How to Reach New York City
New York is served by three major airports: JFK (international hub), Newark (EWR, in New Jersey), and LaGuardia (LGA, domestic focus). The AirTrain from JFK connects to the subway for a cheap city transfer. From Newark, NJ Transit trains reach Penn Station in 30 minutes. New York Penn Station also receives Amtrak trains from Boston, Washington DC, and beyond.
Buy an unlimited MetroCard for your stay duration — the subway runs 24 hours and is by far the most efficient way to navigate the city. New York's subway is one of the world's great urban transport systems once you understand it.
Top Things to See & Do
1. Central Park
843 acres of Frederick Law Olmsted's designed landscape in the heart of Manhattan — a masterpiece of urban planning that New Yorkers genuinely couldn't live without. Rent a bike, attend a free Shakespeare in the Park performance, row on the Lake, or simply sit and watch the city's full cross-section of humanity pass by.
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the world's great museums — Egyptian temples, medieval armor, Impressionist masterpieces, ancient Greek sculpture, and American decorative arts under one Fifth Avenue roof. Allow a full day and still not see everything. The rooftop bar at sunset is one of New York's finest views.
3. Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan for the finest views of the Lower Manhattan skyline. On the Brooklyn side, DUMBO's cobblestone streets framed by the bridge towers with the Manhattan Bridge behind have produced more Instagram photographs than almost anywhere in the world.
4. The High Line
A disused elevated railway transformed into a 2.3km elevated park running through the West Side. Public art, excellent food vendors, gardens, and views over the Hudson River and city make it one of the most inspired urban regeneration projects in history.
5. Times Square
Overwhelming, chaotic, and absurdly bright — Times Square is everything wrong and right about New York simultaneously. Go once, especially at night when the neon is most intense, and then retreat quickly to somewhere with actual New Yorkers.
What to Eat in New York City
- New York pizza — a large, thin, foldable slice — best eaten standing on the street from a cash-only counter
- Bagel with lox — toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and capers
- Pastrami on rye — Katz's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side has served the definitive version since 1888
- Chopped cheese — the Harlem and Bronx bodega sandwich the world is slowly discovering
- Dim sum in Flushing — Queens has some of the finest Chinese food outside China
Best Time to Visit
Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) offer the most pleasant weather for walking the city. Summer is hot but energetic with free outdoor events. Christmas season in December is magical despite the cold. Avoid the humidity of July–August if possible.
