trodden paths in Manhattan, and who wants to miss a day by catching a bus to an outer borough? Century 21 reopened earlier in 2023. On our 2022 trip we just went to Macy’s but it wasn’t the same!
September 11 memorial – I’ve never really hung around near the memorial but it has a sobering awe about just being there. There are several places to visit, and it always comes highly recommended, including by Catherine’s Mum on our last trip.
Outside Manhattan
Yankee Stadium – Yankee Stadium is as grand as it should be for such a dominant sporting outfit. The baseball match itself wasn’t a great spectacle when we went, but it was Old Timer’s Day (72nd) and the crowd was full for that and Father’s Day. The beginning featured memories of past Yankees with an amazing collection of World Series’ from 1996, 1998 to 2001, 2003 and 2009.
We had some drinks and some hot dogs but the food and drink wasn’t up to the one in San Fran. The stadium is amazing though. We enjoyed our time there, thankfully always in the shade! The subway took us home reasonably fast.
Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes in June – the third leg of the US Triple Crown is an awesome day with a very unique vibe when compared to racing in Melbourne. Get a grandstand seat early and feel free to dress a bit more casual like most of the locals (it’s more dress pants and blazers, than suits). Get the Long Island Rail from Penn Station to get there (ie don’t get the subway to Jamaica and then the bus through Queens like we did!!) The big raceday is in June.
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