In April the average high is 61 and the average low is 45. Average rain fall is 4 inches in April and in August. There has been heavy snowfall in NYC as late as April 7.

One of the best things about August is that everybody is outside, there are loads of outdoor activities, and it is fun to walk everywhere.

HTtY

A friend and I went the last week in August and it was perfect! Not crowded, weather a bit humid, and pretty good hotel rates.

August will not be nearly as crowded as April. It will be very hot and humid, but that might be better than dealing with the swarms of tourists in the spring.

Nothing is closed in August - but the city will be crowded with tourists - while many of the locals will have gone to the shore or the country for at least a couple of weeks. The weather is often hot and humid - but more like Madrid - upper 80s and 90s - rather than like Andalusia 100's and over (althoughthe latter is possible).

Easter will also be very crowded - and, more important, the city will just be in the early stages of spring - not too many flowers and trees may not have leaves yet. Can still be quite chilly at night. But - the kids will be out of school - and that means parents dealing with 1.1 million school kids looking for things to go around the city.

I would do Esater - but then I despise NYC In the summer.

Hotel prices should be moderate at either time (not rock bottom like Jan/Feb or sky high like Oct through Christmas).

Thanks a lot for yur answers. I think it will be August; I didn't realise April was still so cold. I'm from Valencia, so I'm more used to hot and humid. Also I think August will be more relaxed- probably going in Easter would mean to go back to work the day after a long flight, while in August I can play with dates and have some free days to rest before going back to work.
I'm aware there will be lots of tourists on either dates, it always happens to me because I have to travel during the school holidays.

Easter is the end of March next year - and NYC has had blizzards (as in feet of snow) as that time. It's rare - but it's possible. Things don't get really green and leafy until end of April.

I notice in the original post that Agosto is discussing going in 2014 and that his Easter holiday is April 17-28. Is that really such a bad time to visit New York City?

Having just gone in June in unusually high heat (100 degrees Fahreinheit some days) I would prefer April if I could. You may pay more in hotel. I would think it would be more enjoyable and worth the difference.

August will be both humid and hot, it is among the worst months in NYC which also includes July, January, and February. April is rarely cold and it often pleasant although it can be rainy. Even in the rare instance of snow, it disappears quickly, especially in Manhattan.

The subway stations are particularly oppressive in August, while the trains themselves are air-conditioned. One reason, the stations are hot, ironically enough, is the heat that is generated by the AC system.

We have been to just about every region of Spain except Valencia. We were once in Merida in June and could not go out during the middle of the day. We even hit a heat wave in Galicia a few years ago. April is much more condusive to touring.

Please note American restaurants have bastardize tapas. Just about anything that is on a small plate is called tapas. There are, of course, a few places who serve genuine Spanish food. Although I am sure you are not coming to America to eat tapas, I just thought you might be curious and why you might see tapas all over the place.

The vast majority of Spaniards in the NYC area Gallegos. And there is a large Basque population in Idaho and other western states because years ago they came here as shepherds.

My last two trips to NYC were those same times - and both trips were great. We bundled up in the winter, but had some beautiful sunshiney days. August was hot but not too humid this year and I took the bus more than the subway. I HATE the subway platforms on really hot summer days. I'd vote for..either one!

April isn't winter - it's definitely spring. But spring at night - esp if you're out on the water - or have any breeze from the rivers (happens a lot) can be chilly at night. Especially for someone from Spain.

A lot of people don't realize the NYC is a massive natural deep water harbor on the North Atlantic and that Manhattan is surrounded by harbor and rivers - so it does tend to be damp and breezy.

My uncle, who lived in New York, always used to say that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk in summer. I usually travel there in March or November/December so I know about the cold in New York. I'd love to go in August though.

Thanks for all your answers. I appreciate all your input, and in fact I've still got time to think about it, but I'll probably choose August. One important reason is the available time -I wouldn't be fit to teach anything a pair of days after a tiring holidays, plus a long flight. Another is the weather - I'm used to heat and humidity. I visited Rome in the middle of a heat wave in August and was fine. Of course, I understand it is not the best month to visit the city, but I have to go during my holidays so I have t make the most of what I have.

Thanks for the tip about tapas, I never eat them out of Spain (I dn't eat paella either out of my home town), I know they are not what I would expect.

Some advantages to August are the many outdoor free events--concerts, festivals. Also, the streets are less crowded with locals who are away on vacations, so even with the added number of tourists, it can work out fine. Also , Easter week is one specific week that might be busy (though I don't see it as an especially busy time, in my opinion since Spring Break weeks across the US are not always at Easter ), but people have the whole summer to visit so the crowds are spread out more. If in August, the later in the month the better as the weather sometimes gets a little cooler. US visitors with kids may have already left since most colleges and schools in some part of the country start in mid-late August.

Schools in NYC and area don;t open until several days after Labor Day - so in August you have the full complement of 1.1 million NYC city school kids on the streets - plus students from the many colleges that don't start until Sept.

"- so in August you have the full complement of 1.1 million NYC city school kids on the streets"

I've lived in NYC most of my life and don't seem to run into the throngs of kids you think are roaming the streets. In more upscale neighborhoods, many kids are in camp or on vacations with families. Other kids spend a lot of time at the city's public pools. The college kids who are from NYC and going to school here are sleeping in, going out at night, and/or working during the day. They are not in the way of most tourists.
Unless a visitor is going to some very specific places, he/she will hardly notice the "full complement", They are not going to the Empire State Building or most museums. The Museum of Natural History--yeah, they're there, but as you and other have often pointed out, that place is always crowded with school trips on weekdays and parents/nannies with kids on weekends.

It's a big busy city and that's why people come here. No one is expecting it to be be empty!

Granted small kids will probably in their own neighborhoods - unless parents or camp groups are taking them to sights in the cities. You are likely to see large groups in Times Square, Central Park, Yankee and Met stadium, Circle Line cruises and all the kid friendly places. Not so many you can't go - but more than usual even at many of the museums.

Agree that a lot of families will be on vacation - but this will not be like some european cities that are half closed in August - when many of the families go to the shore for the month - or to see relatives in the country - and close down their small businesses.

Yes NYC school children gather in groups and mow down tourists. The richer kids who head to the Hamptons and Europe hire the poorer kids to do it for them. It has been a problem in NY for years.

I'm not suggesting that NYC school kids are any sort of a problem. Just pointing out that- unlike some major cities in europe - which can be very quiet in August due to the number of locals/families that are gone for the month with businesses closed - in NYC everything is open and the city will be as crowded as ever.

There are kids everywhere in August! That's not a problem, so long as business and attractions are open as usual.