NYC For Newbies
Last weekend the kids wanted to watch a movie so we sat down and watched The Secret Life of Pets. The movie is set in New York City and as it opens, the song “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift comes on and it really fits with the mood of the movie. It’s a song I didn’t recall hearing and have had it stuck in my head ever since. Then this week, a college friend sent me a message on Facebook asking me about what the best things to do in NYC are. I sent him a small list but then got to thinking about the fact this is something I get asked quite often.
So to save myself the trouble when I get asked again, here’s a post all about NYC and what you should and shouldn’t see when you visit it for the first time.
Getting Started
For starters, let’s get the preconceptions about this city out of the way. No, it’s not crime-ridden. You’re not likely to be mugged, shot, or murdered. In fact, NYC hasn’t been on the top 10 list of violent cities in the USA for a long time. That doesn’t mean that crime doesn’t happen. It just means that if you think it’s a crime filled city, you’re mistaken.
The next thing you need to know is that NYC is a fast paced city. So fast that it will run you over if you’re not prepared for it. Coming from a laid back place like New Brunswick, going to New York City is like switching from 20km/hr to 500km/hr. Everything there is fast. How people walk, how they talk, and how they interact. Humming and hawing when asked about your order at a fast food restaurant will quickly get you snide or rude comments or have the server skip you entirely and come back. It’s not meant to be insulting. It’s just how folks in NYC are.
Navigating the City
You also need to orient yourself on how NYC is laid out. “Downtown” refers to down by the water or financial district like Wall St, and Battery Park where you take the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. “Uptown” refers to the opposite end of the city for places like the Bronx. “Midtown” is that area of NYC that sits between downtown and uptown. Times Square, the Empire State Building, and many of those famous landmarks are all in midtown. Knowing the difference between “up” and “down” town will make or break you navigating your way around the city. It also vastly improves your ability to navigate the subway system because all of the trains operate on a downtown/uptown direction. So if you need to get to place X, figure out whether or not you have to go “up” or “down” on the map and that will help you find the right subway.
Speaking of subways, get a 7-day Metrocard. It offers unlimited subway/bus/tram rides for the entire week. It’s not that expensive and given how much time you will spend on a subway, it’s worth every penny.
Taxis are never in short supply and are a lot cheaper than
you would think. Sometimes it’s just easier to put your hand out and snag a
taxi then go in and out of the subway. Plus, there can be times when taking the
subway isn’t an option. There are no subways to either JFK or Laguardia airport
so taxis, Ubers, and the bus are usually your only options.
The Pros and Cons of LGA vs EWR
Flying into NYC is relatively easy as there are three international airports in the area. JFK, Laguardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR). The biggest pro to flying into LGA or JFK (usually LGA for me) is that it brings you directly into the city and you can just get in a taxi and tell them to take you where you are staying. It’s direct and easier. The con is that for both of those airports, it will be a hefty Uber/taxi ride to/from the airport. I’ve taken a taxi from LGA to downtown and it’s run me $75 or more in some cases. The extra cost can be worth it but if you’re a budget traveler, use EWR instead.
EWR is the Newark airport and is actually located in New Jersey. From that airport, you can take the AirTrain to Newark Penn Station at no cost. From there, you take a NJ Transit train to NYC Penn Station for less than $10. That’s right in the middle of midtown Manhattan. From there you can go anywhere you want in the city. The cost to get to NYC from EWR is far cheaper than the others, but it requires a couple of hops to do so, and generally speaking, EWR is a terrible airport. It’s notorious for late flights (something like 50% of flights are late), very little to do in the airport, and is just a hole. I hate flying into that airport but in some cases it’s just easier and cheaper.
Sights to See
NYC is massive and has a ton of different things you can see and experience. Depending on how much time you have, you’ll need to be decisive on what you want to do and see. But at a bare minimum, I’d suggest what I call the Big 5:
Times Square
Central Park
Statue of Liberty
Rockefeller Center
Top of The Rock / Empire State Building / Freedom Tower
Times Square is one of the most densely populated areas in NYC during tourist season but it’s a must see for any first-time NYC visitor. Billboards and tall buildings flood the area and countless folks can be seen taking selfies and pictures of anything and everything around them. Be mindful of the folks in costume. It’s fine to tip them for a photo but be on the lookout for others who will try to jump into the photo and demand a tip. Personally, I don’t bother with any of them unless my kids are with me or the costumes are really well done. Too many people buy Walmart Halloween costumes and expect to get tipped for a photo.
Central Park is so massive that you really need some time to explore it. Head down to the corner of 59th street and 5th avenue and enter the park there. Lots of horse carriage rides available but a nice walk through the park is always nice. If you’re into The Beatles, head down towards 71st/72nd street and Central Park West to see the Strawberry Fields memorial to John Lennon.
The Statue of Liberty is one of those famous landmarks that people have seen on television countless times and when they get to NYC, they want to see it for themselves. I’ve gone a few times and here’s what I can tell you. Unless you actually want to go inside, take the Staten Island ferry and go see the statue from that ferry. It’s free and you get a decent view of the statue from there. You can pay to take a ferry to Liberty Island itself but be aware that there are other fees to go inside. If you do opt to go in, only do the pedestal. It’s a complete waste of time to go up to the crown. It’s a long and twisted staircase that is excessively crowded and the view from the top is just of the bay and nothing else. Not a great use of your time or money.
Like the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center is another famous spot people have seen on TV. Known for the skating rink and the tall building itself, this is a spot which you can walk over to, snap some photos, and enjoy the area. There’s a LEGO and Nintendo store nearby for the kids and lots of other shopping in the area. If you like burgers, go to 5 Guys which is only a block or two away.
The Empire State Building is thought of as being a “must-see” in NYC. Truth is, the view is great, but the lines and wait times are insane. People have been known to stand in the line to go to the top for 3+ hours. If it’s that building you really want to see, you may want to consider forking out a bit more to skip the longer lines. But if it’s just a view of the skyline, I’d do Top of the Rock any day over Empire State. Since you’re going to see the center anyway, you can buy a ticket for a specific time slot to go up. You can stay as long as you want, but lines don’t exist for this rooftop attraction simply because you choose a time and then go up at that specific time. Great views of the city, including seeing the Empire State Building itself, and Central Park. The Freedom Tower supposedly has a great view as well but I have not had the chance to see it yet.
Beyond the Big 5, there are other things you need to check out, some of which may not show up on a tourist map.
Go for a walk through Chinatown. All kinds of little markets and shops and pure Asian culture can be found in this part of the city. It really is its own little hub all within Manhattan.
Speaking of walks, take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and head over to Brooklyn Heights. This is a really nice neighborhood and has what I consider to be one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline. Find a bench, sit down, and watch the sun go down on a great city.
A lesser known spot to visit is the Roosevelt Island tram. This tram runs from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island and can be accessed from the tower between 59th and 60th streets on 2nd Ave. A Metrocard will give you free rides to and from the island. The tram itself is a nice little diversion from the foot and subway traffic, and walking around the island itself is actually really nice. There are some decent views of the city from this little unknown gem.
Coney Island is a collection of amusement parks, oddly enough not located on an island, but down by Brighton Beach where the NYC Aquarium is located. Take a ride on the Cyclone which is a famous wooden roller coaster, then go down to the boardwalk and enjoy some food. The aquarium is pretty nice but had a lot of damage from a hurricane recently so they have been rebuilding parts of it ever since. You can also go the opposite way and check out the Bronx Zoo which is a fantastic spot if you like checking out the animals and conservation efforts they have.
Lastly, NYC is well known for its theatre. If you can afford a ticket, go see a show. Whether it’s Broadway or not, go see a show. There’s a ton of them playing and you can usually get discounted tickets at the ticket stop in Times Square. Even if you’re not a fan of musicals (which I am not), go see a show because it’s all part of the NYC experience.
And Finally…
Of course, there’s so much more. If you’re into movie and television landmarks, check out Tom’s Diner from Seinfeld, go see the “Friends” apartment building in the village at the corner of Bedford & Grove, or the McGees Pub which was the inspiration for MacLaren’s Pub in How I Met Your Mother. The 9/11 memorial is really well done but be prepared for the intensity of realizing where you are when you stand there.
But lastly, walk around. Explore. Just soak in everything you can about this amazing place. New York City is a town I never get sick of and always look forward to returning to.