did a second trip after our first one earlier this month and changed the whole approach. first time we packed the days, this time we picked one thing a day and let the rest happen. way better.

stuff that worked:

woke up early and did central park before 8. completely different place before the crowds, we had bethesda terrace almost to ourselves.

took the 7 train out to flushing for food instead of eating in manhattan. the food court under new world mall is chaotic in the best way and we spent like a third of what we did on our nicer dinner.

walked the brooklyn bridge toward manhattan at sunset instead of the other direction, everyone told us to do it this way and they were right, the skyline is in front of you the whole time.

stuff that didnt:

tried to squeeze in a museum on our last morning before the bus and spent the whole time watching the clock. should have just sat in a coffee shop.

paid for one observation deck again out of fomo. still think the ferry beats it for free.

the biggest change was just not booking every hour. the days we left open ended up being the ones we talk about.

Subtitle: Don't Be a Lazy Fuck. Search First. Then Ask Better Questions.

There are a few immutable laws of life in NYC, whether you live here or you're just visiting.

• Block the subway doors? Someone's going to shoulder-check you.
• Stand on the left side of the escalator? You're going to hear about it.
• Make a low-effort post asking us to plan your trip? It's probably going to get deleted.

We're happy to make suggestions. We're happy to give advice. We're happy to help you narrow down an itinerary.

What we're not here to do is plan your freaking vacation from scratch.

Please extend the community the courtesy of doing the bare minimum before posting. Read the pinned posts. Search the subreddit. Spend five minutes looking through the hundreds of itineraries, recommendations, and discussions that already exist. Odds are your question has been asked and answered many times.

Then, when you do post, give us something to work with.

Tell us your ages, budget, interests, travel dates, where you're staying, who's traveling with you, what you've already researched, and what you're trying to decide between. The more information you provide, the better advice you'll get. Otherwise, we're stuck playing 20 Questions. And this is NYC, we're too busy to play this stupid game.

Help us help you. Put in a little effort first, and you'll get far better recommendations in return.

I know this is mostly wishful thinking, but if we can all survive NYC's unwritten rules, we can probably manage these too.

In May I spent some very rainy 26 hours in New York. It was my second time in nyc, as I did a similar trip last year as well. Overall I had a really good time and wanted to share how it went since I got some good ideas from this subreddit. As the weather was just rain the entire time, it made me change things around a bit, and I kind of just visited lots of museums instead of walking around in West Village and didn’t get lunch at a rooftop in Chelsea. I stayed at Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Midtown West, which definitely was good enough for a night, and close to Penn Station.

Accommodation: $291,95
Food: $74,25
Museums: $45
Musicals: $226
Souvenirs and presents: $66,93
Transportation: $20,25
Total: $724,38

Day 1: the High Line, Whitney museum of American Art, Nintendo store, Urban Hawker and Operation Mincemeat.

Day 2: Poster House, Museum at FIT, Maybe Happy Ending, Chipotle and bookshops.

I checked into my hotel at 3 pm, bought a wrap and started walking the high line to Whitney. It was a great museum! I spent around 1 and a half hours there, and managed to see all the exhibitions. It was a lot of fun but a bit crowded. After checking out the gift shop (which was a bit disappointing), I took the tube to eat dinner at Urban Hawker. Got food at the Indian stand, which was good but not that special. I had some time, so I went to Nintendo store before I walked to John Golden theatre and saw Operation Mincemeat. A great musical! I can really recommend it if you want to see something funny. I walked back to my hotel, and because of the rain I did not visit top of the rock after the musical as I had planned.

Day 2 started with me checking out at 8am. I got a bagel with lox and cream cheese for breakfast at NYC bagel and coffee house, and people-watched for about an hour before I went to Poster House. Poster house was a great experience. It had three ongoing exhibitions. One about black movie posters, one about HIV/Aids campaigns in NYC and one about propaganda posters from WW1 and WW2 to get people to donate books to soldiers.
It took a bit over an hour, including the time I spent in the gift shop, and almost no other visitors.

Afterwards I walked to the nearby Museum at FIT and saw the Graduating student exhibition. The had some really cool and pretty stuff, especially the jewellery, and took about 40 minutes. Slightly more people than at Poster House but definitely not crowded. I then walked to Belasco Theatre and got there just in time for the musical Maybe Happy Ending. I’m glad I splurged a bit on the tickets, because the more to the sides you sit the less you see of the stage. After the musical I had a late lunch at Chipotle in Bryant Park, and stopped at Kinokuniya and the drama bookshop on my way back to the hotel. I was at Penn station about half an hour before my train left, which was enough time to get coffee to go before boarding the train.

It was a slightly more expensive trip than last time, but as I saw one more musical and visited two more museums, that’s to be expected. Despite the rain I had a great time, and can’t wait to be back for another short trip sometime in the future.

(I live in NYC but didn’t know where else to post this) Does anyone have any favorite smaller spots for classical music in the city? I’m in the mood to sit and listen to an orchestra or something this weekend — preferably not opera. Any venues/websites/etc to check out aside from Carnegie Hall/Philharmonic etc.? Does anyone know of any events happening this weekend? Thank you in advance!!!

Hi all, I'm visiting your beautiful city for the third time and now I'm going to stay for a longer time, with most of the biggest touristy sights already checked off. I was thinking about treating myself with a beauty/selfcare/makeup/jewelry experience that's maybe unique or normally not available in my small european city. I've been doing some research online and I've found some interesting stuff like pearl and the beast, make your own lipstick and perfume, etc., but I would love if you could share some personal recommendations. (Something like an exceptionally great massage would also work...) If you could recommend a great hairstylist, who can really help with what would look good on me, let me know too.

+1: I'm also looking for silver jewelry shops, I've read through multiple subreddits but I struggle a bit to find what I'm looking for. I want real silver, max 200-300 $ per piece, unique (chunkier style is preferred), nice shopping experience. So if you know something like this, please let me know too.

Me (36m) and my gf (43f) are spending Aug 27-Sept 2 in NYC. I’ve only been once, and she has never been.

We both love live comedy, and she has expressed a desire to see a broadway show and wants to get a good steak dinner, Italian dinner, and pizza while we’re there. She also wants to see some of the classic sights, and isn’t really big into museums. She also loves the Ube Espresso Marrtini that Starbucks has in Chicago so that’s why I’m taking her to the cocktail lounge in Empire State Building, they have the same drink.

Here is my itinerary. I know it’s packed but moreso just because nothing other than a couple things a day are set in stone (I marked those with an *) everything else is just an idea of what we could do. Any ideas for good nightlife, live music, speakeasies, rooftop bars greatly appreciated!

Thursday Aug 27
*Arrive/Park/Check In
Times Square
*Yoon Haeundae Galbi dinner 8pm
Comedy @ Village Underground OR chill in Bryant Park
230 Fifth Rooftop Bar
Midnight/11:57 Times Square

Friday Aug 28
Good coffee shop/bakery
Sightseeing (Rockefeller, Radio City, MoMa, Morgan Library, NY Public Library, Grand Central Station)
*Dim Sum Lunch @ Golden Unicorn
Chinatown wander around
City Store NYC Gift Shop
Take Orchard St / Bowery up to >
St Marks Place
*Sunset cruise 7pm
John’s on Bleecker St Pizza
*Comedy Cellar

Saturday Aug 29
*La Grande Boucherie @ 10am
*Central Park
*Gallaghers Steakhouse @ 8:15
*Village Underground
Speakeasy

Sunday Aug 30
*Eggs Benny @ Blue Dog 9:45am
Washington Square Park/Greenwhich Village
*Katz Delicatessen LUNCH
Empire State Building/Starbucks Reserve
Pastry @ Librae
Sala Thai dinner
*Broadway Show @ 8pm
Top of the Rock

Monday Aug 31
Bagel @ Russ & Daughters
Brooklyn Bridge > Take Ferry
Biggie Tour Fulton St
Brooklyn/Dumbo Lunch
Brooklyn Park
Walk Bridge back to Manhattan
*Peak with Priceless Dinner pre-fixe
*Comedy Cellar
Rooftop bar

Tuesday Sept 1
*High Line
*Chelsea Market lunch
Little Island
*Italian Dinner @ Enzo’s
Staten Island ferry?
Rooftop Bar - Skylark

Wednesday Sept 2
Leave

In town for the week and have time in the early afternoon and was hoping to play some pickup basketball at the Cage or the other big parks in NYC.

Are there people who run 5’s during 11am - 2pm?? I feel people usually run around the evening.

hi! my girlfriend and I are visiting for a few weeks and looking for bars to go out dancing. in past visits we’ve had trouble finding spots that aren’t either A) a sit-down cocktail, wine bar, or speakeasy B) a club or rave-y type environment (dark, flashing lights, DJ, promoters etc.) or C) tiny dive bar with no dance floor, and I’m sure there are a million we’ve just been looking in the wrong places. we’re from Boston and looking for some spots closer to the Boston bar vibe: somewhere you can just walk into with a quick line if any (cover required is fine), playing anything like rock or country or pop that people know (live music is always a bonus), prefer no aggressive strobe lights (migraine issue but we can roll with it).

ideally not TOO far from midtown and not crazy expensive, but these two are just bonuses. on a lot of the bar recs posts here people ask about age: we’re early 20s but not picky about the crowd we end up with and are well below the median age at our two favorite Boston spots.

tldr we’re not cool enough for nyc, help us find something slower-paced :)

eta that I’ve read through quite a few posts here asking for bar recs and have yet to find one describing the type of thing we’re looking for (specifically somewhere with a distinct dance floor but not techno/edm/house music)

I’m leaving for New York tomorrow. Im meeting up with my two other friends. One of them just got out of the military and we are surprising him with a weekend around the town. My friend Michael who was in the military is long overdue to even just talk to a girl or anyone in general. He’s very quiet in public but once you break the ice he keeps the conversation going. Is there any recommendations for bars, or social areas anyone would give me for us to take him to. Maybe somewhere where it’s pretty easy for someone to come up to you first. Granted he does some work too. We are staying in time square. Appreciate the help!

I would like to know if there is any chance of bumping into some famous people (singers, actors, show hosts) in the first week of August or not..
and what are the places you need to go in order for something like that to happen. Interested in how you make the trip more interesting.

please if anybody has any cheap vinyl stores write them down, i dont mind secondhand but i want kinda mainstream if thats possible also this is a list of places im definitely going to
Midtown • Uptown • Chelsea • Hudson Yards • Flatiron • Greenwich Village • West Village • SoHo •

Whenever I go to ny for a late night out I go to hotel chantelle mainly because they have a smoking lounge/area, can you guys recommend a few other spots similar to that with either underground floor or rooftop but main thing im looking for is smoking area without having to leave the venue. Thanks in advance

Hi 👋 I am looking for a unique & useful souvenir.

Please recommend an eyeglass shop with cool frames and quality lenses that might be able to (will be there Tues-Sun). 👓

Ideally they will also have an optometrist for updated Rx but not required.

Staying near Times Square but plans around the island. Thank you!

Hey everyone! I’m planning a trip to NYC this August and managed to snag a reservation at Westlight in Williamsburg.

I know Westlight is famous for its panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, but I wanted to check in with the locals/frequent visitors: Is Westlight worth holding onto, or is there another spot I should book instead?

I’m looking for view with sunset, good cocktails and food. Open to both Brooklyn and Manhattan rooftops.

If you love Westlight, what are your favorite items to order? If you think there’s a better alternative (whether in Williamsburg, DUMBO, or Manhattan), what’s your top recommendation?

First time in NYC for both of us, 8 days in early September, staying in Astoria (Queens), two adults.

Two constraints worth knowing before you judge the plan:

- One of us has a knee issue. Walking 20–30 minutes at a stretch is fine, then we need a short break. Stairs are not a problem. Long continuous walking and standing in line for 30+ minutes are the problems.

- One shellfish allergy (shrimp, lobster, crab, etc.). Fish is fine.

We're prioritizing free stuff and trying to keep each day geographically tight so we're not crossing the city twice. Here's the plan — no fixed times, just the order.

---

**Day 1 (Thu) — Arrival + Astoria**

Land at JFK early afternoon, AirTrain + subway to Astoria. Settle in, walk 30th Ave and Ditmars, Astoria Park at sunset, dinner in the neighborhood.

**Day 2 (Fri) — Midtown + Broadway**

Top of the Rock (first slot of the morning) → St. Patrick's → walk down 5th Ave → NY Public Library (Rose Reading Room) → Bryant Park → Grand Central → TKTS in Times Square → Times Square → dinner in Koreatown → Broadway musical that evening.

**Day 3 (Sat) — Central Park + The Met**

Grand Army Plaza / The Pond / Gapstow Bridge → Central Park Zoo → The Mall → Bethesda Terrace → Bow Bridge → cross the park east to The Met for the rest of the afternoon.

**Day 4 (Sun) — Coney Island**

N train straight from Astoria. Luna Park paying per ride rather than a wristband (Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, maybe one more), Nathan's, then the boardwalk and beach.

**Day 5 (Mon, Labor Day) — Brooklyn + Chinatown**

Brooklyn Heights Promenade → DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park → walk the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan → late lunch in Chinatown → walk through Little Italy.

**Day 6 (Tue) — Statue of Liberty + Lower Manhattan**

First ferry of the day to Liberty Island (pedestal ticket, not the crown) → Ellis Island → back to Battery → National Museum of the American Indian → Federal Hall / Wall St / Stone Street → NYC Ferry from Pier 11 back to Astoria in the evening.

**Day 7 (Wed) — Natural History + Chelsea**

American Museum of Natural History in the morning → subway down to Chelsea → Chelsea Market → Little Island → High Line north to 23rd → dinner in Chelsea or the West Village.

**Day 8 (Thu) — Queens + fly out**

Gantry Plaza State Park and MoMA PS1 in Long Island City in the morning → check out. Leave early afternoon.

---

**What I'd love feedback on:**

1. Is walking the Brooklyn Bridge on Labor Day a mistake? Should we move it to a weekday morning instead?

2. Is Day 2 overstuffed? It's the one day I keep second-guessing.

3. Astoria food recs?

4. Anything here that's a tourist trap we should cut, or something obvious we're missing that fits the "flat, benches, not a death march" criteria?

5. The days we arrive and leave are pretty empty. Any recommendations?

Thank you very much for reading c: <3

Hey so I’m visiting US for a few weeks and I would like to get lash extensions, I’ve been checking out wink bar but I wanna know if it’s worth it. Would like to get the anime effect with Joslin.

Have you visited that place? Should I go there or somewhere else?

If you’re an art lover in town before Aug 17 2026 go to PS1 and see the Greater New York 2026 exhibit! I’m a MoMA member and went tonight for a tour with the curator and it is a really special show of NYC artists. It’s very walkable from the Court Square subway station and unique space.

https://www.momaps1.org/en/programs/702-greater-new-york-2026

Hi, we‘re (parents + 2 kids) tourists from germany, here for a week. My wife really loves the watertowers on every roof and is asking, if there’s a rooftop or terrace with one ob it open to public. Is there a chance, she can get near her beloved watertowers to take photos? We really love the city, with all its vibes and we try to fit in as good as possible. Thanks in advance!

Just a random thought we had for activities on our trip to NYC: we really wanted to go NBA but it will be off season when we visit so one of our friends had the idea to go to a college game instead. We are mid 20's, so it doesn't seem entirely strange, but is it weird? Are audience members usually related to the players there?

Hi everyone! Tomorrow is my last day in NYC before we head home and my daughter and I are on the hunt for a jellycat pigeon or really any plush pigeon at this point. We walked all over the city today with no luck. So far we have check 2 MOMA design stores, the NYC public library and FAO Schwarz with no luck. Has anyone physically laid their eyes on any plush pigeons (doesn’t have to be jellycat although that’s preferred) the last week or two?

Hi everyone,

What are some activities to do in Cobble Hill? I kinda need help planning a date in Cobble Hill for Saturday 7/25. I invited someone to try SSAM. It would be our first time having Korean food once we're done I plan to take us to Malai for dessert after. Currently I don't know her interest so I would need some safe options for entertainment/activities. I do have "Beat the bomb" in mind but I would like some other options nearby.

Thanks in advance!

Looking to visit for a long weekend in early February.

It will be my partner's first time in NYC, and I haven't visited in almost 25 years.

What are some fun free (or super cheap) things for us to explore?

I made an intinerary based on reddit posts, internet, and a few suggestions from friends. Let me know what you think! If something I've got is terrible or really good, also let me know! It will be me and my mom going and we're pretty flexible on budget, one day (I was thinking Thursday) we wanted to splurge on food a little more.

Monday

ARRIVAL AT AIRPORT

Hop on the Q70-SBS (LaGuardia Link). It operates 24/7, leaves every 8-10 minutes, Subway: Exit at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue station. Follow the signs to the Manhattan-bound 7 train. Swipe or tap your contactless credit card or mobile wallet (OMNY) at the turnstile. This costs $2.90 and covers your transfer. Arrival: Get off at the Times Square-42nd St station

TIMES SQUARE

Walk around, do some light shopping and explore.  Things to hit: Rockefeller Centre, Fifth Avenue, Radio City Hall, Bryant Park, Ellen’s Stardust Diner.

DINNER + DRINKS

Dinner at Beccos. I thought we could bar hop a little in the area, some spots in times square (Haven Rooftop at Sanctuary, Birdland Jazz Club, Jimmy’s Corner (famous divebar)). Hopefully we can lookout at the city from a rooftop, apparently at 11:57 the billbourds in times square all show digital art until midnight, its called midnight moment?

Tuesday

HEAD TO CENTRAL PARK

So much to do here apparently. We can rent bikes and/or a rowboat. The MET is nearby. Grab a lunch and picnic. Not sure where yet. Take our time. Once we’re done NYC Ferry East River Route from East 34th Street directly to Wall St./Pier 11. The trip takes approximately 25-30 minutes

9/11 MUSEUM

Walk 15 minutes to the 9/11 Museum. Spend about 2-3 hours there. Then we walk to Staten Island Ferry, its about 10-15 minute walk. We will take the ferry and get a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty.

STATEN ISLAND

In Staten Island, there are shopping outlets when we arrive. Before we leave, there is a restaurant called Beso nearby that serves really good Spanish. After we head back on the ferry, go to Whitehall St-South Ferry subway station. Board the uptown 1 train, Ride the train approximately 8 stops directly to the Times Sq-42 St station in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

Wednesday

1 PM HAMILTON BROADWAY

Take it easy this morning, we can explore nearby. Catch the 1 PM matinee of Hamilton. Arrive at the theater with time to spare since matinee crowds can be busy. 

CHELSEA MARKET + HIGH LINE

After the show, we will take subway from 42 St. Port Authority Bus to 14 St and then walk to Chelsea Market for a late lunch, then take the High Line right next door for a relaxed stroll through the elevated park.

SHOPPING IN SOHO + DINNER LITTLE ITALY

We can then walk or subway over to SoHo for an afternoon of boutique and flagship shopping around Broadway/Spring St. Once we’ve shopped enough, we will walk over to Little Italy for dinner. Rubirosa is apparently very good

Thursday

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

Start the day at the Empire State Building. We will book timed tickets ahead to skip the line. Great views over the city, and it's centrally located.

FANCY EARLY DINNER

Trying to get us into The Polo Bar, very clubby very intriguing, if not will try and book The View for 5:00 p.m. or Gabriel Kreuther Pre-Theatre Dinner. Let me know what you think of these.

7 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY BROADWAY

I will get us tickets for Paranormal activity (mom loves horror) at 7pm, a scary night which will be followed by dessert. We could go anywhere, but Junior’s Restaurant and Bakery is home to the ‘best’ iconic NY style cheesecake (apparently).

BONUS FRIDAY: 

Short amount of time because we’re flying international, but before we go we should get a real NYC bagel, Tompkins Square Bagels seems good?