Ahmed and I have both visited New York, but not together. I have been more recently and was shown around by my good friend Dani who lived in New York for 4 years during dental school. Dani and I went to New York for 48 hours, walked 52 000 steps, and completed her self-titled “Fairly Aggressive Itinerary”. My guide includes what we did in our 48 hours in the same order we did them, most of which was in the borough of Manhattan. I’ve included a map at the end to help you build your itinerary. If you’re staying longer than I did, there is plenty more to do! I will include an additional list at the end of activities you could add, but that I didn’t personally do. (My city guide might be the only list that doesn’t include taking a few hours to go to the Statue of Liberty).
When’s the best time to visit New York?
I feel like I write this on every city guide but fall and spring are considered the best times to visit New York. I visited mid-March and there was still snow on the ground, and boots and a winter coat were necessary to stay warm while sightseeing during the day.
Summer is too hot and humid to enjoy, and locals usually try to escape the city heat on weekends.
Winter is quite cold and can be snowy but will be the least crowded. You can find great deals by going in January or February, and December has holiday activities and over-the-top Christmas lights.
THINGS TO SEE & DO:
1. Central Park
Located between the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Central Park is a must see while in New York. A suggestion is to stop at nearby Levain Bakery for one of New York’s most famous cookies to eat while walking around the park (they even have a gluten free cookie now!). There is so much to see at the park, you can make a “park plan” using their map before you go if there are specific parts of the park you want to see. Or, you can just wander around and take in the sights and nature! I recommend making sure to take in the skyline views, the Loeb Boathouse, the Bethesda Fountain, and the Bethesda Terrace.
2. Times Square
An iconic piece of New York is Times Square, one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions. While awe-inspiring during the day, you really should go after dark to get the full effect. Times Square is a major intersection, and is famous for its massive, brightly lit billboards. Also prominent in Times Square is the hub of the Broadway Theatre District.
People come from all around the world just to see a theatre show on Broadway. Running diagonally, Broadway crosses through Times Square, so the two are often talked about together. There are so many shows you can see; you are bound to find one that interests you. We saw Aladdin the Musical, which was fantastic.
One of the most-visited destinations in New York is Grand Central Terminal. You might be wondering, “What am I going to see at a subway station?”. Well, when you hear about “Grand Central Station”, this is the building that is being talked about and seen in movies. There is architecture, artistic ceilings, and dining. Alternatively, you can just subway here and pass through and then say you’ve been to the famous Grand Central!
5. Gramercy, Union Square, and Flatiron District Neighbourhoods
Gramercy, Union Square, and Flatiron District are neighbourhoods in Manhattan, which are all nearby to each other. Gramercy is a quiet neighbourhood, home to neat brownstones and well-manicured streets lined with trees. Union Square is centered by a park by the same name, frequented by a mix of people. Named after the iconic Flatiron Building, the Flatiron District is a commercial neighbourhood home to high rises, hip bars, and food trucks. You can also find the original Shake Shack here, in Madison Square Park!
6. Brooklyn
We took the subway from Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn. We wandered around the hip neighbourhood of Williamsburg, taking in the graffiti, which was more like art. We had gone specifically for pizza but ended up weaving in and out of boutiques and got coffee at a trendy café (in addition to the pizza).
7. Walk across Brooklyn Bridge
Spanning the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge goes from Manhattan to… Brooklyn! We walked back to Manhattan from Brooklyn along the bridge, taking in the beautiful Manhattan skyline along the way. There are 3 bridges that connect Manhattan to Brooklyn, but the Brooklyn Bridge is what we recommend choosing. It is spectacular day or night (we did both). It just might be one of the most iconic sights in New York!
The 9-11 Memorial and Museum commemorates the attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as the 1993 bombing. The museum is quite heavy, with voice messages of people who were on the 9/11 planes, stories of the lives affected, the aftermath of the attacks, and much more. We spent about 3 hours here and didn’t have quite enough time. The memorial outside is breathtaking and is a tribute to the lives lost. Be prepared for a solemn experience, but both the memorial and museum are well worth a visit.
Go inside the World Trade Center station, which is a terminal train station and sits within the World Trade Center complex. If you visit the 9-11 Museum and Memorial, you can see the station right before or after. There are a ton of stores inside the station, and the white lines create mesmerizing symmetry (yes, I’m a nerdy math person who loves symmetry). While you’re in the area, catch a look at the One World Trade Center building, which is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.
Free to ride, the Staten Island Ferry runs between Manhattan and Staten Island. The ferry runs every 25 minutes, with its route spanning 8.5km. We didn’t want to spend an entire half day taking a tour to visit the Statue of Liberty, so instead we rode the Staten Island Ferry, which passes by Lady Liberty. We rode from Manhattan to Staten Island, got off the ferry, waited, and then rode right back!
11. The High Line
The High Line is an elevated public park on the west side of Manhattan between Gansevoort St. to 34th St., (you don’t have to enter at the endpoints, there are places to enter along the way). It is open daily from 7:00am to 10:00pm from April to November, and 7:00am to 8:00pm from December to March. The High Line is 2.4km long and is a repurposed old railway line. The purpose when it was redesigned was to expose the public to nature, art, and design. We got on the High Line midway and walked towards Gansevoort St. where we exited and moved on to our next stop, (Chelsea Market).
12. Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market is in, you guessed it, the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan. We went for food (tacos to be precise), but you’ll find shopping here as well. Also housed in this building are business offices. It’s at the end of the High Line, so if you’ve completed that, this is a convenient next stop. It is open from 8:00am to 9:00pm.
13. SoHo
SoHo is a trendy neighbourhood in Manhattan that we strolled through, and I felt very out of place. Everyone is so well dressed, and the buildings are immaculately kept. You’ll find high end stores and boutiques, as well as art galleries and upscale grocery stores. For example, when I visited there was a Dean and Deluca grocery store, which I only know about due to The Devil Wears Prada and the expensive strawberries (but it’s no longer there).
Recognizable by its iconic arch, Washington Square Park is happening. It is in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. You’ll find people out with their kids and dogs, people grabbing a coffee on a break from work, and people in the middle of chess games.
MAP of Things to Do in New York City
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the Wanderlog logo in the bottom right corner to open the full-size map up in a new tab. There, you can choose to just look at one category at a time or see all of the categories on the map at once (click the 3 squares in the top right to choose). You can also export the map to Google Maps, share the map with others, or save the map.
Other things to do:
These are things we didn’t get to see due to our short time in New York but are either iconic New York spots or are on many “Things to do in New York” lists.
- Museums:
- Empire State Building
- Rockefeller Center
- Actually go to the Statue of Liberty
- Ellis Island
- New York Public Library
- Check out some of New York’s most Instagrammable places!
