New York Like a Local

From Broadway to Wall St and Brooklyn to Queens it can feel like everywhere you look in New York is straight from a movie, song or television show. The more you research ‘things to do in New York’, the more it can seem overwhelming to the first, second, or even third time visitor to New York.

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Then there’s multiple articles about the best time to go–summer for the outdoor events? Autumn for the cooler weather and the leaves in Central Park? Winter for the Ice-Skating in Rockefeller Centre?

Luckily, I’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a couple of lists to make your trip to New York, the best one ever.

The best time to go to New York is at Christmas. There’s lights in the street, Santas on every corner, decorations and markets; if you’re lucky you might even get snow. It really is like everything you’ve seen in every New York Christmas move ever! For where to stay, things to do on Christmas Day, where to go shopping for last-minute presents and how to find a tree in Manhattan, check out Christmas in New York.

Many visitors to New York make the mistake of buying a New York City Pass thinking it’s the best value, then spending their entire trip rushing around trying to see everything, and ending up spending much of that time in queues or simply in-transit from A-B.

Before you commit, compare all the attraction passes and see which ones you’ll actually use. Many museums have free days and ‘pay what you can’ which you can easily incorporate into any trip. Check out the New York Attraction Pass Comparison Guide to make sure you choose the right pass for your trip.

Buy the Go New York Card now.

If you’d prefer to just wing it, and explore random suburbs, then that can be a totally New York experience too, but don’t make my mistake and try and walk everywhere, Manhattan really is that big that if you tried to walk from Mid-town to Lower Manhattan it would take several hours. No New Yorker would ever walk that. Even if you’re just there for a couple of days, maximise your time with these New York City Time Saving Tips compiled over several visits to New York.

A quintessential New York Experience is heading to a Broadway Show, or if you’re a real New Yorker, an off-off Broadway Show. But nobody pays full price for tickets. Even half price is just for tourists. How does $20 Broadway tickets sound? Thanks to Jen who taught me this trick, here’s how to score yourself Cheap Broadway Theatre Tickets, which can also make a great Christmas present.

Lastly, if you’re in New York for Christmas, then it makes sense to stay there for New Years and see the iconic Ball Drop over Times Square (although, long story, I actually missed it) but here’s how to plan your night better than mine Spend New Years Eve in Times Square, New York.

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Coney Island is a long train ride away, especially when the theme park is closed and so we just ended up going for a hot dog at Nathans.
It’s also a rule that when catching the subway to Brooklyn, one must sing “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” the entire way.

Jade Jackson

No matter how many times you visit New York, there’s always something to go back to. You could easily live there and still not see everything which is why every trip should be for the maximum time away you can afford.

Prefer to search flights based on your own dates or city? Compare hundreds of websites and online travel agencies using my flight search comparison tool or find the best price on accommodation

Thanks for reading!
Happy travels
cheers,
Jade Jackson – Listen to my podcast Jade Talks Travel
Travel Writer | Podcaster | Photographer

Recommended Reading:

• Edward Rutherford: New York (Fictional historical novel about the rise of Manhattan.
  An historical novel tracing the rise of New York combining mostly fictional characters (some are real) with actual events like the growth of Wall St, Little Italy and the Mafia, The construction of the Empire State Building and the fall of the Twin Towers. Fascinating read.
• Lonely Planet Guidebook: New York City
  The quintessential guidebook giving you everything you need to discover the real New York. Includes eateries, bars, museum information, transport and accommodation, along with a pull-out map. Since my first trip at 11, I never travel without a Lonely Planet Guidebook.
• Kim Stanley Robinson: New York, 2140
  I bought this for my sister, it’s a novel set in the future, hence 2140. In a potentially real portrayal, the elite live in huge sky towers, whilst New York Streets are submerged from rising oceans to become canals.

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