New York City Travel Guide
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Planning a Trip to New York City
New York is one of the msot incredible cities in the world. You could spend months or years there and still have more to see and discover, which makes writing a travel guide or any NYC posts kind of a challenge, because the recommendations are endless. I’ve made 9 trips to New York in the last few years and keep finding new amazing places that I’ll add to this guide.
This city has everything to start planning your perfect trip & links to deeper dive guides – amazing food in any cuisine, unreal rooftops, endless culture, epic sunsets, world class museums, picturesque neighborhoods & more. Build yourown dream NYC itinerary from this guide or use one of mine!
Jump To:
- Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View
- Where to Stay in New York City
- Best Things to do in New York City
- Best Pizza in New York City
- Getting to New York City
- Getting Around New York City
- How Many Days to Spend in New York City
- Safety for Solo Female Travel in New York City
- Holidays in New York City
- New York City Travel Map
- New York City – Top Blog Posts
- New York City Photo Gallery
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View
Midtown Manhattan – Daintree
The Daintree rooftop cocktail lounge was one of my favorite rooftops in NYC. You can make reservations for their indoor cocktail lounge with stunning Empire Stat Building views (and the most epic sunset views) or you can visit their outdoor cocktail bar, the Treetop (weather dependent) this spot is first come, first serve. More details here.
Williamsburg – The Water Tower Bar Arlo Hotel Rooftop
Williamsburg has the best skyline views of Manhattan, and is home to some of the city’s best rooftop bars. My absolute favorite was the Water Tower Bar at the Arlo Hotel. This massive rooftop had stunning views (and unreal sunsets) It’s a great spot for casual drinks or a late night (they’re open until 4AM weeknights)
Williamsburg – Westlight
Another rooftop in Williamsburg with unreal views is Westlight, this bar on the rooftop of the William Vale hotel is visible form anywhere in Williamsburg, and the rooftop views do not disappoint. The rooftop has two floors, a lounge style cocktail bar/restaurant & an open aired “Turf Club” rooftop bar that’s open seasonally. For Westlight, I’d recommend a reservation.
Central Park – Darling
If you’re looking for rooftop with Central Park views, Darling is the ultimate spot, and the only real rooftop bar with Central Park views. Located in the Park Lane Hotel this outdoor oasis style coacktail bar and restaurant is stunning. I’d definitely recommend a reservations to guarantee a spot here!
Where to Stay in New York City
New York is massive and there are so many amazing neighborhoods and hotels to choose from. I”ve narrowed down my favorite hotels by neighborhood. I love staying in all of these areas, so it’s hard to choose a favorite. It really depends on what you’re trying to be closest to when you’re in the city!
Jump To:
- Midtown Manhattan Hotels
- West Village Manhattan Hotels
- Downtown Manhattan Hotels
- Williamsburg Brooklyn Hotels
- DUMBO Brooklyn Hotels
Midtown Manhattan – Bryant Park Hotel
Midtown is accessible to everything, it’s easy to get up or downtown or take the train across the river to Brooklyn. One of my favorite hotels in this area is the Bryant Park Hotel (this is also a great place to stay at Christmastime) Bryant Park is right near the 5th ave & 44th street.
The location is key for this hotel, the rooms were standard for NYC, a bit small, but modern and clean. The hotel also had a cool lounge/bar in the basement that was fun to grab a few drinks at after dinner.
West Village – The Standard High Line Hotel
The West Village is my favorite neighborhood of NYC. This whole area reminds me of a European city. It’s filled with stunning streets, a lot of greenery for a major metropolitan city, some of the best restaurants in New York & more. If I were to ever move to New York (and make way more money than I do now) I’d want to live in the West Village.
The Standard High Line Hotel is one of the nicest hotels in this area. I loved my stay here, and the High Line is one of my favorite things to do in New York City.
Downtown – The Marriott Downtown
The Marriott Downtown is closer to the financial District. This neighborhood tends to be a bit cheaper on weekends than other areas like Midtown, so this can be a good option for being in Manhattan, but saving a little money.
This hotel had great views, decent sized rooms, a restaurant/bar on site & was convenient to the subway.
Williamsburg – The Hoxton Hotel
Williamsburg is where I stay most often when I visit New York, particularly the Hoxton Hotel. I love this place. They have amazing skyline views, their rooftop is home to Laser Wolf, an Israeli restaurant with awesome skyline views, and their lobby coffee shop is one of my favorite places for remote work & people watching.
Williamsburg – Arlo Hotel
Right across the street from the Hoxton is my other favorite WIlliamsburg hotel, the Arlo. The Water Tower bar at the Arlo rooftop is one of my favorite bars in New York, and the roodtop pool is unreal. I love staying at this hotel. The location is so convenient for exploring WIlliamsburg and being one stop on the L from Manhattan.
DUMBO – 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
DUMBO is another great neighborhood to stay in when visitintg the city. DUMBO is directly across the Brooklyn Bridge & Manhattan Bridge from Manhattan. DUMBO literally stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. DUMBO is a super fun neighborhood with great bars & restaurants and its proximity to the city makes it an ideal place to stay
My favorite hotel in this neighborhood is 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. This stunning spot is right on the water with views of, you guessed it, the Brooklyn Bridge. The rooftop pool & bar also offer unreal views.
Best Things to do in New York City
With so many things to do in New York it’s hard to even begin to compile a list of the best, but here are my absolute favorite things to do in NYC and my top recommendations for anyone who has never been.
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
This is one of my favorite things to do in NYC. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge gives some of the best views of the city, and it’s free! The bridge is about a mile long, how long it takes depends on how often you stop to take photos. You can walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan or vice versa!
Explore Central Park
No trip to New York is complete without visiting the iconic Central Park. Central Park is absolutely massive and spans a huge portion of the center of Manhattan, while it’s nicest in summer, psring & fall, it’s still worth a visit in the winter. Snowy Central Park is stunning, albeit cold. Central Park is also free to visit.
Highlights of Central Park:
- Bethesda Terrace
- Bow Bridge
- Strawberry FIelds
- Central Park Carousel
- Central Park Boathouse (restaurant)
Statue of Liberty
No trip to New York is complete without some views of the Statue of Liberty. You have a few options here depending on how much time you have, how close you want to get to Lady Lib, and how much you’re willing to spend.
- View the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park (closest) or from the Brooklyn Bridge (possible, but you’re farther away) – both of these options are free
- Take a ferry to Liberty Island and explore the Statue of Liberty Museum. You’ll get up close views of the statue, and the option to explore the museum at your leisure. Tickets here – $69 per person. Roughly 2 hours (express option)
- Take a ferry to Liberty Island (same as above) but also to Ellis Island and enjoy sites such a s the Wall of Honour, and access to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration where you can explore for as long as you wish. Tickets here – $79 per person, roughly 4 hours (comprehensive tour option)
Find NYC’s Best Views
NYC has so many unreal rooftop viewpoints (and bars) and visiting at least one is a must for me! I personally prefer Top of the Rock, it gets super crowded, but the views are unreal and the sunsets are insane from here, highly recommend timing your visit with sunset if possible! Visiting also allows you to see Rockefeller Center, 5th Ave, Radio City Music Hall and other Iconic NYC attractions.
Two other great viewpoint options are the Empire State Building or SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. SUMMIT one features a bar & three floors of fun, immersive art displays, this is my seocnd favorite of the 3!
- Top of the Rock – $54 per person
- Empire State Building – $48 per person
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt – $47 per person
One World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial
Reserve your entry to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Memorial. Your ticket guarantees you entry and there is no time limit to how long you can spend at the museum and memoria. Tickets are $33 per person
Walk the High Line
Walking the High Line is one of my favoritre things to do in the city. The High Line is a park/walking trail built on a former elevated railway on Manhattan’s west side. It offer stunning views of Manhattan, Little Island, and features stunning garden and unique art displays. The west side of Manhattan is home to some of Manhattan’s most picturesque neighborhoods and this is a great way to explore them.
The High Line is free to visit.
Experience Times Square
If you’ve never done it, wandering through Times Square is something you should try at least once in your life, preferably at night. You don’t need long (the crowds & lights can be a bit overwhelming) but it’s worth a stop!
Get Lost in the West Village & Greenwich Village
The West Village and Greenwich Village are two of the most iconic areas of Manhattan (picture Friends and Sex & the CIty) Wandering the picturesque street in these neighborhoods is one of my favorite things to do when visiting the city. This area is also home to some of the best restaurants in the city!
Explore Williamsburg & its Rooftops
Williamsburg in Brooklyn has some of the absoute best views of Manhattan & the most amazing sunsets! There are plenty of great rooftops to explore in Williamsburg, but my top recommendations are
- The Water Tower Bar – Arlo Hotel
- Westlight – The WIlliam Vale Hotel
- Bar Blondeau – The Wythe Hotel
Visit New York’s World Class Museums
NYC has so many museums. Some of the most famous to visit are:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)
- Museum of Natural History
- Guggenheim
Catch the Views from DUMBO
The Brookyln neighborhood on at the end of the Brrooklyn Bridge (DUMBO) is one of my favorite areas to explore. Check out the iconic streets with Brooklyn Bridge views and Brooklyn Bridge park. This neighborhood has tons of great coffee shops and restaurants and is a great palce to spend an afternoon exploring.
Best Pizza in New York City
I feel like it’s hard to even start a list like this because there are literally SO many delicious pizza places in NYC. So this list is constantly growing and changing as I make it my mission to try a few new pizza spots every time I visit the city. Here are my current favorites:
- Lucia Pizza – SoHo
- Joe’s Pizza – Midtown (and other locations)
- L’Industrie – Williasburg
- Mama’s Too – West Village
- L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele NYC – West Village
- Grimaldi’s Pizzeria – DUMBO
- Krispy Pizza – Brooklyn
- Ace’s Pizza – Williamsburg
- Una Pizza Napoletana – Lower East Side
Getting to New York City
There are 3 major airports serving New York City. They’re all a bit far from the city, so it can be time consiming (and costly in the case of ubers) Some are closer to certain areas of the city vs. others, so it may make sense to choose the airport based on where you’re staying.
LaGuardia (LGA)
My personal favorite NYC airport is LaGuardia. I’ve had the best experiences flying in and out of here than any other airport, also my friends and I usually stay in WIlliamsburg or Bushwick, so this is the closest option. Distance-wise LGA is also the closest to Manhattan (although getting from Newark to Manhattan can be faster)
I recommend ubering from Brooklyn (DUMBO, WIlliamsburg or Bushwick) to LGA. It’s not super expensive, and is generally the fastest option. If you’re staying in Manhattan you can also catch the L train to Brooklyn and then Uber from there to save you some money, or time if there is traffic.
To take public transport you’ll need to take the subway to the bus. Google maps is your best option for mapping the best route.
Newark
Newark is technically in New Jersey, but it’s direcly across the river from Manhattan, making it often the best choice for those trying to get to and from Manhattan, particularly the west side of Manhattan. Taxis are costly, but usually the easiest option. WIth no traffic it’s only about a 20 minute drive. There are all sorts of fees for taking a taxi to or from Newark, including tolls, so make sure you’re aware of the cost in advance.
You can also take the train from Newark to Penn Station, this option is convenient and takes less than an hour. The NJ transit train runs from Penn Station to Newark. If you’re staying near Penn Station or can get there easily this option is convenient. There’s also a shuttle bus that stops in Bryant Park, NY Port Authority & Grand Central that departs for Newark regularly. It takes about 50 min.
JFK
JFK is the largest of the 3 airports, and my least favorite by a long shot. Getting to and from JFK always seems like a nightmare. It’s one of the busiest airports in the world. JFK is in Queens and you should account for an hour + to get there from Manhattan. It also can take a long time from Brooklyn in my experience. The best way from Manhattan to JFK is via bus. The Airlink NYC shuttle from Port Authority Bus goes straight to JFK.
Alternatively, you can take the Long Island Railroad to JFK (Jamaica Station) LIRR stops at Penn Station, Grand Cetrail and Atlantic Terminal
Getting Around New York City
Subway
The subway is by far the most convenient way to get around New York. While it can seem a bit overwhelming it’s actually not that hard to navigate. Google Maps has gotten very good at giving detailed subway instructions when using the app.
Full subway map and routes can be found here.
Uber/Lyft
You can alwaya get an Uber or Lyft in NYC, but you should compare the time to taking the subway, with traffic and less direct routes, sometimes the subway is a lot faster.
How Many Days to Spend in New York City
Minimum: 3
NYC is huge and you coud easily spend 2 weeks or more there and barely cover the highlights, never mind eat at some of the many amazing restaurants, but since money & vacation time are sadly, not endless, that’s not always an option.
I recommend spending at least 3 days in New York, especially on your first trip. 3 (very busy) days gives you time to see a bunch of highlights and a variety of different areas of the city!
See my NYC 3 day travel itinerary here!
Safety for Solo Female Travel in New York City
4 out of 5
I actually tend to feel very safe travelling alone in major cities. The busier the city means the more people that are around at all times, including early morning and late night. I’ve spent a decent amount of time alone in NYC and never felt unsafe.
You definitely need to be smart, staying at a hotel in a busy area so you feel safe coming back at night, or considering an Uber if the subway makes you uncomfortable later at night and you’re alone. But New York is generally very safe.
Holidays in New York City
New York is fun during every holiday season. Christmas in New York is magical. Thanksgiving brings the Macy’s Day Parade. St. Patrick’s day is one of the funnest wekends of the year! See my holiday NYC travel guides below.
New York City Travel Map
New York City – Top Blog Posts
- 3 Day Itinerary New York City: The Ultimate City Break
- 13 Best Bars in Williamsburg: Rooftops, Wine Bars, Dives & Bottomless Brunch
- 10 Best Pizza Places in New York City: Slices Worth the Hype
- Ultimate St Patrick’s Day in NYC Itinerary: Pub Crawls & Parades
- The Ultimate NYC Christmas Itinerary (2025) – a Festive City Escape
