New York Travel Tips: Our 16 Recommendations for Sights, Food, Shopping and Getting Around

The most important New York tip: don't waste time and money on taxis. Manhattan traffic is brutal, and the subway gets you almost everywhere faster, for $3 a ride. Beyond that, don't miss the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Times Square, once by day and once by night. And leave room in your stomach for New York pizza, and in your suitcase for vintage finds.

Here are 16 recommendations from our trips to New York: how to get around, what to see, where to eat and where to shop.

About prices: prices are in US dollars. Prices and opening hours change, so check before you go.

In this post:

1. How to get around New York
2. What to see in New York
3. Where to eat in New York
4. Where to shop in New York
5. FAQ

All the tips in one table

How to get around New York

1. Skip the taxis, take the subway

Manhattan traffic is heavy almost all day, and a short cab ride can sit in traffic for half an hour and cost a lot. The subway skips all of that and reaches almost anywhere you want to go. It runs 24 hours a day, and lines are marked by numbers and letters.

• Fare: $3 a ride, including transfers between lines.
• How to pay: no ticket needed. Tap a contactless card, or your phone with a digital wallet, on the OMNY reader at the station entrance.
• Weekly cap: your first tap starts a 7-day count. After $35 (12 rides), every other ride that week is free, automatically.
• Tip: always tap with the same card or the same phone, or the cap won't count. Watch the direction too: entrances say Uptown (north) or Downtown (south), and at some stations each direction has its own entrance on a different side of the street.

What to see in New York

2. The Brooklyn Bridge

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is a must, and it's best done from Brooklyn towards Manhattan, with the skyline in front of you the whole way. The walk itself takes 30 to 45 minutes; with photo stops, allow an hour. It's free.

• How to start in Brooklyn: take the subway to DUMBO and climb onto the bridge via the stairs near Washington Street.
• Before you go up: stop at the corner of Washington and Water Streets in DUMBO for the classic shot of the Manhattan Bridge framed between the buildings.
• Tip: come early in the morning, before the crowds. The Manhattan end is busier, with stalls and vendors.

3. Central Park

Central Park is Manhattan's green lung: about 4 km of paths, lakes and bridges, from 59th Street to 110th Street. Entry is free. Don't try to see all of it; pick one section and wander it slowly.

• Don't miss: Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Bow Bridge, and Strawberry Fields with the Imagine mosaic in memory of John Lennon.
• Tip: rent a bike for a loop, or just grab a coffee and sit on the grass.

4. Times Square: by day and by night

Go to Times Square twice: once during the day and once at night, because they're two completely different experiences. By day you see the square, the shops and the Broadway theatres. At night every screen is lit, and it's as bright as daytime.

• By day: Joe's Pizza and Angelina Bakery are both close by.
• At night: climb the red steps (TKTS) above the square to see all the screens from above.
• Tip: don't pose with the costumed characters without asking the price first; they expect payment.

5. The Vessel at Hudson Yards

The Vessel is the honeycomb-shaped climbable structure at Hudson Yards, with 154 connected flights of stairs and views over the Hudson River. It has reopened for climbing, with timed tickets.

• Price: general admission from $14, flex tickets from $20. Book on vesselnyc.com.
• Hours: usually 11:00–19:00, with seasonal and event changes.
• Tip: combine it with the High Line, the park built on an old elevated rail line. It starts right next to Hudson Yards.

6. Chinatown

Manhattan's Chinatown is a world of its own: crowded streets, signs in Chinese, fruit stalls and cheap dumpling shops. The heart of the neighbourhood is around Mott and Canal Streets, and a few minutes' walk takes you to Little Italy and SoHo.

• Tip: come hungry. This is the place for dumplings and Chinese pastries at low prices.

7. SoHo

SoHo is New York's most beautiful shopping district: cast-iron buildings with fire escapes on the façades, cobbled streets and every brand you can think of. The centre is Broadway and Prince and Spring Streets. Even if you buy nothing, the neighbourhood is worth a stroll.

Where to eat in New York

8. Joe's Pizza

Joe's Pizza is one of New York's most famous slices: thin crust, sauce and mozzarella, folded by hand and eaten standing up. The original is at 7 Carmine Street in the West Village, and there's a branch at 1435 Broadway, near Times Square. A slice costs a few dollars. The line moves fast, so don't let it scare you off.

9. 99-cent pizza: cheap and really tasty

The cheap New York slice still exists, and it's really good. At Manhattan's "99 cent" and "dollar slice" pizza shops, a plain cheese slice now costs about $1.50. The price has crept up from the original dollar, but it's still the best-value meal in the city. Perfect for a snack between sights or a late-night bite.

10. Angelina Bakery

Angelina Bakery is an Italian-style bakery known for filled bomboloni (Italian doughnuts), filled croissants and a famous cheese focaccia. The best-known branch is in Times Square, with others at Grand Central and elsewhere in Manhattan. A perfect sweet stop in the morning or afternoon.

11. Malka

Malka is Israeli chef Eyal Shani's New York restaurant, and it's certified kosher. It's on the Upper West Side at 161 West 72nd Street, close to Central Park. Expect Eyal Shani's style, including a schnitzel stuffed with mashed potato that has become a signature dish. Like every kosher restaurant, it's closed on Shabbat, so book ahead.

12. Good Thanks: brunch on the Lower East Side

Good Thanks is a small, popular brunch café at 131 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side (LES). It's known for its kimchi scramble, avocado toast and banana bread, and the coffee is excellent. It's small and there's a line, especially at weekends, so come early or join the queue online. There's a second branch in Brooklyn.

• Tip: after brunch, Ludlow Flea is just a few blocks away.

13. Joe & the Juice

Joe & the Juice is a Danish chain of fresh juices, shakes, coffee and hot sandwiches, with dozens of branches in Manhattan. There's always one nearby. Perfect for a quick breakfast or a break in the middle of a long walking day.

Where to shop in New York

14. Louis Vuitton New York Saks

The Louis Vuitton boutique is on the ground floor of Saks Fifth Avenue, at 611 Fifth Avenue, opposite Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral. You can book an in-store appointment on the Louis Vuitton website. Even if you're not buying, a walk through Saks and along Fifth Avenue is part of the experience, and in the holiday season the window displays draw crowds from all over the world.

15. Ludlow Flea: vintage market

Ludlow Flea is a small vintage market at 159 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side, with rotating vendors and lots of '90s and Y2K clothing. Clothes start at around $15. It's usually open Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00–20:00, but days change, so check their Instagram before you go.

16. L Train Vintage

L Train Vintage is a chain of cheap thrift and vintage stores, mostly in Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn, along the subway's L line (hence the name). Expect racks of jeans, jackets, T-shirts and shoes. Give it time, because you'll need to dig. It's also a great excuse to leave Manhattan and see Brooklyn.

Why you need mobile data in New York

Almost every tip here runs through your phone: tapping your phone to pay on the subway, navigating lines and stations, Vessel tickets, the online queue at Good Thanks and checking Ludlow Flea's hours. Install an eSIM for the USA before you fly and you're connected the moment you land. Our installation guide shows how to do it in a few minutes.

FAQ

Should you take taxis in New York?

Better not. Manhattan has heavy traffic almost all day, so a cab can sit in traffic for a long time and cost a lot. The subway is faster, runs 24 hours and costs $3 a ride, with a $35 weekly cap.

How much does the New York subway cost?

A New York subway ride costs $3, paid by tapping a contactless card or phone on the OMNY reader. Once you've paid $35 within 7 days (12 rides), the rest of that week's rides are free, as long as you always tap with the same card or phone.

Which way should you walk the Brooklyn Bridge?

Start in Brooklyn, in DUMBO, and walk towards Manhattan. That way the Manhattan skyline is in front of you the whole way. The walk takes 30 to 45 minutes and is free.

How much does the Vessel cost?

General admission to the Vessel at Hudson Yards starts at $14, and a flex ticket from $20. Book on the official site, vesselnyc.com. Regular hours are usually 11:00–19:00.

Is there still dollar pizza in New York?

Almost. New York's cheap "99 cent" and "dollar slice" pizza shops have raised their prices, and a plain cheese slice now usually costs about $1.50. It's still the cheapest tasty meal in the city.

Is there a good kosher restaurant in New York?

Yes. Malka, chef Eyal Shani's restaurant, is a kosher restaurant on the Upper West Side at 161 West 72nd Street. It's closed on Shabbat, and booking ahead is a good idea.

The bottom line

• Getting around: subway only, tapping a card or phone. No taxis.
• See: the Brooklyn Bridge (from DUMBO), Central Park, Times Square by day and night, the Vessel, Chinatown and SoHo.
• Eat: Joe's Pizza, a 99-cent slice, Angelina Bakery, Malka, brunch at Good Thanks and Joe & the Juice.
• Shop: Louis Vuitton at Saks, vintage at Ludlow Flea and L Train Vintage.

Before you fly, make sure you have data from the moment you land: choose an eSIM for the USA.