Do we even need to say it? New York is one of the best places that you can go to vacation. New York City is not just a city but a sensation. You will totally fall in love with the city once you go there. The fact that you are here on this article means that you are thinking of going there or maybe you already are there!
Whatever the case may be, you need to know the best of all that you can get out there in New York. That’s why we have brought this article here today to help you understand which places should be on your to-visit list when you are in New York.
18 Best Things to Do in New York City (New York)
The 18 Best Things to Do in New York City (New York) are listed below. You should take a good look at all the places that we have mentioned.
It is going to be a long list so be a little patient with us and please read through the entire article, completing the entire list. Do not just stop halfway because then you will miss out a lot of good places. So buckle up your seat belts and let’s go.
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The list starts off with a Museum of Art. It has a lot of collections from all ends of the world. It is said to be the largest gallery on the continent of the United States. There is so much history in this place that your head will be shocked.
You can see the Chinese calligraphy or Sumerian tablets or Rococo fashion. They have things from history that you didn’t even know existed in the first place. This can more than one day to completely explore.
2. National 9/11 Memorial and Museum
The 9/11 memorial and museum might be a sombre place but it is necessary. It is located near the World Trade Center. It is a tribute to the 2,997 people killed in the terror attack. The name of every person who died in the attack has been engraved in the bronze panels or parapets surrounding the memorial. This is a very sad site. If you want you can visit but if you are easily upset then skip it.
3. Empire State Building
The 44 th tallest sky scraper that you can ever find all over the world. The Empire State Building is a timeless iconic building of New York that you can not possibly miss. There is a Art Deco tower that you can visit. The observatory is a good place to start too. You just can not miss the Empire State Building when you go to New York.
4. Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is mostly known by the entire world. It is a 93 metres statue of the Roman goddess Libertas. She is carrying a torch in one hand and on the other is a tablet bearing the date of the declaration of independence. The queue for the ferry that takes you to the liberty statue can be a bit long and slow. If you want a trip to the top of the crown then you need to book in advance.
5. The Museum of Modern Art
Yes another museum. No we can not just leave it out. It is a very important part of the city. It is a museum of modern art. The best thing about it is that it has around 150,000 pieces to put on display. The Starry Night by Van Gough is also present here.
Several other famous works by famous artists can be seen here like – The Dance by Matisse, Picasso’ s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, etc. The work of Degas, Jackson Pollock, Picasso, Gilbert & George were a part of their exhibition.
6. Rockefeller Center
It is a vertical complex that was built during the Great Depression. This complex consists of 19 buildings. They were all commissioned to be built by the Rockefeller family. You might have even seen this place in movies so go enjoy it in real life now. The Atlas Statue and Prometheus is something that you will find at the ground level of the Rockefeller Center.
7. Brooklyn Bridge
The bridge linking Manhattan to Brooklyn is said to be an iconic monument of New York. You have seen it many time on TV, we know but the real thing is very much more beautiful and majestic. It is the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge. It was completed in 1883. You can pass the Brooklyn Bridge as a pedestrian to take in all that it is about.
8. Staten Island Ferry
This is a free thing to do in New York. You can enjoy this ferry ride to the full potential. As a tourist, you will understand how beautiful this ferry ride is. You can take in the sight of the entire city.
The sights will leave you spellbound for sure. No one has gone on this ferry and not been awestruck. It is that beautiful of a ride. If you take it you probably won’t forget it in your life.
9. Times Square
Well well well we know that you have already added this to your go-to list even before you read this list. It is something that you have to see. The site is so busy that about 460,000 people pass through the place every day.
This is also where the legendary countdown of New Year is done since 1907. It was however not always so clean. Back in the day it was one of the grossest place with sex shops and crime all around.
10. Grand Central Terminal
This is not only a terminal station or a transport hub. It has a good building architecture that is a must-watch. It is very busy and very big. If you go there have a lookout for your belongings. The Grand Central Terminal is a good place to visit in New York. This has 44 platforms. That is inevitably more than any other train station in the entire world.
Can you even imagine the number of people that go there. The architecture is immaculate and it will leave you in awe. You can even see a mural if you tilt your head at the palatial Main Concourse. It is a mural of the constellation found in the night sky from back in 1912.
11. Guggenheim Museum
Another museum but it is rather famous for its architecture. It is said to be the design of the 20th century. It is formed from a mixture of impressionist and early modern art. It holds a number of art pieces and exhibitions.
You can go check it out for yourself. The opening of this museum was in the year 1959. A lot of great names can be found in this museum. Some of them are Chagall, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Kirchner, Franz Marc, Fernand Léger and Cézanne.
12. New York Public Library
The New York public library is also a landmark that you will instantly recognize. The library is said to be the second-largest in the country and the third-largest library system in the entire world. They have emblems of lions on the stairs that represent the entire library system. It is a fascinating place for sure.
If you are a book nerd you will love this place. There are a lot of books here (no kidding!) about literally every possible subject that you can think of. So go visit this place even if you are not a book nerd. Its magnificent.
13. Coney Island
Coney Island. You may have heard the name but now you can visit and see for yourself what this place holds. It is a former barrier island in Brooklyn. It has been a seaside escape for New Yorkers for a long time. The Coney Island Cyclone which is the oldest functioning wooden roller coaster can be found here. You can try it if you want.
14. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Well if you are into this stuff then you can go to this museum. This museum as the name suggests is a museum for aircraft and other machinery that has been used in the past. Stuff from the world war and vehicles or rather aircrafts from that point of time is also to be found in this museum. The USS Growler is one of the highlights that you will find here.
15. Prospect Park
It is a 526 acre park in Brooklyn. It is a good place to go to. It has historic buildings and little attractions all over the park. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. It has an elegant boat house too.
It was opened in the 1860s and still is present till date. There is a prospect park zoo too that you should check out if you are a fan of animals. The Ravine is a place within the park with a beautiful 19th century landscaping that you can not miss out.
16. Frick Collection
Henry Clay Frick started to invest in art as soon as he made a lot of money in the Pittsburgh coke and steel industry. High decorative arts from the old generation has been a part of his collection.
It was his personal collection but when he passed away, all the art became a public museum. You will find many extraordinary pieces of art if you go there. It will not fail to make you impressed.
17. American Museum of Natural History
We swear that this is the last museum on the list. This museum is four floored and it has a lot if natural history that will drop your jaw. From fossils to bones they have it all. Children adult alike will be fascinated by what this museum has to offer. It is pretty big so it might take you one day to completely tour the museum but trust us when we say that it will be worth your time.
18. Chelsea Market
The last but not the least on the list of places to visit in New York is Chelsea market. The Chelsea Market is known for its special food shops as well as a supermarket. It is a good place to shop. It remains very busy though. You will find food to your hearts content here.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has been useful for your. We have tried our best to include all that we could. To put it simply, it is difficult to put together all the stuff that New York has to offer but we have tried to pick the best ones.
It goes without saying that there are obviously a hundred other places that you should visit in New York. But you can not conquer everything in one trip. So try out the places that we have mentioned above and tell us about your experience in the comment section below.
Do share this article with your friends and family too or with anyone who is going to go on a trip to New York soon. You will be doing them and us a good favour. Thank you once again for reading this article. Have a great day! Happy touring!