New York City is one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the world. There is so much to see & do in New York that planning your first trip can be super overwhelming! I lived in New York City for nearly two years, and have made this New York City Travel Guide to make it a little easier to get the most out of your trip.

This NYC Guide includes the best things to do in New York City, the best neighbourhoods to visit, the best bars and restaurants in NYC and iconic New York City dishes and foods that you’ll want to try. From Central Park & the Empire State Building to the best bagels and the best of West Village, you’ll find everything you need in this guide to plan your first trip to New York City.

This includes a mix of the big-name, must-see sights, activities, bars and restaurants, as well as my own personal favourites which I think are some of the best in class in the city but are also off the typical tourist trail.

Everything written here is exactly what I’d say to my nearest and dearest, so it’s quite a personal take on the city and I share what I think is worth visiting and what tourist traps you could happily miss. It’s a guide to  New York City for those looking for a general overview as well as a handful of carefully chosen recommendations, rather than an encyclopaedic guide which only overwhelms.

Top tips for planning your trip to New York City

• New York City is huge, so it’s better to plan your trip by neighbourhood.
• Nothing in New York opens early (before 10 or 11am) and most places are open til very late.
• You might want to plan a break at your hotel in the afternoon, so you have enough energy for the evening and late night. I like to do sightseeing in the morning, have an afternoon nap and freshen up, and then go out again in the evening.
• It’s easiest to travel north-south by public transport than east-to-west, because you can get the subway north/south, but the public buses run east/west. This can help you plan which neighbourhoods you visit in a single outing.
• Book any tickets or make any dinner reservations that you need to make, and then plan around those bookings accordingly.

Read more: Itinerary for 5 Days in New York City

Best areas to stay in New York City

The best areas to stay in New York City are in Manhattan & Brooklyn, somewhere close to a subway station.

I recommend:

The Best Things to Do in New York City

The best things to do in New York City for first time visitors includes visiting Central Park, Grand Central Station, sunset at the Top of the Rock, and exploring neighbourhoods like SoHo, West Village and East Village.

Read More: 20 Best Things to Do in New York City for First Time Visitors

The Most Iconic Sights in New York City

New York City is littered with beautiful, iconic sights that are distinctly and uniquely New York. Some of the most iconic sights in New York City are Central Park, Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building & the streets of SoHo. You’ll be surprised how many you can see in a single trip!

Central Park – The most famous public park in the world, and the most beautiful. You could spend days in Central Park, but my favourite spots are The Mall, the Bethesda Fountain & Central Park Lake. If you’re visiting in April during cherry blossom season, some of the most beautiful cherry blossoms are near the Reservoir.

Grand Central Station – The most famous train station in the world, discover the celestial ceiling at the Grand Concourse, the hidden cocktail bar The Campbell, and the fabulous old world oyster bar in the underbelly of the station.

Statue of Liberty – Catch the Staten Island Ferry for free, but a close sighting is not guaranteed as it has a few different routes. Take a paid ferry for a close-up experience, but I was content with the view from the Staten Island Ferry.

Live Sport & Live Theatre

New York loves to put on a show. Whether you’re a culture vulture or a sports fan, or somewhere in between, there’s a show for you in New York. Some of my favourites are seeing a show on Broadway,  a night at Comedy Cellar, jazz at the Village Vanguard and seeing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium or the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

A Broadway Show – Catching a Broadway show is a classic New York City experience. I always get my tickets through TodayTix, a representative will meet you with your tickets before the show.

Stand Up Comedy – There’s no more iconic comedy club than Comedy Cellar in West Village. Bookings are essential.

Live Jazz – The Village Vanguard jazz orchestra is a living legend. It’s a late show, but worth it! Reservations are essential.

Major League Baseball – Catch the Yankees on home ground at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, from late March-early October. The atmosphere is unmatched.

NBA Basketball – Cheer on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden between October-June. It’s like something straight out of the movies. Get dinner at Mercado Little Spain in Hudson Yards beforehand.

New York City’s Best Parks & Gardens

New York may be a concrete jungle, but there’s a surprising number of gorgeous green spaces in the city. Central Park, Bryant Park, the High Line and Washington Square Park are a great place to start.

Central Park – The most famous public park in the world, and the most beautiful. You could spend days in Central Park, but my favourite spots are The Mall, the Bethesda Fountain & Central Park Lake. If you’re visiting in April during cherry blossom season, some of the most beautiful cherry blossoms are near the Reservoir.

Bryant Park – I love Bryant Park, a small green oasis in the heart of Midtown. It is such a classic New York City spot, and conveniently located next to the New York Public Library, which might also be on your itinerary.

Washington Square Park – A historic park in the heart of West Village, Washington Square Park is beautiful-year round.

The High Line – The High Line is a former railway track, converted into a beautiful public park. There are several entrance points to the High Line, in the Meatpacking District, Chelsea and Hudson Yards.

The Best Views of New York City

Whether you’re ascending to one of the city’s famous observation decks like the Empire State Building or the Top of the Rock, or just finding a perch from a rooftop bar, getting a birds-eye view of New York City is a must!

I’ve visited both the Empire State Building & the Top of the Rock observation decks, and while the Empire State Building is iconic, I love the view of the Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock (pictured below).

Where to Find 15 of the Best Views of New York City

The Best Museums in New York City

There’s a museum in New York for everyone. The Met & MoMa are two obvious showstoppers, but I love the city’s smaller museums like The Frick, Neue Galerie, The Tenement Museum.

The Metropolitan Musem of Art – The Met is the largest art museum in the United States, and one of the most famous in the world. Spanning 5000 years of human art, it’s impossible to see it all at once, so my advice is to pick one or two sections that you’re most interested in.

MoMa – The Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest and most influential modern art museums in the world. It’s home to hundreds of iconic artworks, including Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Monet’s Waterlilies and Roy Lichtenstein’s iconic comic book-style pieces.

The Tenement Museum – The Tenement Museum is a true New York City treasure, and a completely unique and immersive museum experience. A former tenement building in the Lower East Side has had several apartments restored to their original condition, including furnishings, as they would have been when various families lived there over the 19th and 20th centuries. Each apartment tells the story of New Yorkers from the past. I’ve visited twice!

The 12 Best Museums & Art Galleries in New York City

The Best Neighbourhoods to Visit in New York City

These neighbourhoods below pack the most punch for visitors when it comes to New York City history, charm and sightseeing.

West Village & Greenwich Village 

West Village is New York’s historic bohemian neighbourhood, the starting point for the gay rights movement and now one of the most coveted addresses in Manhattan. West Village is perfect for cafes, bars, boutiques and wandering the pretty, tree-lined streets (and attempted celebrity spotting).

West Village is just the western section of Greenwich Village.

Read More: West Village Neighborhood Guide

Midtown Manhattan

Midtown Manhattan is home to so much New York City magic. Yes, it’s a concrete jungle, but it also has the highest concentration of iconic New York City sights.

In Midtown Manhattan, you’ll find the Empire State Building, MoMA, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Bryant Park and so much more!

Read More: Midtown Manhattan Neighborhood Guide

Upper West Side

The Upper West Side is one of the loveliest neighbourhoods in New York City. You’ll find some of the best Jewish food in the city, especially bagels at delis like Zabar’s, Barney Greengrass and Zuckers Bagels.

The American Museum of Natural History and the New York Historical Society are on the Upper West Side, and if you stroll along the streets between Columbus Ave, Amsterdam Ave and Central Park, you’ll see some of the most beautiful brownstones in the city.

Read More: Upper West Side Neighbourhood Guide

SoHo

SoHo is one of Manhattan’s most fashionable neighbourhoods, famous for it’s beautiful cast-iron buildings, cobblestone streets and fashion boutiques.

Read More: SoHo Neighbourhood Guide

The Meatpacking District

This tiny, highly gentrified neighbourhood is a big scene, but it’s definitely one of the most remarkable neighbourhoods in New York City. Wedged between the Hudson River and West Village, the Meatpacking District has plenty to entertain visitors for an afternoon: The High Line, Chelsea Market, The Whitney Museum of American Art & a handful of scene-y rooftop bars with killer views.

Read More: Complete Guide to the Meatpacking District

East Village

Punk rock was born in East Village, and despite rapid gentrification the neighbourhood still feels eclectic and a little offbeat compared to the rest of Manhattan. Artists like Blondie and Madonna got their start in this neighbourhood, and today its home to some of the coolest bars in the city.

Read More: East Village Neighborhood Guide

The Financial District 

The Financial District isn’t the most obvious spot, but it has a few sights which are so integral to New York City’s history. It’s the oldest part of the city, and around Stone and Water Streets, and the newly developed South Street Seaport, you’ll find cobblestoned streets and buildings from the earliest days of New York City.

The Trinity Church has some of the most historic headstones in the country, including the grave of Alexander Hamilton. The 9/11 Memorial is the most significant site in the city’s recent history, and it is both heartwrenching and beautiful.

Personally, I didn’t get much out of visiting Wall Street, the Charging Bull or the Stock Exchange, but this stuff is also in the area if you’re keen. The area is known for its dearth of nightlife, but one notable exception is The Dead Rabbit, a modern Irish pub that was named #1 Bar in the World after it opened in 2013.

Williamsburg

Williamsburg is Brooklyn’s most famous neighbourhood and is famous for once being genuinely hipster, and now being gentrified hipster. 

It’s still home to some of the best bars & restaurants in the borough and if you only had time to check out one Brooklyn neighbourhood, make it Williamsburg. Westlight rooftop bar on top of the Wythe Hotel has one of the best views of Manhattan.

Iconic New York City Foods to Try

New York City’s food culture is shaped by generations of immigrants, who have all left their mark on the city’s food scene. Don’t miss some of these iconic New York City dishes!

Bagels

For the best bagels in New York City, try Ess-A-Bagel in Midtown, Tompkins Square Bagel in East Village, Shelsky’s of Brooklyn in Cobble Hill or Russ & Daughter’s on the Lower East Side.

Read more: The Best Bagels in New York City

Oysters

Oysters & New York City go back a long way – so far, in fact, that Pearl Street in the oldest part of lower Manhattan earned its name from the pearly sheen of oyster shells that used to litter the streets. Some of the best oyster bars in New York City are Maison Premiere, Grand Central Oyster Bar & Grand Banks (in the warmer months).

A slice of pizza

New York City knows its junk food. There are many spots that claim to be the oldest slice in New York, but I’m not sure there’s any point debating the best – the thin New York City slice is best enjoyed from a hole in the wall pizza shop, with a name you can’t remember. It’s not a typical New York City slice, but Prince Street Pizza in Nolita is one of the most popular spots in the city.

A burger

New York City is home to so many great burgers, but there are a few stand outs. Head to Madison Square Park to Shake Shack’s original location, and try the classic shakeburger. Better still, from this spot you’ll get a perfect view of the Flatiron building.

For an upscale burger in , try the Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern. For a secret burger, head to Burger Joint hidden inside Le Parker Meridian Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

The best vegetarian burgers in New York City are in East Village at Superiority Burger.

Hot Dogs

You don’t have to be game enough to eat a street hot dog, but you can try one of the city’s favourite hot dog shops on the Upper West Side at Gray’s Papaya – they’re cheap & delicious.

Restaurants & Cafes in New York City

Old School Diners in NYC

Diners might be meeting their slow demise in the face of development, but there are still a few hold outs as well as some new kids on the block. Waverley Restaurant in the West Village and Veselka in East Village are both classic spots. Golden Diner in Two Bridges is a new diner, with high quality, simple meals at unbelievably low, diner prices and the recently opened SoHo Diner at the bottom of the SoHo Grand Hotel is popular with the fashion set.

New York City brunch

New York City pioneered the bottomless brunch, but these days the day-party boozers have some stiff competition from laidback Australian cafes (and their imitators). Some of my favourites are Jack’s Wife Freda, Jeffrey’s Grocery and Ruby’s.

Michelin Star Restaurants in NYC

Whether or not it’s earned a Michelin star, there are endless options for groundbreaking fine dining in New York City. You can find plenty of restaurants with a Michelin Star that won’t break the bank, but two and three Michelin star restaurants will add an extra zero to the bill. My favourite spots are Estela, The Musket Room and Eleven Madison Park.

Classic New York City restaurants

For somewhere that oozes New York City charm, look no further than classic New York City restaurants , brasseries and steakhouses like Keen’s Steakhouse, Balthazar, Minetta Tavern, Gramercy Tavern and Raoul’s.

West Village’s hottest restaurants

West Village is full of chic, insanely popular European restaurants that have become instant icons in the neighbourhood. Snag a table at spots like Via Carota, I Sodi, L’Artusi or Dante for a quintessential West Village experience.

Bars in New York City

New York City Dive Bars

We don’t really have dive bars in Australia (just really questionable pubs, which aren’t quite the same), so I love hitting a dive bar in New York City. Two of my favourites are Spring Lounge in Nolita and Tom & Jerry’s in NoHo.

World’s Best Cocktail Bars

New York City is one of the best cities for bar hopping in the world, and is home to dozens of bars that have graced the World’s 50 Best list. Some of my favourite spots are Death & Co and Employees Only, the latter of which was named the #1 bar in the world by the World’s 50 Best a few years ago.

Read more: The best bars in New York City

Coffee in New York City

New York City has pretty good coffee these days, so you’re not stranded with Starbucks if you’re after a decent latte or flat white. My favourites are Cafe Integral, Ground Support, Urban Backyard and Bluestone Lane, which is a chain which can be found all over the city.

A New York City Rooftop Bar

New York City has the best rooftop bars in the world, not least because of the hundreds of incredible vantage points that can be found around the city. The queue may be long, but the views will be worth it. Try Westlight, Mr Purple, Catch or the Restoration Hardware Rooftop.

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