New York always presented one of the most intriguing, diverse, and vivid places on the planet Earth. Through endless movies, sitcoms, and pieces of literature, this unofficial cultural capital of the USA has engraved itself so hard into the imagination of all inhabitants of this world, that we all kinda take it for granted and feel like we spent a lifetime in the Big Apple.
But, seeing the snow-clad Central Park and busy streets of Times Square on the TV screen and feeling their pulse in real life are nowhere near the same experiences. So, if you have planned some trips for the next vacation season, put New York at the very top of the list of your priorities.
In this article, we will try to make your first visit simpler with these seven simple, but life-saving tips.
Plan how to get around the city
Yellow cabs have become a sort of symbol of New York. But, even if they are reasonably affordable, often traffic jams can make this means of transport put quite a heavy pressure on your travel budget. So, if you are planning to save some money during this trip, first narrow down the list of the places you want to visit and group the ones that are within walking distance together on your daily plans. If you are a bit more adventurous, you can even rent a cover more distance in less time. New York metro presents a great and affordable way to bridge the gap between the distant location clusters.
Use the available tourist passes and bundled tickets
Access to endless New York attractions is not always affordable, and if you want to see them all, the bundled tickets and city passes are your only reasonable way out. Some of the most popular options come in the form of The New York Pass, Sightseeing Day Pass, and New York All Inclusive Pass which all offer certain perks and advantages at a very affordable price. The other way to get around the city is to get in touch with other fellow tourists and get bundled group tickets that can shave off quite a substantial amount of money you need to spend. This option, though, requires quite a bit of logistics.
Find a suitable lodging
The place where you are going to spend your days in New York can completely make or break the experience you are going to get out of the city. Therefore, when you are checking the available apartments for rent, be sure to find something that will be close to the attractions you are going to visit, and, if possible, situate yourself close to the important traffic hubs. If you find something near the locations of your radar, you won’t even need to use the subway lines – other means of public transport will serve you just fine. AMTRAK lines will present an easy way to more distant locations.
Dedicate an entire day to Central Park
Central Park may be just another place on your vacation wish list but don’t fool yourself by thinking you will be able to tackle this location in a couple of hours. Central Park is absolutely enormous and if you want to experience what this beautiful place is all about, you need to dedicate an entire day to this visit. To make your life a bit simpler, we have composed a shortlist of the stops you need to stop by:
- Strawberry Fields
- The Great Lawn
- Bow Bridge
- The Ramble
- The Loeb Boathouse (a great place to have a snack while resting)
- Delacorte Theater
- Belvedere Castle
And, to make your life endlessly easier, buy yourself a pair of very comfortable walking shoes.
Trim down the list of museums
This situation is very similar to the one we had with Central Park just above. New York is stacked with giant museums, and trying to check them all will either leave you running through each of them or completely set your travel back. So, if you want to experience what New York culture is all about without walking miles down the hallways or spending days in the waiting lines, we recommend that you focus your efforts on these top three picks:
- MoMa or the Museum of Modern Art hosts one of the biggest collections from this field in the world. Here, you will find the works of artists like Picasso, Pollock, Klimt, Matisse, Dali, and other prominent figures.
- Guggenheim is yet another modern art museum with the added twist that the architecture of the museum presents an attraction itself.
- 9/11 Memorial Museum is located at Ground Zero (the prior location of the Twin Towers) and presents a great insight into one of the darkest chapters of modern American history as well as a harrowing reminder of the fragility of life.
Use the benefit of countless viewpoints
Some New York attractions look most impressive when observed from a distance. This way of experiencing the city will also allow you to take much better photos. You won’t be able to get a good selfie standing in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge. Well, if you want to save some money, trim down your travel list, and still experience New York from a fresh, beautiful perspective, be sure to check some of the numerous viewpoints scattered around the city. Some of the most famous picks are The Empire State Building observation deck, and The New York World Observatory so choose wisely.
Wrapping-up
Well, we hope these few tips will help make your stay in the great New York City if only a bit more streamlined, affordable, engaging, and fun. And, believe us, if you need to see one place this year, New York should get the highest priority. New Yorkers are some of the most open-minded and friendly people in the United States. As soon as you land at JFK, you will instantly feel at home. So, let your Friends, Serendipity and Die Hard with a Vengeance memories finally run loose.
