My husband and I are bringing our two girls to NYC (probably staying around Chelsea) for one of their 16th birthdays later this month.

Would love any thoughts or advice about the following:

-Which observation deck do teens think is most fun?
-Charm bracelet or necklace shops?
-Thinks she isn’t into Broadway but does love HP and Stramger Things. How do I entice her into the magic that is theater??
-Isn’t a foodie but loves pizza and bubble tea. Besides John’s of Bleecker Street (our personal fave), any specific recommendations?
-loves Legos - her only specific request so far has been to visit the 5th Ave flagship store 😂.
-loves books - planning on The Strand and the giant B&N.
-what is trending with younger visitors - or residents - of the city these days?
-any special/memorable birthday ideas?

Thanks in advance!!

husband has never been so i want to show him the city. we definitely want to check out the Met museum, stroll Central Park, I’ll give him a quick look at Times Square. what are some romantic musts ? dinner recs ? we love Italian and frank sinatra as inspo. Any amazing Broadway or fun experiences that are musts ? We are in our 30s and want to enjoy a weekend away from kids celebrating 10 year wedding anniversary!

eta trip will be in September

Can someone explain paying for the bus and subway to me like I’m 5?

We’re traveling as a family of 6 so it seems like I need 6 different credit cards to take advantage of the $35 (edit: sorry I misquoted the cap in my title) per person cap right? (And to not have to wait several minutes between tapping for each person? - the FAQ makes it sound like the same card won’t work a second time right away…)

I’m assuming I can buy some sort of metro card instead. Would it be reasonable/manageable to buy 4 cards to use for the kids and then have my husband and I use our phones with Apple Pay? Can I buy those cards at Jamaica station when we get off the air train, and do they work for the air train and lirr too or only bus and subway? Any chance that the air train and/or lirr count towards the $35 cap? Is there a cost for the card aside from the credit on it?

I don’t love the idea of fitting an extra 4 cards in my wallet during vacation when I will also need to fit 2 hotel room keys as well so if there’s a more compact/easier way to do this, please share!

Kids are 3, 7, 11, 14 in case that matters. (Are all ages the same as adult price?)

Also, semi transit related, we are a family that ditches strollers as soon as our kids could reliably walk. Our youngest will be a month shy of 4 and although she was a late walker (medical reasons), she has been walking for 2 years and it has been about that long since we’ve used a stroller. Am I crazy to not bring a stroller on this trip? (5 days, all using public transit, 2 sites each day, occasionally a smaller 3rd like adding the sea glass carousel to our statue city cruise)

Hi everyone, I'm in my early 20s and looking for a review and any further recs of my current itinerary for 8 days in NYC from 10th Aug - 18th.

Coming from Melbourne, Australia, for a concert, and this will be my first time. Might seem like a lot, but I tend to move quite fast between spots. The same goes for my brother, who will be joining me on some or most days.

I have a long list of food to check out, which I will decide upon on the day. Am also looking to see Hamilton one of the evenings, along with visiting numerous jazz/live music bars (which I also have a list of).

Monday 10th

Arrive 9 pm

Straight to the hotel near Central Park

Tuesday 11th

Morning:

Union Square

SoHo

Afternoon:

Shopping

Washington Square Park

Check out West Village or Greenwich Village

West Village - Bleecker Street, Christopher Street, Perry Street, Grove Street

Evening:

Chinatown or Little Italy

Wednesday 12th

Morning:

Rockefeller Centre

St Patrick’s Cathedral

Afternoon:

Grand Central Terminal

Bryant Park

New York Public Library

Nepenthes (clothing)

Go back to hotel and get ready

Evening:

Concert

Start heading to UBS Arena at 4-5 pm, want merch

Thursday 13th

Morning:

High Line walk

Chelsea Market

Starbucks Reserve Roastery (not necessary)

Afternoon:

Pier 57

Little Island

Evening:

Kat’z Deli

Check out Fort Greene if time

NY Liberty vs LA Sparks - Barclays Center

8pm tip-off

Friday 14th

Morning:

DUMBO

Time Out Market

Afternoon:

Walk Brooklyn Bridge to Whitehall Terminal

Statue of Liberty

Free Staten Island Ferry

Hop-on-hop-off bus, or walk/PT

Evening:

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

Saturday 15th

Morning:

Radio Bakery

Shopping

Afternoon:

McCarren Park

Shopping

Domino Park (sunset)

Loaf on Paper (cafe)

More shopping

Night:

Check out Bushwick or not

Sunday 16th

Morning:

MET Gallery (10am-5pm)

Afternoon:

Grand Bazaar Market (10am-5pm)

Monday 17th

Morning:

Long Island City

Gantry Plaza State Park

Astoria

(probably decide between Long Island City or Astoria?)

Afternoon:

Jackson Heights - 74th

Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Evening:

Flushing China Town/New World Mall

Tuesday 18th

Flight departs 19:20

Thanks in advance! :)

My husband and I are taking our first trip after having our son the weekend of October 9th! We’re getting in the city late Thursday night and staying in Midtown and fly out early Sunday morning. I have been to the city before but it was so long ago. Feeling overwhelmed with the volume of options. Would anyone be up providing suggestions to help us create a loose itinerary for Friday and Saturday? Here are the things we would like to try to incorporate in our days and a list of the things we are not interested in doing. I tried to read the community rules and hope this post is appropriate. We recognize we will likely not be able to get this all in one stay but would love to try our best to do as much as possible! We do not need suggestions on airport transportation or hotels.

*** bonus if there are any pumping moms out there who could share their experiences pumping while out and about in the city

Food we would like to eat (for this my hope is guidelines of what areas we may want to seek these out in)
Bagel (bonus for good whitefish spread)
NY Pizza slice
Michelin star dinner (sushi?)
Deli lunch

Activities we would like to try to do:
Broadway or off broadway show(we plan to try for a matinee of Oh Mary, Titanique, or The Book of Mormon using todaytix)
Alt comedy show (Brooklyn?)
1 museum- (The Frick or the Met?)
Time out market/rooftop
Chelsea market?
Rooftop bar night time

Places we’d like to walk/visit:
West/Greenwich village
Brooklyn bridge/Dumbo
High Line
Chinatown?

Not interested in
Shopping
Central Park
Statue of Liberty/ similar tours

Any suggestions at all are welcome and appreciated! Bu

I am debating between going the Summit One Vanderbilt, or going to Overstory. While I know they are NOTHING alike, this is my first time in NYC, and I just wanna see the city from up top once, while being mindful of the money spent. I figure, my husband and I buying a drink each at Overstory + tips would amount to 1 person's ticket at Summit, hence asking. Or is there some other rooftop bar I should be considering? (I am aiming for maximum height hehe)

I I’m a 28-year-old female from Houston, Texas. I’ll be in New York City from July 8th to the 10th and would love to take a few photos in Times Square. It’s a short, solo trip, and I’m from Texas, so I’m in love with New York City!

My girlfriend grew up in Russia, and we're visiting NYC next week (currently live in SF). I think it would be interesting for her to see Brighton Beach, and I'm looking for ideas about which restaurants/bars/etc would be most interesting for a Russian who is otherwise unfamiliar with the area. Thank you!

Hi everyone! This was me. Reporting back as I wait for my flight to board. (Long post ahead)

This trip was decided last minute, and admittedly it was poorly planned. I was also overwhelmed with the information I could access from different sources; that being said, learning that I’m arriving the day before America’s 250th Independence Day, (and Taylor Swift’s Wedding apparently) among other events, I accepted that

1. I wouldn’t be able to see everything
2. I’ll be happy doing very touristy things

I was coming from a 2 week trip with family in Columbus and Chicago and had a medium sized luggage, a cabin sized luggage, and a personal bag. A friend suggested to leave the biggest luggage in storage at JFK and that’s what I did. I used smart carte, and for 2 days, I was charged 87 usd. I initially regretted this as this was a big amount for me, but later on I was grateful I did.

Transportation

- Coming into the city, I did AirTrain —> LIRR —> subway. My first blooper was not knowing the LIRR needed a separate ticket from the OMNY card. Thankfully I could just pay that on the train

- I got the OMNY card upon arriving at Jamaica station. I paid first for the 18usd one that included airtrain + 3 subway rides. In the end I reloaded a total of 30usd to cover for all transportation until I was back at the airport

- I took the LIRR since this was mentioned to me by someone I knew. It had only 2 stops until Grand Central. Seeing Grand Central station was also a deciding factor for me to take this route ~ though Google Maps actually wanted me do Penn Station. I just wanted to get that off the list as I made my way to the hotel— not knowing this was actually better since the wedding was already going on then.

- As a classic first time tourist, the first subway ride I took after leaving the hotel post check-in was going the wrong direction. After maybe 4-5 stops I wondered why the street numbers were going up when my destination street number was supposedly a lower number. Haha. From then on, I always checked if I was entering the correct side— though sometimes they won’t tell u at entry but that usually means the difference will be on the platforms. Something unique I noticed is we only tap coming in but not going out.

- I was able to take the bus one time. It’s my first time encountering the touch/push to open the doors when you want to alight the vehicle. They don’t open automatically!

- Going back to the airport I was advised to take the subway. It had more stops than LIRR but it was still fast. I think it took about the same time coming in and going out of manhattan. I enjoyed the E line because the train cars were new, the AC was on full blast, and it was generally better than the older lines.

Accomodation

- checked in at OYO suites. just a few steps from Times Square (W 47th near cor. 7th). I am familiar with this chain. It was cheap even for last minute, around 150 usd. And I didn’t expect much for the price. What’s important for me was a decent bed and a private bathroom

- I got the decent bed and own bathroom but it smelled like smoke when I entered, and I didn’t trust the cleanliness of the carpet and the bathroom. The towels were also so poor quality they looked like rugs 😅. Thankfully I was prepared with my own towel and slippers. They had toiletriess and a heater plus a very effective AC which was needed in this heat!

Activities

Arrival day:

- Post check-in:
Expectation: walk the High line before dinner
Reality: navigating the thick crowd at Times Square and the level of humidity upon getting out of the subway was a lot! I felt drained and just rested at the hotel before freshening up for dinner.

- Dinner:
Expectation: stand up dinner at L’industrie West Village and stroll a little to the Friends (TV series) Apartment Building
Reality: next door drinking place (Talea Beer Co.) allowed L’industrie customers to sit as long as every person orders a drink. We did just that and was able to enjoy our dinner. The pizza was good though I have no other NY Pizza experience to compare it too. It also rained while we were having dinner so we didn’t get to stroll and decided to just make our way back home

- Post-Dinner
Expectation: pass thru Times Square before going back to hotel
Reality: I mentioned to my friend that I was sad that i wasn’t able to get tickets to any broadway show. She mentioned the stardust diner to me and there I went. Food was priced what I expected it to be—expensive haha ( I only got drinks) but I truly enjoyed all the performing staff. I was able to get in just before the post broadway rush, and easily because I was a party of 1. It was a good end of the night. I went to Times Square just before midnight and experienced the most uneventful ball drop. Haha! There was a program but they didn’t project the events to the people in Times Square aside from the countdown. It was still fun to get a glimpse of the ball drop :). Bought water and bread at a 7-eleven before retiring happily after a long shower.

4th of July

Expectation:
- very early start of the day (6am)
- on my list: Central Park and Financial District
- go back to the hotel before check out for a shower and store bags at the hotel after
- miss the fireworks (sadly)

Reality:

- still slightly early start to the day (left at 7am)

- I saw on the map that Rockefeller plaza and St. Patrick’s cathedral were nearby so decided to pass thru these 2 landmarks on my way to Central Park

- learned that St Patrick’s was a Catholic Church (I am Catholic) and decided to attend the mass as it was about to start when I finished looking thru one side of the cathedral. It was also quiet this time of the day. Almost no tourists aside from mass goers. Also learned that there was another mass at 5:30pm I could attend in lieu of the Sunday mass I was supposedly missing as I would be travelling

- made my way to central Park at past 8am. Weather was still nice. Did the walk entering from the corner where the Plaza hotel is, covering the pond (wonderful skyline views!!!!), Gapstow Bridge, Wollman Rink (climb the huge Rock to the left of it for a better vantage point) Mall and Literary Walk, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. At this point the heat was starting to hurt 😅

- i walked more to get to the steps of the Met and filmed my gossip girl moment while eating the bread that i bought the previous night 😅(did not go into the museum)

-rode the bus to the nearest stop near my hotel and happened to pass by a Barnes and Noble which I checked out and also to cool down from the heat a bit. Had been on a look out for a cheap meal but nothing was landing for me. I went back to the hotel for the quickest shower, last minute pack up and check out just before 12nn. Stored my bag. I was told to claim it before 8pm. Stayed a bit at the lobby to avoid the heat.

- Afternoon Impulsive Moments: wanted to see the Statue of Liberty from afar and the bridges too. So I first made my way to Dumbo for the photo spots, then time out market. Found dumbo market before leaving the place and got a meal (with rice!) and discounted huge drink. Was able to sit down while eating and cool off at the same time. The heat was draining!

- transpo to Battery Park to see the statue. Tons of people
Getting on ferries and I did not want to do that. Saw some
Of huge ships both from Time out market rooftop and from battery park. It took a while for me to get here as I was supposedly catching the free downtown loop., but I missed the last trip for the day. They were closing down the roads already.

- just wanted to get out of the heat so I took the subway to the oculus and stayed there for a bit. Went out to see the 9/11 memorial (did not go inside the museum)

- subway back to St. Patrick’s for the 5:30pm
Mass. Rested and cooled down at the building across for a bit before claiming my bag at the hotel. Bought some stuff at the Hershey’s store and had coffee at Central Perk.

-made my way back to JFK and was able to catch a Bunch of the fireworks display all over while riding the AirTrain!

Takeaway:

- plan ahead but have allowance for changes. My impulsivity caused good and not so good changes to the trip.

- as a solo traveler, do not be afraid to ask other (likely) tourists to take your photos. I usually approach someone taking a selfie and offer to take their photo before asking them to take mine. So far it has never failed. :)

- a lot more of the city to see. I would want to come back at a less chaotic time season and take my time to enjoy it. I still loved that I accidentally came in at an important holiday. It was so much more exciting and I really witnessed the city that never sleeps!

- Catch a broadway show!!!! It hurt a bit to be living in theater district without watching any show 😅

- take the weather warnings seriously. Even when I’m used to heat and humidity I could still feel my body approaching dehydration. I did my best to catch up on hydration but the heat was really something else.

- I felt like I was playing hide and seek with the landmark buildings everytime I was walking around. Haha! Everything was beautiful and I couldn’t believe I was actually there experiencing it.

This was very long. If you’ve read to this point, thank you! I have enjoyed reading thru this sub prior to the trip as well. I appreciate everyone’s insights especially to those who responded to my previous post. Until the next one!

​

Hi! I've read through several posts on this subreddit, but couldn't find what I was looking for.

My kids (ages 3, 11, 17) and I are taking a road trip from Virginia up to Boston in August, and I am planning on making a 3 day stop in NYC.

I am trying to figure out if it makes more sense to stay in or out of the city. I do not want to drive in, obviously, but I'm not sure if it makes more sense to drag our luggage into the city or to 'commute' in/ out every day since I'll be juggling kids, a small stroller, and luggage. I'm also concerned about safety.

I gather that staying in the city is better so one can experience the night scene, but with a 3 year old, I'm not really planning to be out at night.

I'm from LA, but NYC is a whole different thing - I know just enough to know I know absolutely nothing.

P.S. If anyone has any additional recommendations for the different kid ages I'm dealing with, I'd love them!

Thank you so much for your expertise!

Eta: Thanks everyone for your quick replies. I should clarify that I didn't even know where people would stay outside the city. Knowing it's a 90 minute commute makes that completely unreasonable. I appreciate your thoughts!

My connecting flight got canned so have an overnight stay near the airport and a 1530 flight from JFK. So I have a few hours 8am-12.
What can I do to get an NYC experience in a short time

​

Hello all!

My husband and I are currently visiting my sister in Philadelphia to meet our new nephew, and we decided to seize the opportunity to spend two nights in NYC for the first time. It was one of the coolest experiences of our lives, and definitely the most unique city we've ever visited! We are from Oklahoma, and love to travel, but public transit is foreign to us, so we braced ourselves for anything and prepared to go with the flow.

We definitely did not know we would be here for a record heat wave, the world cup, fleet week, and Taylor Swift's wedding? Crazy circumstances.

I spent a lot of time here reading recommendations, so I wanted to share here for others!

Tried to bold the places we went to, since I know this is a long post!

Pre-Trip in Philly: My husband and I got to try out public transport before we got to NYC when we visited Eastern State Prison (highly recommend if you're in the area). We got to explore Reading Market, and after that day I learned to take the subway whenever possible, because buses have free will, and sometimes don't show up. We also bought a large refillable water bottle in the gift shop, and it was our number one purchase this trip. There were a lot of places to fill it, if you keep an eye out.

Day One: Arrival/Bryant Park Area

-Took a Lyft to 30th St Station in Philly and caught the Amtrak in, arriving at Penn Station around 7:30. Train left on the dot. Enjoyed the quiet car. Coach tickets were $25/piece. Well worth it.

-Went with our luggage to Liberty Bagels. I got jalapeño everything with pimento cream cheese and my husband got a BEC. Bagel was delicious, tons of cream cheese. We each ate half of our food and saved it for later.

-Stopped at Culture House, a cannabis store on the way to our hotel. It was cool, but pricey. We went back on the last day, and they had a DJ. This would have been a sign they were expensive had I seen it the first time, but it was convenient, and the store was cool.

-Went to Bryant Park to get our bearings. Lovely spot, plenty of places to eat and sit. They also have jazz on Wednesday afternoons.

-Got to the Wyndham/Wyngate Hotel off 5th Ave. to drop off our bags. I got the room on sale a few months back, and it was about $200/night. The rooms were clean and in a great location. We fell asleep looking at the Empire State Building both nights. We couldn't check in until 4, but we dropped our bags off, which was a great service. We took a portable phone charger/battery thing with us, and that was a good idea, since you will use your phone to navigate the subway a lot.

*-A true highlight of our trip, we then headed to MoMA around 9:30. We were first in line. It turns out that that doesn't matter all that much, because then you wait inside for the gallery opening at 10:30.

What DOES matter is entering the galleries NOT by where they direct you, with all the circular seating to the right, but to the left instead. Nobody was waiting by the opening, so about 5 minutes before opening, we stood nearby. We were the first to get on the elevators, beelined to 5th floor, went straight to 515, and got to spend a few minutes in complete silence and solitude with Water Lilies. It's a huge triptych, and I'll never forget that feeling. We spent the most time on floor 5, but ultimately spent about 2.5 hours.

-Got lattes at % Arabica Coffee. Very good.

-Back to Bryant Park for food, got Casa Toscana. Sandwiches were about $15, and were huge and delicious. We also took half of these to go. We found it very helpful to have a folding tote bag with us.

-Next went to the New York Public Library and saw their exhibit on voters' rights, as well as their Treasures permanent exhibit. This was totally free, and wonderful. They have so many unique items that I had no idea about. There are also bathrooms and water fountains here.

-After this, we went to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library which is caddy corner to the NYPL. The top floor is a terrace that has amazing views of Midtown, and shady spots to sit.

-At this point, it was about 3:15, and we were beat. We decided to walk back to the hotel and wait for check in at 4.

-After a shower, we took the subway to Cantina Rooftop. The tacos were good, but the view and the atmosphere made it worth it. It happened to be karaoke night, and the host sounded great. It being Fleet Week, we also got to hear some of... um... that during karaoke. Headed back to the hotel to rest.

Walked 11.5 miles. Lots of stairs if you want to get close to where you're going on the subway.

Day Two: Battery Park/Financial District/Central Park/Broadway

-Started our day late, then got on the subway and headed to Battery Park. This is where we paid the tourist tax. As soon as you get off the subway at BP, there is a juice cart. In Midtown, that juice is like $8. On one of the hottest days of the year, we ordered before we realized there were no prices. Don't do this. We aren't idiots, but are very clearly tourists. $14 DOLLARS. Juice was really good.

-Walked to the line for the ferries and took a picture of the Statue of Liberty from afar. We didn't want to invest hours into the ferry, and it was enough to see it when we walked up. Went to Castle Clinton. Very cool, and hit up bathrooms there.

-Took subway to the 9/11 Memorial. We spent a quiet moment there, and found it sobering and profound. We didn't enter the museum.

-We then walked over to Trinity Church and saw their graveyard with Alexander Hamilton and others. This was also a nice place to explore.

-Got $3 hot dogs nearby Trinity Church, and they were fine. Only shopped at carts with prices listed, and use cash.

-Took the subway to Central Park and got there around four. Was lovely, but miserably hot. Bought a shitty pretzel for $7 and walked around for a minute before heading back to the hotel to rest.

-Had two tickets to Hadestown at 7:00, and it was the best show we've ever seen. Amazing venue and performers. A highlight of our trip.

-Went back to the hotel to reset, then walked to late night pizza at Pizza Foto. Delicious when it was warm and hot.

Day Three: Brooklyn/Headed Back

-We wanted to explore beyond Manhattan, so took the train to Equisite Express Jerk Chicken which was our favorite meal of the trip. We shared an order with rice and sides and it was tasty and delicious, and all for $10.

-Took the train downtown to Make Some Noise Coffee and got frozen lattes which hit the absolute spot in the heat.

-Went over to The Transit Museum afterwards, and really, really enjoyed it! If you like old ads, you will also have a great time.

-Took the train to Brooklyn Bridge Park to take in the views. We were pretty worn out at this point (around four again), so we headed back towards our hotel.

-Sat and got beers and food at Reichenbach Hall literally right next door to the hotel, and enjoyed cooling off and the delicious food and drink.

-Afterwards, we grabbed our bags and walked to Penn Station. Some streets were closed, but easy to get into the station. Made it to Moynihan Train Hall and waited.

-AMTRAK was an hour delayed due to technical problems, but it was a comfortable ride once we got going.

Overall, it was a great trip! We walked 28 miles! If you are going this summer, take a water bottle and stay hydrated. Don't be afraid of the subway, but make sure you enter on the correct side of the street. People talk quickly and get to the point, but are friendly.

If you read all of this, I hope you will enjoy it/it will help you plan your own trip!

If we can only do one at sunset,(it will be December) would you choose a Circle Line cruise to the SOL or Top of the Rock?
We will do both while we’re there, just need to decide which one at sunset.

Hello- my husband and I are in town visiting friends/family. We’re in Danbury CT tomorrow night, headed into the city midday Monday with our 4 year old until Wednesday, after which we’ll be headed to visit my family in south Jersey. Original plan was to park overnight in Harrison or white plains and take the Harlem line in, but now that I’m thinking more about it I’m wondering if that’s gonna totally jam us up on Wednesday trying to get to Jersey around rush hour and having to drive through/around the city.

Would it be a better plan to drive further on Monday and park in Jersey and do NJ transit in? If so, any recommendations on where to park/what train to take (especially safe places to leave a car with somewhat visible luggage inside)?

With so much attention focused on Manhattan [rightfully so], I thought it would be fun to highlight some great places to visit in the other boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.

This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list, just a collection of parks, beaches, museums, and cultural sites that are worth checking out. I also intentionally left out restaurants to keep the focus on attractions and things to do.

If you have favorites that aren't listed please add them in the comments.

The Bronx

• Bartow Pell Mansion Museum
• Bronx Children’s Museum
• Bronx Historical Society
• Bronx Museum of the Arts
• Bronx Zoo
• Edgar Allen Poe Cottage
• Ferry Point Park
• NY Botanical Garden
• Orchard Beach
• Pelham Bay Park
• Universal Hip Hop Museum (opens 2027)
• Van Cortlandt Park
• Wave Hill
• Woodlawn Cemetery
• Yankee Stadium

Brooklyn

• Brighton Beach
• Brooklyn Botanical Garden
• Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Brooklyn Children’s Museum
• Brooklyn Cyclones (Minor League Baseball-Maimonides Park)
• Brooklyn Museum
• Brooklyn Navy Yard
• Coney Island Boardwalk & Beach
• Domino Park
• Floyd Bennett Field
• Fort Greene
• Green-wood Cemetery
• Manhattan Beach
• Marsha P. Johnson Park
• McCarren Park
• Naval Cemetery Landscape
• New York Transit Museum
• NYC Aquarium
• Pebble Beach
• Prospect Park
• Shirley Chisholm State Park
• Sunset Park
• Transmitter Park
• Weeksville Heritage Center

Queens

• Billie Jean King Tennis Center
• Citi Field (Mets)
• Flushing Meadows–Corona Park (includes Unisphere)
• Fort Totten Park
• Four Freedoms Park (Roosevelt Island)
• Gantry Plaza State Park
• Gateway National Recreation Area
• Jacob Riis Park
• Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
• Louis Armstrong House
• MoMA PS1
• Museum of Moving Image
• Museum of Nostalgia
• New York Hall of Science
• Noguchi Museum
• Queens Botanical Garden
• Queens County Farm Museum
• Queens Museum / NYC Panorama
• Queens Zoo
• Rockaway Beach
• Socrates Sculpture Park

Staten Island

• Fort Wadsworth
• Historic Richmond Town
• Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
• National Lighthouse Museum
• Snug Harbor
• Staten Island Ferryhawks (Minor League baseball)
• Staten Island 9/11 Memorial
• Staten Island Zoo
• Staten Island Children’s Museum

Hey everyone, so I land at JFK at 22:30 and my next flight is at 12:00 the next day. That's 13.5 hours on paper but after immigration and getting back through security early, I've got more like 9-10 hours to actually do stuff.

I'm carry-on only, no checked bags, and trying to keep costs low so I'm planning on AirTrain + subway instead of a cab, should be around $11 each way.

My original idea was to head to Times Square first since it's still lively that late, kill time overnight, then make my way to Brooklyn Bridge for sunrise and grab breakfast in DUMBO before heading back to JFK. But now I'm second guessing it because:

• subway runs way less often overnight, like 20-30 min gaps instead of the usual 5-10
• I don't want to be stuck trying to get back from Brooklyn with cutting it close on time
• honestly just really don't want to risk missing my connection

So now I'm thinking maybe I just stay in Manhattan the whole time instead. Times Square at night, walk around till the city starts waking up, maybe post up somewhere like Grand Central or Bryant Park for the early morning hours, then head back with a solid 3 hour buffer before my flight.

Wanted to ask people who've actually done something like this:

1. Is it smarter to just stick to Manhattan or is Brooklyn Bridge + DUMBO still realistic without adding risk
2. If I'm walking around Manhattan overnight, anywhere I should avoid or definitely check out
3. Is a 3 hour buffer back at JFK overkill or is that actually smart for an international connection

Just trying to make the most of this layover without gambling on missing my flight home. Any advice from people who've done a midnight arrival like this would help a lot!

I am going to be visiting manhattan for the first time tomorrow, and have always wanted to go to a nightclub. I am looking for somewhere where I, 23 and gender-fluid, can go to dance and drink and have fun without having to be too worried about people being offended by my androgynous appearance. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Hello friends! Mid 50s. Midwest. Neither of us have been east of Ohio. For and added 50th bday present to her, I’m hoping to take her to NY for a few days. Probably arrive early Thurs- Sunday (fri-Monday, etc). I know it can’t all be done. Would like to see Natural History Museum, Met Museum of Art, Empire State Bldg. otherwise flexible. Leisurely pace.

Can it be done for <$2k? (Midwest salary). Most flights go to LaGuardia or Newark (?) that I see . Any advice welcome!

Hello folks. I’m travelling to NYC for the first time with some friends, who has also never been here. Landing today morning and staying for two nights. We’ll be taking transit or walking only.

Here’s the plan:

July 3rd

Landing in Newark, get to Penn at noon and briefly checkout Madison Garden.

Go down south to Dumbo and the NY Transit Museum.

Go back north to quickly walk around the Wall St, NY City Hall, and WTC.

Get to The Met around 2 or 3, leave once around 6 for dinner, and re-enter until it closes today at 9.

July 4th

Top of the Rock early morning. See whatever remains of the Fleet Week right after.

Take the Statue Cruise to the islands after lunch in noon. Back to Manhattan around 3 or 4.

Get to one of the recommended locations for July 4th Fireworks.

July 5th

A bit shopping and walking around the town before heading out afternoon. The flight is at 4:55 pm LaGuardia. Nothing planned.

Some questions:

1. I’ll still check with the staff to be sure, but wanna ask here first if The Met still allows same-day re-entry for regular admission?

2. What things can we do early morning July 5th to make the last of the stay before flight feel less “wasted”? I’m not exactly a fan of shopping and my friends are transit fans, we just couldn’t figure out a better thing to do with the limited time. We are flying out to Canada.

3. Is there anything you would change around here? Only The Met and Top of the Rock are fixed in schedule, everything else is up for a shuffle.

Thank you all in advance. Stay safe in this heat and happy July the Fourth.

Good day! I am a 30+ female on a solo trip. It’s my first time here and I’m about to land in New York in a few minutes and leaving for the Philippines on Sunday July 5, at 1am. Leaving my huge luggage for storage at JFK, and bringing my cabin sized one with me, to check in around Times Square on W 47th street.

I’m coming from a long vacation with family and just took advantage of this layover to see some of the city, and it just happened to be on July 4th. I’m looking for thoughts for tomorrow’s activities given the holiday — and recommend coffee/food places along the way. I understand I won’t be able to do much. So here it goes.

Today, July 3rd:
5:00 pm check in, freshen up, check out Times Square
6:00 pm Leave for Hudson yards and walk the high line
8:00 pm dinner with a friend at Lindustrie west village
9:00 pm rooftop bar

*edit: fireworks are during the actual holiday so I misunderstood

Tomorrow July 4th:

Morning:
The things I wish to see would be sunrise on Brooklyn bridge, Central Park area, maybe take photos of the Met and any landmarks around, maybe 9/11 memorial, maybe sail4th 250. I wanna be back to the hotel to take a shower before my check out at 12:00nn.

Afternoon:
Since I’ll have my luggage with me I wanna do something indoors with air condition until I leave for the airport at 8pm ish, so I could be there at 9:30pm. Any suggestions where to stay or what to do?

I’m interested in any museum, library, even broadway shows :)

Would love any recos for what direction I should take for tomorrow morning or mention of any places that would likely be along the itinerary. Thank you!