New York Travel Guide

The ultimate guide to the best things to do and see in New York

The Big Apple! A city as famous as New York, the largest in the US, has a lot of expectations to fill. Luckily, it exceeds many of them! Start here with my basic New York travel tips, or jump down below to read my latest New York travel blogs.

When to Visit

New York City is a place worth visiting at any time of year. In spring, the city starts to wake up from its winter slumber with clear, blue skies and new energy. In summer, temperatures are high, and it’s the best time to enjoy the city’s outdoor spaces. In fall, the leaves change color and bring an air of romance to the city, while in winter, snow and very low temperatures are common, but this just adds to the beauty.

Top Outdoor Spaces

New York has so much to see and do, with tons of museums, fantastic restaurants, fascinating history and amazing architecture, but one thing that is always free to do in the city is enjoy its green spaces, and it has some great ones. Here are the top three.

Brooklyn Bridge Park – Right underneath the famous Brooklyn Bridge, this park offers a spectacular view of downtown Manhattan’s skyline.

The High Line – This public park in the Meatpacking District is built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. The railway has been closed for decades and some astute locals thought to turn it into a public park, leaving the train tracks in place. What you get, then, is a beautiful elevated park snaking its way between skyscrapers with flowers, plants and public art dotting the way.

Central Park – New York City may be most famous for its skyline of skyscrapers, but regardless of the weather, Central Park is without question the most instagrammed spot of the city! With loads of open space (a premium in this city!), beautiful lakes, public art and even a zoo, it’s easy to spend an entire day just in this, the world’s largest city park.

New York Tours

New York is an ideal city to take a tour in. Given how vast and diverse it is, taking a tour will get you in to some parts of the city you might otherwise overlook and you’ll learn a lot more about the Big Apple than wandering around on your own. Take a look at this selection of recommended New York tours.

LGBT – Gay New York Travel Guide

New York is one of the most LGBT-friendly cities in the world and birthplace of the modern gay rights movement, which began with the Stonewall riots in 1969. Nowadays, the gay scene has spread well beyond that part of the city and while there are gay and gay-friendly establishments all over the five boroughs, there are now two main hotspots where queer life is most dense in NYC.

Greenwich Village, Manhattan – Now one of the most expensive places in the whole United States to live, Greenwich Village (or simply, the Village), is perhaps the most iconic gayborhood in the whole world. Check out the iconic Stonewall Inn, Julius’ and Pieces for a slice of this historic gay life.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn – Since the late 90s, this has become hipster central in Brooklyn, and is a very desirable place to live. It has a great art scene, plenty of hipster coffeeshops and some excellent nightlife, now rivaling the Village. Some places worth mentioning include the Metropolitan, Macri Park and the Rosemont.

More gay travel resources here.

New York Hotel Deals

New York has every kind of accommodation you can imagine, but much of it is small and very expensive. I’ve found that using Booking.com, Agoda.com or Hotels Combined can be really useful for finding last-minute deals.

Booking.com

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