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Recommended attractions:

We wanted to make the most of our time in NYC and MT bought us the New York Pass for our time in the city. MT had this delivered to the UK before we went away so we did not need to pick this up in New York. We found the New York Pass to be an excellent way to see the sites and skip the queues. We also used the pass for discounts at selected stores. There are still lots more places we would like to see on our next visit and would not hesitate getting the pass again! Below are some of my recommended attraction visits:

Statue of Liberty – Liberty Island

9/11 Memorial Museum

9/11 Tribute Museum

Radio City Music Hall – Stage Door Tour

Tip: The tour was a highlight of our trip and we got to meet a Rockette! 

MoMA

Empire State Building

Tip: We visited at night to witness the spectacular neon lights

Top of the Rock

Tip: We missed the queues by going first thing after breakfast

Madame Tussauds

Tip: An easy and fun way to survive jet lag!

Grand Central Terminal

New York Public Library

Food

We ate on the go in NYC to make the most of our time in the city.  We also found this to be a cost effective way of making sure you have great food without the price tag. Here are a few of our “on the go” food highlights:

 

Try slices of Pizza on the go
Have a hot dog in Times Square
Eat breakfast from a local diner
Grilled cheese goodness

Accommodation

We stayed at The Ameritania at Time Square whilst in New York. The customer service from all staff was exceptional. Each staff member went the extra mile to ensure that our stay was wonderful. The location is close to Times Square but still far enough away that you can have a relax when required. It was an easy walk to our Broadway shows on an evening and we felt safe strolling back to the hotel at night. We had such an amazing time staying at The Ameritania we would not hesitate to return when we are next in New York.

Travel tips

Travel in New York

  • We landed in JFK and found getting a taxi from the official taxi line in arrivals to be straight forward and easy. Our taxi was a flat rate and travelling to Times Square cost $54 (approx £40).
  • If you have the New York Pass you can visit the Big Bus Tour office in Times Square  to get your included 1 day hop-on hop-off guided bus tour on both routes Uptown and Downtown. We used the bus tour when we wanted to have a break from all the walking!

Broadway

  • If you want to see a show on Broadway and have the time to queue, head to the TKTS stand in Times Square. They offer discounts daily and we managed to get 50% off tickets for an evening production. I didn’t see any offers for shows like Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton when I was there, so I would recommend booking in advance if interested in sell-out shows.
  • Drinks in the theatre can be expensive. A medium glass of wine and a beer came to $34 (approx £25). Head to a grocery store to pick up a bottle of wine before the show or visit a pub/bar for happy hour deals.

Beat the queues

  • Use the subway and head to Liberty Island first thing in the morning. We got to the ferry by 9 a.m. and the queues were still small. When we returned from our visit, the queues went all the way round Battery Park.