You could live in New York for years, without managing to see everything the metropolis has to offer, but with right planning you can see the city’s greatest sights in just 24 hours
Whether it’s your first time in New York or your 10th, there are certain icons that you just can’t miss. Pack as many of them in a day as possible with this itinerary of New York City icons. New York is served by three airports – JFK, LaGuardia and Newark. So depending on your point of arrival, there are variety of routes that you can take to enter the centre of the city. You can opt for a taxi ride, or take the rail link to the city, including AirTrain services or the cheapest of all, the rapid private bus services like the NYC Airporter.
Morning
Start your day like the New Yorkers do, with a bagel and cream cheese. Any corner bodega (Spanish for small stores selling a variety of items) will sell them, but the best is to find a place that makes them fresh throughout the day. The key is that they must be rolled by hand, boiled and then baked. Once done, take a subway train to Dumbo. An acronym for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass, Dumbo is a picture-perfect part of Brooklyn full of design stores and antique shops. Whether the sun is shining or snow is falling, the iconic view is truly incredible.
This historic Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the United States and was the first steel-wire suspension bridge constructed. It is said that this bridge inspired more art than any other manmade structure in the United States. The structure itself is a stunning piece of architecture, and the views over the East River and Governors Island are breathtaking. Once in Brooklyn, enjoy ice cream on the Fulton Ferry Landing along with the view.
No trip to NYC would be complete without a visit to Central Park: if it’s winter go and watch the ice skaters at the Wollman Rink; if it’s summer go and smell the flowers at the Conservatory Gardens. Few places worth visiting around the Central Park are the Gapstow Bridge, The Pond, The Mall and Bethesda Terrace. The park is the most visited urban parks in the United States and also happens to be one of the most filmed locations in the world.
Afternoon
For lunch, grab a yellow taxi to Greenwich Village. Here, visit the Washington Square Arch, the heart and soul of Greenwich Village, near 5th Avenue and 8th Street, then stroll down MacDougal Street, savour NYC’s first cappuccino at Caffe Reggio, and enjoy a falafel at Mamoun’s. Wander through the Italian South Village along Bleecker, and Greenwich Village’s side streets on the way to 7th Avenue’s Christopher Street / Sheridan Square subway stop.
After lunch, head into the thrilling heart of the city. Head to the top of the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building for breathtaking views of the city. The Chrysler Building was the first supertall building taking the title of World’s Tallest Building after winning a height battle with The Bank of Manhattan. The building claimed the title when it raised an 125-foot spire in just 90 minutes after constructing it in secret. It lost the title of World’s Tallest Building 11 months later to the Empire State Building but enjoyed commercial success due to its location next to Grand Central Terminal.
Evening
white traveling New York Pay a visit to the new World Trade Center. Instead of visiting the museum, which can require advance tickets, spend some time at the reflecting pools that are in the place where the towers once stood and have all the victims’ names engraved around the edges.
If you’re in a cultural mood, check out the Van Goghs at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), enjoy some swinging sounds at Radio City Music Hall or the lush greens of the High Line Park that runs up the West Side.
Once night’s fallen and you’ve had your fill of the downtown sights, make your way to Times Square and absorb the brilliant colours and lights at the “crossroads of the world”. The Times Square ranks itself as one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions in the world with over 50 million visitors annually. It is also said that over 400,000 people pass through Times Square daily. Come here to meet people from all across the world. Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant round the corner at The London NYC is the perfect place to end your day.