The Best Things to See and Do in New York

The list of things to see and do in New York is literally endless, after visiting the city for the first time for six days I still have a long list of places to go to next time! However, I did get to visit some really amazing places that I thought I would share in this guide. You can read my Best Places to Shop in NY guide here and my Best Places to Eat in NY here. Be sure to let me know if you've visited any of these places or which you would most like to go to!

THE MET, Upper East Side

The Metropolitan Museum was somewhere I knew I had to visit for it's plethora of exhibits and artefacts as well as the amazing architecture, and also because I love Gossip Girl and I wanted to sit on the steps... There is so much to see at the museum it's impossible to see it all unless you dedicate a full day to it, so instead we decided to see the Ancient Egypt and Roman exhibits as well as some of the paintings. The entry fee is a donation of your choosing, I think the suggested amount is about $20 each, but it's well worth it for the amount there is to see here.

CENTRAL PARK

Central Park has to be one of my favourite places in New York, it's hard to believe when you walk through such a serene and tranquil place that it's so close to the hustle and bustle of the city. Whilst it's pretty impossible to see the whole of Central Park on foot,  I suggest entering off of Fifth Avenue and following the path through the park to the Met which allows you to see a lot of the park and it's also easy to get to the Alice in Wonderland statue pictured. The park is also home to the Loeb Boathouse restaurant which I'm dying to go to on my next visit, and it looks out over the lake pictured where you can also hire boats.

TOP OF THE ROCK, The Rockefeller Centre

Whilst the Empire State building may be taller, in my opinion the Top of The Rock is a much better option to see the city. It's far less crowded and it also allows you to see the Empire State and offers a view of the whole of central park. You also get access to multiple viewing decks all for the cost of a standard ticket unlike the Empire State where this cost is extra for higher viewing platforms. The building is just off of Fifth Avenue so it's the perfect place to head before browsing in the masses of luxurious shops. Seeing all of Central Park from above after seeing it on so many movies and shows felt so surreal and amazing, but next time I would love to go and see the city at night.

TIMES SQUARE

When you think of New York this is probably the place you think of, full of bright lights it's vibrant and exciting (as well as extremely crowded!). Walking through Times Square really does feel like being at the centre of the universe, and it's a must visit for any trip to the big apple.

BRYANT PARK & THE NEW YORK LIBRARY

Located a short walk from Times Square the New York Library is a great place to go for a free attraction and it also backs on to Bryant Park which is a lovely place to sit outside and enjoy the surroundings. 

SOHO

SoHo is a must visit for anyone interested in art as it's full of little galleries to explore, as well as unique boutiques and restaurants. One of my favourites was a unique shop called the Market where local artists and designers sell their work. You can read more about SoHo shopping here in my guide.

LITTLE ITALY

Little Italy is a great place to visit for lunch after exploring SoHo as it's located not too far away and it's full of lots of family owned unique Italian restaurants, as well as gelato shops and stalls. There are also some lovely boutiques and interesting shops here like Mulberry & Grand.

If you've been let me know where your favourite places to go are as I'm already making a list of places to go to next time!