If you are visiting New York for the very first time, then it is a good idea to plan your trip to make sure that you do not miss out on any of the amazing experiences in the city that never sleeps.
Whether you are planning a short weekend visit, or you have a longer time in NYC, there is so much to see and do that you would never be able to fit everything in. As well as the top tourist attractions, if you are interested in art or you like sports, then there are some other activities you may want to fit into your visit. Here are the key ideas for different types of interests:
Top tourist spots
NYC has so many famous landmarks and sightseeing spots that you will probably be familiar with many of them, such as:
●The Statue of Liberty
●Central Park
●Rockefeller Center
●Empire State Building
●Times Square
●Brooklyn Bridge
●The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Those are just a few of the sites to explore, so it is a good idea to get familiar with the transport in NYC to make sure that you can easily get around to each one without wasting any of your tourism time.
Sports
When you visit somewhere like the US, if you’re a sports fan it can be fun to watch a sport that isn’t played in your home country, or that is more popular in the US. For example, baseball, basketball, ice hockey and NFL are all popular sports in the US.
You could see New York Rangers ice hockey team playing at the famous Madison Square
Garden, go to see the prolific New York Yankees play baseball at the Yankee Stadium, or watch the New York Knicks take to the basketball court in the NBA season. Stadium tours can also be a really exciting trip for the big sports fans visiting NYC.
Tennis fans might want to take a trip to the home of the US Open at Flushing Meadows, now named the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Cultural/The Arts
New York is brimming with culture and is home to some of the world’s most renowned galleries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Arts and Design and American Museum of Natural History are all very impressive places to visit.
Cultural points of interest include the New York Public Library, Metropolitan Opera House, NYC Botanical Gardens and Staten Island’s Alice Austen House. For those interested in architecture then as well as the skyscrapers across New York, you should visit the Grand Central Terminal, St Patrick’s Old Cathedral and of course see the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge up close.
Broadway is a must for anyone of enjoys a good show, from musicals to plays. You just can’t visit NYC without taking in a show on Broadway.
Top restaurants and food not to be missed
New York City has so many different restaurants that it makes choosing somewhere to eat very difficult. If you fancy an Italian, then you should head to Little Italy (or just visit for a look round). Pizza lovers flock to Rubirosa and there are also some great bakeries to try. People with a sweet tooth can visit Levain Bakery for chocolate chip cookies sent from chocolate heaven, or go for pancakes at Clinton St. Baking Co.
Xi’an restaurant is the ultimate place for Chinese cuisine, whilst those looking to dine with a view should try City Vineyard, Manhatta or Riverpark.
If you are planning on visiting New York in the near future, then make sure that you have your ESTA for New York. Anyone travelling to the US requires a form of visa as travel authorization and citizens from the UK can easily apply for an ESTA for tourism.
