There are few vacation destinations more exciting than New York City. The Big Apple, as it is called, is a huge urban center with eight million people living in it, a center for fashion, finance, culture, art and American history. There are so many things to see and do in fact that many people are intimidated. It’s true, simply the pace of life and the large scale of everything can be overwhelming for first time visitors. Here are the some things to do in New York City that you simply can’t miss.
Many people could guess at the top few things to do in New York City. These are the sort of “tourist-y” things that everyone expects you to see or do if you go. You know what they are. Go to the top of the Empire State Building. See the Statue of Liberty. Walk around Times Square. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Visit the World Trade Center site. These are the typical tourist attractions, and you should see them if you want, if for no reason than to not be annoyed when you get home and people tell you that you should have seen them.
Even still, there are many more things to do in New York City. I think you should go to Central Park, a centuries old park, famous from countless movies, poems and novels. While around the park, there are a number of famous museums nearby. Including the Museum of Natural History (featured in the movie “Night at the Museum) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or as New Yorkers call it, “the Met”. Also nearby is the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art or MOMA.
While expensive, going to a Broadway musical is at the top of my list of things to do in New York City. New York is also a culinary mecca with restaurants of all sorts and of the highest quality. Going down to Little Italy is pretty much a must as well as stopping by any of the classic New York delis that are on almost every corner. I especially recommend getting bagels; you’ll be hard pressed to find better bagels in the world.
Finally, there are many things to do in New York City that are off the beaten path, as it were. Traveling to Prospect Park can be like stepping back in a time machine. The parks under the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn offer some of the best views of the city. The Little India in Queens offers some delicious and authentic cuisine and the Bronx Zoo is famous for its exhibits and history.