10 Travel Tips to Know Before Visiting New York City

Visiting New York City will be one of the most beautiful experiences of your life. That’s because this cosmopolitan hub is not only home to numerous points of interest but is also diverse and incredibly exciting to see. 

Countless movies have been filmed here, and as you might know, many celebrities live in New York today – for example, you could visit Robert De Niro’s penthouse strolling down Lower Manhattan or check out Madonna’s home walking on the Upper East Side. 

 

 

No wonder NYC is called ‘the city that never sleeps!’ It’s got adventurous nightlife, amazing food, and offers 24/7 customer service available for its visitors. If you’re traveling to New York, you cannot get bored.

Before digging into the main topic, let’s see why visiting NYC should become one of your top ten lifetime goals. Then, we will teach you how to prepare for your New York City trip and make sure you’re going to have an amazing experience!

 

Why Should I Visit New York City?

New York City’s got so much to offer. There are plenty of things to see and foods to try to never get bored. In fact, you might fall in love with it and never want to leave again, so be careful! Here are the top reasons for visiting NYC this year. 

• You can visit the world’s most famous museums and art galleries. Don’t miss out on the Guggenheim, the MMAT, and the Museum of Modern Art. 
• You’ll be able to walk on Broadway and attend popular shows. This 21-kilometer street is clustered around Times Square. Who knows, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to catch a show.
• Admiring the skyscrapers is once in a lifetime experience. The World Trade Center and The Empire State Building are two must-see attractions, argues Amanda, a dissertation service specialist and traveling enthusiast.
• Taste international and experimental food. Check out Dominique Ansel’s Cronuts in Soho or Frankel’s Delicatessen in Brooklyn!
• Walk around different neighborhoods and see how NYC life actually feels like. NYC is so diverse and full of life at the same time. Discover Chinatown, the Theatre District, and walk around Brooklyn. Queen is another amazing area.
• Listen to live music and dance! You could meet celebrities by attending live music and stand-up comedy shows. They all happen in the evening, so be prepared to spend the whole night in the city.
• Walk around Times Square and feel the energy!  The neon lights and tight crowd will make you feel like you’re in a movie set. 
• Visit Central Park. You’ll have to spend at least 4-5 hours here to get the full Central Park experience. Do it!
• Cross the Brooklyn Bridge and watch the sunrise. This bridge was completed in 1883 and is 1.13 miles long. Watching the sunrise/sunset from here is amazing, don’t you miss it.

 

 

Top 10 Travel Tips: What’s the Right Way to Visit NYC?

   1. You’ve got to use public transportation when visiting NYC

The best way to get around NYC is by public transport. There is no way you’ll be able to visit it another way, even if you’re excited about driving or patient on the road. It’ll just take you too much time. You should learn how to navigate the subway and trust me, it’s not complicated at all. Or you can reaching the city by train as well.

Never, ever rent a car in NYC. The traffic is impossible, you will be stuck at a light for 15-20 minutes, let alone when driving through Times Square. Plus, NYC drivers are pretty crazy, so your best bet is traveling by metro. You could use Google Maps to check your location or use another cool app, Citymapper. 

 

   2. Don’t eat in Times Square

Visit Times Square, it’s an amazing experience, but avoid eating out around here. The food is extremely expensive and (in my humble opinion) extremely overpriced. Another important tip, try to avoid chain restaurants. There’s no point in visiting such a cosmopolitan city only to taste McDonald’s, Olive Garden, or Red Lobster. You could do that anywhere!

If you want the full NYC culinary experience, check out restaurants such as Carbone, Catch NYC, Peter Lugers, Pietro Nolita, Old Homestead Steakhouse, or Chelsea Market. Check for an ‘A’ rating in the window of the restaurant you’ve chosen as this means the facility is clean.

You should also check out the best pizza and bagels places in NYC since you’re here. You cannot visit New York and not eat a traditional NYC bagel. Your best choice for bagels would be Brooklyn Bagels in Chelsea.

 

 

   3. Tipping is an unwritten rule

It’s important to know how New York servers get by – not by getting a raise but by getting tips. Business owners in New York don’t offer their employees more than the minimum wage, which is somewhere around $5-6 per hour. 

You cannot make a living out of this pay in NYC, so servers live off tips. Tipping has somehow become an unwritten rule in the city. Go for 15-20% of the bill to be sure you’re tipping enough. 

 

   4. Debunking a Myth: “All New Yorkers are rude”

This is bs, not true at all. New Yorkers are awesome people once you get to know them. However, they’re rushing to get from point A to point B and might give out a wrong impression. 

If you’ll spend some time here, you’ll see that New Yorkers are nothing but stressed – but they’re really good people. Mingle with New Yorkers by having some New York pizza. You’ll notice the difference!

 

   5. Watch out for tourist traps 

Tourist traps are set everywhere around this city, so make sure you avoid them – you don’t want to get scammed or mugged now, do you? Avoid buying from people on the street, no matter what they promise. 

Some of them might “take you to a Kevin Hart concert” for $10 while others might sell you “real Gucci bags” for $20. These offers are scams and shouldn’t be taken seriously. A real Gucci bag costs around $300, and a Kevin Hart concert…. about the same!

 

   6. Being catcalled is natural… unfortunately 

Ladies, I’m sorry to be breaking this for you but… be strong, you’ll be catcalled in NYC. Not all men (but most men) in New York City got the impression that whistling and pointing fingers is something natural. They’re learning – step by step – that this is insulting but you’ve got to be patient. 

Try not to get too upset, let them do their thing. You don’t want to pay attention or get involved with these people. Put your headphones on and tune in to yourself! Prepare for such reactions when you’re passing a construction building. 

 

   7. Learn New York slang

Learning popular NYC slang is a must. Here are some of the words you might hear (but have no idea what they mean):

• When meeting someone, the address is usually in this format, “meet me on 28th between 8th and 9th.” That means meet me on the 28th street between 8th and 9th avenue. 
• As you might already know, NYC is also called “the city,” so know this when people refer to it this way. Don’t get confused.
• No North or South when explaining where you’re heading – only east side, west side uptown, or downtown. 
• One block = one street, two blocks = two streets, etc. Two blocks away means two intersections away, basically.

 

   8. Diners are for breakfast and lunch only 

Do not go to a diner for dinner, even if the name might confuse you. Your best bet is choosing a diner for breakfast or lunch. Also, there are better places than a diner to go for brunch in the city, so look for the best ones. TripAdvisor’s got a list you could check out.

 

 

   9. Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes. Did I say shoes?

Yes, shoes are extremely important in New York. For some reason, people will check out your shoes and judge you by how they look. I know, totally superficial, but it happens, so you’d better hear it from me. In any case, you might want to look stylish when walking down Broadway anyway, right?

   10. Take advantage of free activities in NYC!

Free activities are the best – am I right? Take the free walking tour around NYC, walk around Brooklyn, take a stroll down Brooklyn Bridge, check out the Long Island beaches, or hang out in Dumbo. There are so many things to do here… that you will not have the chance to sleep!

 

In short

The 10 best travel tips for visiting New York City are:

1. You must use public transport when visiting New York
2. Don’t eat in times square
3. Tipping is an unwritten rule
4. Debunking a Myth: “All New Yorkers are Rude”
5. Watch out for tourist traps
6. Being harassed is common… unfortunately
7. Learn New York Slang
8. Diners are for breakfast and lunch only
9. Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes. Did I say shoes?
10. Enjoy free activities in New York!

 

Wrapping Up

New York City is an unforgettable experience. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, an incredible way to spend a summer. I hope you’re ready to go by now. Pack your bags, buy your plane ticket, and have safe travels. Enjoy the amazing experiences you’ll get to have here. 

 

Author Bio:

Charlie Svensson is a fast, engaging freelance writer, skilled in content writing and blogging. He works for one of the best college essay services. The favorite topics of his posts are education, social media, marketing, SEO, motivation blogging and self-growth. You could check them out here Essay Reviewer. Charlie’s got excellent adaptability of skills to reach diverse audiences.