Planning a trip to New York City for a first-time visitor can be a lot. Planning my trip this past time was a lot for me; I lived there for 20 years. So I thought I would put together a little itinerary for first-time visitors, so you can really see the city. I understand everyone travels differently and for different purposes. But, this is just an outline for you to pick and choose where to go.
I also want to say if you are a first-time visitor, I personally think you should spend a minimum of 5 days. There’s so much to see and do that anything less than that when planning a trip to New York City would be pretty packed and exhausting. Again, this is just an opinion, but you can spend a whole day just in Central Park alone if you wanted.
Finally, if you can, walk as much as you can and choose a neighborhood to explore each day. I know walking isn’t for everyone, in that case, get a hop on hop off bus. I did this with my sister when she came to visit and I loved it. Having a broken ankle it was really the only choice I had to show her around. And it gives you a really cool perspective of the city. Anyway, let’s get on with planning your trip to New York City.
Day 1: Times Square, Hells Kitchen, And 5th Avenue
If you have ever read any of my blog posts about NYC, I’m pretty clear that I hate Times Square. But it is iconic and everyone who visits New York should see it. There are several stops that I do suggest while here. The M&M Store, Madame Tsunade’s Wax Museum, and heading to the square to snap a photo in front of where the ball drops are all fun things to do. They are touristy, but fun. Avoid the costume chacters. They are very aggresive and not that kind.
After that you can go east or west. 5th Avenue is to the east and along the way you check out Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and the famous FAO Schwartz. There is also a Bryant Park which is futher down, but if you are there in the summer they have a lot of cool things that go on both day and night, so check out their website. From there look at the shops windows and buy a bagel and have a Breakfast at Tiffany’s photo op. I’ve done this with a few friends, and it may be cheesey, but I love those pictures.
From there walk down 59th street on the park side going west. Stop at the Time Warner Center. It has a great view of the park. If you walk down to 9th Avenue going south you will end up in Hell’s Kitchen. This is where I would suggest eating as Times Square is way over priced and full of chain restaraunts. Ollie’s is one of my favorites for lunch. After lunch walk down 42nd street towards the Hudson River to Pier 84. If you can afford it, I suggest taking a Circle Line boat around the island. You had a long day of walking and sitting on a boat watching the city go by is a perfect way to end your day.
Day 2: Central Park, The Upper West Side, And The Upper East Side
Planning your trip to New York City on day 2 shoud be a little more relaxing. The first day you are going to walk a lot. And you don’t want to over do it. So if the weather is on your side, you should plan a whole day in the park. Pack a picnic lunch to eat in sheeps medow, grab a drink at the boat house, or even consider taking a boat ride. I love Central Park. And there is so much to do there. Check out their website and see if they have any free concerts going on as well.
While you’re up there be sure to walk around both the Upper West Side and Upper East Side. Thier are several museums on both sides. The Natural History Museum, The Met, and The Guggenheim are just a few. Out of the three I mentioned I would suggest The Met. It’s huge and get a lot for your money. But the dinosaurs are cool at the Natural History Museum.
When leaving the park you should exit from 72nd street. You can walk past Strawberry Fields and see the world famous Dakota where John Lennon was shot. After paying your tribute walk down to Broadway and head down to Sesame Street. Seriously. 63rd street is now named Sesame Street. And while you’re there check out Lincoln Center. It’s another iconic building you don’t want to miss. They also have the performing arts library there. Go in and see if they have any free exhibits. They sometimes have really cool things on display there. From there go enjoy your evening.
Day 3: The East and West Village
My two favorite neighborhoods in New York are the East and West village. They are very close together and very different vibes to them. Both of these neighborhoods are great during the day, they are even more fun at night. So if you’re looking for something to do during the day check out the high line. It’s a park that used to be an old above groud train track. It streches from the 30th street to 14th street. It’s a great day time excursion before you go out.
The night life in the West Village is a lot of fun. There are jazz clubs, piano bars, and great little restaraunts. If I had to pick three places to check out in the West Villiage it would be Marie’s Crisis, which is a piano bar where a group of people just stand around the paino and sing showtunes. You’ve seen nothing like it. I would also say check out the Stonewall. It is a famous for being the place where pride began. And there’s a place called Kettle of Fish that I have seen a few great jazz musicians at.
The Lower East Side is a blast for different reasons. While they have some great music spots as well like Rockwood Music Hall, they have a great theater scene as well. The Public, NYTW, and La MaMa are all great off-broadway theaters that a lot of orignal new plays. I love Broadway, but I would definetly check out an off-Broadway show while you’re in town. You could start in the East Village to see a show and head over to the West Village for some live music.
Day 4: Brooklyn
I used to be a Manhattan snob. I would never leave the island, and the only reason I would is to go to the airport. But, I then moved there for a year and found that it wasn’t all bad. They have a lot of great places to eat and cool places to hang out. So, I do suggest people leave the island and check this borough out.
Of course the most famous thing to do is walk the Brooklyn Bridge. And it is a great walk and has amazing views. What I personally like to do is walk the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan and on my way back I like to walk the Manhattan Bridge to get an awesome view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
But before you head back to Manhattan check out Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Prospect Park is free obviously, but there is a charge for the gardens, but it is totally worth it if you are there at the right season. On this last trip I did spend half a day exploring Prospect Park. And it’s so pretty. It’s definetly worth the travel time.
Day 5: Free Day
When your planning your trip to New York City or any city for that matter, always leave a free day. That’s why I said you need five days because there is probably that one thing that you missed or regret not going to. A show that you want to see or a site you want to visit. Even writing this, I know that I missed some of the most famous sites. Like visiting the top of the Empire State Building or visiting the New York Public Library which is awesome. This extra day let’s you make up what you may have missed. Enjoy it, you never know when you will get back.
I Hope This Helped You Plan Your Trip To New York City
Like I said in the beginning every one travels differently. But, I do highly suggest exploring a different neighborhood every day. New York is 13 miles long, but there is a lot to see. I didn’t mention a lot of night life because everyone is different. Some people want to see a show every night, some want to go to the club, and others just want to have a nice dinner than go back to the hotel and enjoy there night. I will be posting about some of my favorite restaurants this week as well as some fun cheap and free things to do. But this was just kind of how I would spend five days in New York as a first time visitor. I hope this helped and happy adventuring.
[…] suggested this in my last post. Get up before the crowd and head to one of the breakfast carts on the street. You can usually get […]