I. Getting Oriented & Informed
If it’s your first time in the city you will likely stay below th 59 street most of the time
Welcome to NYC! Or if you’re reading this in preparation for your trip – get excited! You’re going to have a great time. In writing this you should know I make a few assumptions: You are a newbie or you’ve only visited NYC a few times You’re willing to walk You have a medium range budget You like big sights but also cozy neighborhoods You like to get a feel of what ‘locals’ do So let’s do this — First, let’s get oriented and a little informed Second, let’s review what’s going on around the city Third, I’ll recommend a walking / sightseeing path And last, I’ll recommend a few of my favorite restaurants
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The New York metropolitan area is home to 20 Million people (as of the 2014 census). It is composed of 5 boroughs, pictured above, each of which is very different from the next. If it is your first time in NYC you will probably stay in Manhattan 95% of the time. Especially if you will only be in the city for a few days.
Here is what you will find in each borough Manhattan – sightseeing, all the tourists, high end shopping, boutique shopping, world class museums, Central Park, the financial district, Broadway theatre, renowned restaurants, and upset people because you walking too slowly (stay right on the sidewalk!). Brooklyn – stunning residential streets in Brooklyn Heights / Dumbo, hipsters in Williamsburg, strollers and cute families in Park Slope, Prospect Park, warehouse parties, age old neighborhoods, innovative chefs, hustlers (in the good sense), and artisanal, free range, organic, hand crafted goodness.
Wishing you an amazing time! - Natalia Quintero (@NataliaZarina) Map source1: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/images/features/map_service_area.png
Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 469 stations in operation. New York City is home to 46 Fortune 500 companies. Its 2009 gross metropolitan product of $1.265 trillion was the largest of any American city and represented approximately 9% of the American economy. If it were a nation, the city would have the 16th-highest GDP in the world. Queens and Brooklyn are known for being home to many of New York's more recent immigrant groups During the last 2 decades and especially since 2003, large numbers of young people, many of them recent college graduates and professionals from the rest of the USA have moved to New York City, mostly to Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the parts of Queens closest to Manhattan. They have changed things considerably and continue to add to New York's vitality and artistic output. With more than 24,0004 restaurants, you could eat at a new restaurant in New York City every day for the rest of your life and never repeat a meal.
Queens – stunning views from Long Island City, up and coming neighborhoods, beer gardens, amazing Greek food, Little Colombia, JFK airport, La Guardia airport,…and that’s all I know about Queens. Bronx – cool residential areas, great Dominican food. Staten Island – Honestly haven’t spent a ton of time here. If you’d like you can take the Staten Island ferry for a cheap nice view of lower Manhattan / the Statue of liberty. The island itself I can’t speak much about.
New York City History2 / Notes3
II. A Cheat Sheet to NYC Neighborhoods
New York City traces its roots to its 1624 founding as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic who named the island “New Amsterdam”. New York was renamed by the English Duke of York in 1664 when the region was taken from the Dutch. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. A global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. 2 3
NYC History Notes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City NYC History Notes: http://wikitravel.org/en/New_York_City
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Data: https://www.quora.com/How-many-restaurants-are-there-in-New-York-City
Here I will focus on the “main sights” of NYC notably Manhattan below 59th street and a little bit of Brooklyn. Yes, there are a lot of cool trendy things to see outside of this parameter and FOMO is rough, but we can’t cover everything
Manhattan Neighborhoods (below 59th st) Columbus Circle + Central Park
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Go clubbing here
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Walk up Bleeker St
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See Statue of Liberty / walk to Wall Street from here
5 ave, MoMa, Rockerfeller, Times Sq.
Midtown5 very touristy, but necessary o This is where the majority of the tourist sights are (with the exception of Central Park, the Metropolitan museum and the Natural History Museum which are technically uptown). o If it’s your first time in NYC you’ll spend at least one entire day in this area. New Yorkers who do not happen to work in Midtown generally avoid it due to large crowds of tourists, especially in the summer.
Brooklyn Bridge! Small cool / innovative bars and restaurants Wall Street
Green squares designate the areas you likely want to spend your time in Red X’s designate areas with low density of sights, restaurants, and walking paths. There are virtually no areas on this map that are unsafe at any time of day. There are some crazies, like everywhere, so stay alert of course. The subway is open 24/7 but does not run as often after 11pm.
Wall Street / Southern Tip6 touristy 5
http://www.travel4kids.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/map1.jpg
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This is the historic financial district. You can take 4/5 the train to Wall Street, see the Stock Exchange, the Charging Bull, walk down to Battery Park and see the Statue of Liberty from afar or take a ferry to it. Also a cool area to walk through called NoLita!
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To enter Little Italy you must walk on Mulberry Street, that is the only street that is left of Little Italy. Pay attention or you might miss it! Walk all the way up Mulberry up to Spring, then explore Nolita (the green highlighted area) if you’d like. Then walk down on Mott Street to see a thriving (maybe a little fishy!) Chinatown. The markets are on Mott Street so don’t miss it!
West Village
Soho / Little Italy / Chinatown7 o This is a small dense area that’s nice to walk through. You can spend an entire afternoon shopping in Soho, but Little Italy and Chinatown are interesting and definitely worth walking through. Walk along the path I outline for a view of the three neighborhoods. o For Soho – focus on walking through Spring Street and Price Street, they run parallel to each other so you can zig between the two. Walk to Broadway, NOT West Broadway, for the main shopping district in Soho. o If you follow the path you will walk through Canal Street, get a glimpse of Chinatown and check out potential souvenirs.
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Wall St Map: http://www.newyork101.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Alternative-New-York-Tourist-Map916x1024.jpg 7
Map: http://www.cityguideny.com/columnpic/soho-nyc-map.jpg
Greenwich Village
West Village / Greenwich Village o These are called “villages” because of their low rise, small town feel. These areas are super dense with bars and restaurants. Greenwich Village is where NYU students hang out. West Village is very cute and walking up Bleeker Street is a great way to see the area.
Daytime (Highline, Chelsea market, Whitney Museum, Chelsea galleries)
Nighttime (Standard Hotel + Clubs)
Meatpacking8 o You’ll most likely find yourself in the Meatpacking district at night going out for a drink, a posh meal, and some dancing. There is some great shopping in the area as well. If you find yourself here in the daytime you should stop by the newly opened Whitney Museum, walk through Chelsea Market, and maybe up to the Chelsea galleries. o Girls—if you’re coming here at night, in heels, beware of the cobblestone.
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Map: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0727/6869/products/Chelsea_Map_Shopping_Area_large.gif?v=1425329764 wall
Lower East Side o Come to the ‘LES’ when you’ve explored the above neighborhoods. o The LES is a cool up-and-coming area with cute restaurants, bars and cafes. You’ll want to have a plan of restaurants or bars to see if you are coming here. You’ll find tons of young people, gritty streets, and ‘everyday culture’ if that means anything. Check out the restaurant section below for some suggestions!
o 2:00p – Walk down to Bryant Park to see the Public Library o 2:15p – Walk east to Grand Central Station o 3:00p – Get in line to see the Empire State Building…it’ll be a while o 5:00p – Dinner! FYI – The Empire State building area and Times Square are desert lands when it comes to good food. o 6:30p – Times Square (you can do this anytime, though preferably at night!) o 7:30p – Go home & get ready for the evening o 9pm – Light snack + drink somewhere fun
A 3 Day Plan in NYC
Day 1
In pictures:
Day 2
Day 3
Day 1 (NYC 101 – The Basics) o o o o
9:30a - Start your day at The Metropolitan Museum 11:30a – See the Central Park pond (59th and 5th Avenue) 12:00p – Walk down 5th Av. 12:30p – Pop into the MoMa Museum (the main exhibit is on the 5th floor) o Have lunch (maybe at the MoMa café on the 5th floor) o 1:30p – Walk down to Rockefeller Center (you’re still on 5th Av.)
Day 2 (NYC 102) o 9:30a - Start your day Battery Park where you can take a ferry to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty up close (or you can just wave to it from afar) o 10:30a – Walk to the Charging Bull, then Wall Street to see the Stock Exchange building o 11:00a – Walk to the New York’s City Hall from Wall Street (maybe stop by the popular store, Century 21, for some shopping). o 11:30a – Check out City Hall and take the 6 train to Canal Street. o Walk this, starting in Chinatown:
Start here (also where train leaves you)
o See Chinatown o See Nolita o See Little Italy o See Soho o Lunch (at some point)! o 4:00p- Walk to Greenwich village on West Broadway o 4:30p- See Washington Square Park o 5:00p- Walk towards West Village on Bleeker
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You might be exhausted! Go home and change for dinner 7:00p – Dinner 9:00p – Drinks 11:30p – Head to Meatpacking for a night of fun
In pictures:
Day 3 (NYC Like A Local) o 10:30a - Start your day late, because you deserve it! Stop by the Whitney Museum o 12:00p – Walk the Highline Park o 1:00p – Treat yourself to a nice lunch o 2:30p – Pick up a Citibike and ride along the West Side Highway for spectacular views of the Freedom Tower o 3:30p – Ride into City Hall area to drop off bikes and walk the Brooklyn Bridge o 5:00p – Upon return to Manhattan take the train to the Lower East Side o 6:00p – Dinner at a Restaurant of choice o 8:00p – If you’re here one more evening, a Broadway show, a Ballet, or an Opera are a great idea. o & Bon Voyage!
Restaurant Recommendations by Neighborhood
In pictures:
Midtown o A Voce o Marea o Jean Georges, Nougatine o Bar Boulud o Robert Restaurant o Landmarc o Sarabeth’s o Plaza Hotel Food Court o Norma’s o Blue Ribbon Sushi
Chelsea / Meatpacking o Artichoke Pizza o Red Cat o Drunken Horse o Morimoto o Buddakan o Spice Market o The Standard Grill o Del Posto o Bubby’s (best for lunch) o Bathtub Gin (drinks) o Boom Boom Room (drinks) o Top of the Standard (drinks) Soho / Noho / Nolita / Little Italy o Bond St Sushi o Epistrophy o Emporio o La Esquina o La Oficina o Lovely Day o Uncle Boons o Tacombi o Café Habana o The Musket Room o PUBLIC o Rubirosa o Jack’s Wife Frida o Osteria Morini o Mother’s Ruin (drinks) o Sweet and Vicious (drinks) o Ramen Lab o Two Hands o Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream
Lower East Side o Beauty and Essex o Dimes o The Leadbelly o El Rey Bar and Luncheonette o The Fat Radish o Stanton Social o Russ and Daughter’s Café o Pig and Khao o Clinton Street Baking Company o Freeman’s Alley