Hi! I just got back from a 6-day trip to New York City. My feet ache and I feel cultured and well-traveled as hell :)
NYC is a very “choose-your-own-adventure” kind of place, as my friend Ivy says, so I chose arts and food and trying to maintain a semblance of a budget. It was extremely fun and I hope to return again soon!
There’s tons of travel writing out there about NYC, so this will be a quick one. Here are some tips for enjoying your first trip to New York City, using my June 2023 vacation as reference, presented in no particular order.
Wear your comfiest shoes.
Everybody there wears sneakers. If you’ll be walking as much as I did (5-10 miles per day), blisters are inevitable, so slap on some blister cushions and slide into your most lightweight walking shoes. You’ll be going up and down steep staircases, speed-walking to catch trains, ambling around museums with very flat floors, and generally walking everywhere. Your body will be your vehicle, so be nice to it.
I’m wearing Crocs platform sandals in this pic, which feel like clouds. That’s a post for another day.
Don’t stress about meals.
There will be dozens of great meal options within your price range, no matter what neighborhood you’re staying in. Look at Google reviews, ask a local, or just see where people seem to be congregating. Don’t bother traveling far to eat if you’re super hungry - you need the fuel to keep sightseeing! This is the perfect place to try a new cuisine, too. I tried a Venezuelan arepa for the first time and it was extremely delicious. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat well in NYC - food is probably the best area to cut costs in.
My arepa with sweet plantains, avocado, black beans, and cheese. I miss her…
You don’t have to stay in Manhattan.
NYC’s most famous borough is loud and crowded and expensive. Your NYC experience will be largely affected by where you stay, so choose wisely depending on what you’ll be doing on your trip. I stayed in Cobble Hill, an area of Brooklyn, and it was lovely. Getting to Manhattan is easy from pretty much anywhere with the subway.
People are actually really nice!
I’m not sure how the legend of New Yorkers being rude got started, maybe it used to be more true? Or maybe I was catching everyone in a good mood because of the sunny weather? Either way, don’t be scared that everyone will be rude to you for no reason!
Do what you want to do.
This is true for everywhere, but it applies extra to tourist-heavy cities. You don’t have to do or see anything just because it’s popular, highly-recommended, or photogenic. I skipped taking the ferry to Ellis Island because it would have been a huge chunk of time that I preferred to use on a museum. I took a picture of the Statue of Liberty from Brooklyn Bridge Park so I can say I’ve seen her, and then I was on my merry way to sights that I cared more about. New York is not just one thing or one set of activities. It’s literally a buffet of anything your heart desires and your wallet can handle, so listen to both of them :)
The Met truly deserves all its hype, though.