New York City Bucket List
As soon as you walk down the street, the city embraces you. Eight million individuals. 800 languages. A concentration of ambition, noise, culture, and viewpoints that is unmatched by any other city in the world. Each neighborhood is a world in itself. You could spend your whole life there and still not experience everything. Although this is true for most New Yorkers.
Why New York City belongs on your bucket list
The Met has 5,000 years of art. Broadway stages more shows than any other theatre district in the world. You can get a dollar slice at 3 a.m. or a 400-dollar omakase in Tribeca and both will be exactly as they should be. None of that is why New York gets you. It's the momentum. The feeling that everything is happening right now, all at once, on this block and on every block. The guy sitting next to you on the L might be a hedge fund manager or a street musician. You might never know. The city reinvents itself daily and expects the same of you. Exhausting. Exhilarating. You will hate it and love it in the same hour.
When to go
Autumn in New York is considered a cliché because it is so fantastic. From September to November there is refreshing air, golden light seeping through the trees, and the city's buzz as everyone heads back to school. Then there's Spring: April to June. Pink Cherry Blossoms, alfresco dining, and the ability to finally take a stroll. Summer: Boiling! Wet enough to adhere to you like a terrible boyfriend. But rooftop bars and open-air shows are enough to make it sufferable. Winter: Just Freezing. But the magical windows at Fifth Avenue's Holiday, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and the strange Times Square's New Year extravaganza... it's magical.
Must-visit places in New York City
Central Park
843 acres of planned wilderness within one of the greatest cities in the world. The Bethesda Fountain. The Bow Bridge. The Ramble. The inspirational highlights obviously never end. The greatest enjoyment, however, is entering through a different gate each day and never really knowing what you'll stumble upon next. Case in point: did you ever expect to find a jazz saxophonist performing in front of the Bow Bridge? Did you think you'd see turtles sunning on rocks beneath skyscrapers? Or better yet, did you ever imagine yourself sprawled on the Great Lawn, looking up at a building and thinking, "Damn, that's a majestic piece of architecture on my right. Uh, why the hell is the sky directly above me blocked out by a building?" The fall foliage really is extraordinary though, isn't it? C'mon, give it to NYC. This is almost as good as Vermont.
Statue of Liberty
You can take the free Staten Island Ferry and have a better view of the Statue of Liberty than from the actual Liberty Island. If that's still not enough and you want to put your foot on the island you see in the postcards and bring fond and perhaps even slightly “elitist” memories back from a seemingly different age, then cram your way into pedestal or (better yet) the ridiculously cramped crown staircase, all while getting borderline claustrophobic. Crowds and soon-to-be-abolished railings surrounding the ancient torch… no I'm fine on the boat thank you very much.
Brooklyn Bridge
Experience a beautiful sunrise for free by visiting the Brooklyn Bridge. As you walk across, the picturesque Manhattan skyline will unfold before your eyes. It almost feels like you've traveled back in time when you walk above the traffic on the wooden boardwalk. The best direction for a magnificent view is from Brooklyn to Manhattan. In DUMBO, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, you can capture that classic shot that you've undoubtedly seen many times. But don't miss the opportunity to capture it yourself. It is definitely worth it. And while you're there, Juliana's Pizza is just around the corner. Be prepared to wait in line.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Two million works of art. Every civilization, every era. There's an Egyptian Temple inside a glass box. It shouldn't work, but it does. The European Paintings galleries are a world-class museum unto themselves. The sculpture garden on the roof has gorgeous Central Park views. New Yorkers pay what they wish. Everyone else pays a suggested price. You could come here 20 times and find something new in a different wing each time.
Times Square & Broadway
Sure, Times Square might represent all the worst aspects of commercialized tourism, but it's something everyone should see, experience, and complain about at least once in their lives. There are no words for the scale of the light and the noise and the assault to your senses. The reason to come to this area is to see Broadway. See something. Anything. TKTS in Times Square sells same-day tickets to Broadway shows at 20-50% off. Pro tip: don't waste your time with the big shows. See an Off-Broadway show. Better talent for one percent the audience. You're close enough to see the actors sweat.
High Line & Hudson Yards
For the bravest among you, the newest view of NYC from this area stretches from the west side of Midtown to the edge of the borough. Hudson Yards and its honeycomb-shaped Vessel, along with the open-air Edge observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards, offer some of the most dramatic vantage points in the city and will make you rethink your fear of heights.
Williamsburg
Once a working-class enclave, Williamsburg is now Brooklyn's trendiest neighborhood with a rustic edge. Bedford Avenue is the main drag, lined with vintage shops, indie boutiques, and some of the city's best coffee. Smorgasburg draws huge weekend crowds for its outdoor food market overlooking the East River. Rooftop bars along Kent Avenue offer some of the best skyline views in the city, and the streets are packed with murals, record stores, and late-night bars worth wandering into.
Chelsea Market
The Oreo cookie was created in this structure. Today, it's a food hall packed into one city block of the former Nabisco factory. Los Tacos No. 1 for tacos that will make you rethink your existence. Lobster Place for seafood that will swim right out of you. Doughnuttery for fresh mini donuts that will make your mouth water as soon as you catch a whiff of them. They even let you in at the High Line entrance, what do ya know, so you can start or end your trip to the park here. It's fate.
One World Observatory
Standing 1,250 feet above street level, you can see three different states on a clear day. Even if you don't have the time or patience to go up, the time-lapse video they play of the Manhattan skyline expanding over 500 years is worth the price of admission. But these days, the real reason to visit is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at the base. Two reflecting pools are set in the footprints of the original buildings, with water cascading down into the void. It is simply one of the most powerful memorials ever designed. You should schedule a minimum of two hours for the museum. You will need every one of them.
Little Italy & Chinatown
When you're in Chinatown, you can't leave without eating a soup dumpling at Joe's Shanghai. They're messy, but that's half the fun. The paper-thin dumpling skin surrounding the hot pork broth inside is delicate, so handle with care. We recommend biting a small hole on top, draining the broth into the spoon, then either slurping the dumpling or eating it with the pork filling. Either way, it's an explosion of flavor, and it's amazing. Chili-oil obsessives will not shut up about the stuff they serve over in Xi'an Famous Foods. Honestly, it's for good reason. The spicy tingly beef noodles are tossed in the smoky flaming oil, the homemade seared cumin lamb is soaked in the stuff, and even the liang pi "cold skin" noodles are floating in it. It's a burn so good, so good. Stuffed red peppers with meat? Chili oil'll fix that. Numbing "The Spiciest" noodles? Chili oil owns that.
New York City insider tips
- Subway: Runs 24/7. Tap your phone or get an OMNY card. It's the fastest way to get around the city. There's nothing that beats it. Well, except for knowing whether the train is express or local before you get on. Express skips stops. You end up in Harlem with no idea how the hell you got there.
- Dollar Slice: Now it's closer to a dollar fifty, but it's still an experience. Fold it in half, eat it as you walk, and don't look back. Joe's Pizza in the Village and Prince Street Pizza in Nolita are the famous ones. Every neighborhood has its own legend though.
- Walking Pace: Walk fast. Keep to the right. Don't stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Ever. And for the love of all things holy, never stand on the left side of the escalator. It's not being rude. It's how 8 million people live in a tiny space.
- Reservations: Popular restaurants fill up weeks in advance on Resy and OpenTable. The trick is to check the sites the day before and the actual date for cancellations. Counter seats at fancy restaurants are the local secret.
- Free Stuff: Central Park. Staten Island Ferry. Brooklyn Bridge walk. The High Line. Museums on select evenings. Yes, the city is expensive. But the best things in the city are free. Really.
Save your New York City bucket list
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