New York City

Best time to visit New York City 

The best time to visit New York City is from April to June and September to early November when the weather is warm and pleasant but the tourist crowds are not overwhelming. The cheapest time to visit New York is on weekends from mid-January to the end of February.

Top 5 Attractions

5) Little Italy

On a balmy evening, here’s nothing pleasanter than the music, delicious aromas and fabulous desserts found in abundance on lively Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy. This narrow lane with festive lights overhead, and the neighboring blocks between Canal Street and Broome Streets, are lined with old-fashioned Italian restaurants. Shops offer anything from statues of the Saints to cooking equipment to kitsch, like buttons saying “Kiss Me, I’m Italian.” Chinatown has overtaken a lot of the old neighborhood but Grand Street between Mulberry and Mott streets remains home to Italian merchants who have been here for a century, places like Piemonte Homemade Ravioli Company, and two havens for cheese lovers, DiPalo’s Dairy and Alleva Dairy. Don’t miss Ferrara, a bakery that has been dispensing legendary cannolis and other pastry treats since 1892. From mid to late September, the annual Feast of San Gennaro, a salute to the patron saint of Naples, fills Mulberry Street with parades, music and Italian food galore. On Saints Day, September 19, a statue of San Gennaro is carried from the Church of the Most Precious Blood in a colorful procession through the neighborhood.
Subway: 6/N/R trains to Canal Street; Bus: #103
Reviews

4) Chinatown

With grocery stands piled high with mysterious vegetables and dried foods, tempting bakeries, tea emporiums, chopstick shops, a Buddhist temple and dozens of cafes, New York’s noisy, bustling Chinatown is a great neighborhood for exploring and dining. Start on Canal Street to see the intriguing food stalls, and a stop at Kam Man supermarket, laden with tonics, teas, jellies, ginseng and a downstairs stocked with kitchen and cookery items. Turn onto Mott Street, the main artery, to check out the souvenir stands selling slippers, back scratchers, dolls, toys and bamboo plants, which the Chinese consider good luck. Stop into the Eastern States Buddhist Temple at #64 to see offerings piled high on altars and over 100 golden Buddhas gleaming in the candlelight. Choose among the many restaurants for a Chinese treat, then turn onto Bayard Street for the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory’s unique homemade flavors for dessert. Stay on Bayard to Columbus Park for a chance to see residents practicing Tai Chi.
Subway: 6/N/R trains to Canal Street; Bus: #103
Reviews

3) Brooklyn Bridge

With grocery stands piled high with mysterious vegetables and dried foods, tempting bakeries, tea emporiums, chopstick shops, a Buddhist temple and dozens of cafes, New York’s noisy, bustling Chinatown is a great neighborhood for exploring and dining. Start on Canal Street to see the intriguing food stalls, and a stop at Kam Man supermarket, laden with tonics, teas, jellies, ginseng and a downstairs stocked with kitchen and cookery items. Turn onto Mott Street, the main artery, to check out the souvenir stands selling slippers, back scratchers, dolls, toys and bamboo plants, which the Chinese consider good luck. Stop into the Eastern States Buddhist Temple at #64 to see offerings piled high on altars and over 100 golden Buddhas gleaming in the candlelight. Choose among the many restaurants for a Chinese treat, then turn onto Bayard Street for the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory’s unique homemade flavors for dessert. Stay on Bayard to Columbus Park for a chance to see residents practicing Tai Chi.
Subway: 6/N/R trains to Canal Street; Bus: #103
Reviews

2) 9/11 Memorial and Museum 

Heartbreak, heroism, devastation and rebirth, all are movingly shown in this museum memorializing the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. The underground location preserves remnants of the original twin tower foundations and the lofty spaces are studded with sad reminders such as twisted steel columns, a mangled fire truck, and the “Survivors Stairs,” one escape route that miraculously withstood the building’s collapse. Victims are remembered and the outpouring of support is shown in exhibits like a Lady Liberty statue festooned with tributes, a giant mural made by school children and a Tribute Quilt. The most graphic recreations of the day are in a separate wing that can be skipped if too painful. This wing also includes the events at the Pentagon and the story of Flight 93. Audio and printed guides can be downloaded from the museum website. Three films are shown, including Rebirth at Ground Zero, detailing the area’s renewal, heartening progress that is evident everywhere in the area, most notably in the stunning new Oculus, a $4 billion transportation and shopping hub just outside the museum. The actual 9/11 Memorial, located in the footprints of the Twin Towers nearby, consists of two enormous reflecting pools with 30-foot waterfalls cascading down all sides.
Sunday to Thursday, 9am-8pm, last entry, 6pm; Friday, Saturday 9am-9pm, last entry, 7pm; Memorial daily 7:30am-9pm. Free
Subway: E to World Trade Center, A/C/1/2/3 to Chambers Street. Bus: M5/20.
Reviews

1) Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum

One memorable boat ride takes in two iconic sites, “Lady Liberty” and Ellis Island, where 12 million immigrants sought her promise of freedom. A gift from France in 1886, the statue by sculptor Frederick Bartholdi seems small from afar, but up close her dimensions are impressive: she is 151 feet tall, wears a size 879 shoe and a has a 35-foot waistline! Three tours can be reserved in advance: grounds only, pedestal and lower promenade, or the steep climb inside the torch for the most thrilling vistas. The last two choices allow bypassing the long lines waiting to board boats. Reserve early; tours sell out months ahead. Boats continue from Liberty Island to Ellis Island, New York’s immigration entry point from 1892 until 1954. Visitors follow the path of newcomers who had to undergo quizzing and medical examinations before being granted entry. Almost half America’s population is descended from these immigrants. Exhibits include an introductory film, photos, videos, and oral histories. The American Family Immigration History Center offers the chance to look for ancestors on the passenger records of ships that landed here.
Ferries leave from Battery Park daily on the hour 9am-1pm.
Subway: 1 to South Ferry, 4/5 to Bowling Green; Bus: M15
Reviews: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island

web- https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm

Top 5 Hotels

5) The Plaza Hotel- Midtown West

Historic French Château-style structure with sumptuous Louis XV French decor (plenty of gold, crystal & marble) & a super-rich residence vibe featuring a diverse range of over-the-top rooms and super spacious, unique suites, having bathrooms with mosaic floors, tubs and 24-carat gold-plated fixtures, ipad room controls and terraces. Legacy suites add marble wet bars, living & powder rooms & more. The top-end royal suite features private elevator access, an entrance gallery, a living room with a piano, dining room, libary, and kitchen. Hotel Phone: 212 759 30004) The Surrey- Upper East Side

Elegant, residence-style boutique hotel offering classy ‘salons’ and suites with hand-painted wardrobe armoires, oversized desks and sitting areas. Largish suites add sleeper sofas, soaking tubs, kitchens, dining tables and private terraces. The Penthouse suite has a furnished private wraparound terrace while the top-end Presidential suite has a fireplace, window seats in every window, and dining room with wet bar. Hotel Phone: 212 288 3700

3) The Mark Hotel- Upper East Side

Top-notch hotel with polished elegance featuring high-tech rooms & suites having in-room panel controls (including shades), audio systems, marble baths with deep-soaking tubs and mirrored flat-screen tvs, black-granite bars, well-equipped kitchens (some) and townhouse garden, skyline, central park and city views. Suites add sofa beds, living rooms, dining areas, powder bathrooms and terraces depending on the type. And don’t miss the world famous Mark Restaurant and cocktail bar. Hotel Phone: 212 744 4300

2) The Pierre- Upper East Side

Overlooking Central Park, this Art Deco hotel offers a variety of quietly luxurious, well-lit rooms and suites with lofty ceilings, mini-bars, Bose speakers and interior/city and central park (recommended) views. The hotel’s signature residence-style Grand suites add living & dining rooms, soaking tubs, pantry kitchens, private outdoor terraces (some) and complimentary breakfast. Hotel Phone: 212 838 8000

1) Mandarin Oriental- Upper West Side

Gorgeous hotel with impeccable, sumptuous rooms and large suites (staring at 800 sq ft) with floor-to-ceiling windows, Asian accents, bathtubs and tvs in the bathrooms, audio & entertainment systems and the Hudson River, Manhattan or Central Park (recommended) views. Suites add Harmon Kardon Soundbars & more tech features, living rooms, powder rooms. Has a sprawling 14,500 square feet spa. Hotel Phone: 212 805 8800