Things to do in NYC

why do people do this?

maybe give some more info so we can help you better, asshole

>>1078872
I don't know what else to give? I'll be staying in NYC for a week in the month of June this year. What are some good things to do that aren't really mentioned on other travel websites?

>>1078878
In this type of post you typically have to provide some specifics or your interests and hobbies. I like hiking and cycling. I wouldnt suggest places to go mountain biking to somebody visiting my area unless he suggested that he was into that.

A city like New York has the standard tourist sights that can be suggested to you on any travel website. If you asked something like.. "Which restaurant is the best for...?" "Is it worth it to visit...?" or "Which neighborhood should I stay in?" then you can get some genuine responses. There isnt some underground culture that you are going to find yourself in if you dont know what you are looking for.

>>1078885
Okay, I understand now. Where is a good neighbourhood to stay?

Where are some picturesque locations?
What are some activities I can do in the city?
Are there any great places to eat/drink that tourists may not know of?

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>>1078886
Just walk around the city and enjoy the wonderful diversity of architecture. NYC is quite a lot different than just glassy highrises. From Brown stone row houses in Brooklyn to Federalist style houses in lower Manhattan to the cast iron facades of SoHo. Just bicycle around the city and see the neighborhoods.

>>1078909
Thanks! Is June also a good month to travel in NYC?

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>>1078913
It's perfectly fine.

>>1078913
>>1078914
Keep in mind June is also peak tourism in NYC (outside of Xmas and NYE). It's going to be very crowded and most of the locals will be inside their own shells. Also biking in Manhattan can be scary af if you are from a place with a somewhat useful bicycle infrastructure. (Dutchies, Danes, etc.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEb_0Q1uR3o

>>1078916
I do ride a fixie and I was looking to find a cheap one over there (<$200 AUD) to ride around and then just leaving it there for someone to take, rather than hiring one everyday or whatever. Does anyone know where to buy a bike within that price range in NYC?

Also, where are the best places to meet people? I'm inclined to just stay at a hostel to meet other tourists, otherwise are there any good bars or other venues?

>>1078926
Citibank runs a rent a bike service called Citibike. There are stand all over Manhattan. Google Citibike and follow their instructions on how to use it. In the meantime get a guidebook. The Time Out book is all you need.

If you're into bars. The east and west village is a must. Midtown bars are kinda crappy for the most part. Mcsorleys is a must go to. Cash only and you better like beer. Williamsburg and Astoria are nice places to drink too but full of hipsters

>>1078974
>>1079032
Thanks guys!

Top of the Rock is better than the empire state.
Natural history museum
Cycle around central park

>>1078974
Are the Citibikes any good? I Googled them and they look heavy and slow to ride around... I think I'd much rather buy a cheap bicycle and ride that around.

>>1078916
Underrated danger post

I live in New Jersey. I try to go to NYC a couple times a year. I'm having a hard time thinking of something more dangerous than riding a bike in NYC. I would consider yelling racist slurs at the biggest toughest guy you can find much safer.

Maybe central park might be enjoyable. Otherwise a weekend or holiday might be your only safe time to ride a bike if you are not very familiar with the city.

>>1079138
Should I be really worried about cycling around NYC? I am used to it in Sydney and know full the dangers of cycling in the city. That said; I have been cycling for years and have an acute awareness for my surroundings as most cyclists would.

>>1079145
person you replied to. i'm not a bike rider if I go to a bike friendly city I can get on a bike and not get killed. I am not a cyclist by any means. I remember when they installed those rental bikes and nobody was renting any of them. it almost seemed laughable idea. I know many people who would never consider driving there. I don't mind driving there but those lines on the road are mostly suggestions in NYC and everyone swerves back and forth constantly. I honestly think its very dangerous if your not from the city.
Maybe some New Yorkers will speak up though but I really wouldn't want you spending your time here in a hospital.

The best use of your time the first day would be to just pay for one of those bus tours with the open top. just google new york city bus tours. You pay one price and can hop on and off. Its narrated and you can just ride the entire loop and decide what you want to go back and explore more. The advice about just walk around is stupid. You can walk a long way in NYC and not see much if you're on the wrong street. It's a little pricey but there is not a more efficient way to say you saw everything.

>>1079149
Got it, thanks senpai.
I'll do what you suggested with the tour bus :)

>>1078867
New Yorker here. Best thing to do is to Go around Midtown and downtown Manhattan. You'll see things like Grand Central, The Empire State Building, Central Park, One world trade, Ellis Island, Rockefeller center, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, U.S.S Intrepid, The Highline, and Times square. Avoid the Bronx, People dressed in costumes, dark alleyways, Uber drivers, and NJ unless you are going to Liberty state park or the Airport. Also if you have the time, visit china town and Little Italy. Also anywhere in Between May and September is the Best time to go. Just don't get Lost getting to and from the airports. An error there can loose you up to an hour of travel time in some cases.

>>1079155
Thank you!
I was planning to use Uber instead of normal taxis, is there any reason why I shouldn't?

>>1079157
probably because there is no way to have a more efficient system than taxi's in new york. hold out your hand cab shows up and smashes the pedal to the floor towards your destination at full speed with the excitement of a roller coaster.

>>1079157
They drive slow as shit in order to give you a bigger fare. The subway along with walking is the best way to get around, but note that you must always make sure your Metro-card has money, dont buy them from other people, and that the subway with walking will take up alot of your free time. Besides, the hustle and bustle is what the city is all about.

>>1079157
Also Taxis charge you based on distance. Just make sure you have google maps or some shit open just to make sure their not fucking with you. Also DO NOT take taxis to and from the airport. it is expensive as fuck. Getting out of the gate at newark, ive seen that some people had payed as much as 200 dollard to get from Brooklyn to there when they could've just taken the NJ transit and the Path train for a fraction of the cost. And if you want the Airport that is closest to the city, It is probably Lagaurdia.

>>1079171
So I should take the train from the airport?

>>1079113
Lots of people use them. Not too many hills. There are bike lanes but not many. You might have to go through car and pedestrian traffic. Waste of money to buy a cheap bike then abandon it.

>>1079212
Form Kennedy take the Airtrain to LIRR Jamaica station then the train to Penn Station. Newark has a NJ Transit link. LaGuardia has a local bus to the subway. All airports have an airport bus to the city.

New Yorker here

Stay around times square. It's got everything you need. fuhgedabout it :)

If travelling solo, is there any good hostels in NYC? Or would air bnb or something be better?

>>1079490
OP here, I will be travelling solo for most of the time so I would also like to know where the good hostels are or if Airbnb is a good option?
Cheers

>>1078926
>>1079113
If you decide to buy a bike, I'd recommend giving it away to some instead of letting someone take it.

Think about it, who deserves a free bicycle the most; a poor person who seems nice or the first person to steal a bike?

I think you'd make someone really happy if you found the right person instead of just aiding some thief. I know I'd be stoaked if some random dude came up to me and gave me a free bike.

Though I have no clue what to do in NYC since I've never been, sorry

>>1079615
I would be happier giving the bike to a poor person above anyone else :)

>>1079169
This is actually incorrect. I remember a study done a while ago that said cabs will drive you to your destination fast in order to secure their next fare. They lose more money driving one person slow than driving them fast and movin on to the next one.

>>1079490
>>1079540
I would choose AirBnB over hostels 100% of the time. You get what you pay for in NYC and safety should be your top priority. There are no good hostels. We just don't have that sort of culture in the US.

Unless you're expecting to be going to bars or clubs, you probably don't need something in Manhattan. Consider the outer boroughs or even New Jersey. An hour into NYC is perfectly reasonable traveling time. You just have to wake up earlier than usual.

>>1079725
Ah, like in Crazy Taxi.

>>1078974
is it easy to move around traffic on the citibikes?

>>1079725
I've never been in a slow one either. I've been in some I would have paid to slow down. Usually if they go a few blocks over they are just trying to avoid a slow street. Some of the gypsy cabs get a little pricey but that just means you went somewhere sketchy.

>>1079725
>>1079751
>>1079773
OP here, thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

I have one more question; I'm throwing around the idea of doing a helicopter tour around Manhattan. Any particular companies or tours I should consider?

Cheers

>>1079786
I've never done one. I heard the government is considering putting a stop to them on Sundays so you might want to plan accordingly. If you have extra days on your trip I would recommend you go take the train to New Jersey Shore or Philadelphia or further North. I think everyone should visit NYC but its not very representative of the country.

>>1079786
after thinking about it one company had a crash at take off not too long ago. At those prices I doubt they sell out. It may be something that you might want to book face to face just to get a better feel for what you are getting. You wouldn't want to book one on a cloudy or rainy day. Views are much better after it rains also.

>>1079793
I will be spending a few days in LA after NYC, I may have some time to go to other places in between. I was thinking about Boston or even Niagara Falls.

>>1079802
Okay, I will order face to face, thanks!

I just got back from a 4-day trip in NYC. Here's all the things I did
Day 1
>Arrive at LaGuardia
>Check into hotel
>Visit top of the Rock
TOTR is pretty much a must. You get a good view of the entire city and the Empire State Building. The Chrysler building is partially blocked out by some shitty sky scraper though.
>St. Patrick's Cathedral
really spectacular cathedral. Very ornate, detailed
>Time's square
Meh. I only went because the people who I went with wanted to go. It's just a bunch of ads on billboards really.
>Go get pizza somewhere
>Go to bed
Day 2
>Wake up
>Go to Natural history Museum
Honestly, I wouldn't spend much time here. The Dinosaur bones are really cool and some of the ancient people's exhibits are cool but it's mostly just sculptures of animals. Pretty uninteresting.
>Walk through Central park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
I stopped at Belvedere castly and the Obelisk on the way. Nice park, but it was the winter so it wasn't as pretty as it may have been at other times.
>Stopped at one of those Halal food stands
Don't do this. They are all around town now and they sell cheap shitty kebab sandwiches and shit. Seriously, this shit isn't good.
>Metropolitan Museum of Art
This one was really cool. I didn't get to see as much of it as I wanted because I spent too much time walking around the shitty Natural History Museum and was tired. I liked the Arms and Armor, European art and Decoration, and Egyptian art exhibits the most, but I didn't even get to stop by the modern art exhibit, which had stuff from the 19th-20th century. I also missed out on the American Wing entirely.
>Back to the hotel after that because we were tired of all that walking
We walked like 6 miles throughout the Museums and Central park. Seriously, the museums are huge. Pick out the stuff you really want to see and breeze through the rest.
>Went and had a nice dinner
Rosie O'Grady's has some top notch food. Highly recommend Especially the lobster raviolli and baileys creme cake

>>1080259
Cont.
Day 3
>go to 9/11 memorial and museum.
It's alright. If you were heavily affected by that day it would be very touching to see. Some of the information there and the stories are cool too. I only went because someone in my party said it was a must.
>Walk through Chinatown.
Meh. I only walked down one street but it basically looks exactly like how you'd expect a seedy Beijing street to look. Full of cheap shit and pedicure stores too.
>Little Italy
This place was nice. It's pretty sad that Chinatown has almost taken over little Italy entirely but I liked Little Italy a whole lot and went to a good Italian place for lunch.
>SoHo
Walked from Little Italy to SoHo and went to all the big flagship stores. Me and my friend were looking to thrift shop. They had some decent ones, especially Housing Works
>Greenwich Village
very peaceful neighborhood from walking through it. The Union Square arch was cool and they had a few good thrift stores too.
Day 4
>Packed up
>Left bags with the bellhop
>Saw grand central station
It was a cool building
>Went around Trump Tower
Bunch of luxury brands in this area. Gucci, Prada, etc. We stopped at Tiffany's to look at all the expensive jewelry and stuff. I went in Trump tower and bought a make America great again tee.
>Roosevelt Island
We went here because we didn't have much else to do before our flight. They had a good pizza place but we didn't get to see the smallpox hospital or the park on the south tip because the bus didn't go down there. The tram ride back had a nice view though. It's a very underutilized space they should put a ferris wheel on there because you could get some cool views.
>Leave NYC
and that was my trip. Anything I missed out on do you think? What's there to do in other boroughs besides Manhattan? I know the Bronx has the zoo and the botanical garden but it was freezing cold and those wouldn't be fun in that weather.

>>1079155
this is the first I've heard someone actually recommend the Intrepid- I work there and I'd say to actually look at what we have before you come 'cause shit's not cheap.
You can't go wrong with the big three museums (moma, the met, amnh) just budget more than one day for the met if you like art because it's fucking huge. Stay the fuck away from Times Square. The high line is really fucking pretty, and if you get off it near 14th there's the Chelsea Market which is fun to poke around in.
Abso-fucking-lutely get a metrocard, our public transportation system only takes cash in the form of exact change in coins. Get a weekly unlimited if you're going to be here that long, otherwise budget $10 or a little more a day for pay-as-you-go which will give you right around 4 rides. Be aware that you get free transfers (within 2 hours) from the subway to the bus or vice versa or bus-to-bus. Having said that, avoid the bus system if you can, it can be really confusing for non-locals. If you do ride the bus, know how to put your metrocard in the machine if you don't want to piss off locals.

I can give more extensive recommendations if I know where you are staying and what kind of food/atmosphere you like.

>>1080472
I never had trouble with Manhattan buses. Basically east-west crosstown and north-south lines. Go to mta.info and download a bus map or get a hard copy at 2 Broadway,go to the Stone Street entrance. Other boroughs bus systems are a little different.

People that have seen, it: Is the Statue of Liberty worth a trip to?

I've been warned it takes a lot of time and are usually not really worth it. What do you think?

>>1080472
I don't know why people push tourist towards these awkward modes of transportation. Most people are only there a few days. High line pretty over rated. Time Square is cool the first time you see it.

>>1080487
You can just take the ferry over there and get pretty damn good idea what it looks like. If they say the line is short go up. If not just kick it on the island and head back after a few. I've personally only ever went half way up and I live an hour away.

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OP here, biting the bullet and purchasing flights tonight. Also decided to have some day trips up to Boston and down to Philly and DC via Amtrak.

Thanks for all the help again guys! I really appreciate it :)

just jumping in on this thread, headed to NY in april from Aus. Can you guys recommend stores for collectibles such as chucky dolls and general horror stuff like texas chainsaw, halloween etc

>>1080924
Should go during October and take a day trip to Boston and Salem for Halloween stuff if you're into that (seems like it from your post)

>>1080909
Hopefully you aren't gonna be in Philly in late July.

>>1080958
I won't be, but y?

>>1080959
Democratic National Convention

Probably gonna be a massive shitshow. Expect riots and protests, especially if $hillary wins. Hopefully this doesn't derail the thread. What do you plan on doing in Philly?

>>1080961
Not sure, have yet to decide what to do in Philly. Any suggestions?

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>>1080964
I would probably just stay in Center City/Old town. The only neighborhoods outside of that you would want to visit is University City (or something like that) and maybe Chestnut Hill. Philly is pretty seedy so I wouldn't be venturing out later than midnight.

>>1079490
I stayed at the bowery house for a week. For $80/night i had a lockable closet to sleep in, no bedbugs, clean community bathrooms with various provided soap. It was fuckin' stylish, look it up.

Cool af staff too. I drunkenly locked myself out of my closet thing while in my underwear and the front desk people just laughed about it with me the next day.

>>1081316
Checked out Bowery House and it will cost about $150 more than the place I was inclined to go with on AirBnb. Any other suggestions senpai?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po85lER-qRo&ab_channel=CaseyNeistat

Is this an accurate representation of Citibikes and taxis?

>>1081612
Not really. Thats the only place i've stayed. You asked about hostels and everyone else said they were awful, but i had a really, really great experience there so I figured I'd pipe in.

If airbnb fits ur budget better, you like the location/trust it, go for that tho

>>1081668
The city has been cracking down on airbnb. They have been taking a lot of listing down. Remember it is illegal to put your apartment as a room in NYC law. People have been turfed out. Consider this if you use airbnb in NYC.

>>1080472
As OP, I am myself coming to NYC in June. I'm arriving LGW, planned to take a metro bus to Astoria metro station and taking a train into mid-town.

You mention exact fare, in coins only. Is there a place in Lagaurdia where I can purchase a metrocard? I was under the impression from the MTA website it could be purchased on the MTA bus, but the info was vague.

>>1079094


IMHO the natural history museum is seriously overrated. Every time I stopped over there it just seemed like it was geared towards children than anything else.

>>1081738
I have never flown out of LGA but Id be very surprised if you couldn't buy a metrocard there. If you truly can't get exact change then buy a metrocard at practically any subway station. The closest is probably Astoria

>>1081633
that looks more like viral marketing for citibikes to me.

like i said the cars in NYC dont drive the way the rest of the country does. they drive like what the reality is, white people born in city, people from india, people from egypt all driving in one glorious cacophony of chaos. If you take a couple of taxi rides and think its for you go for it.

>>1081747
Thanks anon

Does NYC have a public transport fare system like Opal for Sydney or Myki for Melbourne where you just have a plastic card you tap on when you hop on the bus/train/ferry/etc and then tap off when you hop off?

>>1082012
Metrocard. Works on MTA subway and buses. LIRR, MTA north and Amtrak require their own tickets.

>>1082012
The Metrocard you dip into the fare box. There might be a touch card in the future. Also slide through a long slot to use the subway(not metro).

>>1081738
Use exact fare to use the bus. Ask for a transfer to use the subway.

>>1080487
Be careful when you go to get tickets for the Statue of Liberty ferry. There are a lot of touts selling overpriced tickets that are worth nothing. There are a lot of them and we just had an incident where a tourist got punched out because he didn't by some thug's ticket. Get a ticket at the main ticket place or just avoid until the cops have a hold on this nonsense.

>>1081744
yea I made the mistake of spending a lot of time here at the expense of spending time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Just see the dinosaur bones and get out, walk across the park, and see all the cool shit they have at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

>>1079138
>>1079145

Best place to bike is near the waterfront, Greenway. It's probably the safest. Or you can bike around Central park.

If you're planning to bike around the city then good luck to your health.

There's a bike lane on the west side, 2nd ave IIRC but no one cares about bikers heres. There's too many things in the way and cabbies will almost always swerve like crazy.