My first post to this blog was a sightseeing guide, then I showcased the best places to eat. Now it’s time to put them together. Here’s a great way to spend a whole week in the Big Apple. Make sure you tick the best off the list and miss nothing! Without trying to cut anything too short, getting an early flight in, and a later flight out is definitely recommended!
Day One – Arrive, Check In, Get Out
As you would expect, New York City is littered with hotels. Depending on your itinerary, I would highly recommend a hotel in or near Midtown Manhattan. We stayed at the Moxy, an edgy and central hotel, a short walk from the Empire State building.
An early flight into JFK means that you can get to your hotel, check in and get out. On your first day, don’t try anything too strenuous or emotional. It is a long flight (especially from the UK) and your body clock is most likely all over the place! From Midtown, a short Subway ride or slightly longer walk (depending on weather/fitness levels) takes you to Times Square.
A fantastic place to immerse yourself in what New York is really about, especially at lunchtime! The bustle, lights and traffic gives you an early indication of what your trip will entail. Everything in New York is big and this is a fantastic place to start. Street entertainers and small cafés offer some distraction from looking up, but some time can certainly spent here!
From Times Square, if you head East, you can pretty much get to the start of the 5th Avenue shops. Large department stores line the street (on both sides) and a steady walk South, back towards Midtown is a great way to spend the afternoon. Take as much or as little time along here as you wish, but Macy’s is definitely worth heading into!
After a hectic first day, dinner in Midtown means you can retire at a decent time. Maybe you’d rather get out and experience some New York nightlife. The week is still young, though!
Day Two – The American Dream
It’s almost worth breaking New York into areas, to be able to get the most out of each day. While your legs are fresh, head South to witness one of the city’s most iconic sites. From Midtown, although it doesn’t seen far, a Subway to South Ferry or Bowling Green Station is definitely recommended.
Battery Park is the gateway to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Here is where we bought our passes for the week, to cover all the main attractions. Taking a ferry to cross the New York/New Jersey state line (which lies in the middle of the Hudson) to Liberty and Ellis islands can take most of the day. Let it.
This is where, for many, the American Dream began. The ferry shuttles between Battery Park, Liberty Island and Ellis Island, so it is worth taking time at each site. The Statue of Liberty is breathtaking and it really feels like a beacon at the gateway to the city. The island itself is small, but walking around its perimeter offers some fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline.
Ellis Island was, for me, an eye opening experience. The museum and audio tour (included with the ticket price of the ferry) offers an insight into what it was like trying to get into America. From families being separated and many being sent back to their home countries, to others being kept on the island so close to the dream they’ve come to chase, demonstrates how difficult life was for so many.
Back to Manhattan
Once back at Battery Park a late lunch will certainly be in order! A few cafés are nearby and, whilst here, it is worth paying a visit to Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange, though somewhat underwhelming to look at, signifies the importance that Wall Street has in the world of finance. The bustle of brokers and tourists makes the likes of the Trump Building worth seeing.
A long day along the New York coastline offers some fantastic views and a glimpse at what attracts (and has throughout history attracted) many people to leave their homes and seek anew in America.
Day Three – The Day America Stood Still
This day is not for the faint hearted. It is difficult to find anyone who is not aware of the events of 9/11. The events that unfolded in New York that day in 2001 shook the entire planet. Humanity were reminded of the importance of not taking life for granted. It is a challenging, yet fascinating place to visit and certainly worth including on the list.
The Ground Zero memorial and museum, if intending to visit properly, should have a full day allocated. An audioguide is provided, but bring your own headphones, otherwise you have to pay to rent them. The walls paint the scene from before, during and after the chaos. Eyewitness accounts and remnants from vehicles and the buildings themselves complete the immersive experience. You could spend days here, but at least allocate the majority of the day, before heading back towards Midtown.
After a sobering day, some light hearted recovery is certainly recommended. A wander from Midtown back to Times Square can help to clear your mind before something to eat. Also, the offer of a Broadway show provides evening entertainment. Tickets are worth arranging before heading out to New York, to save time. However, be over cautious on the timings, as you don’t want to feel rushed during the day.
A musical on Broadway can lead you nicely into a lovely evening in Times Square. Many bars offer late night entertainment, or just head back to the hotel and rest up!
Day Four – A Glimpse into History
Turning your focus from South of Midtown, it’s time to venture further North. The wonders of Central Park, not yet properly explored, await and are a multi-day venture in themselves! Hidden within the park are sets from countless movies and TV series spread across the 840 acre site. Obviously it would be difficult to properly enjoy Manhattan’s largest public park in one sitting, so today just involves taking in the West of the park.
From any entrance to the park, there are people offering horse and cart or bicycle tours of the park. Depending on your conscience and whether you believe that the horses are poorly treated (as well as the cost of the tour) you may decide to opt for the bicycle option. On my visit, we intended to go for a horse and cart tour, but ended up switching when there and had a fantastic tour by bicycle! The tour guides are very knowledgeable and take you to some of the park’s key sites, with plenty of opportunities to stop for photographs. The tour operators often ask where you want to finish your tour, and out the Western edge of the park near the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) would be a great idea!
Another movie site to visit (from Night at the Museum), the AMNH holds a world famous collection spanning many thousands of years. Containing both scientific and cultural exhibits, the museum has taught visitors about our planet’s history since its founding in 1869.
One day is hardly long enough to enjoy the exhibits on show, let alone an afternoon! It is worth getting here after your Central Park tour as early as possible and prioritising what you want to see. Considering it also only stays open until 5:45pm, when security patrols begin ushering people to the exit, time will be of the essence.
If the AMNH is a high priority on your visit, maybe save the tour for later in the week and queue up as the doors open. Even better still, buy a queue jump ticket and immerse yourself in the museum all day, especially if the weather outside is bad!
Day Five – City Heights
After a heavy day on your feet, it’s time for a day of looking up at the iconic skyline of New York City. We’ve already seen some of the heights in the Statue of Liberty and to some extent the buildings along Wall Street, but today is a day for the big hitters.
The easiest place to start from Midtown is the Empire State Building. With the visitor entrance sat on 34th Street, it’s very difficult to miss the 102 floor mammoth overlooking New York. You can purchase a few different tickets, however the standard gets you to the 86th floor where an exhibition talks you through the history of the building and provides some breathtaking views across the city in all directions. The 102nd floor is at an additional cost, and you may feel as though you want to go full King Kong and get to the top.
Another site to include today is the Rockefeller Center. Although shorter than the Empire State (only 259m compared to 443m) heading up to the Top of the Rock provides, in my opinion, better views of Central Park, and you can actually see the Empire State Building itself! Similarly to the Empire State, you can also have a tour of the Rockefeller Center. Be sure to spend some time browsing through the shops and restaurants around the base level.
Night Falls
As the day draws towards the evening, Radio City is next on the list of locations to visit. Radio City is a well known entertainment venue where acts from across the world come to perform. At Christmas, it is home to the famous Rockettes’ Christmas Extravaganza which is fantastic viewing for anyone of any age! Geared particularly towards families, however, the show really brings out the magic of Christmas. Throughout the rest of the year, you will certainly be able to book tickets for a performance and sit back, rest, and enjoy the show.
Dinner today can be slotted in either before or after your show, but before heading back to your hotel make sure you return to the Empire State Building. A CityPASS for the week includes a return visit on the same day, and after night has fallen over New York, it feels a completely new place. Looking out over the skyline, with the lights and hustle blaring out from below, the top of the Empire State Building is a truly breathtaking way to finish the day.
Day Six – Culture Hit
As the week draws towards a close, it’s time to head back to Central Park. If you missed your tour of the park for more time in the American Museum of Natural History, then try to get this in today. Without trying to sound like a broken record, it’s a fantastic way to see some of the key locations of the park on a time-restricted visit.
However, if you managed to squeeze the tour in already, take some time to wander through the park. Coming North from Midtown, you can bypass the tour operators and head straight for the park by foot. Very quickly you forget that you are in New York and feel as though you are out in the countryside (with the exception of the occasional glimpse at the Manhattan skyline).
Passing through the Eastern side of the park today, you can head out on a parallel to the American Museum of Natural History, where you will find the MET. Another museum which is certainly worth visiting while in New York.
Geared towards more artistic pieces, the MET is a culture visit to interest anyone. From Ancient Egypt through to modern day artists, there is a vast range of both art and history on display. A particular favourite of mine is a Van Gogh original self portrait which stands proudly on show in the gallery. A true masterpiece!
How better to round of a day of culture than a visit to Broadway? Any show is worth seeing, and you could spend hours debating which one to see. We saw Chicago and I would highly recommend this. However, families may be more swayed towards the likes of Lion King, so it is completely personal preference!
Day Seven – Outside Manhattan
The final day of a week in New York City! Reflecting back, it is insane to think how much can be squeezed into a week. To truly appreciate everything New York has to offer, it would certainly be better trying to extend your visit, or even coming back again another time! But for now, there is still more to see!
With a flight home scheduled later in the day, checking out from the hotel is usually required in the morning. It would be worth arranging for your luggage to be kept in a store room at the hotel for the final day. This way it isn’t a burden around the city. That being said, it’s time to head away from Manhattan today, to get a glimpse into the real New York.
Many tour companies offer guides around the suburbs, and this is a fantastic way to spend the last day. Sites such as the New York Yankees Stadium in the Bronx, the ghettos in Queens and affluent areas in Brooklyn showcase the multiculturalism of the city. You spend a week immersed in Manhattan and the tourist sites, this reflective opportunity to take a step back is a great round off to the week.
That’s it! A week in New York City! In seven days you’ve managed to cover so much history, culture and breathtaking sites in the city that never sleeps. A return visit is most definitely on the cards, I am sure of it! Why not try booking around Christmas to see a whole new side to the city?