Take a bite out of the Big Apple and hustle at maximum speed across its five boroughs. Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.” Look around and enjoy its abundance of opportunities, cultural diversity, and options. In New York City, everything, everywhere is iconic.
Must Sees | Food | Helpful Tips
MUST SEES
Central Park
In the heart of Manhattan, Central Park is a major attraction with something for everyone. This massive green space has sweeping lawns, gardens, lakes, rocky ledges, statues, and winding paths. Enjoy the beautiful landscapes from Belvedere Castle on Vista Rock.
ESB
Soaring more than a quarter mile high, the Empire State Building is an iconic skyscraper. At the 86th floor, walk around the circular observation deck and spot New York’s landmarks. The Art Deco marvel was the first 100-story building and magnet for romantic comedies.
Brooklyn Bridge
Walk 1.1 miles across the East River for amazing views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The wooden boardwalk is above a level of cars. The stones, cables, and arches are imposing. With a main span of 1,595 feet, it was the first steel-wire suspension bridge.
Statue of Liberty
Lady Liberty is a monument to freedom and democracy and a symbol of hope standing above broken shackles. Emma Lazarus’ pedestal poem welcomed immigrants seeking a better life. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Climb 162 steps to her crown.
Times Square
Digital billboards, neon, flashing lights! This is a town square in the shape of a bowtie. It’s the place for entertainment, with music halls, museums, restaurants, and of course, Broadway. Locals gather here to celebrate momentous events and usher in the new year.
Broadway
There’s no business like show business! No visit to New York is complete without a visit to a Broadway theater. Catch bold new shows, musicals, and long-running hits.
High Line
The High Line is a linear park built on an abandoned, elevated, rail line. It is a reimagining of a forgotten space. The raised walkway has green perennials, shrubs, and trees on the sides. There are wooden chaise lounges, crazy colorful lighting, food stalls, and giant windows to the street.
Guggenheim
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim is best known for its spiral structure and revolutionary layout. The exhibitions include modern paintings, sculpture and film. As you walk up the ramp, the walls are only as high as your hip. Looking at the art in this manner is a unique experience, though somewhat disconcerting.
The Met
Over two million works of art from around the world are housed at the Met. The highlight is the Temple of Dendur, an entire temple transported from Egypt. Augustus Caesar had the temple built after defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
MOMA
MoMA is home to 100,000 pieces of modern art, by heavy hitters like Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Rothko, and Pollock. In addition to van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” visit Monet’s “Water Lilies” room. The thick strokes of the clouds and glowing green lilies draw you into the landscape.
AMNH
AMNH has spectacular skeletons of T-Rexes, triceratops, and stegosauri. The Hayden Planetarium is a globe-shaped dome theater. The Zeiss projector has space shows of the night sky. Watch an immersive film where you fly into space, pass many galaxies, and explore the history of the Big Bang.
9/11 Memorial
The memorial remembers the victims, the families, and survivors of 9/11. Two enormous reflecting pools with waterfalls are set in the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of 2,983 victims are inscribed around the pools. At 1,776 feet, One WTC anchors the new complex.
Rockefeller Center
At Rockefeller Center, Atlas holds up the heavens and golden Prometheus shares fire. Check out Radio City Music Hall at the corner. From the top of 30 Rock, you have a bird’s eye view of the New York skyline.
Grand Central Station
The main concourse has a giant mural on its vaulted ceiling. All night and day, you can see golden constellations against a green background.
Washington Square Park
This is the spot for people watching. At the center of Greenwich Village, locals unwind, play chess, juggle, and watch the street performers. The marble Washington Arch honored the centennial of the first president’s inauguration in New York.
FOOD
New York’s dining scene has mind-blowing variety, which can cover several continents in a single city block.
Katz’s Deli
The pastrami on rye may be the most delicious, tender, juicy, and flavorful sandwich around. The smoked brisket comes with two types of pickles on the side: one mild and one sour. Enter the restaurant, take a ticket, order your food, eat your food, pay, and leave.
New York–Style Pizza
NY-style pizza is a wide foldable slice with a thin crust. The city’s best is often debated, but there’s no doubt you’ll easily find a great slice with little effort.
Bagels
Bagels are one of NY’s iconic foods. They are big and fluffy bread rolls with distinctive crusts and dense, chewy crumbs. If you are hungering for more than a snack, opt for a bagel sandwich. Order one schmeared with cream cheese and layered with smoked salmon or cured fish.
Cheesecake
New York cheesecake consists of cream cheese, fresh heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla. Visit Junior’s for a smooth, velvety, and dense slice.
Veselka
Veselka serves up solid Ukrainian food in the East Village. Look no further for incredible varenyky, borscht, pierogis (braised beef, sauerkraut and mushroom), stuffed cabbage, and buckwheat with mushroom gravy.
Momofuku
The Momofuku empire brings experimentation and creativity to its offerings. His twist on the pork belly bun (stuffed with hoisin, scallions, cucumber) kicked off a pork bun craze. There is usually a Milk Bar nearby where you can get crack pie and cereal milk.
Malecon
Malecon is an uptown Dominican restaurant offering mofongo, arroz con calamares, and its legendary rotisserie chicken. The rice with squid has notes of oregano, parsley, briny olives, and soft, roasted red bell peppers.
Polish Pastries
Next to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Greenpoint has a large Polish community. If you have a sweet tooth, visit a bakery and stock up on poppy seed cake, paczki (donuts), and pastries.
Kossar’s Bialys
Kossar’s Bialys is a Lower East Side landmark. Go there and try a bialy, which is a bagel’s lesser-known cousin. The round, crunchy, bread roll has a pocket with sweet sautéed onions and poppy seeds.
Eataly
Eataly offers Italian specialty goods in a marketplace and food hall complex. It blurs the lines between retail and restaurant with counters and tables mixed in between aisles of food sections. Next to shelves of pasta packages, you can pause your shopping and enjoy a lasagna.
Rice to Riches
Only in Manhattan can you find a shop dedicated to just rice pudding. It is arranged like an ice cream shop with tubs and scoops behind glass. The décor is space age with quirky signs. The pricy dessert comes in 20 different delicious flavors.
HELPFUL TIPS
Manhattanhenge
Manhattanhenge occurs (May 29/30 and July 11/12) when the Sun sets in alignment with the city’s grid. View the sunset from east/west streets: 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th. Find a spot as far east as possible.
Subway
Use the subway to navigate New York like a boss. Set up your smartphone beforehand so you can tap it at an OMNY reader. To help with the alphabet soup, remember the Bronx is uptown and Brooklyn is downtown.
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