What Are the Things to Do in New York City?

 

Before you sneer at New York bus trips, remember that they give a wonderful glimpse of the city for a first-timer. Companies give a Classic Ticket tour that allows you to hop on and off all day long, and buses can carry up to two wheelchairs each. The buses are open-top double-deckers. The 48-hour All Around the Town Tour includes Uptown, Downtown, a night excursion, a boat tour, Brooklyn, and entry to the Museum of the City of New York or the New-York Historical Society.

Walks

This is a pedestrian-friendly city, and walking is free. Walking 25 or 30 blocks at a time, the average of a mile and a half, is nothing for a New Yorker. However, proceed with caution-use crosswalks and wait for walk signals.

Wander through vibrant areas like Greenwich Village, Soho, or Chinatown. The 843-acre green sanctuary known as Central Park, with its blend of woodlands, meadows, gardens, and free concerts, along with a zoo, is a popular destination for New York, who run, stroll, and breathe in the fresh air. Stroll down the iconic High Line, from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street in the Hudson Yards area. It's a groundbreaking 1.45mile-long park with green gardens, seats (grab a seat while you can), and a bird's-eye view of New York City that was formerly an abandoned elevated railway building. There are free docent-led tours available.

Art/Museums

Manhattan certainly takes pride in its world-class museums. Even though museum entry prices have risen recently, persons over 65 can sometimes get a discount on their tickets. For example, the Museum of Modern Art's senior entrance is discounted by around 30 percent. The American Museum of Natural History, for example, charges a "suggested donation" rather than a set entry price, so you can pay whatever you choose.

If New York is the world's art capital, Chelsea is its throbbing heart. There is no entry charge to explore the district's 250 cutting-edge galleries (unless you snap up a great buy).

Live Entertainment

Jazz is best served up at the Village Vanguard, or the Lincoln Center, which performs at the Time Warner Center. Look no further than the acoustically ideal Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center for the New York Philharmonic and New York City Ballet's performances. (Discounted Lincoln Center performances tickets can be purchased in the David Rubenstein Atrium while they are available.)

For theater enthusiasts, New York generally has more than 100 curtains going up each night – musicals, comedies, and dramas featuring some of the world's top acts, actors, and venues. The crown gem of Broadway is Times Square, which is home to 40 theaters.

Hot or not, tickets are much more available from January through late March than during vacations and the tourist summer season. Midweek concerts, notably those on Tuesdays, are less packed than those performed Friday through Sunday, while Saturday evenings need reserving the farthest ahead. You can use the van service NYC to arrive there on time.

And if you want to reach the airport on time, then use the airport shuttle Philadelphia without any second thought.