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New York City

TRAVEL GUIDE

New York City

TRAVEL GUIDE

The Fodor's Five

The five things you need to know before traveling to New York City

# 1

Manhattan is larger than you think. Create your itinerary with that in mind.

Jumping from Midtown Manhattan to the East Village and back to Fifth Avenue in a single day is not impossible—but it’s unnecessarily stressful. Learn about the various Manhattan neighborhoods you plan on visiting and research the distance between each, that way you can finetune your itinerary and make sure the activities you've planned each day are actually achievable.

Related: The 10 Manhattan Neighborhoods to Visit on Your First New York Trip

# 2

Use public transportation in New York City.

Taking the train is cheaper ($2.90 can take you across the entire city), and it’s typically way faster, than jumping in a cab. Google Maps is the best way to figure out which line gets you from point A to B. And be mindful of the biggest mistake most tourists make on the subway—make sure you're not only taking the right train, but that's it going in the right direction. It's easy to confuse uptown and downtown lines—and a blunder that even locals are guilty of making.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About New York City’s Public Transportation

# 3

You don’t need a ton of cash or buzzy reservations to eat well.

The best restaurants in New York are the kind that serve cheap house wine, have little regard for ambiance, drape paper tablecloths (rather than linen ones), and/or serve a staple dish out of a hole-in-the-wall location. We’re not saying you shouldn't splurge on a fancy dinner—you should! But keep your eyes peeled for smaller eateries that you can pop into while exploring the city’s expansive neighborhoods.

Related: The 20 Best Restaurants in New York City

# 4

“Basic” New York tourist activities are usually worth the hype.

Rest assured that the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, etc., are almost always worth the hype. And what’s a trip to the Big Apple without staring up at the massive billboards that light up Times Square? Don't think you're too cool to skip an iconic attraction.

# 5

While New York City may not be cheap, there are easy ways to make it more affordable.

For example, many NYC museums are pay-as-you-wish, a pricing model that’s not always available when you purchase tickets online. Other museums have days or hours when they're free. Even the Met has a discounted pay-as-you-wish ticket, however, it's only available to residents of New York State, or students who reside in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. 

Recommended Fodor’s Video

Top Neighborhoods

Why is the West Village the best neighborhood in New York City?
  • You can drink at cozy hole-in-the-wall bars
  • See the Friends building and Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment
  • There are great dinner spots for date night
  • Visit the Whitney Museum of American Art
  • Enjoy a big, vibrant live jazz scene
What makes Little Italy so great?
  • It's an aesthetic slice of old New York
  • The Tenement Museum is a must
  • It's a dessert paradise (cannolis and gelato, specifically)
  • The restaurant experience is outstanding
  • Amazing shopping year-round
What's there to do in Queens?
  • It's a foodie heaven
  • There's a strong cafe culture
  • Interactive exhibits at The Museum of Moving Image
  • The Best views of Manhattan are from Gantry Plaza State Park
  • Free outdoor movie screenings in spring and summer
What's special about SoHo?
  • It has well-stocked flagships of your favorite stores
  • Side streets lined with independent boutiques
  • Indulge in a banana Nutella cake at Little Cupcake Bakeshop
  • Grab a slice from Prince Street Pizza
  • Snag a reservation for dinner at Raoul's 
Why visit Midtown West?
  • You can take in the big lights of Times Square
  • See a Broadway show
  • Walk past Radio City Music Hall
  • Grab a seat at Ellen’s Stardust Diner
  • Check out Van Gogh at the Museum of Modern Art

Hotels

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Language

English

Nearby Airports

JFK, NYC, EWR, LGA

Electrical Outlets

120 V/60Hz; Type A plugs have two flat prongs. Type B plugs have the same two flat prongs with a third round prong; together the three form a triangular shape.

Currency

US Dollar

Local Weather

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Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

Language

English

Electrical Outlets

120 V/60Hz; Type A plugs have two flat prongs. Type B plugs have the same two flat prongs with a third round prong; together the three form a triangular shape.

Currency

US Dollar

Nearby Airports

JFK, NYC, EWR, LGA

Local Weather

{{monthAverage.f_high}}° {{monthAverage.c_high}}° {{monthAverage.f_low}}° {{monthAverage.c_low}}°
{{monthAverage.month}}
Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

New York City weather is a study in extremes. Much of winter brings bone-chilling winds and an occasional traffic-snarling snowfall, but you...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in New York City with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

Local Weather

{{monthAverage.f_high}}° {{monthAverage.c_high}}° {{monthAverage.f_low}}° {{monthAverage.c_low}}°
{{monthAverage.month}}
Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

New York City weather is a study in extremes. Much of winter brings bone-chilling winds and an occasional traffic-snarling snowfall, but you...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in New York City with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

Local Weather

{{monthAverage.f_high}}° {{monthAverage.c_high}}° {{monthAverage.f_low}}° {{monthAverage.c_low}}°
{{monthAverage.month}}
Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

New York City weather is a study in extremes. Much of winter brings bone-chilling winds and an occasional traffic-snarling snowfall, but you...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in New York City with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

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