New York Travel Guide: What to See, Do and Eat

A city like no other, New York sits where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. It has five uniquely characteristic boroughs, the central one being Manhattan.

I have been to New York as a young child, but I had very vague memories of it. So, to come again as an adult was so exciting. Our three nights in the Big Apple were absolutely spectacular, we really made the most of the time we had there and we made some amazing memories.

The Logistics

How Did We Get There?

As this was part of our American road trip, we arrived in NYC at about 4PM after a long drive from Falmouth, Cape Cod (approx 250 miles away). After our two days in the city, we made our way to Atlantic City for the last part of our journey.

How Long Did We Go For?

We had two full days and three nights in the city. Whilst I could have stayed longer because of how much I was loving it, I concede that two full days is more than enough time to cover the major aspects of the city. However, we mainly stayed in Manhattan, and you may want to spend a few extra days there to visit the five boroughs.

Where Did We Stay?

We stayed in Royalton Park Avenue, a lush hotel with a rooftop bar and pool, large and comfortable rooms, and, being in the centre of the city, excellent links to the major attractions NYC has to offer.

Find out more here.

When Did We Visit?

We went to NYC in mid August. I was a bit worried as I expected the weather to be incredibly hot and sticky, however it was actually quite pleasant and we enjoyed the sunshine without feeling completely overwhelmed by the heat.

How Did We Travel Around?

We mainly travelled around by foot (we did over 41,800 steps in the two days we were there!), taking the occasional Uber for extra long distances.

✨Top Travel Tip: Take comfortable and durable footwear for NYC. If you are planning to cover most of the city by foot, you need strong and sturdy shoes that will protect your feet and help keep you on your toes (literally) for the duration of your visit.

A Three Day Guide New York

As there is so much to see and do, it can be quite overwhelming to plan a trip here. So, unlike my other travel guides, I have structured my NYC guide in a day planner style, so you can see how much you can feasibly squeeze into a day and whether you feel you navigate the city to the extent you want to in a relatively short space of time. Within the planner there are also food and drink recommendations.

Day One

Head to Jersey City

After arriving in the late afternoon from Falmouth, we only had the evening to explore. So, we headed to dinner in Jersey City, accessible via Ferry from New York for a return price of $14 per adult.

We ate at Amelia’s Bistro, and it was my favourite meal of the whole holiday! I had a gorgeous mushroom, buratta and shrimp papadelle dish followed by a chocolate lava cake (admittedly not as good as my one at Precinct in Boston, but the serving of ice cream made it super delish). My dad had a lobster dish which was so cool and very reasonably priced. Be sure to pay them a visit.

Day Two

Pay your respects at the 9/11 Memorial

Located at the World Trade Centre, the Memorial honours those who were killed in the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 terrorists attacks. This beautiful memorial consists of two waterfall pools that sit in the footprints of the former North and South Towers. The pools contain the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. Surrounding each pool are parapets, inscribed on which are the names of the victims.

I have few words for how breathtaking the memorial is and how it makes you feel to see it. It was an honour to be able to come here and pay my respects.

Take in the city from the One World Trade Center

Also known as the Freedom Tower, our day started at the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, located in Downtown Manhattan. The Tower is home to One World Observatory, which covers the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors. We took the Sky Pod Elevator to the top, where we had 360 views for 45 miles across the city and beyond.

✨Top Travel Tip: Tickets for the Tower were $39 per person. I’d recommend booking your tickets and choosing a time slot in advance. We got there at 9:45AM and it was really quiet, so we beat the rush of people that come later in the day and got the views all to ourselves!

Fulfil your Little Life dreams at Lispenard Street

I couldn’t take a trip to New York without visiting Lispenard Street, one of the locations that features in Hanya Yanigahara’s A Little Life. At the opening of the novel, Jude and Willem are searching for an apartment in the city, and they rent one on Lispenard Street. If you want to visit, it’s in the Tribeca area, just off Broadway.

Stop for lunch at Pera

Found at 303 Madison Avenue, Pera is a Mediterranean Brasserie, and it had a delicious menu. I had the Levantine seafood cake (Atlantic cod, shrimp) with roasted beets, basil yoghurt, rocket, and tangerine olive oil. Check it out here.

Check off some of the major attractions

Think Grand Central Station, Rockefeller, and the Empire State Building. You can see as much or as little of these attractions as you wish; we just took them in from the outside, and wandered briefly through Grand Central Station. They are so awe inspiring to behold and are all a must see if you go to NYC.

Have fun at Ellen's Stardust Diner

Picture this: a singing waiting staff who perform your favourite musical theatre songs whilst you eat at a classic American diner! We just had dessert here, and enjoyed a couple of hours of musical fun.

See a show on Broadway

The best way to spend an evening in New York is within one of Broadway’s theatres, witnessing a spectacular show.

We chose Chicago, which was incredible - we absolutely loved it. It is a 1975 American musical set in the jazz age, and is the longest running show on Broadway, with choreography by the legend Bob Fosse. The music was insane, the orchestra was fantastic, the acting and vocals were sublime, and the dancing was unreal. What a performance!

✨Top Travel Tip: My sister and I bagged last minute stalls tickets to see Chicago for a really great price, way below what we would have paid online. Whilst booking in advance guarantees you a seat, if you are planning to go on a weekday I would take a chance and see what spare seats they have. I’d recommend going to the box office on the day of the show to see what they have left.

Day Three

Take a trip to Barnes & Noble

This Fortune 1000 bookseller has the largest number of retail outlets in the US. It has every book you could possibly think of, with themed tables laid out in the front area to give you some inspiration. I bought Yanigahara’s To Paradise here, as it is set in NYC and I wanted to choose a book to remember the trip by.

Witness beloved sets, costumes and props at The Friends Experience

Brace yourselves, for we then headed to The Friends Experience, found on Lexington Avenue in central Manhattan. As unapologetic Friends fans, my sister and I were unbelievably excited to come here. In fact, some may say we couldn’t BE more excited (if you know you know)?

The experience promised interactive set recreations and an exclusive look at the props and costumes we know from the show. And boy did it deliver.

We loved seeing the sets we know and love so well, taking photos with some of the props, and generally just being in such a joyful and happy place that has given us so many memories and fun over the seasons.

Check out the Stonewall Memorial

I walked to Greenwich in Lower Manhattan to see the Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park, the site of the Stonewall riots of June 1969. The riots are widely understood to be the beginning of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in America. President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument as such in June 2014, making it the first UA national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history.

Take a picture at the Friends apartment on Grove Street

As if The Friends Experience was not enough, not far from the memorial is the apartment which acted as the exterior for Rachel and Monica’s and Chandler and Joey’s apartments, which I headed to before heading back to central Manhattan.

Wonder the the Statue of Liberty

We took a cruise on the Hudson to see some more of the city’s iconic sites. Our 60-minute boat ride took us within 100 feet of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We went under Brooklyn Bridge, passed South Street Seaport, saw the whole skyline of Lower Manhattan from the east and west sides, and had a view of the Freedom Tower. There was also a helpful commentary on the cruise, educating us on all the major landmarks.

Marvel at Times Square

The atmosphere was electric! Be careful and hold on tight to your belongings -

it was super busy when we went, and it felt as though if we were going to get pick pocketed anywhere in NYC, this is the place it would happen.

We ended our trip with ice cream from Kayley’s Creamery, just off Park Avenue, before heading back to our hotel.

I absolutely loved our time in the Big Apple. It is such a fantastic city and I am so grateful to have had the chance to experience it.

If you travel to NCY, let me know what you get up to via Instagram!