A while ago, I planned a weekend break to New York City. Knowing that New York isn’t a city that’s easy, I wanted all my ducks in a row before I set off, so I made sure I had everything planned perfectly. The result? A wonderful weekend break in New York City with none of the hassles I might have had otherwise. If you too are planning a weekend break to New York, you might want to consider following these ten quick tips, because planning your weekend break to New York correctly can mean the difference between a fabulous weekend and a lot of grief.
1. Buy a Good New York City Guidebook and Maps – New York City isn’t one of those cities you go to without preparation and having a good guidebook is one of the ways you should plan. Go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and buy a good guidebook, preferably one that has some maps. New York City can be a difficult city to find your way in, but with some maps and a guidebook, it’ll be a lot easier when you get there. Plus, if you really want to walk around a lot, a separate map book is worth buying. The New York Map Guide is the one I bought. It’s pocket-sized and has maps for streets, subways, buses, and even how to get to shops, restaurants and places of interest.
2. Booking a Flight to New York City – Jet Blue and Delta Airlines offer cheap flights to New York from all over the country. Just make sure you book well in advance to take advantage of the cheaper seats. Expedia.com and Travelocity.com also usually have good deals, and if you don’t find something cheap enough at first keep checking back. Their prices change hourly.
3. Be Careful Which Airport You Fly Into – Don’t forget, there are three airports in New York City (La Guardia, JFK and Newark). Make sure you book your flight into La Guardia if you plan on staying in Manhattan or close by as the other airports are much farther away and could add a fair bit onto your taxi fare.
4. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast in New York City – Stay at a bed and breakfast in New York City rather than at a hotel. They tend to be cheaper, are usually located in interesting neighborhoods, and the quality of room is nicer too. Bed and breakfasts like the Mont Morris in Harlem or the Spencer Place Bed and Breakfast in Brooklyn (I’ve stayed at both of these) are great choices, and at less than $100 a night much cheaper rates than you’ll find in hotels.
5. Buy Time Out New York As Soon As You Get There – Every time I’m in New York City I head for the first newsagent I can find and buy a new copy of Time Out. Time Out is the magazine that has everything going on in New York – from the museums and art galleries, to shows, restaurants, movies and more. It will also give you listings of all the free events going on in NYC.
5. Free Things To Do in New York City – If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg when you’re in New York City, remember, there are tons of free things to do. Take the Staten Island Ferry, visit Central Park, visit the New York City Fire Museum (very popular after 9/11), take a free tour of New York’s Historical Districts, the Museum of Modern Art is free on Fridays after 4 p.m., and so is the Whitney Museum of American Art and the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill has free blues nights on Friday and Saturdays. Also, as I mentioned, check out Time Out New York magazine for more listings of free stuff.
6. Visit Ground Zero – Any American who visits New York City wants to visit Ground Zero. Still under construction, of course, now is the time to go to see where the Twin Towers used to stand. The best view is from the bridge, where you can clearly see the site and how fast the new buildings are being built. After this, head over to FDNY Ladder Company #10 firehouse, where next door you’ll see the World Trade Center’s Tribute Center with photos, letters, exhibits and more from 9/11.
7. Go Up The Empire State Building – You can’t visit New York City and not see the view from the Empire State Building. You’ll have a bit of a wait as queues are huge, so get there early if you don’t want to spend your entire morning there. The view from the 102nd floor though is spectacular and well worth it. Just try to make it on a day where it’s fine and clear and you really will be able to see for miles.
8. Best New York Restaurants – New York has some of the best restaurants in the world. Every type of ethnic food is represented in New York City, a lot you’ve probably never even heard of. The best place to find out about restaurants in New York City is the New York Times website. They have hundreds of listings of New York restaurants, with locations, average prices and reviews. It’s updated constantly too, so you’ll find a lot of new restaurants on there as well.
9. Where To Shop in New York – New York City has amazing shopping. Bergdorf Goodman’s, Macy’s, Henri Bendel and Fortunoff are some of the city’s best department stores. Gryphon Bookshop, Murder Ink, Drama Bookshop, Different Light, Forbidden Planet and Housing Works Used Book Café have great selections of books. For cool clothing, try Filene’s Basement, Canal Jeans, Loehmann’s, Daffy’s and Anna Sui. Or for vintage clothes try Alice Underground, Screaming Mimi’s and Cheapjack’s. And for all your music needs, Virgin Records, Sam Goody, Generation Records, Gimme Gimme Records and Sound Fix Records are all great places to shop.
10. New York Nightlife – You can’t be in New York without taking advantage of New York City nightlife. Check out a Broadway or Off-Broadway show, dance at a club like Bungalow 8, see a comedy show at Gotham Comedy Club, try the Uptown Jazz Lounge, or my favorite place, Hudson Bar & Books – a very elegant bar that plays fabulous jazz music and doesn’t get a lot of tourists.
Planning a weekend break in New York City is one of the most fun things to do in the world. There’s tons to see and do, amazing restaurants to eat at, world famous attractions to experience, and don’t forget, a lot of free stuff. Just follow these 10 quick tips, and you too will have a fun New York City weekend break.
