It’s easy to spend a week or more in New York City – after all, it’s the city that never sleeps – but if you only have a couple of days or you just want to be sure to hit best things while you’re there, here is our guide to the Big Apple!
First thing’s first: buy a metro pass! You are already going to be walking more than you’re used to, so, every once in awhile give your legs a break and give in to the craziness of NYC’s public transportation.
Be sure to hit the Highline and Chelsea Market. The Highline is a 1.5-mile walking park (you can jump on and off in multiple locations so you don’t have to walk the full distance) on the west side of Manhattan on an elevated section of a railroad that’s no longer used. It’s a beautiful walk (especially in the spring, summer and fall) and it runs into Chelsea Market, a food hall and shopping area. It’s a great place to stop for lunch, pastries, or spices (they have one of the most magnificent spice and tea shops in the city). Another foodie spot is Urbanspace Vanderbilt, which is just next door to Grand Central Station and is most easily described as an upscale food court. It has over 20 rotating vendors that all provide top notch lunch but be warned it can be a bit pricey even for New York standards. Everyone we’ve taken there agrees it’s worth the money and the time (it can get pretty busy between 12-2pm) but NYC is not short on food so let all the walking build your appetite.
If you like art, history, or both, NYC will not disappoint. Consistently ranked among the top 10 museums in the city, and our top three favorites, are the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Museum of Natural History. The collections are worth the entry fees and all of them provide a spectacular cultural experience. Obviously, it needs to be mentioned, that seeing a performance on Broadway is always one of the best ways to spend your time in New York City. However, many smaller theaters put on amazing (and much cheaper) performances.
This may not be the most fun part of your trip, but the 9/11 Memorial Museum is worth visiting. The infamous history at this site is still so relevant today and the museum is a powerful depiction of one of the most tragic events in recent U.S. history.
Whether you’re killing time between food destinations (like we do on most trips because our main focus is always eating) or just want a break from the hustle and bustle, Central Park is a must see. It’s filled with locals walking their dogs and tourists reflecting on the concrete jungle surrounding them.
If you make it to Brooklyn across the East River grab a cronut or New York bagel and walk along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade – it’s the best view of the NYC cityscape that you can get from the ground.
If you happen to be in NYC in the winter the most touristy thing to do is go ice skating at Rockefeller Center and take a picture of the Christmas tree – all fun things to do but just know that it’s jam packed with people and it’ll take five times as long to walk the three blocks through the crowds as it should.
Lastly, our obsession with hot chocolate is elevated when traveling, so of course we found our favorite: Jacques Torres. There’s numerous locations around Manhattan so you should be able to find one over the course of your trip and the hot chocolate is definitely worth the stop. Let us know if you have discovered the best hot chocolate in New York City, we’ll make a trip back just to try it!
XOXO,
Lauren & Lexi
