New York was my first ever destination in US and I couldn’t wait to get off the plane! JFK airport is like a city. You need to take an AirTrain to get to a tube station to reach your final destination. It had to be Manhattan for me. It’s a good spot for some well organized backpackers hostels and convenient get away spot for number of attractions in the area. And most importantly there’s always plenty of advise in backpackers place. I was walking toward my backpackers place with one thought in my mind – I’ve always wanted to do this – to feel and see this unforgettable vibrant street life of NY, the lofts, skycrapers, wrapped in an iron architecture. Follow me for the unique 5 day New York itinerary.
Exploring New York City .
Walk the streets of New York, feel the atmosphere, smell the thriving nighlife. NY is enormous and the surrounding buildings are overwelming – there are 20 buildings above 800 feet!
There’s neverending list of things to see in NY, it would take weeks to explore every piece of art, culture and architecture sites. I would give you one precious advise – do not rush, don’t put yourself under preasure! Take you time and enjoy the atmosphere instead of focusing on ticking boxes of famous spots. Pick severeal things from the below list for the start and start exploring. Before you jump into reviewing below attractions, GET THE New York Explorer Pass – to save up to 50% on NY top attractions, tours and tickets!
What to see in New York in 5 days - best sightseeing itinerary.
- Broadway performances and shows. New York best theatre shows – not neccesarily Broadway Show (sometimes it’s hard to get tickets)! There’s plenty of smaller theaters where you can see great musicals, cabaret shows and plays for reasonable price. Whatever you choose remember to book tickets in advance. This city never sleeps!
- Manhattan and Central Park – (FREE) wish I could have one back home. There’s certainly a lot going on the streets of NY. Central Park is always busy especially in the morning for early runs, walks and trekking.
- Brooklyn Bridge – Brooklyn hights promenade. Another FREE attraction. Walk the whole bridge for incredible city views. There’s thousands of people touring the place. It also the best spot for night panoramic view of the city. You might want to join one of the night tours for that experience.
- Fifth Avenue – one of the best walks in New York! Trump Tower – I had to visit it, although it does not hold back anything unique for the visitor. There are few cafes, restaurants, small shops with shi**y souvenirs and Trump Store – where you can buy some clothing and sport gear (the prices are killing :))!
- Yankees Stadium and Bronx – there are 4 entry gates on matchdays: Gate 2 via Jerome Av, Gate 4 via East 161 St, Gate 6 & 8. Bronx Museum of Art is worth visiting.
- Greenwitch Village.
- Empire State Building.
What else is worth seeing in New York City?
- Rockefeller building – same view as from Empire State Building but I was looking for a free entrance and it’s not accessible any more. Rockefeller is a very pleasant square with an ice-skating spot. There’s plenty of small food units
- Times Square.
- St Patrick Cathedral – that is one of the most beautiful cathedrals i’ve seen in my life. The buidling is just squeezed between modern architecture of skyscrapers.
- World Trade Centre – 9/11 Memorial & Museum: Ground Zero and One world observatory. The memorial itself is free to visit, but tickets are required to enter the museum. The place consists twin pools with waterfall cascades and the names of every person killed in the attacks are inscribed in bronze. For me it was more important to visit the place to observe a minute silence in memory of all victims.
- State of Liberty – the thing is the state is much more visible from a perspective. I’m not sure if it’s worth to travel closer to find yourself next to a enormous monument where you can’t even go up.
- CITY WALKING TOUR!
MORE BEST WALKING TOURS IN NEW YORK:
- NEW YORK CITY CATACOMBS
- RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL TOUR
- LOWER EASTSIDE FOOD TASTING AND CULTURE TOUR
- and of course SOHO AND CHINATOWN 2 HOUR TOUR
Usefull travel information while visiting New York.
City Pass – discount access to the greatest city attractions! GO CITY used by millons of people.
Tube – will take you everywhere! Take a tube map – you can get it for free from the ticket booth which are located almost on every station.
Make sure you know where you’re walking. There are still disctricts which are better to be avoided. Don’t show off late night, the level of anonymity in such a huge city like NY give people confidence in crime activity.
Where to stay in New York – I would definitely recommend Manhattan! There are several decent Backpackers Hostels for 80-90$ per night.. very cheap as for the New York! 🙂
Where to eat in New York?
Best ever place for me to eat is Whole Foods Market, offering a wide range of freshly cooked food at affordable prices! Asian market in NY city centre is another place I would highly recommend to try out. Apart from the fact that Asian cousine is the best in the world, Asian people are good-hearted, friendly and positive, which makes any dish delicious.
