New York City is five boroughs, eight million people, and an argument that has never quite been settled. It is overwhelming in the best possible way: dense, loud, expensive, and unlike anywhere else. You can spend weeks here and still feel like you've barely scratched the surface, which is partly the point.
Manhattan gets most of the attention, and for good reason — the concentration of world-class museums, theaters, restaurants, and architecture is unmatched. Central Park alone takes a full day to explore. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA are each a full day; Guggenheim and American Museum of Natural History add two more. The Empire State Building observation deck, the High Line elevated park, Grand Central Terminal, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island — the famous things are famous for good reason, and most reward the time.
But the outer boroughs reward the curious. Brooklyn has supplanted Manhattan as the place most people actually want to live, with Williamsburg and DUMBO worth full afternoons. Queens holds the most diverse collection of restaurants anywhere in the country — Flushing has the best Chinese food outside China. Harlem is the cultural heart of Black America. The Staten Island Ferry is free and gives the best view of the harbour.
The grid makes Manhattan navigable even on your first visit. Above 14th Street, numbered streets run east-west and avenues run north-south. Below 14th, the old Dutch street plan takes over. The subway goes almost everywhere and runs all night — get an OMNY card (tap-to-pay) or a MetroCard and use it. Taxis and Uber work well too, though midtown traffic can be punishing.
The best seasons are spring (late April through May) and fall (September through October). Summer is hot, humid, and very crowded; winter is cold but has its own attractions. Whenever you go, budget more time than you think you need — New York has a way of expanding to fill it.
Everything costs more than you expect, especially accommodation. Book ahead. And despite its reputation, most New Yorkers are perfectly willing to help if you ask — the impatience comes from the pace, not from any hostility toward visitors.
