New York City Travel Guide

Over the years, I’ve received many requests for a New York City itinerary. Whether people are coming into town for a quick work meeting, week-long vacation or a girl’s weekend, everyone wants to know where to stay, eat, drink and what to do while they are in town visiting. Therefore, when my friends at Expedia.com asked me to help their readers by sharing my tips on how to enjoy time in New York, I figured it was finally time to start putting things into a post that I can share and reference for years to come.

Planning a trip to New York can be overwhelming because on any given day there are always new restaurants opening, a new Broadway premiering and a new hot spot to enjoy. But, this list will help to provide a starting point for anyone who is coming to New York. Hopefully, you’ll find something whether it’s your fiftieth time or first time visiting.

In order to make this easy to use, I’ve divided it into a few sections which also align with the questions I frequently receive from readers.

Where Should I Stay? Finding the perfect hotel in New York City can be very challenging as there are so many different neighborhoods and the number of options is overwhelming. The first thing I’d recommend deciding is your price range. Once you have this, you can quickly limit the number of hotels on Expedia.com so you are only seeing hotels that are within your price preference. Then, it’s helpful to think about what you want from the experience – gym, breakfast included, hotel restaurant or perfect location. The more you can figure this out before you start researching, the better luck you’ll have.  Based on our friends and family’s experience staying in New York City as well as the knowledge my husband Bo has from working in real estate investments, these are a few hotels we recommend. Of course everyone has their own preferences, so be sure to check out all of the New York City hotel options on Expedia.com.

Picture Credit

• Five Star Hotels If you’re looking for luxury during your stay, The EDITION is a new hotel on Madison Square Park that puts you in a prime location for exploring, delivers their take on “reinvented luxury” and is also home to a Michelin restaurant, Clocktower. If you’d rather stay closer to Central Park, The PARKER New York offers guests views of Central Park, is walking distance to MOMA, Carnegie Hall, Broadway and Central Park. Inside the hotel, guests can pamper at the rooftop pool or head downstairs to enjoy some rest and relaxation at Drybar, Tenoverten, Skin Laundry, Blushington and more! One of the most popular breakfasts can be found at Norma’s, one of the many restaurants in the hotel.
• Four Star Hotels These hotels are a bit less expensive but still deliver on experience and location. The Arlo SoHo is a hip hotel based in SoHo which makes it walking distance from many attractions. While part of their concept is small rooms, the amazing rooftop bar and lively atmosphere make up for the smaller rooms. If you like space, our friends recommend upgrading to the king size room which is still reasonably priced for Manhattan and provides a larger room. W Union Square is located in the heart of Union Square and makes walking to areas in both Midtown and downtown easy. The rooms are clean, comfortable and feature Bliss products while the hotel itself includes a popular bar and restaurant area as well as reliable, friendly service.  Last but not least, many co-workers have stayed at Andaz Wall Street. Located in the heart of Wall Street and close to the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park and other attractions in downtown Manhattan this hotel includes free Wi-Fi, happy hour and is typically less than $250 per night.

Photo Credit – John Dory website

Where to Eat It seems like a new restaurant opens in New York City every single minute. It’s impossible to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest spots. Instead, I’ll share with you the list that we’ve put together on a shared iPhone Notes file over the years ranging from our favorite raw bar (The John Dory) to the best chocolate chip cookies in New York and possibly America (Levain Bakery).  I’m happy to answer questions via email or comments if you’re looking for something specific, but this list should provide a decent starting point.

• Seafood
  • The John Dory
  • Blue Water Grill
  • Aqua Grill
• Breakfast/Brunch
  • Bubby’s
  • Murray’s Bagels
  • Buvette
  • Little Owl
  • Russ & Daughters
  • ABCV
  • Sadelle’s
• Baked Goods/Sweets
  • Levain Bakery
  • Two Little Red Hens
  • Magnolia Bakery
• Worthy of a celebration or special occasion
  • Anisa
  • Gramercy Tavern
  • Gotham Bar & Grill
• Fast Lunch or Dinner Spot
  • Luke’s Lobster – A lobster shack in the heart of Manhattan, it’s worth paying $20 for the lobster roll, chips, beer and a pickle.
  • Shake Shack
  • Cava
  • Sweetgreen
• Steak
  • Wolfgang’s
• The rest of our favorites…
  • Momofuko – If you can’t get into the original,  Ssam Bar and Milk Bar are both experiences of their own. How can you beat the Milk Bar compost cookies, crack pie, birthday cake truffles and cereal milk ice cream?
  • Joe’s Shanghai – The soup dumplings at their Chinatown location are delicious!
  • Riverpark
  • Balthazar
  • Eataly
  • La Esquina
  • Little Owl
  • ABC Kitchen
  • The Spotted Pig

What should I see on Broadway? There is ALWAYS something on Broadway for everyone but the below are the shows that we’ve loved or heard about from friends. Also, you can save money by getting tickets from a TKTS booth which sells same-day and next day tickets at a discount. While there are multiple booths around the city, the one in Brooklyn and South Street Seaport seem to have shorter lines. You can even see the real-time listings on their website or app!

• Wicked – One of the most wonderful Broadway shows ever and great for all ages.
• Beautiful: The Carole King Story
• Waitress – I’ve heard wonderful things about this fun, heartfelt show and most of my friends say it’s great to see with a mom, sister, girlfriend. An added bonus is the pie they serve to everyone during the show!
• The Phantom of the Opera – This Andrew Lloyd Webber classic has been appealing to people of all ages for years and the set, costumes, music, and story have made this a Broadway hit for YEARS!
• The Book of Mormon – Hilarious but can offend some people depending on humor. Must be open to vulgarity, -dirty jokes and religious humor. Not recommended for children.
• Hamilton – expensive, buy tickets in advance
• Dear Evan Hansen – expensive, buy tickets in advance
• Avenue Q (off-Broadway)

What Sights Should I Visit? There is no way to see everything in one trip but over the years we’ve taken friends and family to these attractions and returned multiple times as they are very popular with everyone! Be sure to do research in advance as some of these museums or attractions are closed one to two days per week and others, such as the Frick, do not permit children under 10 years of age.

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• The Natural History Museum
• The Frick Collection
• Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
• Arthur Avenue Little Italy
• Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty
• Central Park
• NYC One World Observatory
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Grand Central Terminal
• New York Public Library
• The High Line
• Brooklyn Bridge

 

Where Should I  Run?   My favorite way to explore any city is on two feet and whether you are trying to stick to a training plan while visiting the city or just log a few miles, there are plenty of places to run that are safe for any tourist visiting New York for the first time. I always recommend running as early as possible as this will reduce the number of cars and people on the streets which always makes for a more enjoyable run. In fact, my favorite thing to recommend to people visiting is to go for an early morning run as they can see the city “waking up” and finish their run at a local coffee shop or bagel shop.

There are two ways that I recommend running in the city – solo or with a tour. I’ve heard AMAZING things about the City Running Tours and they offer multiple group runs and solo, personalized tours on a daily basis. These group runs allow you the opportunity to get exercise and learn more about the city at the same time. While they aren’t free, a guided run is often a good deal especially if you have limited time in the city or it’s you want to discover a new area.

If you’d rather do your own thing while you run, here are a few of my favorite routes and areas to run.  For even more routes and specific directions, I always point people to this Thrillist article that includes 9 routes throughout the city so there is one convenient to anywhere you’re staying! If you’re visiting during the Christmas holiday season, this holiday run route will take you by all the most famous decorations and light displays!

• Central Park – It’s impossible to see everything there is to discover in Central Park, which is often referred to as a “runners dream” since it has multiple paths of varying difficulty, beautiful scenery and lots to enjoy. The full, outer loop of Central Park is 6.1 miles but there are multiple ways to make the distance shorter or longer by taking the transverses along the path. There is also a soft, 1.5-mile loop around the reservoir which provides amazing views of the city.
• Brooklyn Bridge – If you are an early-riser or have a time change to thank for it, take advantage by heading to one of the most iconic spots in New York City and be treated to beautiful views of Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. I wouldn’t attempt running on the bridge between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM so you need to get there early in order to avoid tourists, photographers and cyclists. Make sure to stay safe and run in the pedestrian lane since cyclists tend to go pretty fast across the bridge. From Manhattan to Brooklyn the bridge is approximately 1.5 miles each way so you can easily get in a hill workout using the bridge.
• West Side Highway – You can enjoy views of New Jersey, Hudson River and Statue of Liberty along the scenic Hudson River Park which runs from 59th Street to Battery Place, the Southern tip of Manhattan. The path is especially gorgeous in spring and summer when all the flowers are in bloom and you can watch boats going up and down the Hudson River. There are multiple water fountains and places to use the restroom along the path but, similar to most areas, it can become crowded and always make sure to look both ways so you don’t run into a biker.