Frank Sinatra, in his ode to “New York”, famously stated that New York is the greatest city in the world, and he wasn’t wrong. The city is a melting pot of culture, history, and art, and its also full of hundreds of sights and attractions that are sure to thrill and excite. When you’re in New York, you’ll never struggle to find interesting things to see and do.
This article will list 5 things to see, do, and experience when spending 48 hours in the Big Apple.
#1 – See the big sights
Even though we’ve all seen New York’s most famous sights several times on television and in the movies, nothing compares to seeing them up close in person.
Upon the arrival of your New York flights, take some time to explore Grand Central Terminal, take a lift to the top of the Empire State Building, and watch the lovely sunset with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground.
You won’t be disappointed.
#2 – Explore New York’s exquisite shops
New York, along with London, Milan, and Paris, is one of the four fashion capitals of the world. The city is home to tens of thousands of shops selling clothes and other items from all over the world.
The majority of New York’s most famous shops can be found in Manhattan in the area surrounding Fifth Avenue. Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, and dozens of other luxury boutique stores can be found in this area.
More eccentric shops selling more unique clothes and others items can be found further away from Fifth Avenue in areas like Chinatown, Little Italy, and Harlem. Goods are normally cheaper to buy in these shops compared to the ones located closer to Fifth Avenue.
Budget shoppers may want to head to the budget outlet malls at Jersey Gardens and Woodbury Commons. These outlet malls are home to hundreds of designer outlet stores selling designer clothes at massive discounts. They’re perfect for shoppers on a budget.
#3 – Visit one of New York’s many museums and art galleries
New York is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of museums and art galleries showcasing exhibitions and works of art from all corners of the globe. A large number of these museums and art galleries are free to enter, too.
Most visitors to New York visit the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum, and for good reason. They’re all excellent museums with interesting exhibitions that will both inform and entertain.
However, New York is also home to hundreds of smaller museums and art galleries focusing on more niche subject matters. The exhibitions found in these museums and art galleries are normally more eccentric and unusual than the ones found in the more mainstream museums and art galleries.
Three of best, and quirkiest, museums in New York include the ‘Hollis Hip Hop Museum’, a museum in Harlem dedicated to the history of Hip Hop, the ‘Noguchi Museum’, a sculpture museum dedicated to the artist Isamu Noguchi, and the ‘Museum of Mathematics’, a museum filled with interactive exhibits that show the connection between maths and subjects like sports, music, and more.
#4 – Sample New York’s excellent cuisine
New York is home to tens of thousands of restaurants selling food from all over the world at prices to suit all budgets. Instead of eating the same sorts of food that you eat at home, try to branch out and try something new.
Head to Chinatown to try some Chinese dumplings, head to Little Italy to make your own New York-style pizza, head to Gray’s Papaya in West Village to try what many consider to be the best hot dogs in the world, and head to the southern parts of Manhattan to try some Dominican and Peruvian cuisine.
Try to experiment with your taste palette in New York. Be adventurous!
#5 – Catch a show
New York’s famous Broadway theatre district is a must visit for any fan of the theatre. Dozens of world class plays, operas, and more are available to see here all year round.
Shows are also held on a daily basis at smaller theaters located throughout New York. These shows normally feature up and coming comics, plays and other dramatic productions, bands and DJs, magicians, and more.
These smaller shows are normally raunchier, quirkier, and more unique than the shows put on at the bigger venues in Broadway. They’re normally much cheaper to attend, too.
Conclusion
New York is full of hundreds of interesting things to see, do, and experience. Make sure to follow the advice in this article to make the most of your future trips to New York.
Thank you for reading this Guest post, please feel free to leave your comments!
this was really helpful
Visiting the Big Apple is soooo on my someday list! Thank you so much for sharing this! I definitely will want to watch the lovely sunset with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground.
man would i ever love to see a show! that would be amazing!
never been to nyc but am dying to go, thanks for this information!
Bookmarking this page.. we are planning a trip next summer.
These are some good ideas! A few I haven’t seen suggested a lot before, like visiting the theatres in places other than Broadway. You always hear, “Go to Broadway!” but all of the others are sort of left out of the loop.
There is so much to do in New York City, it can be hard to choose what to see and do. With the number of people and the traffic, allow plenty of time for getting from one place to another. I tried to cram too many sights and activities into my trip. Next time I want to stay longer and take a more leisurely pace, to allow for stopping in shops that look interesting or getting take out and eating it sitting on a park bench.