New York - General Traveler Information

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General

New York is the capital of business, entertainment, and advertising in the USA. It is the largest city in the USA and one of the largest cities in the world. Its famous nickname is "The Big Apple." The city's area reaches 827 square kilometers, and about 7.5 million residents live in it; including the periphery, the number of inhabitants reaches more than 10 million! Despite the high population density in the city, 17% of its area is dedicated to parks and playgrounds.

 

 

New York City is located in the State of New York, in the eastern part of the USA, and consists of five boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Richmond (Staten Island).

Manhattan is the oldest and smallest of the boroughs: it is about 20 km long and about 3.5 km wide, yet almost all the tourist sites, shopping centers, and entertainment venues of New York City are concentrated there, alongside global commercial and economic centers.

 

New York is built on five islands connected to each other by many impressive bridges (some are drawbridges). Four tunnels lead out of Manhattan under the Hudson and East Rivers, connecting this central island to the rest of the city. New York has an expansive port that is the third largest in the world.

New York, which was once considered a city with a particularly high crime rate, has changed its face in recent years thanks to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who improved safety and quality of life on the city's streets. The subway, which was in the not-too-distant past a scene of action for bullies and criminals, has become a safe and convenient means of transport, and the number of homeless people living on the streets has significantly decreased. Nevertheless, caution should still be exercised on the streets of New York, especially when traveling with children. Keep children very close to you because in such a dense and bustling city, they can disappear easily.

Tickets for popular shows in New York from Viator:

 

New York is the city with the most diverse population in the world. Almost all nations and races in the world are represented in it: it is the largest Jewish city in the world, with about 25 percent of its residents being Jewish. In the city, there are more Italians than in Rome, many Germans, Russians, African-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and the list goes on. Members of different nations concentrated in special neighborhoods. The highest concentration of Jews is in Brooklyn and the Bronx; African-Americans are concentrated in Harlem; the Puerto Rican neighborhood is in the west; Italians are found mainly south of Greenwich Village; Germans in Yorkville; and, of course, the Chinese live in Chinatown.

 Street in Chinatown

 

The main branch of the New York Visitor Center (New York Convention and Visitor Bureau) is located at 2 Columbus Circle. Other major branches are located on West 42nd Street (158 W) and in Rockefeller Center. In all these places, you can get maps, information on restaurants, hotels, shows, and means of transport in the city.

Booking guided tours in New York from GetYourGuide.com:

Weather

Temperature and weather changes in New York are quite extreme. The summer is hot and humid, with average daytime temperatures of about 30°C (sometimes the temperature climbs to 40°C in the summer months!). The winter is cold and gloomy, with average daytime temperatures of about 0°C (but in cold winters, the temperature can drop many degrees below zero), while in spring and autumn, the days are usually pleasant and the nights are cool. Rain may fall in all months of the year with a monthly average of 88 mm. Snow falls mainly between January and March. In all months of the year, there may be significant temperature differences between day and night.  

When and for How Long

The most comfortable weather in New York is in the spring and autumn, but despite the hot and humid summer and the cold winter, the tourist season in New York lasts throughout the year. Most tourist sites are covered and air-conditioned, making them convenient to visit in any weather. Leading up to Christmas, New York, like other major cities in the world, takes on a holiday atmosphere and glitters with many lights; after the holiday, millions of people flood the large stores in search of bargains in the major sales. Throughout the entire year, events, displays, parades, and many shows take place in the city, some of which have become traditions and an integral part of the city's cultural life. Information on events taking place in the city during your visit can be obtained from tourist offices, local newspapers, and of course, the internet.

The optimal duration of stay in the city for a family is 3-5 days. In this time frame, you obviously will not manage to see and discover all the city's secrets, but you will definitely be able to be impressed by it and see its central attractions, especially those suitable for children.

Combined Tickets:

Entries to attractions, observation towers, and museums cost a lot of money. It is advisable to buy a combined ticket for several attractions in New York at a discounted price from one of the following two sites:

 

♥ CityPASS - New York - 6 (or 3) recommended attractions in one ticket.

 

Recommended site for purchasing tickets for sports games and shows in New York:

Ticket Network

 

 

Book recommended tours, trips from the Viator site:

Today in New York, it is mandatory to book a place in advance for popular sites and tours; otherwise, at best, you will stand for hours in lines, or in the less pleasant case, no tickets will remain for you.

♦ Popular guided tours in New York:

 

♦ Recommended food tours in New York for booking from the Viator site:

 

Getting Oriented in the City:

Orientation in Manhattan, where most of the tourist, entertainment, and shopping centers are concentrated, is quite easy, thanks to the convenient method in which the streets are arranged in a grid pattern in north-south or east-west directions. The Avenues are arranged in a north-south direction and are marked with numbers from 1 to 11. Some avenues also have names, and they are sometimes marked by their name and sometimes by their number. Fourth Avenue is also called Park Ave., Sixth Avenue is Avenue of the Americas, the section of Eighth Avenue along Central Park is called Central Park West, Ninth Avenue is called Columbus Avenue, Tenth Avenue is Amsterdam Avenue, and 11th Avenue is also known as West End Ave. The exception among the avenues is Broadway, which crosses Fifth Avenue diagonally and continues to Tenth Avenue between East 14th and West 72nd Streets. Streets are paved in an east-west direction and are numbered from Street No. 1 in the south to Street 212 in the north. Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan into two elongated halves: the eastern half and the western half. For the street sections on the east side of Fifth Avenue, the word "East" is added, and for the sections on the west side, the word "West" is added. The house numbers for the eastern and western sections of the streets start at Fifth Avenue and increase as they move east and west. Each block of buildings between street and street and between avenue and avenue is called a "Block." Manhattan is usually divided into three parts: Downtown—from Battery Park in the south to 34th Street; Midtown—from 34th Street to 59th Street; and Uptown—from 60th Street northward.

 

 

Means of Transport

Planes:

New York has three international airports: the largest is John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) located in Queens; LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is the closest to the city center. These two airports are among the busiest in the world. Another airport, Newark (EWR), is located in New Jersey. Between the different airports, there are shuttle services and bus lines. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended not to wander between the different airports (especially with children and suitcases), and if you have a connecting flight, try to ensure it is from the same airport you arrived at.

The most convenient way to get from the airport to the city center is by taxi or limousine service. There are many other shuttle services, but they are not worthwhile for three or more passengers. The taxi fare from LaGuardia to central Manhattan ranges from $16-26 (excluding toll); from JFK, the price ranges from $30-35 (excluding toll); and from Newark, the taxi fare is $40-45 (excluding toll). Agree in advance with the taxi driver on the fare or demand that he use the meter. Travel only in one of the Yellow Cabs, which are the only authorized taxis in the city. Many drivers lie in wait for the innocent tourist and overcharge for the ride.

Limousine at taxi price or less

It is highly recommended to take a limousine service to or from the airport. The price is similar to a taxi and sometimes even cheaper, and the ride is a special experience. It is not every day you get to ride in a luxurious limousine with a bar, TV, video, and a personal driver who will open the door for you just like in the movies…

 

A good site for ordering private transfers from the airport and anywhere in the city, including in limousines, at prices that compete with taxis:

Carmel Car & Limo

 

New York is the only city where I do not recommend renting a car. The roads are very busy and jammed at any time of the day, and driving, even if you are well-oriented, is difficult and scary, all the more complicated for tourists who are unfamiliar with the city. Additionally, there are severe parking problems in the city. Since most of the attractions are concentrated in Manhattan in a relatively limited area, you can manage perfectly with a combination of walking, public transport, taxis, and UBER (cheaper and more convenient).

Public Transport:

Compared to many cities, traveling by public transport in New York is a worthwhile deal. For the price of $1.5 per person per day, you can travel along 380 km of train lines with 469 stations! New York is entirely networked with underground tunnels through which the subway runs. It is the fastest, most central, and busiest means of transport in the city. More than 4 million people ride it daily! The New York subway is the largest and most complex in the world! During peak hours, the train frequency is every 2-5 minutes, and at other times, the frequency drops to once every 10-15 minutes. In lower Manhattan, it runs along the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Avenues and crosses the avenues through 14th, 42nd, 53rd, and 60th Streets. The trains are divided into lines marked with letters or numbers and also colors. Signs and train markings are clear, but it is important to be equipped with a good map, which can be obtained at any station. The main train station is Grand Central Station.

Children under age six ride free on the subway and buses. Children over age six pay full price (adult). If traveling a lot by public transport, it is worthwhile to buy a card called MetroCard FunPass, which can be used without limit for an entire day for travel on buses and the subway.

In New York, 3,700 blue-and-white buses operate on 210 lines serving all parts of the city. Bills are not accepted and change is not given. Buses run at a relatively high frequency but are much slower than the subway. They stop about every two building blocks. The main bus lines run in the direction of the avenues (north-south) and in the direction of the streets (east-west). Several lines run on a circular route.

 

NBA Store - with a playground for kids!

 

For a family (especially with small children), the convenient way is traveling by taxi or UBER (cheaper and more convenient). Taxi prices in the city are reasonable, and during the ride, you can observe the city's impressive landscape without having to descend into the depths of the earth, change trains, and orient yourself with maps. For the experience, take the subway with the kids once, but by no means do so during peak hours: 8:00-9:30 AM and 5:00-6:30 PM. Many taxis circulate around the city (12,000!), but remember that during peak hours you will struggle to catch a vacant one. A light on the front of the taxi means "Available." It is customary to add a service charge (tip) of 15-20% of the price to the fare. Yellow taxis are the only ones operating with a license.  

 

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