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20 Epic Things to Do in Times Square (Perfect for First Time Visitors)

By Antonina | Updated: September 19, 2024 | Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for things to do in Times Square, you’ve come to the right place. As a tourist turned local (I now love living in NYC !), I totally understand the allure of this much-hyped New York City destination.

Visiting Times Square is an absolute must for first-time visitors to the big apple . But are there any real activities to actually do in Times Square other than looking at the illuminated billboards? Yes, plenty! Here’s my own list of the ones people seem to love based on first-hand experience.

Visiting New York City? If you haven’t decided where to stay (yet) check out our helpful guide on Where to Stay in New York City (10 Best Neighborhoods +3 to Avoid) . Don’t have time? Here’s my favorite hotel in NYC, hands down.

Back by popular demand for 2024, my limited edition black and white NYC prints are now live! Due to my pregnancy I won’t be offering custom prints this year but these photos should fit the bill for anyone that loves New York (photos are taken by yours truly).

• Tips for Exploring Times Square
• Avoid people in costumes: The folks dressed up in character costumes can be rather aggressive. They try to pull people in for photos and then demand payment. Avoid getting caught up in this scheme by avoiding eye contact and be assertive in saying “no”.
• Visit Times Square at night : Times Square swells with tourists all hours of the day, but especially at night. While you’ll find yourself sympathizing with sardines in no time, seeing the bright lights in person at night is magical. Also, brace yourself for whiffs of marijuana smoke – comes with the territory.
• Expect crowds: New York City averages more than 63 million visitors per year, and the holidays are the busiest season. There’s  a lot  of people wanting to see the same attractions, eat at the same restaurants and do the same things as you. Be patient and start your days early if at all possible!
• Set expectations: The influence of Hollywood has contributed to an overly romanticized perception of Times Square. In fact, if you’ve every been to “Hollywood” in Los Angeles, the vibe here is almost identical. Most folks I take here end up telling me they expected something different (ha!).
• Locals: Many tourists don’t realize that most NYC locals try to avoid Times Square like the plague because it’s just so busy, overwhelming, and overpriced, even by New York standards!

Best Things to Do in Times Square

Table of contents: fun things to do in times square nyc, snag a photo on the iconic red steps, visit the drama book shop, customize your own chocolate at m&m’s world, get tacos at los tacos no.1, catch a broadway show, grab a cream puff from bibble & sip, enjoy a treat from hershey’s chocolate world, visit the yankee clubhouse shop, grab a coffee from ten thousand coffee, check out urbanspace (food hall), grab a slice of cheesecake from junior’s, take in the views from a rooftop bar, sign up for a live tv show taping, sing along to jimmy buffet margaritaville, shop your way through times square, try your luck at the broadway tickets lottery, people-watch at times square, grab drinks at r lounge in the renaissance hotel, take a selfie with your favorite celebrity at madame tussades, bryant park, the new york public library, grand central terminal, rockefeller center & top of the rock, also worth visiting near times square, more on midtown, iconic spots in nyc everyone needs to try, map of popular things to do in times square.

• Address: Broadway at, W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

When you’re in Times Square thinking to yourself, hmm, where should I take a selfie? I want you to do yourself a favor and head to the TKTS ticket booth (more on this below). The booth sells discount tickets to Broadway shows, but the back of the building has been transformed into an iconic red staircase and visiting has quickly become one of the most popular things to do in Times Square. 

From the stairs you have a direct and often unobstructed view of all the flashing lights along with the crowds of people below. Snapping a photo on the red stairs is one of the best ways to memorialize your visit to Times Square.

• Website:  Drama Book Shop
• Address: 266 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018

Any Hamilton fans in the house? Great, hold that thought. The Drama Bookshop has long been a Times Square staple, vital to the New York theater scene. In fact, over the course of its 100+ year history it’s served as an invaluable resource for theatrical works to some of Broadways greats with over 8,000 plays in stock.

Back to Hamilton – what has made the beloved bookstore more popular than ever is it’s latest owner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who purchased it in 2020. Miranda, along with other Broadway peers, used the basement of the previous location to rehearse “In the Heights”, the musical that helped launch Miranda to stardom. 

Speaking for myself, a visit to the serene Drama Book Shop is always a welcome respite from the bedlam of Times Square commotion. Inside you’ll find a quiet space with reading couches, a small coffee shop, and a world of books.

Regardless of whether you’re visiting to unleash your inner bookworm or just a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda, swinging by this charming bookstore is a worthwhile add to your list things to do in Times Square.

• Website:  M&M’s World NYC
• Address: 1600 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

If you’re looking for fun Times Square activities for the family then be sure to check out M&M’s World where you can create your own customized candy. This interactive three-story store offers a range of goodies, from apparel to chocolate personalized with your face. It’s not only a memorable Times Square activity (especially for kids) but also a great spot to pick up some edible souvenirs.

• Website:  Los Tacos No.1
• Address: 229 W 43rd St, New York, NY 10036

One of the top spots in Times Square (and a personal favorite of mine) for food is Los Tacos No. 1, a renowned taqueria founded by Tijuana and California natives who aimed to bring authentic Mexican flavor to Manhattan.

Despite the initial shock of $5+ per taco, the juicy and tender meat quickly justifies the price, making it a great quick bite in Times Square (Los Tacos is actually one of the best cheap eats in all of NYC ). With a simple menu honoring traditional flavors, even my Mexican in-laws agree – it’s one of the best things to do in the area!

If you’re budget allows, I cannot more highly recommend adding a Broadway show to your list of things to do in Times Square. The amount of effort that goes into all of these shows is unparalleled and something that everyone should experience. I’ve been to more than a dozen shows and have yet to leave one feeling like it wasn’t worth it.

Believe it or not, there are 41 official Broadway theaters in NYC, with most of them being concentrated around Times Square (which happens to be situated within the Theater District) and at any given time, more than half of them are operational. This means there’s always plenty of plays and showtimes to choose from. Admittedly, Broadway Shows can be quite expensive, but, as anyone who attends one will tell you, the experience is easily the most memorable thing you can do in Times Square.

One thing to note is that many of the shows offer lotteries, through which they’ll sell very discounted tickets to randomly selected winners. I’ve got more tips on how to score discount Broadway tickets here.

• Website:  Bible & Sip
• Address: 253 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

This fusion of French confectionery with Asian inspired flavors at Bibble & Sip is downright delicious . This unexpected Times Square pit stop serves playfully decorated desserts that are too cute (and tasty) to pass up. If you’re anything like me you’ll have a hard time picking just one treat to take home.

Of the ones I’ve tried so far, the cream puff stands is the one that warrants an addition to your list of things to do in Times Square.

Further reading: Curious what else we recommend for sweet-toothed New Yorkers? Check out 15 Irresistible New York City Desserts Worth Pausing a Diet Over.

• Website:  Hershey’s Chocolate World
• Address: 20 Times Square, 701 7th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Spanning 7,800 square feet, getting lost at the Hershey’s Chocolate World is a not out of the question. The smell of this place instantly takes me back to fond childhood memories of roasting s’mores around a campfire. If you’re visiting Times Square with kids, this is a must-do.

Enjoy cookies, s’mores, cupcakes, and frozen goodies like Reese’s Peanut Butter milkshakes. This is one of the most popular attractions in Times Square for families. And with the ability to customize your own candy bar wrapper, it’s a great spot to pick up some souvenirs for loved ones back home.

• Website:  Yankee’s Clubhouse
• Address: 245 W 42nd St SP1, New York, NY 10036

If you’re traveling with a baseball fan then be sure to swing by the Yankee’s Clubhouse in Times Square. This is an official New York Yankees store selling authentic gear. Official jerseys, t-shirts, hats, balls, books, toys, jackets bobbleheads, hoodies, keychains, baseball cards, and even Yankees tickets – you get the idea.

Just be sure to prep yourself for steep prices, this is Times Square after all. You might not realize it but the Yankee Shop in Times Square is a mere 25-minute subway ride from Yankee Stadium itself!

• Website:  Ten Thousand Coffee
• Address: 1410 Broadway Unit 105, New York, NY 10018

Although Ten Thousand Coffee is relatively new to Times Square, they hold their own among the best coffee shops in New York City . This Australian-based cafe derives its name from the 10,000 hour rule – 10,000 hours of practice leads to expertise. After the first sip of coffee I can attest,  they’ve put in the time.

If you’re looking for a pick-me-up activity in Times Square, swing by and try the Einspänner and an Espresso Cream Latte.

• Website:  Urbanspace
• Address: 152 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019
• Market Hours: Monday- Friday | 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM

It’s no secret that New York City has an abundance of great restaurants and delicious food. So much so that narrowing down your options can be tricky. Fortunately ,there’s a Times Square activity to the rescue. Urbanspace is a food hall filled to the brim with a variety of different eateries and only a 10 minute walk from the heart of Times Square.

To me, what makes Urbanspace an especially worthwhile Times Square activity is that you can mix and match with a group – grab fried chicken from one place and ramen from another. Even the two people in your party who can never agree will find something fun to try.

I highly recommend Roberta’s Pizza – my husband swears it’s the best pizza in NYC (bold claim, I know!). The dining hall also offers a full bar along with popular NYC spots like Seamore’s and Partners Coffee.

• Website:  Junior’s Cheesecake
• Address: 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036

The same way you can’t go to Philly without trying a cheesesteak, they say you can’t come to Times and not try cheesecake. One in particular. Opening up shop in 1950, Junior’s Cheesecake is one of the most famous New York institutions. Their diner-style restaurants feels extra cozy and makes for one of the best things to do in Times Square for those with a sweet-tooth.

You can enjoy a single slice at a table or take a whole pie to go. While there are endless cheesecakes to choose from, I tend to gravitate towards anything with chocolate, while my husband sticks to the classics. All this to say – it’s hard to go wrong!

Given its status as a world-renowned tourist destination, most of the things to do in Times Square are inherently geared towards tourists. One of the few places to interact with locals in Times Square is to step away from the chaos and find some high ground to enjoy the scenery from a rooftop bar (with a a cocktail in hand, of course!).

Here’s a short list of rooftop options I recommend to friends and family looking for things to do in Times Square:

• Castell Rooftop : Cocktails cost between $16-$22.
• St. Cloud Rooftop : Cocktails cost $24+.
• Hard Rock Hotel : Cocktails cost between $17-$21.
• Beast & Butterflies : Cocktails cost between $15-$24.

If you’re looking for more unique things to do in Times Square consider being part of a live audience for a TV taping. Most shows available are late-night talk shows with guests changing nightly. The amount of work that goes into producing a single episode is astounding and seeing the hosts and celebrities up close is surreal.

I will say, having been to a few of these myself, you should be prepared to be treated similarly to a seal at the aquarium – being required to repeatedly clap on queue by the producers to receive strokes of “good job!”.

With that being said, the price is right! These shows are free to attend but require that you apply in advance. Here’s the shows you can attend that tape in and around Times Square with links to tickets:

• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
• Today Show (NBC)
• Late Night with Seth Meyers Tickets (NBC)
• The Daily Show Tickets (Comedy Central)
• Saturday Night Live (NBC)

• Website:  Margaritaville
• Address: 560 7th Ave, New York, NY 10018

Whether you’re a Jimmy Buffet fan or not, Margaritaville is an experience and a half. Where else can you find a two-story replica of the Statue of Liberty raising a margarita (I’ll drink to that). While Jimmy insisted Margaritaville is a lifestyle – here that translates into a resort hotel with restaurants and bars. Good news is that you don’t have to be a guest to add this to your list of things to do in Times Square.

There are 5 different spots to grab a bite at Margaritaville, including its namesake restaurant and 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar. Expect classic American foods as well as plentiful adult beverages in a setting that can almost make you forget you’re in New York City. I frequently recommend this spot as one of the best happy hours in Times Square – where else can you get $8 margaritas in this city?

The heart of Times Square is essentially made up of three major components; giant TV screens, restaurants, and shops. You can’t walk more than a few steps before making it to the next store, so it only makes sense to add shopping to your list of things to do in Times Square (even if that just means window shopping!).

Here is a short list of stores you can find in Times Square:

• Levi’s
• American Eagle
• Disney Store
• A bajillion souvenir shops

Website:  TKTS Ticket Booth

The TKTS booth in Times Square (and Lincoln Center) is operated by a non-profit that strives to make theater more accessible by selling (legitimate) discounted same-day tickets to Broadway shows in NYC. Simply show up in person ( you can check availability in advance online ) to see which performances have last-minute tickets available.

Local’s Advice: Ticket availability is updated throughout the day, so I suggest downloading the TKTS App . While you can’t purchase tickets online (all sales must be done in-person), you’ll be notified whenever tickets becomes available, so you can get in line ASAP.

With over 50 million visitors annually, you can bet your bottom dollar Times Square has seen it all. People come from all over the world to experience the bright lights in person. With such a wide variety of humans and interactions, I’m convinced Times Square has to have some of the best people watching in the world.

You’ll hear all sorts languages completely unbeknownst to you and you’ll see folks in all seasons of life enamored and repelled by the sights, sounds, and smells.

• Website:  R Lounge at The Renaissance
• Address: 714 7th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Home to what has to be the best top down views of Times Square, visiting the R Lounge at the Renaissance Hotel has become one of the most popular things to do at Times Square. This upscale lounge is located at the north end of Times Square offering panoramic views of the pandemonium below.

The menu offers an array of casual eats like pretzels, burgers and even grilled cheese. Cocktails will cost you around $20 which is (unfortunately) typical for the city. Don’t let the price tag deter you though, enjoying the panoramic views is one of the most relaxing things to do in Times Square, and a small price to pay to stay above the fray.

If you’re curious to know what all the hoopla is about reservations are easy to make online . My suggestion is to make reservations for sunset.

• Website:  Madame Tussades
• Address: 234 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036

While encountering celebrities in NYC is not uncommon, there’s an unspoken rule to respect their privacy. For a chance to snap a picture with your favorite star without causing a scene, consider visiting Madame Tussauds in Times Square.

With ticket prices ranging from $40-$80, you’ll have access to nine floors of wildly realistic wax figures and over 80,000 sq. feet of interactive fun – a must-do in Times Square, so grab your tickets in advance. Here’s a short list (covering just a fraction) of the life-like celebrities you’ll find at Madame Tussades in Times Square:

• The Avengers
• The Royal Family
• Taylor Swift
• Selena Gomez
• Indiana Jones
• Marilyn Monroe
• The Kardashians
• Former presidents

More Things to Do Near Times Square

While Times Square is one of the most visited attractions in the world , people quickly realize it’s a tad over-romanticized and – dare I say – overrated (shocker, I know). That’s not to say it’s not worth the trip, because it’s too iconic of a place to be skipped and everyone should see it (in person) at least once.

With that said, Times Square is conveniently located in Midtown and within walking distance to other epic NYC sites. In that spirit, here’s a quick list of things to do near Times Square.

Located just one block from Times Square, Bryant Park is perfectly tucked into the shadow of towering office buildings that make up the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Located right behind the breathtaking New York Public Library, it’s not uncommon to find all the chairs and benches full during sunny days.

It’s a hub for the folks that work in the office buildings nearby. The park benches swell with locals during the busy lunch hour most seasons of the year. My favorite season to visit Bryant Park is summer because of the free movies hosted on the lawn.

You’ll also notice library carts full of books, park visitors are encouraged to grab a novel and read under the shady trees at their leisure. There’s a friendly librarian on hand that keeps track of the books to ensure they don’t get swept up.

A quick ten minute walk from Times Square will take you to one of New York’s most treasured institutions. When it opened to the public in 1911, the New York Public Library was officially the largest marble building ever built in the country. No small task, considering it took 16 years to construct this monolithic structure. But the wait was worth it — more than 50,000 people showed up on opening day.

There are multiple rooms in the library you can peruse, even if you don’t have a NYPL card. Of course you’ll want to mindful of your noise level. There are folks working and studying in the reading rooms.

A 10 minute walk or 6 minute subway ride from Times Square will take you to one of the most iconic buildings in New York City. Stepping into one of the main entrances to Grand Central Terminal never fails stops me dead in my tracks every time. The Beaux Arts design transports visitors into an intricately detailed main hall that boasts a striking celestial ceiling.

It’s hard to believe that this 110-year-old train terminal still serves more than 750,000 visitors daily .

Over the years Grand Central Terminal has become synonymous with New York City itself. In fact, this the third most popular tourist attraction in New York City (after Central Park and Times Square).

While you’re at Grand Central Terminal don’t forget to get a close up view of the clock above the information booth in the center of the concourse . Valued at a whopping $20 million , the clock has been nicknamed “the jewel hidden in plain sight.”

Address: 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

The Rockefeller Center is a series of 19 commercial buildings in Midtown, Manhattan just off of Fifth Avenue and a mere ten minutes walking from Times Square. 30 Rockefeller Plaza is the crown jewel, and odds are you’ve seen it on TV and in the movies.

Remember the end-scene for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York? Or the ice-skating rink final battle in Marvel’s Hawkeye? Or any episode from the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? They’re all filmed here!

Riddled with shops, restaurants, the city’s best observation deck , and a bustling plaza, most first time visitors will find one reason or another to visit.

The entirety of Rockefeller Center feels like NYC’s living room, made evident by the large groups of visitors that congregate here every day of the year, but especially so during Christmas to see the beloved Rockefeller Tree .

• 5th Ave: 15 minute walk from Times Square
• Empire State Building: 15 minute walk from Times Square

Times Square Attractions (Post Summary)

In summary, these are the things to do in Times Square:

• Eat at Los. Tacos No. 1
• Customize your own chocolate at M&M’s World
• Visit Madame Tussades
• Check out a Broadway Show
• Enjoy a treat from Hershey’s Chocolate World
• Grab a bite from R Lounge
• Grab a souvenir at Yankee’s Clubhouse
• Visit the Raising Cane’s flagship location
• Sip on cloud coffee from Ten Thousand Coffee
• Eat your way through Urbanspace
• Try Junior’s Cheesecake 
• Check out views from a rooftop bar
• Grab a cream puff from Bibble & Sip 
• Partake in a live show taping
• Get lost in the Drama Book Shop
• Grab a bite at Margaritaville 
• Shop your way through Times Square
• Snag a photo on the iconic red steps 
• People Watch 
• Explore near Times Square 

Times Square, is renowned for its dazzling lights, towering billboards, and vibrant atmosphere. Serving as the epicenter of New York City’s Theater District, it draws visitors from around the world with its iconic Broadway theaters and the unforgettable New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. This bustling hub encapsulates the city’s energy, entertainment, and cultural allure.

Times Square is worth visiting for its electrifying atmosphere, iconic Broadway theaters showcasing world-class performances, and the mesmerizing display of lights and billboards that make it a symbol of New York City’s vibrant energy and entertainment. Whether day or night, the dynamic and bustling ambiance of Times Square offers a unique and unforgettable experience for visitors.

Tourists love visiting Times Square for its captivating blend of dazzling lights, iconic theaters featuring Broadway shows, and the palpable excitement of one of the world’s most famous entertainment hubs. The vibrant atmosphere, diverse shopping options, and the chance to witness cultural events make Times Square a must-visit destination, offering a quintessential New York City experience.

Times Square has a significant police presence and extensive security measures in place, making it generally safe for visitors. The area’s popularity and constant foot traffic contribute to a well-monitored environment, ensuring a secure experience for those exploring this iconic New York City destination.

Times Square Happy Hours:   10 Tempting Happy Hours in Times Square  New Years Eve in Times Square:  2023 Guide to Celebrating New Years Eve in Times Square (Is it Worth it?)

Best Pizza in NYC:   15 Best Pizza Joints in New York City Iconic Restaurants in NYC:   10 Iconic New York City Restaurants Every Local Needs to Try Mouthwatering Bagels in NYC:   15 BEST Bagels in New York City Unbelievable Brunch Spots in NYC:   18 Prime Brunch Spots in New York City Worth the (Inevitable) Wait

Did you know you’re a short subway ride away from Central Park?

After you finish exploring all the fun things to do in Times Square, hop on the train and continue the adventure!

And there you have it, our list of things to do in Times Square! Let us know if you think we missed anything.

About Antonina

Hi there! I'm Antonina. Like so many folks, living in New York City was always a dream of mine. Now it's my reality! I started New York Dearest as a means to share my passion for NYC with locals and visitors alike.

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This is where to travel in 2023, according to the New York Times

London, Japan and Arizona came out top of the newspaper’s annual list of must-visit destinations

Looking to book a big trip this year but can't decide where to go? Well, this is worth a gander: the experts over at the New York Times have released their annual 52 Places to Go list for 2023.

This year’s edition focuses on the question of why we travel, highlighting food, culture, adventure and natural beauty as four of the main elements that drive us to see the world. As such, the places they’ve chosen aim to offer some or all of those elements  –  plus a whole lot more.

Ready for some inspo? Here’s the full New York Times list of places to go in 2023.

1. London , UK

2. Morioka, Japan

3. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

4. Kilmartin Glen, Scotland

5. Auckland , New Zealand

6. Palm Springs , California

7. Kangaroo Island, Australia

8. Vjosa River, Albania

9. Accra , Ghana

10. Tromsø, Norway

11. Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

13. Kerala, India

14. Greenville, South Carolina

15. Tucson,  Arizona

16. Martinique

17. The Namib Desert, Southern Africa

18. The Alaska Railroad

19. Fukuoka, Japan

20. Flores, Indonesia

21. Guadalajara, Mexico

22. Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria

23. Kakheti, Georgia

24. Nîmes, France

25. Ha Giang, Vietnam

26. Salalah, Oman

28. Odense, Denmark

29. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park,  Australia

30. Boquete, Panama

31. Tarragona, Spain

32. Charleston, South Carolina

33. Cayos Cochinos, Honduras

34. Burgundy Beer Trail,  France

35. Istanbul , Turkey

36. Taipei , Taiwan

37. El Poblado, Medellín, Colombia

38. Lausanne, Switzerland

39. Methana, Greece

40. Louisville , Kentucky

41. Manaus,  Brazil

42. Vilnius, Lithuania

43. Macon, Georgia

44. Madrid , Spain

45. Grand Junction, Colorado

46. La Guajira,  Colombia

47. Bergamo and Brescia,  Italy

48. American Prairie, Montana

49. Eastern Townships, Quebec

50. New Haven, Connecticut

51. The Black Hills, South Dakota

52. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

We’ll admit it’s a pretty great selection. You can read more about each place and why it was selected for the list here .

Have you seen our pick of underrated destinations to explore in 2023 ? Plus: How to save money, beat the crowds and travel better in 2023

Stay in the loop: sign up to our  free Time Out Travel newsletter  for the latest travel news and the best stuff happening across the world.   

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1 Day in NYC: Must-do’s for First-timers + Interactive Map

Only have one day in New York ? Maximize your visit with my itinerary created especially for NYC first-time visitors . I have visited New York City several times. During my last two trips, I was accompanied by people visiting for the first time.

I recommend spending at least four days in NYC . However, even one day can give you a taste of this top travel destination.

Key Things to Know

• Don’t miss the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, or Central Park for a mix of history and iconic landmarks.
• Maximize your time by using the subway for faster (cheap) travel between Manhattan’s attractions. Or walk!
• This itinerary is completely customizable to your particular interests and the exact amount of time you have in New York City.

This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  See disclaimer.

One day in New York itinerary 

9/11 memorial (and museum).

9/11 Memorial | Closest subway stops: WTC–Cortland St (1) and Cortland Street (R, W)  

Start your day by spending your morning in Lower Manhattan. 

In my opinion, your one-day NYC itinerary should absolutely include the 9/11 Memorial. It’s one of my favorite free things to do in New York City .   

The terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, which destroyed the Twin Towers, forever changed the city and the United States. In fact, it’s one of the most moving and beautiful memorials that I have ever had the privilege of seeing. The 9/11 Memorial typically is open to the public all day every day. 

Optional: The 9/11 Memorial Museum is at the same location. Though I haven’t had the privilege of seeing it, I’ve heard great things. There is a charge for admission to the museum.

Statue of Liberty 

Ferry from Manhattan departs from Battery Park | Subway stops: South Ferry Station (1), Whitehall Street (R), Bowling Green (4, 5)  

In my opinion, your New York City itinerary must include the Statue of Liberty, my absolute favorite place in the city.

Buy your tickets ahead of time onlin e, especially if you want to climb up to the crown. When available, those tickets can sell out weeks or even months in advance.    

Even if you don’t want to go up onto the pedestal or the crown of the Statue of Liberty, you can purchase a general admission ticket to enjoy the cruise over to Liberty Island (with great views of both Lady Liberty and Lower Manhattan). You can visit the new museum and walk around the monument’s exterior.

 If you only have a day in New York I recommend skipping a visit to Ellis Island even though it’s included in your ticket. 

More things to do on a day trip to New York City

• Explore NYC with a sightseeing helicopter tour over Manhattan .
• Pay a visit to the top of One World Observatory with this skip-the-line ticket .
• If you’re staying the night in New York, consider this sunset cruise in New York Harbor.

TRAVEL TIP: If you have flexible travel dates you need to check out Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). You get amazing flight deals sent straight to your inbox with instructions on how to book directly with the airlines. Check out Going here. Going is my favorite way to find great travel deals. 

Lunch options: where to eat 

By the time you finish your visit to the Statue of Liberty, you’ll likely be ready for a bite to eat. The Crown Café offers a wide variety of burgers, salads, and sandwiches. Their menu includes vegetarian options as well as several items that can be made gluten-free upon request. 

Battery Park (where you’ll disembark from your cruise to Liberty Island) is a great picnic spot. You can grab a cheap lunch from a food truck or assemble a picnic from a nearby market.

If a restaurant is more what you’re looking for, wander into the Financial District where you’ll find a variety of popular eateries for all budgets. 

TIP: Keep track of all of your important travel details with a digital travel planner like this .

Empire State Building 

20 West 34 Street | Subway stop: 34 St–Herald Square (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W), 33 St (M)  

Many believe visiting the Empire State Building is a must on their trip to New York City.

I will admit right now that in all my NYC trips, I’ve only ever admired this iconic structure from the ground.  I do not like heights, nor do I generally pay money to stand atop them. But you who are not afraid of heights can go as high as the 102nd floor. The main observation deck is on the 86th floor.   

Time-saving tip: Upgrade your Empire State Building ticket to get skip-the-line access.

As an alternative, save the Empire State Building for after dinner, or even enjoy dinner at the State Grill and Bar.  

Times Square 

Subway stop: Times Square–42 Street (N, Q, R, S, W, 1, 2, 3, 7)   

You’ve seen it in movies and TV shows. Of all the places to visit in New York City, it’s hard to think of anything else that’s more New York than Times Square. Soak it in, take a few photos, and wander through so you can say you’ve been there (it’s great at night also). Maybe even buy a cheap souvenir T-shirt or stop in at M&M’s World.  

Times Square is just a 15-minute walk from the Empire State Building.  

Rockefeller Center 

Between 49th and 51st Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues | Subway stop: 47-50 Streets Rockefeller Center (B, D, F, M), 49 Street (N, R, W)  

A 10-minute walk from Times Square will take you to Rockefeller Center. It’s a New York City landmark that includes 30 Rockefeller Plaza (NBC Studios), Radio City Music Hall, and more.

In addition to some great shopping and dining, you can take a guided tour of Rockefeller Center, go to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck , skate at the Rink, and more.     

If you’re feeling snackish, I recommend stopping at Magnolia Bakery for something yummy.  

Grab your Top of the Rock ticket here.

Central Park 

From North 110th Street to Central Park South (59th Street), and from Central Park West (8th Avenue) to 5th Ave | Subway stops: There are several subway stops around the perimeter of the park including 5th Ave/59 Street (N, R, W), 59 Street/Columbus Circle (A, B, C, D, 1), Central Park North (2, 3), and 6 stops on the west side of the park.  

Central Park is so quintessentially New York that you absolutely need to make time in your itinerary to see it even if only spending one day in New York.

Now, keep in mind that this park is huge. I mean it. Central Park covers 1.3 square miles (840 acres) of Manhattan. You could easily spend an entire day just exploring this place.  

To start I’d suggest looking at a map of the park and choosing a few things you want to see. This might be the Central Park Zoo, the Alice in Wonderland Statue, Belvedere Castle, or the Conservatory Water (where you can rent a model boat to sail on the pond).   

The southeast corner of Central Park is just a 15-minute walk from Rockefeller Center. If you want to walk all the way to the Conservatory Water and the Alice in Wonderland Statue, expect a walk of closer to 30 minutes.

Time-saving Tip: Instead of walking to Central Park from Rockefeller Center, jump in a NYC cab.

Interactive map

Click on the yellow pins on the map below to see more information about each stop on your itinerary. To see this map in your Google account just tap on the little star next to the map name.

Ways to modify this itinerary

With only one day in NYC, there are an incredible number of ways you could spend your time. Here are a few ways you could modify this one-day itinerary to fit your particular interests. It’s important that you get to see the things you want.

• Take the subway to Brooklyn then walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, enjoying your view of the Manhattan skyline.
• Enjoy a tour of either or both of two of the premier art museums in the world, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and/or the Museum of Modern Art.
• Explore Greenwich Village, Soho, and other iconic neighborhoods.
• End your day with a Broadway show.

Short half-day itinerary for NYC

Even if you don’t have a full day or 24 hours to spend in New York City, you can still see a few of the major highlights. Here are a few options:

• Focus on one area such as Lower Manhattan, grabbing a view of Brooklyn Bridge, followed by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
• Explore the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center, and then stroll up to Central Park if time allows.
• Get the best of New York’s top art museums at The Met, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim.

New York 1-day tours

Want to see the best of New York in a day, but rather leave the planning to someone else? Leave the planning to an expert tour guide.

• Pack the very best of NYC into one day with this highly rate expert guided tour . See New York’s major landmarks in only 6 hours.
• Go beyond Manhattan’s major tourist sites with this tour of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Harlem, and Coney Island .

Where to stay

If you’re thinking about spending more than a day in New York, you might be overwhelmed by the many hotel options.

Here are my recommendations for where to stay in New York City: 

• Hyatt Place Midtown South (52 West 36th Street): We loved staying at this hotel. It’s just two blocks from the Empire State Building and just around the corner from the 34th Street – Herald Square subway stop. Book Now  
• For a more boutique-style accommodation try Archer Hotel New York (45 West 38th Street). Book Now

How to get around

I say this so often, but I will continue to say it over and over: use your feet and the subway.

I’m serious about the subway. You’ll get where you want to go cheaper than Uber or taxis and of course much faster than walking especially when traveling from one area of Manhattan to another.  You can find subway maps on the MTA website .

Taxis are a fine option for getting around New York City especially if you are in a time crunch or are going someplace that just doesn’t have an easy subway route or a nearby stop.

The bottom line

There are so many amazing things you could fill your day with in NYC that you can’t possibly see as much as you would like, BUT you can see the best of the best. From historical monuments to stunning views from the best observatories in the world, you almost can’t go wrong with how you spend your day here.

More articles about New York

• The essential overnight packing list
• Free things to do in NYC
• Must-do things in New York for first-timers
• The top day trips from NYC
• Scenic drives in New York state

Pin this post!  

Darcy Vierow is a busy professional and travel planning expert with years of experience maximizing travel with limited time and on a less-than-average salary. Her tips have been published by Forbes, MSN.com, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Aol, Newsbreak and GOBankingRates. Read more about Darcy Vierow .

Can’t wait great job

Great article, Darcy! You have prepared an amazing one-day itinerary for people vising NYC along with some great tips to commute within the city. Subways are indeed the best way to get around the whole city. However, if the time permits, why not go sailing as well? After seeing the city on foot all day, one can relax on a sailboat and enjoy the skyline. Several companies offer rental for 2-3 hours including sunset cruises overlooking Manhattan. Book beforehand to get the best deals.

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The 42 Best Things to Do in New York City

All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Our selection of the best things to do in New York City has been compiled over several years, with the help of editors and contributors past and present. We all call this place home, or did at one point, and put in the time living like tourists to figure out just how exactly to make the most of its myriad pleasures. What is the best way to see the Statue of Liberty? Where can one get the most “New York” meal, whatever that means to you? How do you get off the beaten path to avoid ceaseless crowds and discover something nobody else is talking about? We've got the answers to all of these questions and more, with recommendations spanning all five boroughs. Read on for the best things to do in New York City.

Read our complete New York City travel guide here .

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Additional reporting by Andrea Whittle.

Balthazar Arrow

Keith McNally's flagship restaurant—this is also the master behind such atmospheric Manhattan mainstays as Pastis, the Odeon, Minetta Tavern, and Morandi, each also worth a visit if I may suggest a “Keith McNally crawl”—is a high-ceilinged, brasserie-inspired scene to end all scenes. Martinis are omnipresent at the bar and in deep red-leather booths. So are steak frites smothered in peppercorn sauce. But the asset that's fabulous with the greatest diversity are the patrons—like if that New York magazine cover all convened to share a meal. Alison Roman once told Interview : “The food is so bad, it’s too expensive, I love going there.” She's being facetious for comedic effect—the food is just fine, but it is true that you're really going there to go there. With your expectations duly measured, enjoy an uncomplicated onion soup gratine and some yummy, well-buttered escargot for starters before moving on to the steak frites main event. For dessert, there's nowhere worth going more than the perfect profiteroles, poured with warm chocolate sauce tableside.

Arthur Avenue

Almost every awning along the stretch of The Bronx's Arthur Avenue between D'Auria-Murphy Triangle and Ciccarone Park marks an Italian name possessing something—a pizzeria, a restaurant, a bakery. But just because it's all Italian, all the time along these two blocks doesn't mean all aren't welcome to come and patronize these establishments. It's some of the absolute best Italian food in New York City lined up for your convenience, bustling with life and good eats. Executive editor Erin Florio's relatives still do their Sunday shopping in the market, which she describes as "dusty but great." Poking around and picking a few things up there is really where it's at—bright seasonal produce, sausages of all stripes dangling from the ceiling, fresh-baked bread and vinegar-y imports from the old country line the walls in cans and jars. It's true one-stop shopping.

Film Forum Arrow

This is the last independent, nonprofit cinema in New York City. Little has changed about this humble, unpretentious theater since it first opened in 1970 as a screening space for independent films—there's the big marquee outside, lighting up an otherwise quiet stretch of West Houston; a ticket booth with microphone and glass partition; and a red carpet underfoot. It's retro without feeling dated, a warm place out of time. Behind the concessions counter, by the way, are some very nice people selling some very good espresso and baked goods (try the cakes carrot and orange bundt) in addition to regular sodas and candies. From new and obscure cinema made outside the US to a dazzling assortment of global classics that has most recently included Midnight Cowboy and Le Samourai , you can rest assured that every last thing on the marquee is worth a few hours of your time.

Central Park Arrow

To get that Nora Ephron New York experience, you have no choice but to take a stroll through Central Park while in the city. As you step off the crowded sidewalks of 59th Street into a mass of green, you’ll hardly realize what lies before you: 693 acres of man-made gardens, meadows, forests, and  hillsides. If you ambled down every one of Central Park’s pathways, you would walk 58 miles. Along the way, you pass sculptures, bridges, and arches, plus 21 playgrounds, a winter ice-skating rink, even a zoo . But you’d hardly notice the four major crosstown thoroughfares, which cleverly disappear into foliage-covered tunnels. Map your park route to stop at classic Central Park landmarks, like the Bethesda Fountain, Bow Bridge, Belvedere Castle, and the Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial.

Chinatown Arrow

 Chinatown is one of the neighborhoods that makes lower Manhattan vibrant and unforgettable. After surfacing from the steps of the Canal Street subway station onto the sidewalk, meandering past thick crowds, neon light shops, and vendors peddling fake designer bags, you’ll find yourself in the narrow streets of Chinatown, where there are bright heaps of produce, succulent ducks hanging in windows, and restaurants old and new. Touching Tribeca, SoHo, Little Italy, and the Lower East Side, Chinatown has a rich history and began being populated by Chinese immigrants as early as the 1850s. You can visit in whichever way makes sense for you. Whether you spend an hour devouring a box of roast pork or duck from street-style Wah Fung No. 1 before you have to proceed elsewhere, or you spend half a day shopping for produce, dining out, and paying a visit to the Museum of Chinese in America , everyone will gain something from a visit to Chinatown.

Brooklyn Bridge Arrow

When the Brooklyn Bridge was constructed in 1883—extending 1,595 feet across the East River, connecting lower Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights—it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Now, it’s a historic staple of the New York City skyline, transporting commuter car traffic underneath and touristic foot traffic above . Standing before arches and rectangles with city skyscrapers rising in the distance, will at once inspire a sense of grandiosity and slightness.

The Noguchi Museum Arrow

This intimate, meditative museum in Long Island City was conceived and built by Isamu Noguchi himself. Here, his mostly abstract sculptures and often-copied paper lamps are displayed across two levels of exhibition space and throughout a quiet, ivy-covered walled garden. Even if you're not familiar with Noguchi's work, you've probably come across one of his Akari light sculptures—geometric or globular lamps made of washi paper and bamboo that glow softly from within—which have become something of a modern design trope since he started designing them in the early 1950s.

Yankee Stadium Arrow

A spring or summer day spent cheering at an NYC ballpark is a classic activity for a reason. Located in the Bronx, Yankee Stadium is the home field of New York’s 27-time World Champions. It’s a half-hour subway ride from Penn Station and approximately a 20-minute subway ride from Grand Central Terminal, making it easily accessible from Manhattan. It replaced the 1923 original in 2009 and cost $1.5 billion to build, making it one of the world’s most expensive stadiums. It seats 50,287 fans. New York Yankees games, obviously, are the main event here, but you can also attend concerts, college football, and soccer matches.

Jewish Brooklyn: Tours of Hasidic Brooklyn Arrow

The pockets of Brooklyn inhabited predominately by the Hasidic are not often explored on the average Big Apple itinerary. There are two guided tours you can take of Hasidic Brooklyn: Frieda Vizel's of conservative Williamsburg and the Friedman family's of the slightly-more-flexible Crown Heights (none yet open us to the cosmopolitan Borough Park.) The former rendezvouses in the bus plaza just below the Williamsburg Bridge, the latter around the dining room table of a family home. From there, you're off to the races learning from people who know and love their subject deeply. You'll also sample kosher sweets and stop at the deli, dip into a toy store or wigmaker, and meet quite a few friendly faces. Both are excellent ways to immerse yourself, for a few hours, in the culture of some of Brooklyn’s more enigmatic inhabitants.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine Arrow

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine on 112th and Amsterdam in Upper Manhattan’s Morningside Heights is the largest cathedral in the world and the sixth-largest church by area. Hundreds of thousands of visitors walk through these doors annually for a reason. The cathedral itself—and its remarkable Gothic architecture, story-telling stained glass windows, and 17th century tapestries—is already worth visiting. But there is artwork that is especially meaningful to New York City here as well, including Keith Haring's white gold and bronze altarpiece and a 9/11 memorial sculpture by Meredith Bergmann, which holds debris of the towers in it. The cathedral holds daily and Sunday worship services, which welcome all. There is no charge to pray, meditate, or contemplate in the cathedral. Visitors who show for sightseeing purposes can enter for $15 admission. Special tours are offered depending on the day of the week.

Staten Island Ferry

One of the first things associate editor Hannah Towey did when she moved to New York City was board the (free! bright orange!) Staten Island Ferry by Battery Park at Manhattan's bottom, watch the sunset over the water on her way to that far-flung borough, and then turn around and get right back on for the return to Manhattan. Forget the outrageously expensive Statue of Liberty cruises and the discomfort of the official ferry (although Ellis Island, unfortunately the next stop on the same trip, is worth a visit)—here you see plenty of Lady Liberty, Governor's Island, and the skyline without opening your purse. It's a dreamy 25 minutes each way, passed easily watching the myriad terns dip into the ship's wake. This is not to say you shouldn't spend a few hours on Staten Island if you have the time—the Botanical Garden is as gorgeous as it is free, and the food is impeccable with abundant Sri Lankan options (try New Asha, although you can't go wrong anywhere) and excellent Italian at Enoteca Maria for nonnas and their appreciators.

The Morgan Library & Museum Arrow

The Morgan is like a multi-hyphenate millennial—only instead of actress/model/influencer/whatever, it’s museum/library/landmark/historic site/music venue. Inside the multimillionaire’s personal library, expanded into a must-see museum and cultural space, you'll find rare artifacts, paintings, and books, some dating back to 4000 B.C. that are worth more than your house. In particular the museum is home to one of 23 copies of the original Declaration of Independence; Mozart's handwritten score of the Haffner Symphony; the collected works of African American poet Phillis Wheatley; the only extant manuscript of Milton's  Paradise Lost ; and Charles Dickens’s manuscript of  A Christmas Carol . Swoon.

MoMA PS1 Arrow

The sister institution to MoMA   is no ordinary art museum. Located in a striking Renaissance Revival former public school building in Long Island City, Queens, MoMA PS1’s setting is just as interesting as its collection. All manner of cutting-edge contemporary art is shown here, with a collection over 200,000 pieces strong, from the likes of James Turrell and Ai Weiwei. The people-watching can be just as good as the art, as creative types from around the city come here to find inspiration.

For locals and first-time visitors alike, seeing a Broadway show is a special experience, and one that is exclusive to New York City. Times Square is ordinarily a drag, but when you’re moseying into Midtown Manhattan for a show the bright billboards and lights don’t flash in your face—they dazzle in your eyes. A Broadway show's costumes, sets, songs, and stories are the stuff of dreams. Shows that could very well run forever include Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton , but there's also an ever-rotating selection of revivals and debuts worth checking out. And that's not to mention the more daring fare happening downtown at theaters like the Public, Off-Broadway.

Bemelmans Bar Arrow

At Bemelmans, Ludwig Bemelman's illustrations—you might remember them from the Madeline books—adorn the walls. In one panel, a bunny smokes a cigar in Central Park ; in another, a man hands a boy a clutch of balloons. This is a bar where gawking is permissible. The cocktails here very much depend on who’s making them: an Old Fashioned might be a bit watery, a whiskey sour too tart. But often a dirty gin Martini is just perfectly executed. Everything is expensive—it’s clear why you’re here—so take the edge off that sensation by digging into the free, hearty snacks that float your way.

New York Botanical Garden Arrow

The New York Botanical Garden has carefully manicured flower gardens, lush fields, winding hikes, and impeccable greenhouses. There are spaces that feel deeply intimate, as if you're truly separated from the world, and there are vast expanses where it's hard to believe you're still in the Bronx . In winter, the greenhouses host an annual train show recreating all of New York City in miniature; the warmer months bring every floral delight imaginable, from cherry trees to peonies. Plan to spend at least half a day here and pack a picnic.

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

It’s one thing to be in the midst of Manhattan, on the ground; it’s quite another to look upon it from across the river. In Brooklyn Heights, a couple subway stops away from lower Manhattan, the city’s image looms large before you. Arguably the best view of the skyline in the city, the Brooklyn Heights promenade hovers above the Brooklyn-Queen Expressway. Underlying the peaceful, tree-lined walkway, traffic rumbles below. The promenade stretches from Remsen Street at the south end to Middagh Street at the north. Around the corner, pedestrians can discretely cross a basketball court to access a suspended footbridge that zigzags down to the piers of Brooklyn Bridge Park. While in the picturesque neighborhood, make stops at the New York Transit Museum, the Sardinian trattoria River Deli, and the old-time dive bar Montero.

Grand Central Terminal Arrow

Grand Central Terminal is more than just one of the busiest train stations in the world—it's a window into old New York and into a time when train travel was the ultimate luxury for the wealthy and a necessity for the working man. If you aren't commuting in or out of the city, avoid coming during rush hour, and take your time admiring the landmark architecture and checking out the top-notch dining and shopping.

9/11 Memorial and Museum Arrow

Every American should visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at least once. As you enter the museum, you descend from the street to bedrock level—the foundation of the former Twin Towers—and are placed in a meditative mindset, forced to recall where you were on that fateful day. The museum itself is a masterful balance: It's grand in scale, contemplative in its construction, and personal in its execution. It pays homage to the enormity of the loss, both physical and spiritual. 

The Cloisters Arrow

Located on four acres in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, the Met Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is America’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. The building overlooks the Hudson River and actually incorporates five medieval-inspired cloisters into a modern museum structure, creating a historic, contextualized backdrop in which to view the art.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Arrow

Located in Midtown Manhattan, the MoMA is larger than it appears as you approach it from the street below. One of the world’s most influential museums—displaying the works of important artists like Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Rothko, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, and Diane Arbus—it has 630,000 square feet of space and attracts more than a million visitors a year. While making a beeline for the fifth-floor Collection Galleries to take in The Starry Night and Monet’s Water Lilies is understandable, don’t miss the exhibitions, which tell new stories and can only be experienced in a limited time frame. Allocate time to spend pouring over the remarkable books and objects in the famous gift shop, too—an NYC must-visit in its own right.

Apollo Theater Arrow

Countless careers have been made and stars have passed through this world famous, legendary Harlem theater—Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross, Lauryn Hill, and D’Angelo to name a few. The venue—which began as a white-only burlesque destination until 1934, when under new ownership it began welcoming and becoming central to the Black community—has been active for 88 years, with swing, blues, jazz, R&B, and comedy acts taking the stage. Today, visitors can attend events like Amateur Night at the Apollo, one of the city’s most long-standing, fame-making live shows. Capacity is 1,500, with three levels of seating, and contrary to the way it appears on 'Showtime at the Apollo,' is intimate without much legroom.

Prospect Park Arrow

Prospect Park is in many ways the Central Park of Brooklyn; in fact, it was designed shortly after by the same team of architects, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and has many of the same features: sprawling meadows, walking trails, and picturesque bodies of water. In feeling though, it’s more rambling and less manicured than its touristed Manhattan counterpart. Prospect Park Woodlands is Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, with 250 acres of trees, turtles, chipmunks, 200 species of birds, and other fauna and flora. There's also basketball and tennis courts, a carousel, playgrounds, zoo, and a 3.35-mile loop for runners and bikers (they’re fast —watch out!). While there, make a trip to adjacent Brooklyn Botanic Garden , particularly lovely during cherry blossom season.

Coney Island Arrow

Coney Island has a reputation as a circus-worthy tourist trap, which is exactly what it is. But you may be surprised by the old-timey charms of this beachfront American town. You’ll definitely be impressed by the food and drinks—Totonno's Pizza, Gargiulo's and Coney Island Brewery in particular. Locals and tourists hang out on the beach, eat ice cream cones on the promenade, and stand in line for the famed Cyclone roller coaster. The beach and boardwalk along with spots like Nathan’s are open year-round. The amusement park itself is seasonal. Events like the annual Mermaid Parade (crowded as they may be) are worth watching for the audacity and theatrics you can’t find anywhere else in the world but Coney Island.

Lincoln Center Arrow

World-renowned performing arts center Lincoln Center is always worth visiting when the opportunity arises, and in October 2022, David Geffen Hall, home to the New York Philharmonic, reopened after a major renovation that improved the venue’s acoustics and spiffed it up with a modern look. The sprawling Upper West Side complex is also home to the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Juilliard. All kinds of music, dance, theater, and films show here; some highlights from the upcoming calendar include the rapturously energetic New York Film Festival (catch the latest films long before they hit theaters, embedded in one of the reactive audiences on this Earth), the operas like The Life and Times of Malcom X and La Boheme , and ballets like The Nutcracker . Whether you’re on a special date or reconnecting with old friend when you’re in town, seeing a live performance at Lincoln Center will always make for an elegant and memorable night out.

Washington Square Park Arrow

If people-watching is your sport, Washington Square Park is your place. Entertainment is a given in this intimate, not-quite 10-acre space, filled with career chess players, musicians, performers, students, sunbathers, strollers, and general throngs of Greenwich Villagers, desperate for a bit of fresh air. Take your time as you go through: Pause beneath Washington Arch, honoring our country’s first president (for whom the Park is named), and observe the laurel wreaths and intricate motifs that extend from the base to the keystones, atop which twin eagles perch like constant watchmen. Washington Square Park is the beating heart of this vibrant New York neighborhood.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Arrow

For nearly a century and a half, the Met has remained the cultural epicenter of New York City, thanks to forward-thinking exhibits and an extensive permanent collection. With its Gothic-Revival-style building, iconic tiered steps, and Central Park location, the building is a sight to be seen. But step inside its Great Hall—as a ceaseless parade of museumgoers move to-and-fro—and you’ll feel the overwhelming sense of possibility and discovery that lays beyond. If you've got limited time or compatriots with limited attention spans, start with the Temple of Dendur, a 2,000-year-old soaring Egyptian temple (the only complete one in the Western Hemisphere)

Blue Note Jazz Club Arrow

Blue Note has been one of the best jazz clubs in New York, and the world, since the 1980s. It offers music every night at 8 p.m. and 10:30, and on Friday and Saturday nights has a late night series at 12:30 a.m., which showcases emerging talent. If you're looking to get a taste of jazz in NYC, you can do no better. Over the years, legendary musicians including Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ray Charles have performed on the Blue Note Stage, as well as contemporary jazz acts such as Wynton Marsalis, Keith Jarrett, and Chris Botti. Tables are intimate, close-set, and all-ages (with the bar being 21-plus).

Union Square Greenmarket Arrow

Union Square is a place of the people, not unlike the agoras of ancient Athens—and no offering of Union Square showcases this quality quite like the bustling Greenmarket. From upstate New York, the Berkshires , New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, vendors sell artisan bread, honey, fresh-cut flowers, heritage meats, pastries, seasonal fruits and vegetables both common and uncommon, and much more. Don't miss the free events, like book signings and more: Cooking demos take place at the Market Information tent daily, beer and spirits pop-ups show seasonally, and the education station offers tours and tastings.

Rockefeller Center Arrow

Rockefeller Center sits in the heart of midtown Manhattan, both in terms of its physical location and its prominent place in the city's folklore and culture. Whether you want to check out a performance on the plaza outside the TODAY show, visit the Christmas tree, or practice your best moves on the ice skating rink, you're in for an iconic, family-friendly experience. If you buy a ticket to Top of the Rock, you'll enjoy spectacular views of the city below. No matter where you are, you're bound to be constantly pointing and shouting “hey, look at that!”

Comedy Cellar Arrow

None of the promoters on MacDougal Street shouting “stand-up comedy tonight!” are trying to get you into the Comedy Cellar, where the show is already sold out. Blockbuster stars like Jerry Seinfeld and Eddie Murphy made their names at the Cellar; if you're lucky, one may show up the night you're there. Seating is intimate and close together, and there is a two-item minimum on food or drinks. It's 21-plus and vaccine-mandatory; be prepared to surrender your phone at the door, too. There's no bad seat in the house, but sit in the front at your own risk of getting (playfully) heckled by the host or a comic.

American Museum of Natural History Arrow

Truly one of the world's great natural history museums, the American Museum of Natural History spans four city blocks just across from Central Park . All aspects of the natural world are represented here, from a vast collection of taxidermy mammals, to depictions of the life of Native American tribes, to an entire hall dedicated to marine life—including a life-size model of a blue whale. The crown jewel is the dinosaur floor, with an imposing Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that dominates the room. The newest attraction comes in the form of the long-awaited Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation , which opened in May of 2023 and, among many other things, boasts a comprehensive insectarium and vivarium. Breathtaking architecture from New York-based Jeanne Gang doesn't hurt, either.

The Strand Book Store Arrow

With its towering stacks, filled with more than 2.5 million titles, this 94-year-old bookstore is less neighborhood haunt and more globally recognized institution. You could call the Strand's employees tour guides, considering their deft ability to find the exact title you're looking for and recommend a book you may not have otherwise plucked from the shelves. The store will make you question why you don’t read more; and chances are you won’t leave empty-handed.

Bronx Zoo Arrow

With more than 700 different animal species spread across 265 acres of parkland thoughtfully designed to mimic natural habitats, the Bronx Zoo is a great place to escape from Manhattan for the day, especially if you're traveling with kids. Don't miss the giraffe building, the Congo gorilla forest, the house of reptiles, the flamingos in the sea bird aviary, and the sea lions, who always make for an exciting show. If you want to blow the minds of a bunch of kids, you can do no better.

Governors Island Arrow

Located in New York Harbor, only 800 yards from Manhattan and 400 yards from Brooklyn, walking onto quirky, car-free, brick-covered, 173-acre Governors Island feels like being transported to an alternate universe from the city—but in reality it's a quick, affordable ferry ride away. One-way fare is $4 and boats are serviced from Lower Manhattan’s Battery Maritime Building every day, as well as from Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook on the weekends. In the past couple of years, Governors Island has become an even more popular city destination, and has welcomed a slew of new luxury businesses. One is special in particular: Collective, the only place you can stay overnight on the island. Collective is a glamping experience, offering plush beds inside the tents, morning yoga, sunset cocktails, and iconic skyline views—Lady Liberty included, herself. Which is all to say, you’re by no means roughing it here. On the menu at their restaurant, you’ll find grilled seafood, gorgeous spreads of pastries, and more. Another luxury experience new to the island is QC NY Spa, with top-grade saunas and a skyline view-filled pool.

Elsewhere Arrow

Located in Brooklyn on a hip stretch of Bushwick’s Jefferson Avenue, Elsewhere—a vast, three-story nightclub and live music venue with multiple dance floors, stages, and a rooftop—has become one of the city’s best nightlife destinations. Spinning disco balls and kaleidoscopic lights set the scene. A somewhat recent staple in the city’s nightlife scene, Elsewhere is a converted warehouse that opened in 2017. Blocks away from similar venues like Avant Gardener and House of Yes, Elsewhere stands out for its inclusivity, its intimate vibe in spite of its size, and for lifting up smaller, up-and-coming acts.

Rockaway Beach Arrow

One of the best public beaches you can visit in New York City proper, Rockaway is a sandy, sprawling stretch of surf located in Queens on the Atlantic Ocean, complete with a 5.5-mile boardwalk of delicious concessions. A summery way to get there in style? Take the ferry from Wall Street or Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and let the wind blow through your hair as you take in the city views, sailing under the Verrazano Bridge and past Coney Island on the way. From just about everywhere else in the city, you can also get there via the A train. Each stretch has a different crowd and personality: Beach 90-106 is the busiest section, with the most food and drink options; Beaches 67-69 as well as 90-92 are the surfing zones; between Beach 153 and Beach 169 you’ll find Jacob Riis Park, which is popular with young people and is a summer gathering place for the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg Arrow

Sip iced coffee in McCarren Park, catch an indie show at Baby's All Right, walk two blocks over to some of the city's most-coveted Italian at Lilia (with a month-in-advance res, of course.) This is the busiest thoroughfare in hip Williamsburg: Bedford Avenue—and the L train that feeds it—might as well be North Brooklyn’s own personal people-watching catwalk. Pedestrians with voluminous pants, dogs with miniature rain boots, and high-speed scooters will swish past you. As you make your way south from the subway station, likely en route from the East Village, you’ll pass local businesses that characterize the area, like Catbird (ethereal, vintage-inspired jewelry), Spoonbill & Sugartown Books (poetry, special design and cookbooks, cards), and Awoke Vintage (best-known for their genuine denim often from the ‘90s.)

Empire State Building Arrow

Though many across town are trying, there's still no better way to enjoy Manhattan's cityscape than from the top of the Empire State Building. The 102-story skyscraper was the tallest building in the world for 40 years, and though it's been outgrown by dozens of projects across three other continents, it's just the classic viewing point. There are, of course, always long lines to buy tickets, but that's nothing a little planning and purchasing in advance can't solve. It's also still a functioning office building with a bustling Art Deco lobby, so the people watching on the way up is excellent.

Tenement Museum Arrow

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is, as the name implies, a historic tenement house (two, if you want to get technical). On a tour of the tenements, you’ll hear personal histories of the working-class individuals who lived there and see how they made do with cramped quarters to build new lives in America. On a neighborhood walking tour—the other way to visit the museum—you’ll learn about the evolution of the Lower East Side and how its thriving immigrant population made it the most densely populated area in the country during the 1900s.

Industry City Arrow

This stretch of waterfront has been a hub of Brooklyn manufacturing since Irving T. Bush first developed his family's rail-marine terminal (then called Bush Terminal) in the mid-1890s to add warehouse structures. The sprawling campus that stands today in the quiet Sunset Park neighborhood is Industry City, the ripe and succulent fruit of decades' worth of redevelopment efforts. The idea here is one-stop shopping: Pick up a coffee from one proprieter and sip it while flitting through the Makers’ Guild’s wonderful artisan shops. There's also a slate of full-service restaurants and outdoor spaces—manicured lawns on-par with what you'd expect from those in a private, luxury apartment building.

Russian Turkish Baths Arrow

This is a really nice place to hang out for half a day—beneath the churning East Village, sweating it out in a no-frills den of functionality. Up a steep, nondescript stoop in that neighborhood and through a heavy door and you’re in, leaving your wallet in a safety deposit box in exchange for a locker room key and then down another stair to the subterranean saunas and steam rooms. They’ve got ‘em all here, from the red hot Russian room (where they also perform the platza venik treatment) to a more bearable Turkish, with a cold plunge and showers for in-between regulation. There’s also a bountiful food menu serving up such classics as borscht and beef stew to keep you nurtured.

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Best places to visit in new york state in 2024.

New York state captivates both domestic and international travelers with the most populated city in the United States, sprawling state parks and a few beach communities. Whether you want to visit New York City to see Times Square and go ice skating at Rockefeller Center, or retreat to the mountains of upstate New York, there are plenty of one-of-a-kind vacation spots in the Empire State. U.S. News considered sights, culture, adventurous pursuits and the opinions of experts and readers to compile this ranking of the best places to visit in New York state. Read on for vacation inspiration, and don't forget to vote below for the destinations you think belong on this list.

Niagara Falls

Adirondacks, new york city, the finger lakes, thousand islands, lake george, bear mountain state park, the catskills, sleepy hollow, letchworth state park, long island, fire island, saratoga springs, cooperstown.

The tumbling, frothy falls – more than 3,100 tons of water flows over the edge every second – are the star tourist attraction in this New York destination that borders Canada. The best way to see Niagara Falls is on a Maid of the Mist boat tour, which takes poncho-clad visitors on an electric tour boat to the base of the falls. Or, more daring visitors can experience this natural wonder on a thrilling whirlpool jet boat tour. Just don't forget to check out the area's other unforgettable attractions, such as Niagara Falls State Park's hiking trails, Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens & Butterfly Conservatory or the nearby casinos.

The Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York span roughly 6 million acres and are home to hundreds of communities, lakes, valleys and trails. Water lovers can canoe or kayak on Saranac Lake or go boating on Tupper Lake; hikers can tackle the area's 2,000-plus miles of trails; and skiers can shred powder on Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid. Visitors will also want to save some time for checking out history-focused sights like the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and Fort Ticonderoga, as well as sampling regional beverages at local wineries and breweries.

A hub for culture, the arts, food and sightseeing, New York City is a must-visit on many travelers' bucket lists – and for good reason. Everyone can find something to enjoy in the Big Apple. You can see a Broadway show, visit the world-famous Empire State Building, walk the High Line, check out the dozens of museums, eat your way through Manhattan's distinct neighborhoods on a food tour or shop till you drop along Fifth Avenue. Don't forget to stroll through iconic Central Park and visit its can't-miss attractions, including the Central Park Zoo and Conservatory Garden.

A romantic New York getaway , the Finger Lakes region appeals to travelers seeking a relaxing retreat with lovely scenery. Skiing at the area's resorts, wine tasting at the Seneca Lake Wine Trail's wineries and boating and hiking at local state parks are all popular activities to enjoy in this part of northwestern New York. The Finger Lakes are known for their spectacular fall foliage, but with their wealth of charming towns and variety of seasonal attractions, the lakes are excellent to visit year-round.

Despite its name, the Thousand Islands region is composed of more than 1,800 islands. The best way to see this vast area, which also stretches into Canada, is during an open-air boat tour. A scenic cruise here will take you past lighthouses, mansions and castles and include commentary about the real-life pirates who used to roam the islands' waters and the Gilded Age magnates who once called the region home. When you're ready to return to land, hike the trails in Wellesley Island State Park or fish in Mary Island State Park, both on Wellesley Island.

Home to "The Queen of American Lakes," this town in New York's vast Adirondack mountain region is a vacation destination unto itself. Swim in Lake George's crystal-clear waters at Million Dollar Beach, or try your hand at aquatic activities like parasailing, water skiing, kayaking and more. Away from the lake, history buffs can brush up on their knowledge of the French and Indian War at the Fort William Henry Museum while adventurous travelers hike to the summit of Prospect Mountain for breathtaking vistas. Families will also appreciate the region's countless amusement parks and mini-golf courses.

Located on the western banks of the Hudson River in the Palisades region of New York, Bear Mountain State Park offers sweeping views of the Hudson Valley and the surrounding highlands. The forested park's trails (including a stretch of the Appalachian Trail) take hikers through lakes, gorges and valleys. What's more, Bear Mountain State Park features a zoo, a swimming pool, a hand-painted merry-go-round and a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink, ensuring family fun both on and off the trails. (Note: Portions of this park are still closed due to storm damage sustained in July 2023. Please check the park's website for the current operating status.)

With 98 peaks, southeastern New York's Catskill Mountains beckon to nature enthusiasts. About 40% of Catskill Park's 700,000-plus acres are designated as "forever wild," meaning you'll have access to sprawling spaces ideal for outdoor activities. In winter, the Catskills offer ample opportunities to ski and snowboard. Meanwhile, summer is perfect for hunting, hiking, boating and zip lining, among other activities. After a busy day outdoors, you can check out the region's art scene (the Catskills were home to America's first art movement – the Hudson River School) or enjoy the amenities at one of the area's top resorts .

Made famous by author Washington Irving in his 1820 short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," this small town about 30 miles north of New York City is a must-visit on any Hudson Valley itinerary. Begin with a trip to Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate, before heading to nearby Tarrytown to explore the grand Lyndhurst Mansion. In the evening, stroll through the famed Sleepy Hollow Cemetery on a lantern-lit guided tour. Keep in mind that this town becomes inundated with travelers around Halloween, so book your accommodations early if you are planning on visiting during the fall.

Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East because of its impressive gorge, Letchworth State Park is a hidden gem for travelers who love the outdoors. The park is home to three large waterfalls and dozens more on tributaries, many of which you can see as you trek some of Letchworth's 66 miles of hiking trails. Additionally, the park offers ample opportunities to go whitewater rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, biking and even hot air ballooning. If you prefer winter sports instead of summer pursuits, arrive when temperatures fall to go cross-country skiing or snowmobiling.

This 118-mile-long island is frequented by New Yorkers looking to escape the city to relax on white sand beaches with a glass of wine. Summer hot spots like the Hamptons and Montauk boast charming seaside allure and can't-miss stretches of sand, like Ditch Plains Beach, a popular place to surf. Meanwhile, family-friendly Jones Beach State Park is a more approachable option with a swimming pool, a mini-golf course and shuffleboard areas, among other amenities. Beyond beaches, Long Island boasts more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms, some of which are part of the island's North Fork Wine Trail.

Those looking to get away from skyscrapers can travel about 60 miles southeast of New York City to reach this 32-mile-long, car-free barrier island. On Fire Island, you'll find several charming communities, including Ocean Beach (where most of the island's hotels, restaurants and shops are located) and Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines (two of the island's top LGBTQ-friendly areas). Plus, Fire Island is home to Fire Island National Seashore, a protected area that welcomes bird-watchers and campers in droves. If you'd rather spend your vacation swimming, surfing or sunbathing, head to Robert Moses State Park in summer to enjoy its beautiful beaches.

Ever since the Mohawk people came to Saratoga Springs and discovered its mineral waters, which were believed to have restorative properties, the town has blossomed into a popular vacation destination. Visitors can still drink from or soak in the town's mineral springs, 12 of which are located in Saratoga Spa State Park. However, many travelers now flock to Saratoga Springs to see one of the country's oldest racetracks, the Saratoga Race Course. Take a walking tour of the facility to learn more about its history and horseracing, or visit in August to attend the venue's premier event, the Travers Stakes.

The presence of two renowned institutions – Ithaca College and Cornell University – makes Ithaca a true college town. But this small town in New York's Finger Lakes region is also known for its stunning natural beauty, so much so that its slogan is "Ithaca is gorges." Ithaca is surrounded by more than 150 waterfalls, as well as gorges and dense forests with hiking and biking trails. What's more, the town overlooks the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, a superb spot for boating, fishing and swimming. For groups with budding naturalists, follow Ithaca's Discovery Trail to must-see attractions like the Sciencenter and the Cornell Botanic Gardens.

Cooperstown may be small, but it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year thanks to its ties to America's pastime. Although most experts agree that baseball wasn't invented here, Cooperstown remains a mecca for sports lovers because of its must-visit sight, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. However, the village offers other kinds of attractions, too. Travelers can visit the Fenimore Art Museum to see impressive works of art or check out The Farmers' Museum's exhibits about local agriculture. Cooperstown also features beautiful neoclassical buildings, such as Hyde Hall, and a variety of breweries and wineries.

Vote to Add these Destinations to the Rankings

Shelter Island

Governors Island

Rochester, NY

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The Travel Sisters

New york times 52 places to go in 2022.

by The Travel Sisters | Jan 10, 2022 | Travel Inspiration , Travel News | 2 comments

I love reading the annual travel lists compiled by various travel websites and newspapers on top travel destinations for the year.  While I don’t particularly care if a destination I travel to is considered a must see, I love reading these lists for inspiration on where to travel to and discovering places I might not have considered.

The New York Times list is one of my favorites. This year instead of their usual New York Times 52 Places to Go list this list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution to problems like overtourism and climate change and they have titled it “52 Places for a Changed World.”

UPDATE: Here is the newest list for 2024 .

Here are their picks for places to go in 2022:

1. Chioggia, Italy 2. Chimanimani National Park, Mozambique 3. Queens, New York 4. Northumberland, England 5. Zihuantanejo, Mexico 6. Iberá Park, Argentina 7. Alentejo Wine Region, Portugal 8. The Lucayan Archipelago, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos 9. Evia, Greece 10. Cobscook Shores, Maine 11. Hoonah, Alaska 12. Cleveland, Ohio 13. Courmayeur, Italy 14. Red River Delta, Vietnam 15. South Africa 16. Uttarakhand, India 17. Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada 18. The Great Highway, San Francisco 19. Kyoto , Japan 20. El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico 21. Sierra Leone 22. Slovenia 23. El Hierro, Spain 24. Summerland Peninsula, Australia 25. Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan 26. Gouda, The Netherlands 27. Thy, Denmark 28. The Red Sea Mountain Trail, Egypt 29. Little Calumet River, Chicago 30. The Inner Hebrides, Scotland 31. Normandy, France 32. Estes Park, Colorado 33. Kunta Kinteh Island, Gambia 34. Naples, Italy 35. Höga Kusten, Sweden 36. Humboldt, Kansas 37. Greenland 38. Marrakesh, Morocco 39. Northland, New Zealand 40. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada 41. Elijio Panti National Park, Belize 42. Sarasota, Florida 43. Vanuatu 44. Santa Cruz County, California 45. Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil 46. Saguaro National Park, Arizona 47. Islas Cíes, Spain 48. Monaco 49. Bronzeville, Milwaukee 50. Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve, Canada 51. Cerro Castillo National Park, Chile 52. Daintree Rainforest, Australia

Click here for the complete New York Times list .

To see the past lists from recent years here are the New York Times 52 Places to Go lists from 2015 , 2016 , 2017 ,  2018 ,  2019 2020 and 2021 .

This list sounds like some amazing places to see! And also, Cleveland Ohio.

I love the 52 places series in NYT. Excellent remedy for my tired senses!

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Where to Stay in New York City: A Guide for First Timers

We’ve now spent a few weeks in New York City, split between a couple of different trips, and the first thing we’re always struck by when we arrive in Manhattan is the buzzing energy that fills the streets of NYC at all hours. 6:00 am? Tons of people out and about. 2:00 am? Same thing.

It boggles my mind, but I guess that’s what happens when you pack millions of people into a place the size of Manhattan. 

The second thing that strikes me every time is the size of the buildings and the density. It truly is a concrete jungle. I grew up in Seattle and lived in San Francisco where there is a downtown area with massive buildings, but once you get out of that relatively small area the tallest building is roughly three stories – and you find green spaces around every corner. 

In New York City, I regularly looked up and saw a 40 story building, no matter where I was – from Lower Manhattan to the Upper Eastside. The density is mind boggling. 

In this guide, we’re going to share our take on where to stay in New York City, based on our own experience and point of view, to help you find the perfect place to stay for your trip. For each one, we’ll give you an overview of each area, then dive deep into the pros and cons, a few highlights that we love, and some handpicked places to stay. 

Sound good? Let’s get into it.

PS: Planning a trip to NYC? We’ve got some other super detailed travel guides you might find useful. Read our guide to planning an amazing NYC itinerary for our take on EXACTLY how to spend a few days in New York City, and our guide to the best gluten free restaurants and bakeries in NYC if you’re a gluten free foodie, like us.

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.

Where to Stay in New York City: The Best Places to Stay

When you’re trying to decide where to stay, it is important to think about what kind of New York experience you’re looking for. 

Are you there to eat all the best food and see the city like a local (I am)? Do you want to visit all the art galleries and museums? Or are you wanting to see as many tourist attractions as humanly possible (I don’t recommend it)? 

The best place to stay in New York City will vary depending on your style, budget, and expectations.

Luckily for you, we put together this DETAILED guide of the best neighborhoods to stay in, complete with pros and cons, neighborhood highlights, and handpicked highly-rated hotels in each area. 

Don’t have time to read the entire guide below? Here’s a quick summary to get your search for the perfect place to stay started. 

• Our overall recordation is the Flatiron District / NoMad . This area gives you all the benefits of Midtown (in fact, it’s basically the southern end of Midtown), but it’s a little less hectic and overwhelming. Plus, unlike Midtown, where the food and drinks are underwhelming (at best), this area is full of great places to eat and drink. You’re also walkable to Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and the East Village, which all are great places to eat and drink too. We like the Ace Hotel (I stayed there a couple of years ago) and the Freehand (we also stayed there – it’s a relatively affordable option). 
• If it’s your first time in New York (or you have a short trip) , stay in Midtown . It’s as central as it gets, walkable to Central Park, and full of the unbridled energy that makes NYC special. We will say that it gets a little overwhelming near Times Square. We love CitizenM Hotels (we’ve stayed in three of their hotels in the past four months, at the time of writing), and their Times Square location gets great reviews and is relatively affordable.
• If you’ve done the touristy stuff before and are looking for a different experience, stay in Brooklyn or Williamsburg . Brooklyn, if taken as its own city, is massive in its own right, and there’s plenty to do, see, eat, and drink. Plus, the ferry system is a very, very pleasant way to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Brooklyn is more urban – we were surprised that the downtown area is full of skyscrapers. Williamsburg is more residential. 
• If you’re on a tight budget , there’s really no single area that has all the budget accommodations. There’s the HI Hostel on the Upper West Side, which has dorms that are affordable (though it’s FAR). Pod 39 in Times Square has small, affordable rooms. The Jane Hotel in Greenwich Village is about as good a value as you’ll find in the city. 

Where We’ve Stayed in New York City

As always, we like to start these guides with our own personal experience staying in New York City. 

I’m going to disregard my first time in New York City, which was a two day trip where I spent most of my time inside a conference room. 

The next two trips were both weeklong affairs, and over the course of that time we stayed in a couple of different places. 

For the first weeklong trip, we stayed in the Flatiron District , which is – SPOILER ALERT – our top recommendation.

We love this area, from the greenery of Madison Park and Union Square, to the excellent bars, restaurants, and coffee shops that it has to offer.

Plus, it’s a great central location between Midtown and Central Park, and Lower Manhattan (not to mention where Penn Station is located, which means an easy journey if that’s where you’re arriving). 

We stayed at two separate hotels during that trip. 

First, we spent a few nights at the budget-friendly Freehand Hotel . The Freehand is part hostel, with smaller-than-average rooms, great common areas (including a nice rooftop), and lower-than-average prices, and part boutique hotel, with stylish decor and good service.

Rooms are smallish, though they do have some bigger configurations, and have some creative layouts for groups traveling together (some of which include bunk beds). Overall, we were fans, and the price was right at the time. 

Next, we moved a few blocks over to the Ace Hotel .

We’ve stayed at the Ace in Seattle, and this hotel was an upgrade from that experience, with bigger, quieter rooms, and a nicer lobby area. There are rooms of various sizes, from cozy single rooms to huge loft suites that are bigger than the average NYC apartment. 

It’s not the cheapest hotel in New York City, but it’s somewhere around the mid-range category, and probably is one of the better options in that particular tier.  

On our most recent weeklong NYC adventure, we spent most of our time in Lower Manhattan, and Matt spent a couple of nights at the end of the trip on his own staying in Midtown. 

We were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was to stay in Lower Manhattan , which we thought would be a little lifeless with tons of office buildings and not all that many cool spots.

To an extent, that’s true, but there’s also some very real positives: good transit connections to the rest of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and some of the best museums and traditional tourist attractions in the city. 

We stayed at Sonder Battery Park , which is sort of like a hotel whose rooms are apartments, with full kitchens and bigger living spaces.

There are a few Sonder locations in Lower Manhattan, but we liked this spot a block away from Battery Park. There’s a nice rooftop deck, a fitness center, a couple of lounges, and more amenities in the building. 

Our apartment – which is a contactless experience (though there are staff at the front desk if you have questions) – was nice and spacious, and was stocked with everything we needed for our trip. We’d definitely stay there again. 

On the back end of our trip, which took us to Boston, Vermont, and NYC, we split up and I, Matt, spent a week doing some more exploring on the east coast, including a few days in Philadelphia.

I flew out of JFK in New York, so I came back to the city for a couple of nights before my flight, and stayed in Midtown . 

To be honest, Midtown is a little much for me. I’m a city person at heart, but Midtown is just too hectic for me. Every single sidewalk is packed wall-to-wall from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. It’s wild. 

But, I also think Midtown is a solid place to stay. Because of the sheer number of hotels, the prices are actually decent considering their proximity to places like Times Square and Central Park. Plus, it’s super central. 

I stayed at the Arlo Midtown , which I’d recommend as a boutique hotel that’s fairly affordable (I probably wouldn’t splurge for the city view, although I could see the Empire State Building from the foot of the bed).

The CitizenM Times Square was also on our list because we LOVE CitizenM hotels (we’ve stayed in three of their hotels in the past four months, at the time of writing).

Flatiron and NoMad: Our Personal Pick for Best Area To Stay In New York City

The reason we think Flatiron and NoMad should be at the top of your list of the best places to stay in New York City is simple. It’s essentially the lower end of Midtown Manhattan, which has a decidedly different, more pleasant character than the area further north towards Times Square. 

It combines the energy and centrality of Midtown and the excellent access to food and drinks of Chelsea and Greenwich Village (and the West Village). 

First, let’s talk about geography. In terms of location, what are we talking about here? Essentially, I’m referring to the area between Union Square on the southern end and W32nd St on the northern end . In terms of east/west borders, it’s going to be something like Park Ave and 7th . 

This little slice of paradise in the city has everything we like in a neighborhood: excellent green spaces (Union Square and Madison Square Park), great food and drinks (Cosme for Michelin starred Mexican) and Devoción (for excellent Colombian coffee), and a perfect central location between Midtown, Chelsea / Greenwich Village, and the East Village. 

As you get further north into Midtown, the energy gets to be a little much, at least for us. This part of Manhattan has a taste of that energy, but it’s far more accessible and less overwhelming, and shares the same transit connections that makes Midtown a perfect place to stay for your first trip to New York. 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Flatiron / NoMad

Pros: 

• Excellent food and drinks. This area is PACKED with restaurants and bars, and chances are whether you stay here or not, you’ll end up here to eat at least once. 
• Good public transit connections. With the exception of Brooklyn (more on that in the cons section), this is a perfect location to use to explore Manhattan. It won’t take you much more than 30 minutes to get anywhere you need to go, from Battery Park to the Upper West Side. 

Cons: 

• It’s a trek to Brooklyn / Williamsburg. This is the exception to the “good public transit” bullet above. Not that it’s bad, but you’re going to have to transfer, and it’s likely to take you 40-45 minutes, if not more. If you can, catch the East River ferry here – it’s a much more pleasant journey than the subway. 

Flatiron / NoMad Highlights

Here are some of our favorite spots in the neighborhood, in no particular order.

• Madison Square Park: Not to be confused with Madison Square Garden, the stadium just a few blocks west, this park is right at the base of the Flatiron Building at the intersection of Broadway and 5th Ave. There’s some excellent people watching to be had here, from old men on their daily coffee meetups, to street performers, and flustered office workers. There’s also a Shake Shack right in the park, a great place for a lunch (or snack?). 
• Union Square: At the southern border of the neighborhood is this nice green space, famous for its centerpiece, the statue of George Washington. Don’t miss the Greenmarket , which takes place Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday year round (8:00 am – 6:00 pm). 
• Cosme : I love Cosme, chef Enrique Olvera’s (of Pujol fame) outpost in the Flatiron District. I’ve been twice, and both times it was a stellar experience. It has a Michelin star, and the service, ambiance, and food are impeccable. Get the duck carnitas, which are enough to feed a small army, and DO NOT MISS the corn husk meringue, which might have been the best thing we ate on our entire trip. 
• Devoción : We have actually been to their cafe in Bogotá, Colombia, and I didn’t even know they had shops in NYC until we walked by the one in Williamsburg. The beans come straight from Colombia (within 10 days of roasting), and they have a BEAUTIFUL space filled with lots of plants and natural light. 
• Beecher’s Cheese : Hey, look, a company from Seattle ( Filson also has a location not too far away – we’re taking over!). I love Beecher’s Flagship cheese – my mom almost always has a chunk of it waiting for me when I visit her house – and they do a mean mac n cheese here (though I can’t partake, because gluten). Bedford Cheese Shop is another good spot nearby, if you’re looking for a wider selection of cheese. 

Where To Stay In Flatiron And NoMad 

Part of the reason I like this particular area is the great assortment of charming hotels. From budget to boutique, it has something for everyone.

The Freehand NYC: Best Affordable Hotel in New York City

Listen, if you’re looking for an affordable place to stay and you’re not too concerned with having all the bells and whistles that some of the upscale hotels have, this place is great. Besides, you won’t be spending much time in your hotel anyway, you’ll be out exploring! 

We stayed here for three nights on our first trip and were blown away by the value. The Freehand is a great option for groups of friends or couples traveling together. It is a beautifully designed, minimalist hotel with really reasonable rates. 

They have large plant-filled social areas and restaurants. My favorite part of this hotel was the rooftop bar and lounge; such a great way to finish up a day exploring! 

The Ace Hotel: Best Combination of Style and Budget

Another fantastic option in the heart of NYC, I stayed at the Ace Hotel for 3 nights and it was a great home base for exploring the surrounding areas. In particular, it’s the best combination of style and budget in the neighborhood. Big, bright rooms, a mix of modern amenities and vintage touches, and a central location. 

The Ace Hotel is located right in the middle of NoMad, a five-minute walk from Koreatown and some great cafes. The hotel’s public areas and rooms are decorated in vintage style with some of the larger rooms having a turntable. Rudy’s Barbershop is located onsite for a bit of pampering. I stayed here and loved how easy it was to get around by subway. 

The MADE Hotel: Splurge-worthy Boutique Hotel

The Made Hotel is the hotel I have always wanted to stay at when visiting New York, but it was fully booked last time I visited. It has a zen-like vibe to the entire hotel with lots of exposed wood, greenery, and natural light. Aka my ideal style. 

There’s a cafe, rooftop bar, and a patio for hotel guests only. Minimalist rooms with sweeping city views and super comfortable beds are the main draw, though. 

Midtown Manhattan: Best Central Location for First Timers and Short Trips

There’s truly no better place to soak up the boundless energy that characterizes New York City than Midtown Manhattan.

Especially during the day, when tourists and office workers make it so that, no matter where in Midtown you find yourself, it’s a pretty good bet that the sidewalks will be packed. 

Truth be told, we’re very much city people (we’ve lived in San Francisco and Seattle, and at the time of writing are in the process of moving to Portland, Oregon) and Midtown is a little overwhelming, even to us. 

However, for a few nights, this is the most central place to stay in New York City. Just north is Central Park, the best urban green space in the country (sorry, Golden Gate Park), and you’ll be surrounded by some of the most iconic sites, sounds, and eats in Manhattan. 

Matt has stayed in Midtown a couple of times over the course of his last few trips to New York, and firmly believes that it’s best in relatively small doses.

The location is great – though it is hectic – and has convenient subway connections to just about everywhere in NYC. Plus, there’s a bunch of great places to eat and drink… as long as you walk at least four blocks from Times Square. 

One of our favorite memories from this last trip is finding ourselves in the middle of a spontaneous-ish dance party in Bryant Park. At 4:00 pm on a Thursday afternoon. That kind of energy is emblematic of New York City, and it’s best experienced in Midtown, which is the beating heart of Manhattan in terms of energy. 

A note on geography: Midtown Manhattan refers to a giant swath of Central Manhattan that swallows up distinct neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen, not to mention areas like “Midtown East” and “Midtown West.” We’re going to combine them all, and this section covers everything in Manhattan between the southern end of Central Park and the Empire State Building (roughly). 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Midtown Manhattan

• The Location is as central as it gets. There’s plenty to do and see within Midtown itself, and just outside the borders of the neighborhood, you’ll find even more amazing sights (the Met and Central Park to the north, and Chelsea Market, the Highline, and Flatiron Building to the south). 
• The Transit Connections. Penn Station, NYC’s main train station, is at the southwestern corner of Midtown, where you’ll find trains to Newark International Airport and the Amtrak to various other Northeastern cities. Plus, just about every subway line runs through Midtown, which will get you anywhere you need to go in the New York Metro Area. 
• The Unbridled Energy. When we think of New York City, we think of a sort of buzzing energy at all hours. Which is exactly what you’ll find in Midtown. Is it overwhelming at times? Yes. But also, where else in the world will you find a spontaneous-ish dance party at 4:00 pm on a Thursday, like we found in Bryant Park during our trip? 
• It’s Budget-Friendly. Despite being one of the most “touristy” parts of Manhattan, this is actually a relatively affordable area to stay in.
• It’s dirty. I mean, given the “unbridled energy” bullet above, it should come as no surprise that there’s a tradeoff to the constant flow of people. This is a pretty dirty part of the city. Lots of humans usually means lots of trash, and that’s certainly true of Midtown. 
• It’s just… A LOT. Especially around Times Square, which is an overwhelming place to visit. We like the northern end of Midtown because it’s walkable to Times Square, and the southern end because we love the Flatiron District / NoMad, which is walkable from there. 
• The restaurants around Times Square are mostly pretty terrible. Please don’t eat at Olive Garden while you’re in New York City! There’s so much good food and places to drink in Midtown, but the six square blocks around Times Square are, generally, not a good place to find it. The exception being Los Tacos , which is supposedly incredible (but they serve flour tortillas, so no tacos for us because Matt has Celiac Disease and gluten makes him sick for days). 

Midtown Highlights

Here are some places in Midtown that we think you might enjoy.

• Los Tacos No. 1 : As we mentioned above, we didn’t actually get to eat here because they serve gluten in multiple forms. But it was recommended by a couple of New Yorkers we know who didn’t think about that aspect. They also have a location in Chelsea Market, but if you’re in Times Square and you’re hungry, don’t be afraid to brave the fast-moving line for their tacos. 
• Tanner Smiths : A lovely cocktail bar in Midtown that was the first bar we ever went to in the city. We also discovered Stormalong Cider here, which has become one of our favorite hard cider brands. 
• Top of the Rock : We’ve found that the top deck of the Empire State Building is similar to other viewing platforms on top of major tourist attractions, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Space Needle in Seattle. It’s missing a key element of the NYC skyline… the Empire State Building. Instead, head over to the Top of the Rock, the viewing platform on top of Rockefeller Center, for a jaw-dropping view of New York City, including the Empire State Building and Central Park. It’s pricey, but it’s the best view of the city for us. 
• Bryant Park: A lovely green space in the middle of a concrete jungle. Surrounded by 30+ floor buildings, this park is packed at all times of day with workers getting a coffee or a drink and basking in the sun (when it’s out). The New York Public Library at the eastern end of Bryant Park is worth a visit for their collection of various artifacts, including a handwritten copy – by Thomas Jefferson – of the Constitution, and the original stuffed animals that inspired Winnie the Pooh. Plus, it’s free!
• The Museum of Modern Art : We’re not huge art museum people – we really need a guide to tell us what to focus on and craft a narrative – but we enjoyed MOMA. They have some great works on the fifth floor, like Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Water Lilies , and some of the more experiential, multi-medium exhibits were enthralling and immersive. We also really liked some of the abstract art, including some of Picasso’s works. 

The Best Places to Stay in Midtown Manhattan

Here are some places to stay in Midtown Manhattan, from affordable stays to a splurge-worthy boutique hotel. 

Arlo Midtown: A Great Mid Range Option in a Great Location

I, Matt, stayed at the Arlo Midtown for a couple of nights alone before flying back home to California, and I really enjoyed it. The rooms are compact, but they’re comfortable, thoughtfully laid out and designed (USB ports by the bed, reading lights, and mini fridges!), and some have excellent views of Manhattan. 

It’s also a few blocks north of Penn Station, so you’ll be able to walk to your hotel if you’re arriving by train, which makes for an easier day of travel. 

I paid a little extra for a room with a city view, and loved the amount of light that the big windows let in. If you’re looking for a special stay, the King rooms with a city view are a good choice, though I will say that the views vary by room, and my room had an Empire State Building view, but only from the foot of the bed. 

If you’re not too concerned with what kind of view you’ll have, you’ll save a few dollars by booking a room without a view. 

They also have a nice rooftop bar with great views (it’s small, so you’ll want to get there early if you want to be up there for sunset), a fitness center, and a bunch of great common space on the ground floor, including a fun little atrium. 

Overall, I’d recommend it, and I’d stay there again if I wanted a place in Midtown (though, to be honest, I don’t think I’d stay in Midtown again). 

They also have hotels in NoMad and SoHo , which are similar concepts in different neighborhoods. 

CitizenM Times Square: The Best Overall Hotel in Midtown

First of all, we LOVE CitizenM hotels. They regularly make our list of the best hotels in cities like Seattle and London because they do one thing, and they do it well: affordable hotels with everything you need and nothing you don’t.

Perfect for travelers that will be spending most of their time out exploring, they only have one room size. No more decision fatigue around whether you should choose “comfort” or “economy.”

The CitizenM Times Square is super highly rated. If it’s your first time in New York City, this might be the perfect place to stay. It’s located right in the heart of all the action with a Times Square address. 

It’s a great value with no frills – instead of a reception desk, there is a self-check-in with staff on hand if you need assistance. There is a gym on the 20 th floor with impressive views over the city and a rooftop bar, so they provide the things that count. 

They also have a location in Lower Manhattan that would be a great location for business travelers who want to be close to the Financial District. 

Pod 51: The Most Affordable Hotel Near Times Square

This charming, affordable hotel is all about the location. Pod 51 is located in the heart of Midtown, 15 minutes from Times Square and across the street from Greenacre Park with its huge waterfall, but the prices would make you think it’s in Jersey. 

The best feature is the rooftop deck with colorful sun loungers, perfect for soaking up the sun in summer. It also has an onsite restaurant and bar as well as a cafe. Hostel style rooms and private rooms are available. 

Library Hotel: A Splurge-worthy Boutique Hotel

The Library Hotel is a super central option – a hidden gem located right near New York Public Library and Grand Central Station. It is library-themed, as you probably guessed from the name, and goes as far as designing its rooms on the Dewey decimal system.

So room 500.005 is dinosaur themed, room 800.005 is fairy tale themed and so on.

It also has a reading room on the second floor with Madison Avenue views and hundreds of books to browse. Coffee, tea, and cookies are always available in the reading room, so there is no need to ever leave to grab a snack or pick-me-up. 

Lower Manhattan: A Well-Connected Hub with Plenty to See

On our latest trip to New York City, we spent the bulk of our time staying in Lower Manhattan just a block away from Battery Park, which has views of the Statue of Liberty.

Originally, I will admit that I was fairly against staying in Lower Manhattan, which felt like it was a little soulless, full of towering office buildings with workers milling about during the day. 

However, after staying there for five nights, I would like to say that I have completely changed my tune. Not only are there a huge variety of things to do in Lower Manhattan (like the moving 9/11 Memorial and Museum), but it’s also one of the most conveniently located neighborhoods for accessing places like Brooklyn and the Lower East Side. 

This is downtown New York City (or, the Financial District), which means it’s a lot of office buildings, sharply dressed office workers, and the businesses that support them (a lot of fast-casual lunch options, for example). 

Combine that with several subway lines running north to get you to Midtown in 20-25 minutes or so, and it’s not such a bad place to make your temporary home in New York City. 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Lower Manhattan

• Great transit connections. Between express trains that move from Lower Manhattan to uptown, skipping stops along the way, to an easy hop over to Brooklyn and Williamsburg, you’ll be able to go just about anywhere you need to go within a half hour. Even getting to the Upper West Side (81st Street) only took us about 25 minutes. 
• Tons of things to do and see. Within the neighborhood (which is big), there’s a ton to see. Battery Park, the famous bull, the Stock Exchange, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum… the list goes on!

Cons:  

• It’s boring in terms of food and drinks. Plan on eating elsewhere. This is a sea of Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and there’s even a TGI Fridays, which I haven’t seen in a decade or so.
• It’s dead on weekends. Unsurprisingly, given the number of office buildings and workers in this area, it’s pretty dead come Saturday and especially Sunday. Not a huge deal, but worth noting. 

The Best Places to Stay in Lower Manhattan

Here are some of our picks for the best places to stay in Lower Manhattan. 

Where We Stayed: Sonder Battery Park (nice apartments, modern contactless check-in, cool roof deck)

Affordable Options : Hotel Mulberry or the NobleDEN Hotel (affordable by NYC standards, anyway)

Hip Mid Range Hotel : CitizenM Bowery (we love CitizenM, and have stayed at three different locations in the past four months)

A Touch of Luxury : The Roxy Hotel

Chelsea / Greenwich Village: Cool Neighborhoods with Tons to Eat and Drink

Chelsea is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in New York, full of art galleries and industrial-chic galleries.

It is wedged firmly between Midtown and Greenwich Village, making it easy to get around and explore. It has pretty cobbled streets and plenty of great places to eat, drink, and shop to explore as you meander your way through. 

Plus there’s the most unique green space in New York, the Highline , to wander slowly through and enjoy the greenery and art installations.

It is a repurposed rail line suspended above the streets. Now it is full of wildflowers, art installations, and shrubbery. It is about a mile and a half long and runs between Chelsea and the Hudson Yards, and it offers some spectacular views of the NYC skyline. 

Get up there in the early morning to take it in before the rest of the tourists show up.

Greenwich Village is just south of Chelsea, but has a completely different vibe, which was apparent as we walked north from Washington Square Park towards the southern end of the highline.

Greenwich Village is much more residential, with commercial strips with bars, restaurants, and shops interspersed with brownstones. The best stretch is probably along 7th Avenue, though Hudson Street is another good one. 

If you are looking to experience the New York you see in movies, then Greenwich Village is the best place to stay in New York City. 

There are plenty of brownstone-lined streets, long curving lanes, and romantic little cafes tucked away just waiting to be stumbled upon. Your favorite 90’s shows, like Sex and the City and Friends, were filmed in this part of the city.

It is also the home of NYU which gives the area a young feel to it while still remaining upscale and picturesque. 

The area just south of Washington Square Park is one of our favorite parts of the entire city, and the streets are lined with some of our favorite bars, restaurants, and coffee shops (Nami Nori, Posh Pop Bakeshop, and Senza Gluten Cafe to name a few). 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Chelsea / Greenwich Village

Pros:  

• It’s about as charming as it gets. Particularly Greenwich Village. Lots of tree-lined streets, typical brownstones with fancy porches (we love the elevated porches!), and bricks and cobblestones (we’re suckers for both). 
• Unparalleled food and drink options. The concentration of great restaurants might be higher here than anywhere else in the city. 
• The great urban green spaces. Between the Highline and the piers that have been transformed into green spaces, it’s not hard to break free from the concrete jungle for a little fresh (ish) air. 
• It can be pricey. Two things are true here – there aren’t a whole lot of hotels in either of these neighborhoods, and it’s a desirable place to stay. Which means if you want to stay here, you’re probably going to be paying for it (though there are a couple of good budget options). 
• It can be loud. As you might imagine given its proximity to NYU and the sheer number of places to eat and drink, the nightlife here is great. It can get loud and rowdy. 

Chelsea / Greenwich Village Highlights

Here are some spots in Chelsea and Greenwich Village that we enjoyed, and think you might too.

• Chelsea Market : An indoor market with a craft market at one end, and a bunch of food options inside. Peruse the stalls, but don’t miss Los Tacos (you’ll know it because of the line outside around lunch time). 
• Terremoto Coffee : If you’re into places where you can choose what coffee beans you’re served in your drink, this place is for you. They serve Unity Coffee, and have a couple of beans available for filter coffee and espresso, along with a couple of special beans that you won’t find elsewhere (for a slight upcharge). It’s a tiny spot a block away from Chelsea Market, and it’s a good stop for coffee lovers in the neighborhood.  
• Washington Square Park: The centerpiece of Greenwich Village / the West Village, known best for its arch. Although pup-watching at the dog park is probably the highlight for us. 
• Nami Nori : We loved this sushi spot in Greenwich Village that serves temaki, which are basically single-serve handrolls that are kind of like tacos. Definitely get the furikake fries with tonkatsu ketchup, and the green curry shrimp roll, which was BY FAR our favorite. Sit at the bar for the best experience, where you get to watch them crafting your rolls individually. 
• Little Island: One thing that New York does really well is repurposing formerly industrial spaces into more practical spaces. Especially in places like Brooklyn Bridge Park and on the western side of Manhattan, where you’ll find defunct piers that are now amazing green spaces. Little Island is a great example of that, and is one of the newer piers to be renovated. It’s gorgeous, and it’s just a block or two away from Chelsea Market. You need to make a timed entry reservation after 12:00 pm in the summer, which you can do here . 
• The Highline: Another great example of a manufactured green space in the concrete jungle that is New York City! This is an elevated walking path from Hell’s Kitchen down past Chelsea Market that is lined with plant life and is definitely worth a stroll, especially on a sunny day.  

The Best Places to Stay in Chelsea / Greenwich Village

Here are three solid options in Chelsea and Greenwich Village to look at, depending on your style and budget. 

Budget Option: Leo House

Hip Midrange Hotel: Moxy NYC Chelsea

A Touch of Luxury : The Maritime Hotel

Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg: Cool Areas for Your Second Trip

When you think of Brooklyn, what comes to mind? For us, after our last trip, it’s great food, excellent views of Manhattan’s skyline, and charming waterfront parks. 

Oh, and hipsters. In the 2010’s (ish), it felt like every cool food and drink brand, from coffee shops to single origin chocolate, was started in Brooklyn. 

Other than a quick trip over to Brooklyn for dinner at Claro – which we highly, highly recommend – we had never really spent any meaningful amount of time east of the East River until our latest trip, when we found ourselves in both areas multiple times. 

At this point, Brooklyn is hardly a hidden gem or hipster area – it has been firmly on the tourist map for a solid few decades.

It’s full of great food and drinks – some of our favorite restaurants in NYC are here – some nice green spaces (Prospect Park and all the piers in Brooklyn Bridge Park), and the DUMBO area is cool. 

First of all, the ferry system that runs up and down the East River is an excellent way to get around, particularly between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn / Williamsburg. We got a tip from a local friend who pointed us to the ferry on our first visit, and we ended up taking it several more times after that. 

Second of all, multiple places that make our “best places to eat and drink” section in our New York City itinerary were in Brooklyn.

The biggest knock on Brooklyn is that, if you stay in Brooklyn, it’s going to take you FOREVER to get anywhere in Manhattan north of about 30th Street.

Which means Times Square, Central Park, and the Upper East Side and Upper West Side are going to be a little hard to reach. If you’ve got a short trip, that’s going to be a little bit of an issue. 

However, if you’re in NYC for a longer trip and have the luxury of time OR you’ve done most of the typical New York tourist stuff and are content spending the bulk of your time in Brooklyn and Williamsburg, this would be an excellent place to base yourself. 

A geography note: We’re going to go ahead and combine Brooklyn and Williamsburg, which are two neighborhoods that are east of the East River in the Brooklyn borough. Though they’re not actually particularly easy to get between, they are similar in terms of the pros and cons of staying there, and what they offer tourists. However, because they are distinct neighborhoods, we are going to give you a separate section for highlights and places to stay for each. 

Pros and Cons of Staying in Brooklyn / Williamsburg

• It’s charming. From the tree-lined streets in Brooklyn Heights to the waterfront real estate of Domino Park in Williamsburg, there’s a lot of charm to be had up and down the eastern side of the East River.
• It’s full of great eating and drinking. Some of our food and drink highlights from our entire trip are located here (you’ll find them sprinkled in the neighborhood highlights sections below). And it’s a diverse food scene, featuring foods from all over the world. 
• It’s FAR from most of the main sights in Manhattan. Via the subway or ferries, you’re looking at 30-40 minutes to places like Chelsea, Times Square, and Central Park. If you’ve already done the tourist stuff and are happy spending most of your time on the east side of the river, then this would be a lovely place to spend a few days eating, drinking, and exploring.
• Gentrification. Brooklyn and Williamsburg are one of the original epicenters of gentrification in the United States (along with the Mission District in San Francisco), with brunch spots and third wave coffee shops – and the people who frequent those places – replacing local residents and businesses. It’s not a reason not to stay here, but it is worth knowing the context going into your decision. Many parts of Brooklyn and Williamsburg used to be primarily non-white, and those residents have been pushed out due to rising cost of living. 

Brooklyn Highlights

• Brooklyn Bridge Park: Stretching south from Dumbo and the Brooklyn Bridge, this park covers a fair amount of ground, including a few defunct piers that have been transformed into green spaces, basketball courts, and soccer fields. It’s worth doing a loop from Dumbo down to Pier 6, and walking back through Brooklyn Heights (which also has great views of the Lower Manhattan skyline).
• Cardiff Giant : If a bar that serves EXCLUSIVELY beer, wine, and cider from New York state sounds like a good time, this is the place for you. Plus, the back garden is an excellent place to spend a sunny afternoon procrastinating on all the stuff you’re supposed to be getting done. 
• Claro : We’ve been twice, and love this place. The back garden is where you should reserve if you’re coming in the summer. It’s now exclusively a tasting menu, and the most interesting things on the menu for us were the strawberry aguachile (it’s spicy!), though everything we ate was fantastic. Plus, it’s entirely gluten free!
• Dumbo: The formerly industrial area just north of the Brooklyn Bridge has been on the map for a decade or more now, but it has recently been taken up a level with the opening of the Time Out Market (similar to the one in Lisbon), whose rooftop has great views of NYC. Cobblestone streets and red brick buildings are the name of the game here, and the iconic view of the Manhattan Bridge that you’ve probably seen on Instagram can be found here . 
• The Brooklyn Bridge: Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is a great activity at any hour, but it’s especially spectacular in the early morning and late afternoon / early evening. It’s a long walk, it’s loud, and there’s a lot of cars whizzing by, but the views of the bridge and the skyline are worth it.  

Williamsburg Highlights

• Devocion : We have been to their cafe in Bogota! This place serves exclusively Colombian coffees that are shipped straight to their roastery in Williamsburg and served within 10 days, roughly. Super fresh! They have a BEAUTIFUL space, with lots of natural light streaming through the glass ceiling and all sorts of plant life. And the coffee is great, too. They have some fun pour over offerings, for true coffee enthusiasts like Matt. 
• Domino Park: A beautiful waterfront park with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. There’s a seasonal mini golf course that opens in the summer, too!
• Caracas Arepa Bar : The first thing you need to know is that we LOVE arepas. Specifically, the Venezuelan variety, which are cut in half and stuffed full of all sorts of delicious fillings. This place has a lovely back patio, great cocktails, and a mix of classic and inventive arepa offerings. 
• For All Things Good : While we love Claro and Cosme, two Michelin-starred Mexican restaurants in New York City, this might have been our favorite Mexican food of the trip. They use SUPER fresh masa, and the first thing we noticed is HOW MUCH BETTER tortillas, memelas, and tlayudas are when the masa is fresh. They had just started their dinner service when we were there, and we opted to stop by for brunch. Don’t miss the tlayudas (basically, a pizza with a masa base, beans, cheese, and other toppings) and tetelas (triangle-shaped stuffed masa). 

Best Places to Stay in Downtown Brooklyn

Here are two solid options in Brooklyn to look at, depending on your style and budget. 

Solid Mid Range Hotel: NU Hotel or Even Hotel Brooklyn

A Touch of Luxury : The Ace Hotel

Best Places to Stay in Williamsburg

Here are three solid options in Williamsburg to look at, depending on your style and budget.

Budget Option: Pod Brooklyn

Solid Mid Range Hotel: Hotel Indigo or Hotel Le Jolie

A Touch of Luxury : The Wythe Hotel

Matt is the founder and main writer behind Wheatless Wanderlust, which he started back in 2018 as a way to share his gluten free travel guides with his fellow Celiac travelers.

Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up.

He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip.

You guys are amazing, as soon as we saw you recommended Gramercy Tavern I knew we were in safe hands, it one of our fave dining experiences ever, we stayed at the Dream Downtown for my 60th, which a lovely hotel, but on your recommendation think well try the Made Hotel for my 65th next year (2022), thx again for the advice, BW, Nick

Thanks for all the recommendations! Just got back from our trip to NYC and we loved every minute of it. Stayed at the Arlo Midtown which was perfect, Los Tacos was delicious and the ferry to Brooklyn was super easy and a beautiful way to commute. Will come back for more travel tips in the future 🙂

Thanks for the kind words, Brittney! We’re glad you had an amazing trip. We LOVED the ferry, and used it as many times as possible while we were in town. Cheers!

Great articles. However, I was searching for your list of GF eateries but couldn’t find it.

Hey there Chris! Here it is: https://wheatlesswanderlust.com/gluten-free-new-york-city-restaurants/

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The New York Times just released its annual list of the 52 places every traveler should visit. Here are the only 7 US destinations that made the cut this year.

• The New York Times has released its annual " 52 Places to Go " list. 
• To compile the list, The New York Times travel staff spent four months polling their travel networks and asking the question: "Why this place, this year?" 
• Commitment to sustainability and celebration of history are two threads running through this year's selections, Times travel editor Amy Virshup noted .
• Seven US destinations, ranging from Glacier National Park to Washington DC , made the cut.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Today, the New York Times released its " 52 Places to Go in 2020 " list. Over the course of four months, Times travel editors polled contributors, correspondents, seasoned travelers, and travel industry professionals for their recommendations, asking the question : "Why this place, this year?" 

The full list includes destinations hosting major events, such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; destinations celebrating major anniversaries, like the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's departure from Plymouth, England; and destinations undergoing drastic changes, such as the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. Sustainability and history were two themes running through the selections, Times travel editor Amy Virshup noted .

This year, seven destinations across the United States made the cut, ranging from major cities to a remote island and national park. Seven travel professionals shared their thoughts on why for "52 Places."Take a look.

Read the full list from the New York Times »

Glacier national park and whitefish, montana.

Only 25 glaciers remain in Glacier National Park , compared to 150 in 1910, Montana-based writer and photographer Justin Franz notes. While the landscape is evolving, the park is still renowned for its beauty. Franz recommends a visit to the 17-room Sperry Chalet, a 100-year-old lodge reopening in 2020 after a $9 million renovation. The nearby town of Whitefish, Montana, is another great base destination with a few more urban comforts, such as award-winning restaurants and recently opened boutique hotels, Franz says.

Source: The New York Times

Austin, Texas

Southern lawyer turned journalist Shannon Sims calls Austin a "buoyant economy and an intellectual hub packaged in an aesthetic of cowboy patina and broken-in leather." Beyond serving an important role in the upcoming presidential election as a "blue capital in a red state," Austin continues to be a talked-about travel destination for its music, art, and food scenes, she says. Sims encourages people to look beyond the buzzed-about Austin City Limits and South by Southwest, recommending art galleries on the East Side and relaxed dining establishments — in particular Tacodeli for breakfast tacos — as alternative attractions. Source: The New York Times

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is reawakening, New York Times contributing writer John L. Dorman notes. Oft regarded as "sleepy" and "steeped in Confederate history," Virginia's capital has emerged a center of food and culture. A new food hall, the city's first, will open in 2020 on the heels of restaurant openings across the city.

Outside the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Kehinde Wiley's 2019 "Rumors of War" statue of an African-American man on a horse creates space for dialogue around the capital's large number of Confederate monuments, Dorman adds. On the recreation front, he recommends a visit to the James River, where visitors can enjoy Class III and Class IV rapids. 

Grand Isle, Louisiana

Grand Isle is not only Louisiana's last inhabited barrier island, it also faces a high rate of sea level rise, freelance journalist Christopher Hall notes. Spanning seven miles and located two hours south of New Orleans in a high-traffic fishing zone, it is home to roseate spoonbills, majestic live oak forests, migratory birds, and bottlenose dolphins. The isle's survival is uncertain, so now is the time to go, Hall says. Catch the migratory bird festival in April or a cruise with Calmwater Charters to learn more about the isle's rich history. 

Colorado Springs, Colorado

The new $90 million US Olympic & Paralympic Museum as well as a brand new summit complex atop popular fourteener Pikes Peak will draw visitors to Colorado in 2020 , according to travel writer and editor Kathryn O'Shea Evans . After soaking up panoramic views at Pikes Peak, travelers can visit a growing number of farm-to-table restaurants serving everything from organic heirloom grain to freshly caught trout, she says. 

Paso Robles, California

Bruce Munro's latest "Field of Light" installation, consisting of 60,000 glowing orbs of light spread across 15 acres, cast the world's eye on Paso Robles . More people are discovering "the good life" in this wine region, freelance journalist and frequent New York Times contributor Danielle Pergament notes. Accordingly, two of Paso Robles' more than 300 wineries just underwent expansions, Hotel Cheval is debuting a spa and infinity pool, and a 16,000-square-foot food market will open in 2020 featuring everything from local produce to beer to vegan cheese, she says. 

Travel & Leisure also included California's Central Coast on its Best Places to Travel in 2020 List .

Washington, DC

One hundred years ago, the 19th amendment was ratified and women earned the right to vote. To commemorate the historic anniversary, a handful of DC museums are introducing exhibitions. The best part? The majority of museums in DC are free to visit.

In 2020, DC will also witness the presidential election. History and politics aside, DC is a must-visit as a "cosmopolitan crossroads" with a growing number of "forward-thinking" restaurants, says Zach Montague , who works for the New York Times' Washington bureau. Among DC attractions, Montague highlights U Street with its historic theaters and music halls as well as the district's many Ethiopian restaurants.

"Even as a modern, homegrown, and ever-changing culture percolates below the surface ...Washington holds to its historical ideal of a city built on a common heritage — a place for all Americans to reflect on a shared identity, even in a contentious election year," Montague writes.

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Top 20 St. Petersburg attractions and experiences

St. Petersburg has a true wealth of attractions and experiences to offer travelers, from spectacular Imperial palaces to quirky and absorbing museums, from boat trips along the city's majestic rivers and canals to walks in the footsteps of St. Petersburg's literary and artistic greats.

In fact, there's more than enough to see and do in St. Petersburg to keep visitors entertained for weeks or even months. One of the biggest challenges for independent travelers is to work out what they will actually have time to fit in to their itinerary, particularly as St. Petersburg is one of Europe's largest cities, with the historical centre alone covering several square kilometers and some of the most famous attractions located far out in the suburbs. To help you get the most out of your time in St. Petersburg, our travel writers have drawn on their own expertise and years of feedback from travelers to compile this Top 20 list of attractions and experiences.

The Hermitage (The Winter Palace)

Undoubtedly St. Petersburg's most famous visitor attraction, and universally acknowledged as one of the world's greatest treasuries of art and antiquities, the Hermitage is a name to be conjured with, and reason enough on its own for many travelers to book a trip to St. Petersburg.

The Hermitage Museum now spans several sites, but for most visitors it is the main collection in the Winter Palace that is an essential component of any St. Petersburg itinerary. Here you'll find not only centuries of European fine art and a rich collection of Greek and Roman antiquities , but also the astonishingly opulent 18th and 19th century state rooms of Russia's imperial family.

Since the summer of 2014, much of the Hermitage's renowned collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art (in terms of artistic quality, undoubtedly the highpoint of the collection) has been transferred across Palace Square to the General Staff Building , so if your main reason for visiting the Hermitage is to see the art, then you have to consider making time for the second location, possibly with a break for refreshments between the two.

Optimal: One day for the Winter Palace and General Staff Building collections.

Minimum: Two hours

Further reading

Explore the Hermitage: An introduction to St. Petersburg's greatest museum.

The Mariinsky Theatre

St. Petersburg's other internationally renowned cultural institution, and for some visitors an even greater draw than the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Theatre has profited in recent years from the financial and creative turmoils of Moscow's Bolshoi to become the undisputed preeminent musical theatre in modern Russia.

Renowned for the impeccable discipline and devotion to tradition of its ballet company, and blessed in Valery Gergiev with one of contemporary classical music's most exciting and exacting conductors, as well as international stars of ballet and opera including Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva and Anna Netrebko, the Mariinsky Theatre is a world-class venue for ballet, opera and orchestral music.

Recent years have seen the Mariinsky spread beyond its historic home, the wedding-cake late-19th century opera house on Teatralnaya Ploshchad ("Theatre Square"), with the addition in 2006 of the Mariinsky Concert Hall, and in 2013 the long-awaited opening of the second opera and ballet stage, Mariinsky II. While most visitors will want to enjoy the rich atmosphere and ornate interiors of the main theatre, both new venues are beautifully designed inside, with state-of-the-art acoustics and stage technology, making them well worth exploring for music enthusiasts.

Optimal: As many performances as time and your budget will allow.

Minimum: At least one evening performance at the Mariinsky should be an essential component of any Petersburg itinerary.

Rivers and canals of St. Petersburg by boat

If you're visiting St. Petersburg from May to October, there are a number of ways to explore the city by boat, from taking the hydrofoil to the suburban palace and park at Peterhof to enjoying dinner and live jazz on an evening cruise along the Neva. When the weather's good, visitors should really take any opportunity to get out on the water, but even the shortest visit to St. Petersburg in summer should include one boat trip along the city's central rivers and canals.

There is a wide range of different offers available at the various quays on or near Nevsky Prospekt, with larger boats offering guided tours (some in English) and on-board refreshments, and smaller boats that you can rent by the hour, choose your own route, and bring your own food and drink. All routes through the centre take in some portion of the Fontanka and Moyka Rivers and the Griboedov and Kryukov Canals. Some also head out onto the River Neva, while around midnight most of the boats in the city offer the chance to watch the opening of the Neva's bascule bridges from the water. Whatever route you end up taking, a boat trip is a fantastic way to see St. Petersburg from a different angle, and perhaps the best possible means of getting an impression of the sheer scope of the city's architectural beauty and romance.

Optimal: If you're in the city for more than a few days, it's definitely worth taking two trips - one sightseeing tour through the centre and one to watch the bridges opening .

Minimum: A basic sightseeing tour along the rivers and canals of the centre will take just over an hour.

When it comes to visitor attractions, St. Petersburg is as famous for the Imperial palaces and parks in the suburbs as for the museums and palaces in the city centre. Among the former, Peterhof is the one we would class as absolutely unmissbale, especially in summer when the park's incredible collection of fountains is in operation.

It took Peter the Great over a decade and a few false starts before he found the right site for his summer residence. Modelled partly on Versailles, but with many features that reflected Peter's specific tastes and interests, the park was expanded under Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, to greatly surpass its French antecedent in scope and grandeur. While the Grand Palace at Peterhof is less spectacular than the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof excels in the diversity and range of its attractions, from the charming baroque buildings of the Petrine era to the extraordinary gilded extravagance of the Grand Cascade to the catalog of gardening styles encompassed in the Upper and Lower Parks to the ever-growing number of museums housed in the various buildings on the estate.

Optimal: There is plenty at Peterhof to keep you occupied for a whole day, and the Lower Park is a great place to picnic in the summer.

Minimum: As the journey from the city centre takes at least 45 minutes, half a day is the minimum time necessary to visit Peterhof even for the briefest overview.

St. Isaac's Cathedral & Colonnade

The low-rise skyline of St. Petersburg's historic centre is dominated by the grand gold dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral, the life's work of French architect Auguste de Montferrand and the city's largest and most spectacular religious building.

Completed in 1858, St. Isaac's took over forty years to build and decorate. Its strictly European Empire-style facades and colonnades are made unique by the employment of red Karelian granite, while the interiors also meld Orthodox tradition with Catholic influence and extraordinary extravagance in the choice of materials. Different types of semiprecious stone from all over Russia form the interior walls and columns, while an abundance of original art and sculpture goes only a little way to filling the vast hall of the cathedral, designed to accommodate 14 000 standing worshipers. As well as visiting the Cathedral interiors, travelers can buy an extra ticket to climb the 300 steps up to the colonnade. From here, you can enjoy some of the best views of St. Petersburg available.

Optimal: A tour of the cathedral and colonnade should take around two hours. It's certainly worth getting an audio guide for the cathedral, and possibly for the colonnade if you are entirely unfamiliar with the lay-out of the city.

Minimum: While visiting the cathedral interiors is hardly essential if you have limited time to explore the city, the colonnade is just about the only accessible place in St. Petersburg where you can enjoy something like aerial views of the downtown, so it's well worth taking half an hour to visit.

The Peter & Paul Fortress

The place where the city of St. Petersburg began, the Peter and Paul Fortress never actually saw military action, but has fulfilled a variety of functions over its three-century history, from burial place for nearly all of the Romanov Emperors and Empresses to notorious political prison to the site of key experiments in the development of Soviet rocket technology. All of these aspects of the fortresses history are celebrated in diverse exhibitions across various buildings, and it is the ramshackle charms of these various museums and collections as much as the grandeur of the spectacular Ss. Petersburg and Paul Cathedral that make the fortress an essential visitor attraction.

Optimal: It's possible to spend the best part of a full day at the Peter and Paul Fortress, and if possible you should definitely take the time (around five hours) to visit the Peter and Paul Cathedral, explore the displays on the History of St. Petersburg in the Commandant's House and at the Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Techonolgy, and walk along the top of the curtain wall.

Minimum: If you're short of time, it's probably enough to pop inside the Cathedral and walk the ramparts (just over an hour).

Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood

While it lacks the authentic medieval charm of St. Basil's in Moscow, the Church on Spilled Blood is nonetheless one of St. Petersburg's most instantly recognizable landmarks, its riotously colorful Russian Revival architecture making a stark contrast to the elegant neoclassicism of the State Russian Museum next door. This is part of the church's charm, in that it serves to constantly remind the visitor to St. Petersburg that, despite the Italianate elegance of most of the "Golden Triangle", you are still definitely in Russia. It's extraordinary also that a monument to mark such a tragic event (the assassination of Alexander II) should be so exuberantly colorful.

Optimal: As gaudy and colorful on the inside as on the outside, the Church on Spilled Blood is worth going inside if you have time to listen through an audio guide with the story of the church's construction (just over an hour in total).

Minimum: If you're on a whistlestop tour, there's no need to set aside time for the Church on Spilled Blood, as you're bound to pass it more than once in even the shortest exploration of St. Petersburg.

Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin)

Home to not one but two vast 18th century palaces, surrounded by beautifully landscaped parkland with a rich variety of follies and monuments, Tsarskoye Selo is a testament to the immense wealth and lavishness of the Romanov Imperial family. The rococo Catherine Palace by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, a sister building to his Winter Palace in the city centre, is the most famous attraction, particularly thanks to the extraordinary Amber Room, but there are many other highlights to see, with almost every great St. Petersburg architect of the 18th and early-19th centuries contributing something to the ensemble.

Optimal: Like Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace over a full day, with a break for a picnic in the park or lunch at one of Pushkin's restaurants.

Minimum: There's no point in visiting Tsarskoye Selo unless have a full morning or afternoon free. It's all worth considering combining Tsarskoye Selo with the palace and park at Pavlovsk a few kilometers east. This also gives you the opportunity to dine at the excellent Podvorye restaurant.

Opening bridges

The Neva River connects Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea, and during the summer navigation season tens of cargo ships per day follow this important route, making it necessary to open the bascule bridges across the Neva in central St. Petersburg. This is done after midnight, and during the White Nights especially it has long been a tradition for crowds to gather along the embankments to watch the raising of the bridges. The raised arches of Palace Bridge make for one of St. Petersburg's most famous views, but its as much the atmosphere of lazy revelry and contentment inspired by the eternal twilight that makes this such an unmissable St. Petersburg experience.

Optimal: If you have the opportunity, then it's worth taking a midnight boat trip out to watch each bridge rise from the water.

Minimum: It is only really Palace Bridge and Trinity Bridge that gather big crowds, and they are undoubtedly the most beautiful. To watch the two adjacent bridges rising and walk the kilometer along the river between the two is a pleasant way to spend an hour before bed.

Nevsky Prospekt

"There's nothing finer than Nevsky Prospekt, at least not in St. Petersburg." So begins Nikolay Gogol's famous tale of St. Petersburg's central avenue. While that story may end in disillusion and despair, there's little doubt that Nevsky is one of the world's greatest streets. Running 4.5 kilometers from the Admiralty in the west to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in the east, Nevsky Prospekt has a hardly single building dating from after 1917. Highlights include the magnificent Art Nouveau Singer Building , the baroque Stroganov Palace , Kazan Cathedral with its curved neoclassical colonnade, the Horse Tamers statues on Anichkov Bridge , and the 18th century shopping arcade Gostiny Dvor .

Nowadays, St. Petersburg's most exclusive shopping area is actually the eastern end of Nevsky, beyond Ploshchad Vosstaniya. As well as landmark buildings and up-market boutiques, however, Nevsky Prospekt also offers an electric atmosphere and energy. Especially in summer, Nevsky is bustling no what the hour, and an increasing number of bars and cafes without outdoor seating give you a better opportunity to enjoy the avenue's living theatre.

Optimal: It will take at least two hours to walk the full length of Nevsky Prospekt, allowing for brief contemplation of the major sights and attractions.

Minimum: The most famous landmarks on Nevsky are nearly all in the stretch that runs through St. Petersburg's "Golden Triangle" from the Fontanka River to the Admiralty. This section of the avenue can be explored in around 30 minutes.

Bronze Horseman

St. Petersburg's most famous public monument, this equestrian statue to Peter the Great is not only one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of St. Petersburg - like the Statue of Liberty for New York or the Eiffel Tower for Paris - it is also the subject of one of the greatest poems in the Russian language, Alexander Pushkin's The Bronze Horseman: A Petersburg Tale . Completed in 1782, the statue took 12 years of work by the French sculptor Étienne Maurice Falconet, recommended to Catherine the Great by Denis Diderot himself. The pedestal of the monument, the "Thunder Stone", is purportedly the largest ever moved by man.

The Bronze Horseman is easily combined with a visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral, so does not require a specific time on your itinerary.

State Russian Museum

While the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow is undoubtedly the finest collection of Russian art in the world thanks to its beautiful premises and rich collection of 20th century work, it is matched up to the October Revolution almost painting for painting by the State Russian Museum. Occupying the magnificent Mikhailovsky Palace, the Russian Museum's main collection is a treasury of Russian visual from throughout the ages, with highlights including medieval icons, atmospheric late-19th century genre paintings, and several modernist masterpieces.

Optimal: The main collection in the Mikhailovsky Palace will take 2-3 hours to do justice to, and it's also worth visiting the collections in the Marble Palace both to see this beautiful building and for the Peter Ludwig collection of international Pop Art.

Minimum: While the Russian Museum is definitely one of St. Petersburg's top visitor attractions, if you are on a first-time trip to Russia and visiting Moscow as well, it makes sense to choose either the Russian Museum or the Tretyakov Gallery, as the two have very similar content right down to different variations of the same work in some cases.

Dostoevsky's St. Petersburg

While nearly every great figure of Russian literature spent some time in St. Petersburg, and many wrote works with St. Petersburg as their setting, none is so inextricably linked with the geography and atmosphere of the city as Fyodor Dostoevsky. For many travelers, it is reading his works that sparks an initial desire to visit St. Petersburg, even though his descriptions often make the city monstrous and forbidding. As St. Petersburg's historic centre has been comparatively untouched by change in the 20th century, much of Dostoevsky's Petersburg is still there to explore, and the areas around Sennaya Ploshchad and Vladimirskaya Ploshchad are rich in sights connected to his life and works.

Optimal: Our Dostoevsky walking tour takes 3.5 hours, including a visit to the Dostoevsky Memorial Museum .

Minimum: To get an idea of where Dostoevsky lived, you can just visit the museum and the adjacent Church of the Vladimir Icon , as well as the Monument to Fyodor Dostoevsky , in about an hour.

A small promontory of land at the eastern end of Vasilevskiy Island , the Strelka ("Spit") is right in the middle of the Neva River Delta, with magnificent views on all sides, including the Winter Palace , Palace and Trinity Bridges , the Peter and Paul Fortress and St. Isaac's Cathedral . A perennially popular site for wedding parties and bus tours to stop and take photos, the Strelka also has landmarks of its own, specifically the magnificent Rostral Columns , with their gas beacons lit for public holidays and maritime anniversaries, and the elegant classical temple of the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange , all works of the French-born architect Thomas de Thomon.

The Strelka is an integral part of any exploration of Vasilevskiy Island, and does not require separate time on your itinerary.

Pushkinskaya 10

Established in 1989 as a squat for independent artists, alternative musicians, and other "underground" types, Pushkinskaya 10 is an arts and performance centre in an old apartment building a short walk from Nevsky Prospekt. A warren of studios and exhibition space haphazardly linked together as the Museum of Non-Comformist Art , Pushkinskaya 10 can be somewhat bewildering for visitors, and much of the space is often inexplicably closed (the two bars, both of which are also concert venues, are by far the most accessible parts of the complex), but it's well worth visiting for the increasingly rare chance to get a glimpse of the old Leningrad bohemia and its once revered dissident art scene.

Optimal: The best way to visit Pushkinskaya 10 is to come in the early evening and hope that the galleries are open, before heading to one of the two music venues for a concert.

Minimum: A 15-minute visit should suffice to get an overall impression of the center's atmosphere.

Carlo Rossi's Petersburg

Practically unknown outside Russia, this Italian-born architect was the major creative force behind great swathes of central St. Petersburg, particularly the city's grand formal squares, with their Empire-style columned facades and trademark yellow-and-white plasterwork. His most famous buildings include the General Staff Building on Palace Square, the Alexandrinsky Theatre , the Senate and Synod Building , and the Mikhailovsky Palace (the State Russian Museum ). In the "Golden Triangle" of St. Petersburg's historic centre, moreover, it's hard to take more than a few steps without finding more of Rossi's work.

Optimal: Our walking tour of Rossi's most famous buildings takes around 2.5 hours.

Minimum: You'll see Rossi's work when you visit the Hermitage, the State Russian Museum, the Bronze Horseman, and just about anywhere you walk in central St. Petersburg.

Kunstkammer (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology)

The city's oldest museum, the Kunstkammer was founded in 1718 by Peter the Great himself, and is primarily of interest as a monument to the remarkable endeavours and enthusiasms of St. Petersburg's extraordinary founder. Housed in an elegant baroque building on Vasilevskiy Island, the museum has a rather pedestrian collection of ethnographic exhibits, and most visitors are drawn rather to Peter's own fascination, the huge number of deformed fetuses preserved in jars and other freaks of nature. Slightly less sensational but also of interest are the displays devoted to the great Russian polymath Mikhail Lomonosov.

A visit to the Kunstkammer will take around 1.5 hours.

Ploshchad Pobedy and Moskovsky Prospekt

St. Petersburg's historic centre is renowned for having undergone little architectural change during the 20th century. In fact, the Soviet authorities were inclined to abandon the centre, redolent of the imperial past, and develop a new city to the south, along Moskovsky Prospekt . Most visitors only see this part of town on their way to and from Pulkovo Airport, but its worth exploring for several fantastic examples of Stalin-era architecture, including the monumental House of Soviets , as well as the memorials to the Great Patriotic War in Park Pobedy ("Victory Park") and on Ploshchad Pobedy ("Victory Square"). The latter is home to a magnificent panoramic monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad , which has a museum detailing the defense of the city beneath it.

Optimal: It is worth spending a couple of hours exploring Moskovsky Prospekt southwards from Park Pobedy Metro Station, as well as taking a tour of the museum beneath the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad.

Minimum: If you're short of time, there's not reason to make an extra trip out to Moskovsky Prospekt as you'll be able to see the highlights on the way to/from the airport.

Mikhailovsky Theatre

While there's no questioning the Mariinsky Theatre's position as St. Petersburg's leading venue for opera and ballet performances, it is worth paying attention to this second historic theatre on Ploshchad Iskusstv, not only because of the last decade's largely successful financial and artistic renaissance, which has seen the Mikhailovsky engage top foreign talent and gain an international reputation, but also because it can often be a more affordable and accessible way to see ballet in St. Petersburg. This is especially true when tickets at the Mariinsky are scarce during the White Nights Festival.

Ballet enthusiasts should definitely consider taking in a show at the Mikhailovsky as an addition to, rather than a replacement for, performances at the Mariinsky.

Yelagin Island

Accessible from the city centre in around 20 minutes by metro, Yelagin Island (also known by its Soviet-era name as the "Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure") rarely finds a place on tourist itineraries. It really should be more popular, however, offering not only a (comparatively) small but very elegant Imperial palace by Carlo Rossi, but also attractive parkland, a boating lake in summer and outdoor skating in winter, and the surprisingly avant-garde wonders of the Museum of Glass Art . The lack of cars on the island and the small entrance fee make it a secluded a tranquil spot, and its probably the best of the green spaces within the city if you're looking for somewhere to enjoy a relaxing walk.

Yelagin is a great place to while away a summer afternoon, and also has a fairly active calendar of cultural events in the warmer months, including a couple of music festivals.

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Breaking news.

Mike Vaccaro

Yankees’ clinching al east would still mean something — even with october expectations.

These are the good times. This is the good stuff. Sometime in the next couple of days — maybe as early as Tuesday — the Yankees are going to win a baseball game, something they’ve done 59 percent of the time they’ve taken a ballfield this year.

When that happens, the magic number will melt away to zero. The players will storm the field after the final out and will then retreat to the clubhouse, goggles at the ready, to participate in the ages-old tradition of dousing each other with as much champagne as they can fit in the home-team clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, right behind the first-base dugout.

Maybe, if the fans are so inclined, they can fire up an old classic chant, and let that serve as a complimentary soundtrack for the evening, riding shotgun to The Chairman crooning about his little town blues, all melting away:

“We’re Number One!

“We’re Number One!”

That would be a fine thing to hear, because when the Yankees win their next baseball game, they will officially clinch first place in the American League’s Eastern Division. And that is still important. Even in a time where there are far more second- and third-place finishers who qualify for playoff berths in North American sports than first-place teams, first place still says something.

First place still matters.

It mattered to the Rangers when they finished in first place in the Metropolitan Division last spring. You can believe it would matter to the Jets, who have finished in first place exactly twice in 54 years. The Mets have gotten a lot of attention for their gritty run at a playoff bid ; you can believe they’d prefer to have held a few of those ninth-inning leads they squandered in May and June, which would’ve given them a reasonable chance to catch the Phillies for first place in the NL East.

Even around the Yankees, this should still matter. Yes, we know: the Yankees measure success in championships. It’s part of the team’s mission statement, and if you ever forget all you need to do is hop on the phone with the Yankees fan of your choice when things don’t turn out right in October, the way they haven’t turned out right in 15 years.

You know what?

If you’re a Yankees fan, worry about October in October. Let September be for savoring. Let the 91st win, which will officially relegate the Orioles to the crapshoot two-out-of-three play-in series, be a time to enjoy what we’ve seen across the bulk of these last six months.

It was Col. Jacob Ruppert, the first imperial owner of the Yankees, who once declared, “The perfect afternoon at Yankee Stadium? It’s when the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning and then slowly pull away.” That’s the way a lot of Yankees seasons have gone through the years. Take over first place in May, then slowly pull away.

This one was different. This one had a nice easy start and then a good 100 games when you weren’t quite sure about the Yankees, stretches where you wondered if they were on cruise control or simply not very good. It was at these moments — and there were a few — that Aaron Boone would break out his greatest hits …

“We have the guys in that room to get it done …”

“It’s all right there in front of us …”

“These guys are fighters …”

And there would be eyerolls and groans galore. And you know what? He was right. The Yankees did have enough. It was all there in front of them, even on July 9, when they fell four games behind Baltimore in the loss column, even later when the only reason they weren’t even farther behind was because the long season caught up to the Orioles, too.

He was right, and when the Yankees win their next game that will make three first-place finishes for Boone, who a lot of Yankees fans look at as a cross between Rich Kotite and Joe Judge sometimes.

And Brian Cashman, the other organizational piñata? He made the trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr. that changed everything for the Yankees. For the record, this is his 27th year and the Yankees have finished in first place 15 times.

Sure: in a few weeks, if this doesn’t lead to the Canyon of Heroes, little of that will be remembered. You don’t see a lot of Rangers fans walking around with “2024 Presidents’ Trophy Winners” T-shirts. The Yankees, better than anyone, understand that there are no medals for trying.

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So worry about that then. For now, when the next win arrives and the next first-place finish is secure — the 50th first-place finish in team history, for those who like round numbers — do yourself a favor: Take a deep breath. Think about what a ride it’s been across 162 games. Maybe crack both a smile and a cold one if you’re of a mood.

“We’re Number One” is still the sweetest chant in all of sports, after all.

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The "Norway Of Canada" Is North America's Coolest Outdoor Spa

Hikers keep losing their lives on this california national park hike, the sale of johnny depp's french village remains an unsolved mystery, read update.

There Are More Things To See And Do In St. Petersburg, Florida!

Located within the Tampa Bay Area, the city of St Petersburg is on the Gulf Coast of Florida and offers an amazing array of things to do. Slightly smaller than its rival, Tampa, the city has one of the most striking waterfront park systems in the US. Occupying the tip of the peninsula located between Tampa Bay and the Mexican Gulf, St Petersburg has irresistible, scenic beaches dotted with lush, white sand and sparkling waters .

Compared to Tampa, its beaches are more pristine, and downtown St Petersburg offers a wholesome, tantalizing touristic experience. Moreover, to its west, it is bordered by other smaller towns, cities, and barrier islands which make for idyllic travel destinations. St. Pete Beach, for instance, was ranked by travelers on Trip Advisor to be the best beach in North America in 2021 and is a favorite of many travelers visiting St Petersburg.

UPDATE: 2023/05/23 11:54 EST BY NOAH STAATS

This article has been refreshed with new places to explore while in St. Pete, new photos, and tips for vacationing here. Whether someone wants to visit the pier, lay in the sand, stroll through a park, or even spend the day admiring art: St. Petersburg has it all. Have fun!

Things To Do

In addition to beaches and parks, St Petersburg is renowned for the preservation of its charming, vibrant heritage. With several museums and art galleries, the city has all it takes to give vacationers a lengthy bucket list of things to do during their visit. Consider this the ultimate guide to vacationing in St. Petersburg, Florida.

1 St. Pete Pier

One fun spot to check out while in St. Petersburg is the all-new St. Pete Pier. Here, people can look out onto the beautiful blue Gulf of Mexico and enjoy the city's picturesque skyline. This pier extends into Tampa Bay from downtown St. Petersburg and is one of the more popular things to do while here.

The St. Pete Pier recently underwent a massive renovation, giving tourists an all-new property to check out during their vacation. There are also beaches nearby, so this is the perfect spot to spend a few hours during the afternoon.

Furthermore, St. Pete Pier recently underwent a reconstruction and renovation, meaning those who see it moving forward get to experience the all-new property. On top of the pier, there are also beaches nearby, making this a great stop before or after tanning and swimming.

Florida has some of the best beaches in the United States, making St. Petersburg the perfect place to enjoy them.

One thing to remember when visiting this pier and the beaches nearby is that parking can be difficult during weekends and holidays. Therefore, it might be a better idea to take a taxi/Uber/Lyft to the St. Pete Pier and then walk to the beach. This could end up saving the group trouble at the start or finish of their day in the sun.

2 Tropicana Field

Anyone wanting to watch a sports game while in St. Petersburg, they will likely be heading over to Tropicana Field. This is a multi-use sports arena located within the city of St. Pete. Here, people can experience a world-class stadium with drinks, food, memorabilia, and on-site parking.

According to the MLB , Tropicana Field's 1.1 million square feet include unique design features and fan amenities found nowhere else in the Major Leagues. This sets the venue apart from others in Florida, making it a hub for sports lovers near and far.

What makes this stadium nice is it is domed, meaning people in Florida can escape the summer heat and humidity while inside. There are many sports stadiums and arenas in Florida that are open to the natural elements, which can make watching a sports game uncomfortable during hotter months.

Therefore, if someone wants to see a baseball game, for instance, while in St. Pete, they want to come here.

3 St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market

If someone in St. Pete wants to live life like a local on the weekends, heading to the Saturday Morning Market will be fun. Here, people gather to sell homemade crafts, fresh produce, fruit, and plants, all while enjoying live music at a lively venue.

This is a hub for local creatives and those from all of South Florida.

• For the hours of this market, tourists can expect it to be open every Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM.
• Address: 230 1st St SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Of course, there could be weather restrictions or other holidays to be aware of, which could affect the market hours. It's a good idea to keep a close eye on their website before heading out.

The St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market is open weekly from 9 AM to 2 PM. This could be a nice way to support local businesses and creators and should be a few hours of fun. It's worth noting that because of the 2 PM closing time, people may want to head over here earlier than later in the afternoon. During peak seasons, the market can become heavily crowded, so that is another detail to remember.

4 Fort De Soto Park

With its numerous parks, St Petersburg offers an abundance of green areas to relax or have a picnic. These parks mostly front Tampa Bay, Mexican Gulf, or inland lakes, adding to their visual appeal and ambiance.

The advantage of this waterfront and park integration is that apart from hiking and sightseeing , one can engage in water sports activities as well.

Located towards the southernmost part of St Petersburg, the park is a blend of oceanfront beauty and rich flora existing on five scenic islands (or offshore keys). Used for military purposes in the past, the park hosts a historical fort, a museum documenting this rich history, as well as relics from its past.

In addition, there are two piers where visitors are allowed to fish and two beaches, North Beach and East Beach, which are ideal for swimming.

It also has nature trails for hiking, a canoe trail for some on-water exploration, a camping ground with amenities for comfort, and a pet playground.

North Beach has often been named one of the top beaches in the US, and it led the rankings of Dr. Beach in 2005.

5 Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

This is a beautiful nature preserve sitting on the shores of Lake Maggiore, with trails for walking and non-motorized bikes to explore its 100-hectare expanse. Aside from birds, other animal species like snakes, amphibians, and alligators are also preserved here. There are sites for picnicking within the preserve and an Environmental Education Center, which organizes camps appropriate for different ages .

• Admission into the preserve is charged at around $3 for adults, $1.50 for children aged between 3 and 16 years, and is free for minors 3 years and below.

6 Vinoy Park

A great waterfront park adjacent to Vinoy Park Hotel, with a number of cool spots to have a picnic. The park routinely hosts events such as St Petersburg’s Ribfest and Tampa Bay’s Blues Festival, as well as other varied concerts and triathlon competitions.

Complete with playgrounds, a swimming area, outdoor furniture, and trails for strolling or biking; visitors can choose to have an active or relaxing experience at the park.

7 Sawgrass Lake Park

With a maple swamp as part of its area, Sawgrass Lake Park is a unique place for the conservation of wildlife . It is a critical migratory spot for birds in the fall and spring and is also home to numerous other wildlife species like alligators and snakes.

There is an observation tower strategically located to offer a splendid view of the lake, as well as a raised boardwalk winding around the swampy areas. There is also a designated picnic area to make a quick stop at for refreshments.

• It is open daily from 7:00 am till sunset, save for Christmas Day and the day after Thanksgiving.

8 The Sunken Gardens

Set in the heritage-rich Historic Old Northeast area of the city is both a historic and nature-rich attraction. The scenic botanical gardens were once a roadside commercial center and have been in existence for more than a century.

The gardens are currently home to more than 50,000 species of tropical plants, especially flowers, growing close to picturesque waterfalls and pools. Some areas are sectioned into small gardens dedicated to cacti, flowers, flamingoes, and other types of flora and fauna.

9 Go To The Beach In St. Petersburg

One of the top interests of visitors in St Petersburg is to hit the water and get the most out of the destination’s pristine and sandy beaches .

North Beach-Fort De Soto Park

This is easily one of the best beach choices one can make on an adventure in St Petersburg. Integrated with the park’s ecosystem, there are plenty of activities to engage in and endless possibilities of memories to create.

• There is a charge of $5 for parking which cyclists and on-foot visitors do not have to pay.

Swimming and a relaxed stroll along the beach are a perfect way to ease into the evening, especially after a day of exploring the sprawling Fort De Soto Park.

North Shore Park Beach

Located in the Historic Old Northeast, it runs from Coffee Pot Bayou to the area around Vinoy Park on Tampa Bay. The beach is linked to paths coming from the park, creating a wholesome, picturesque haven of nature.

For some waterside activities, there are playgrounds, tennis courts, benches, and a softball pitch.

St Pete Beach

While St Petersburg is home to some beautiful beaches in its own right, it is also close to other small towns and cities with meticulous beaches. First among these is St Pete Beach, located to the west of St Petersburg, and which occupies the territory of Long Key. Sandwiched between the waters of Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it offers several miles and beaches of pure goodness.

Related: 10 Small Beach Towns In Florida That Are Laid-Back & Low-Key

From water sports activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, and snorkeling to illuminated boat tours, windsurfing, and sport fishing, one cannot lack a water-based activity to indulge in. St Pete Beach is also home to the famed Pass-a-Grille Beach, which has carved a name for itself as a leading touristic attraction with its authentic Floridian charm.

Aside from the beach attractions and activities, Pass-a-Grille has amazing restaurants, bars, boutiques, and outdoor markets to afford visitors a comfortable stay.

Accommodation options are also plenty, with the famous, all-pink Don Cesar, the Beachcomber Hotel, Bay Palms Motel, Gulf Winds Resort, and the Hotel Zamora as a few options.

The city of Clearwater is also part of Pinellas County and is close to St Petersburg. There are some amazing beaches worth checking out there as well.

Egmont Key Preserve Beaches

The island has limited activity, yet it offers some of the best solo or group adventures. Largely uninhabited by humans, the island is home to preserved wildlife species such as tortoises and birds. Relics from the Spanish-American War and a 150-years old lighthouse also exist on the island.

Access to the park and its beaches is mainly through the Egmont Key Ferry from Fort De Soto’s Bay Pier. If lucky, one may spot dolphins on the cruise, even before getting to the island. Longer boat tours are also available from St. Pete Pier in downtown St Petersburg, and they include snorkeling, swimming, and exploration on the beaches of Egmont Key.

10 Salvador Dalí Museum

The Salvador Dali Museum showcases various timeless collections of Salvador Dalí, housed in a building of striking architectural magnificence. With a water-front garden overlooking Tampa Bay, one can spend time reflecting on the philosophies of math and nature that were inspirational to Dali.

11 The St Petersburg Museum Of History

The St Petersburg Museum of History showcases the history of St Petersburg and Florida through diverse documents, photos, and different kinds of artifacts. A place for research, education, and entertainment, the museum offers Segway, trolley, ghost, and walking tours to give unique experiences of the history on display.

• It may be necessary to book tours ahead of time .

It is a great way to spend an afternoon and thereafter stroll on St Pete Pier, located just within its vicinity.

12 The Museum Of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts is an inviting museum showcasing exemplary, diverse world art exhibits ranging from historic to contemporary paintings, sculptures, and other diverse creations. It is a popular attraction for visitors keen on art and its transformation through the years in different parts of the world.

With its sophisticated ballroom, scenic gardens, and a conservatory with a direct view of the bay, the museum can be rented for private events.

Related: A Bit Of Italy In Florida: The Ultimate Travel Guide To Venice & Things To Do There

13 Florida Holocaust Museum

The Florida Holocaust Museum is another fascinating attraction just outside the waterfront district.

With a theme depicting the Holocaust, the museum was the brainchild of a survivor of Nazi Germany who went on to serve the US Army in World War II. It is a place for introspection and education of the society on values of humanity.

14 Historic Districts

Historic Districts in the city of St Petersburg offer a kind of time-travel into the architectural standards and styles of yesteryear. From colonial revival to craftsman construction techniques, these districts are a testimony of the transformation of housing in St Petersburg. Roser Park Historic District, located in the vicinity of Booker Creek, is among the most prominent of these districts, with its 146 historic buildings.

The Old Northeast, as well as the historic Kenwood Neighborhood, also have unique architectural constructions worth checking out.

15 Savor St. Petersburg’s Creative And Performance Art Scene

St Petersburg is both a place of expressionism through live entertainment and performances, as well as conservation, collection, and sale of fascinating artworks. The city has a number of art galleries and theaters which promote creative talents in different ways. Some suggestions worth checking out include:

The Mahaffey Theatre

Located in the Waterfront Museum District, the Duke Energy Centre for the Arts-Mahaffey Theatre is a 2,031-seat performance theater with amazing views of Tampa Bay. It hosts some of the most sought-after events in Florida, from Broadway to classical and pop performances to comedy, the Florida Orchestra.

A few meters away from the sandy beaches and cultural museums, the theater is a place to catch some amazing entertainment while staying close to the conveniences of downtown St Petersburg. The theater also allows for private events to be held in its ballroom, atrium, or plaza.

The Palladium

The historic theater is also located in downtown St Petersburg and features two entertainment spaces where one can catch live performances. Its main stage dance, orchestra, jazz, blues, acoustic, classical, theater, and Celtic performances are held in the 815-seat Hough Hall. Its Side Door Cabaret is a listening hall of 175 seats and offers an intimate, club-like experience.

An acclaimed center of cultural and artistic diversity, the theater is available for rent by community bodies, artists, and producers. Catching an evening performance here after a day spent in nature at the Round Lake Park nearby would be a perfect ending to a day out in St Petersburg.

• Tickets to scheduled events can conveniently be bought online .

ArtsXchange At The Warehouse Arts District

Bounded within 1st Avenue N, 10th Avenue S, 16th Street, and 31st Street, the area occupied by the district is part of a neighborhood undergoing reclamation after years of decay. With the effort of several artists, warehouse space was acquired, and today, spaces are available for creators within the district.

Photography, paintwork, musical artists, graphic designers, and dancers are some of the creators hosted here, and they develop their works in their assigned studios, exhibitions, or gallery spaces.

• To learn about some of the art events to catch here, their schedule is available online .

Ocean Blue Galleries

This is a downtown St Petersburg gallery that links artists and collectors. The gallery also ships collectibles from all over the US and overseas to interested buyers. It routinely hosts artists for guest appearances and special exhibitions, with scheduled events posted on its website .

Florida Craft Art Gallery

The gallery showcases original, handmade crafts created in the form of ceramics, jewelry, sculptors, wood, glass, and fibers. It also hosts seven shows annually which feature national, regional, and local craftsmen and women. One unique service offered by the gallery is the on-foot and bike mural tours which start at the gallery and venture out to the wider Central Arts District.

In addition, on the weekend before Thanksgiving, an annual two-day Craft Art Festival is held outdoors, featuring numerous artists from around the country. During this festival, the gallery sells beautiful, unique craftworks which make for good gifts and memorabilia to carry back home at the end of a visit to St Petersburg.

• Costs for mural tours are; $19 for adults, $11 for children aged 6 to 18 years, and free for children aged 5 or less

16 Best Time To Visit St. Petersburg

Most visitors get the best from visiting St. Petersburg from the month of March to May. The weather is warm, and a number of outdoor activities can be enjoyed on the beaches and the cool waterfront parks throughout the city. Trees also bloom at this time, and the city looks picturesque and inviting.

Related: The Ultimate Travel Guide To Tampa & Things To Do There

The months of June to November are a little risky, as there is often a heightened probability of hurricanes. The weather also gets scorching hot, especially in July and August, with temperatures soaring upwards of 90 degrees F. There are fewer fun, public events organized, but one may still catch indoor events in the art galleries or museums throughout the city.

17 Best Ways To Get Around St. Petersburg

Tampa International Airport is the most used option for flights into Pinellas County. St Pete-Clearwater International Airport is another option, though it has few carriers operating from it.

After landing in Pinellas County, buses or private taxis can then be ridden into St Petersburg. Even though bus lines can be cheaper, they can be slow and take longer than taxis.

Related: 10 Florida Waterfalls That Are Worth Hiking To Their Views Year-Round

Within the city limits, cars are the most convenient means of getting around, and rentals and taxis are conveniently available. Nevertheless, some of the city’s key locations are connected by Looper Trolley, and ferries or boats may be needed to get to and from some of its islands.

18 Where To Eat In St. Petersburg, FL

Acropolis greek taverna - breakfast and lunch.

Downtown St Petersburg also offers the chance to sample Greek tastes at the Acropolis Greek Taverna. It is a short distance away from the Florida Holocaust Museum and Mirror Lake and could be a great stopover for lunch in the midst of a sightseeing excursion.

• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Friday and Saturday: 11:00 am to 12:00 am
• Address: 515 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701

The Hangar Restaurant and Flight Lounge - Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Located at the Albert Whitted Airport, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cuisines here are mostly American, alongside other creative and modern recipes, including vegetarian options. It is an ideal spot to grab a burger or tacos while waiting for the entrance to the Dali Museum located close by.

With both indoor and outside seating, the spot is family-friendly. With a well-chosen seat, one can catch sight of the nearby waters as well as planes landing/taking off while dining. The Hangar Restaurant hosts live music sessions on some nights and are available for reservation for private parties.

• Hours: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm daily
• Address: Albert Whitted Airport, 2nd Floor, 540 1st St SE, St Petersburg, FL 33701

Bella Brava - Lunch and dinner

This trattoria serves delicious Italian dishes in a laid-back ambiance, a walking distance from Soreno Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the waters overlooking the Old Bayside and Marina. Bella Brava specializes in lunch and dinner, with a wide variety of drinks to choose from. There’s a happy hour every day till 7:00 pm.

• Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 11:30 am-10:00 pm; Friday and Saturday: 11:30 am-11:00 pm
• Address: 204 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

The Chattaway - Lunch and dinner

Is one of St Petersburg’s oldest restaurants, serving a mix of American staples, Mexican dishes, and a variety of Florida’s seafood. The Chattaway burger is a popular option that can be devoured in the garden-style outdoor seating. The restaurant routinely hosts live music and is ideal even when accompanied by children. From 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm, the restaurant serves English tea.

• Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:30 pm; Friday to Saturday, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
• Address: 358 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33705

The restaurant only accepts cash as a mode of payment. Fortunately, there is an ATM onsite.

19 Where To Stay In St. Petersburg

Days inn by wyndham, st. petersburg - budget hotel.

Located within 7 miles of Tropicana Field, St Petersburg Pier, several beaches, and downtown shopping spots, this is convenient bargain accommodation. It has an outdoor pool for days when the beach is not an option and is suitable for family and group stays.

• Address: 5005 34th St N, Saint Petersburg, FL, 33714
• Amenities: free Wi-Fi, pet friendly, vehicle parking, banquet hall, hairdryer, ATM, outdoor pool

Hollander Hotel, St Petersburg - Mid-tier Hotel

The Hollander is strategically located to offer both the luxuries of the city without taking revelers too far from other fun attractions. Attractions such as the Museum of American Arts and Beach Drive, famed for its active nightlife and dining spots, are a short distance away. The accommodation is a convenient spot for those with a passion for walking to explore.

• Address: 421 4th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-2805
• Amenities: bar and restaurant/grill, spa, swimming pool, Wi-Fi, free parking, pet friendly, taxi service, salon, evening entertainment

The Vinoy Renaissance Resort and Golf Club - Luxury Hotel

Alongside all the necessary amenities a vacationer would hope for, the historic resort offers a first-hand view of the waters of Tampa Bay. With its location on Snell Isle, it is close to St Petersburg Yacht Club, making it convenient for some maritime exploration. The adjacent Vinnoy Park extends nature’s beauty. Moreover, Paul’s Landing serves a number of international and seafood delicacies onsite, making it a much sought-after eatery by outside patrons and the resort’s guests.

There is also an onsite grill, a snack bar, and a restaurant selling seafood for refreshment after an afternoon of golfing at the expansive course. There is also a private marina nearby to enable water-borne cruises.

• Address: 501 5th Ave NE, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701
• Amenities: Spa, golf course, fitness center, tennis, parking with electric car charging station

Uptown Hotel - Luxury Hotel

With proximity to Round Lake Park, the hotel is located in Uptown St Petersburg, in proximity to numerous city amenities and tourist attractions. From this boutique accommodation, one may choose to sample the magnificence of the architecture on display at the historic district, enjoy the exhibits at the nearby museums and later opt for some quality time on St Pete Pier.

• Address: 465 7th Ave N, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701
• Amenities: Onsite restaurant, parking (may be limited), tea/coffee maker, in-room fridge

There are a number of magnificent and comfy hotels and beach resorts located in cities bordering St Petersburg, such as Clearwater, Gulfport, St. Pete Beach, and Pinellas Park. For a more memorable, wholesome experience of Pinellas County, visitors may slot them in their travel plans and get to enjoy the attractions in these other cities too.

The Don Cesar Hotel, the Plaza Beach Hotel, and Miramar Resort in St. Pete Beach are great accommodation options to the west of St Petersburg, with sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico.

20 Tips For Visiting St. Petersburg, Florida

For people wanting to visit St. Petersburg, Florida, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, where someone stays in the city can affect how much time they'll spend in the car. Therefore, it's recommended to book a hotel in the downtown area, where walking to attractions, restaurants, and shopping will be easier.

In addition, it might also be worth it to invest in a GO card for those wanting to ride the bus in St. Pete. With a GO card, tourists can reload it, tap it once they are on a city bus, and monitor how much they are reloading the card throughout their vacation. What's nice about St. Pete is that the city heavily invests in its bus network, giving visitors a nice, affordable way to get around.

The next tip for visiting St. Pete is to make sure and come during less hot times. As mentioned, the city can become swampy during the summer months, making outdoor activities challenging. The last thing anyone wants to do is be soaked with sweat their entire vacation, so spring and winter are the two best times to be here.

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Harris Is Set to Make First Border Visit of Her Presidential Run

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, according to two people briefed on the preparations, as she seeks to counter former President Donald J. Trump’s advantage with voters on the issue of immigration.

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Reid J. Epstein Nicholas Nehamas and Neil Vigdor

Here’s the latest on the campaign trail.

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday during a trip to Arizona, according to two people briefed on the preparations, as she seeks to counter former President Donald J. Trump’s advantage with voters on the issue of immigration. The trip is set to be her first to the southern border since President Biden dropped out of the race.

A significant slice of voters believe Mr. Trump would better handle immigration. In a New York Times/Siena College poll of three Sun Belt states, including Arizona, 54 percent of likely voters said they trusted Mr. Trump more on the issue, compared with 43 percent for the vice president.

On Monday, Mr. Trump held a rally in western Pennsylvania, his second event of the day in the key battleground state, where recent polling has shown Ms. Harris with a slight edge in the state .

Polls have also shown Mr. Trump struggling to cultivate support among women, for whom abortion rights remain a critical issue. The former president bristled at that trend during an extended riff at his Pennsylvania rally. “I always thought women liked me,” he said, and suggested that his tough talk about immigration and his economic proposals would appeal to women voters. “You will be protected, and I will be your protector,” he said.

There are 43 days until Election Day. Here’s what else to know.

Scandal engulfs Robinson campaign: Mr. Trump has avoided mentioning Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina, the Republican running for governor who CNN reported made disturbing comments on a pornographic forum years ago, including calling himself a “black NAZI.” The report presents a delicate challenge to Mr. Trump, who has endorsed Mr. Robinson and called him “Martin Luther King on steroids.” Mr. Robinson returned to the campaign trail on Monday, a day after many of his top campaign officials stepped down, and defiantly repeated his promise to remain in the race. JD Vance, Mr. Trump’s running mate, declined to denounce Mr. Robinson while campaigning in North Carolina and lashed out at the media instead. “I think it’s up to Mark Robinson to make his case to the people of North Carolina that those weren’t his statements,” Mr. Vance said.

Down-ballot polling: The New York Times/Siena College poll offered some good news for Democrats in two important down-ballot races. In Arizona, Representative Ruben Gallego is six percentage points ahead of Kari Lake in the Senate race. And in North Carolina, Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee, is ahead of Mr. Robinson by 10 percentage points. The poll also found that in Arizona, 58 percent of likely voters said they planned to support a constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion access in the state. The amendment needs only a simple majority to pass.

Nebraska electoral votes: Mike McDonnell, a state senator in Nebraska, bucked calls from fellow Republicans to support changing how Nebraska allocates its electoral votes. Nebraska, one of two states that allocates some of its votes by congressional district, is reliably red except for the congressional district that includes Omaha and its suburbs, which has gone to Democrats twice since the state established its by-district allocation system for the 1992 election. Mr. McDonnell said it was too close to the election for him to support switching to a winner-take-all system.

V.P. debate preparations: Mr. Vance has enlisted another Minnesotan to play the part of Mr. Walz in his debate preparations: Representative Tom Emmer, a Republican. The choice of Mr. Emmer was said to be an attempt to emulate the folksy style of Mr. Walz, who has turned to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to play the part of Mr. Vance.

Harris rakes in donations: Ms. Harris took in a remarkable $27 million at a Wall Street fund-raiser on Sunday, according to her campaign, adding to an already dizzying tally for her war chest during the two months she has been in the race. She also told reporters that she would be “giving a speech this week really to outline my vision for the economy,” though she did not specify exactly when.

Eduardo Medina , Chris Cameron and Maggie Astor contributed reporting.

Taylor Robinson

How to watch the Vance-Walz vice-presidential debate.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Senator JD Vance of Ohio will face off on Tuesday in the only scheduled vice-presidential debate, convening three weeks after their running mates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump, sparred in Philadelphia .

Mr. Walz has been preparing for the debate in Minneapolis, where Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is serving as an informal stand-in for Mr. Vance, according to several people with knowledge of the process . Mr. Vance, who has been preparing in Ohio, has had Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota standing in for Mr. Walz in his rehearsals.

When is it?

The debate is scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Oct. 1. It is expected to last 90 minutes.

Where is it?

The debate will be held in New York City at the CBS Broadcast Center, the network’s production studios.

Where can I watch it?

The New York Times will stream the debate alongside commentary and analysis from our reporters in real time.

CBS News will broadcast the debate in its entirety and stream it on CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+. Other television networks will be able to carry a simulcast of the event.

Who are the moderators?

The event will be moderated by Norah O’Donnell, the anchor of “CBS Evening News,” and Margaret Brennan, who moderates CBS’s weekend show “Face the Nation.”

What are the debate rules?

CBS has yet to announce the rules of the debate, or whether the vice-presidential nominees will appear in front of an in-person audience. At the Sept. 10 presidential debate, which was hosted by ABC News, there was no audience, and Ms. Harris’s and Mr. Trump’s microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak.

Will there be another Harris-Trump debate?

It’s possible, but unlikely . Ms. Harris, who according to polling was widely seen to have won her first debate with Mr. Trump, accepted an invitation from CNN to debate on Oct. 23 . But Mr. Trump has proclaimed that he will not face off against Ms. Harris again.

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An Ohio sheriff who suggested tracking Harris supporters is stripped of his election safety role.

An Ohio sheriff has been stripped of his role providing security at his county’s early voting location, members of a local elections board said, after he compared immigrants to insects and urged residents to record the addresses of people who have yard signs supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a Facebook post earlier this month, the sheriff, Bruce D. Zuchowski of Portage County, called Ms. Harris a “Laughing Hyena,” and described immigrants as locusts, the crop-destroying pests that were said in the Bible to have caused a plague in Egypt.

“Write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards!” Mr. Zuchowski, a Republican who is running for re-election, said of Ms. Harris’s supporters, according to a screenshot of the since-deleted post. Then when immigrants “need places to live,” he wrote, “we’ll already have the addresses of their New families.”

His comments were met with swift condemnation. And on Friday, the bipartisan Portage County Board of Elections voted 3 to 1 to remove the sheriff’s office from its role providing security at the board’s office during the early voting period , which lasts from Oct. 8 to Nov. 3. (One Republican board member voted for the motion; the other Republican member voted against it.)

During early voting in Portage County, which is southeast of Cleveland, residents can vote only at the Board of Elections office.

The board’s vote came in response to residents’ fears stemming from Mr. Zuchowski’s post, and concerns that the presence of the sheriff’s department on site could create an “appearance of impropriety,” said Terrie Nielsen, the deputy director of the Elections Board, who is a Democrat.

Denise L. Smith, the chair of the Portage County Board of Elections and the chair of the county’s Democratic Party, said the board had fielded calls from many residents who said they would not vote early given Mr. Zuchowski’s post.

“I don’t know what he intended by his remarks, but people were afraid,” Ms. Smith said Monday. “It is my opinion that the job of the Board of Elections is to provide access — barrier-free, intimidation-free — to anyone who’s eligible to vote.”

Mr. Zuchowski did not immediately reply to requests for comment. In a follow-up Facebook post last week, the sheriff wrote that his initial post “may have been a little misinterpreted.” He added that “those who vote for individuals with liberal policies have to accept responsibility for their actions.”

The backlash to his original post was bipartisan.

Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, described it as “very unfortunate.” The Portage County chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. called it “frightening.” And the president of the Portage County Board of Commissioners, Tony Badalamenti, resigned from the local Republican Party committee leadership, saying that he “didn’t want to be associated” with it after the post.

“It’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen an adult put on Facebook,” Mr. Badalamenti, a Trump supporter, said in an interview on Monday. He added, “Our county does not have a problem with illegal immigration.”

The Ohio secretary of state’s office said that it had determined that Mr. Zuchowski’s comments did not violate any election laws. Ms. Smith said that the Police Department for Ravenna, Ohio, will likely fill the security role for the county during the early voting period.

Neither the Trump campaign nor the Harris campaign responded to requests for comment.

Last Thursday, a day before the board voted to strip Mr. Zuchowski of his role providing security, the Portage County chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. held a packed emergency meeting at a church, where concerned residents vented frustration with the sheriff, said Frank Hairston, the chapter’s communications chair.

“His comments about the vice president are racial,” Mr. Hairston said in an interview. “We really believe that.”

Mr. Hairston, 72, a supporter of Ms. Harris, said his anxieties about the sheriff’s post were compounded by an incident this month.

One night, a man stopped outside his home in Ravenna and took a photograph of his pro-Harris yard sign, he said. The man then drove off.

When the sheriff made his post a few days later, Mr. Hairston’s “mind got to running” about the possibility that Ms. Harris’s supporters could be punished if former President Donald J. Trump wins the presidential election, Mr. Hairston said.

He said his worries were shared by many he had spoken to in Portage County, which is more than 80 percent white and was carried by Mr. Trump in the last two presidential elections . Some Harris supporters felt the need to remove their signs after the sheriff’s post, Mr. Hairston said.

“The sheriff of Portage County should be supporting all of Portage County residents,” Mr. Hairston said. “All of us.”

Neil Vigdor and Simon J. Levien

Neil Vigdor reported from Indiana, Pa., and Simon J. Levien reported from Pittsburgh

Trump stokes fears about Haitian migrants in Charleroi, Pa.

Former President Donald J. Trump vilified the migrant population of a small western Pennsylvania industrial town during a rally in the swing state on Monday, likening a group of Haitians who have made it their home to those in Springfield, Ohio, another place that was not well-known until he put it onto the political map.

“Has your beautiful town changed?” Mr. Trump asked, amplifying remarks he has previously made about Charleroi while speaking at a rally in Indiana, Pa., about 50 miles away. “It’s composed of lawless gangs.”

His debunked claims about Haitian migrants stealing and eating their neighbors’ pets in Springfield, Ohio, helped stir a firestorm over immigration in that community, which has dealt with bomb threats and evacuations after Mr. Trump made his comments.

Charleroi, a borough of about 4,000 people, has attracted its own growing community of Haitians, many of whom came to the United States legally through a federal humanitarian aid program for migrants.

Some local leaders have become frustrated by misinformation about Charleroi’s migrant population. Camera Bartolotta, a Republican state senator who represents the town, recently pushed back against the notion that Haitian migrants were stealing jobs.

Mr. Trump engaged in a back-and-forth with rally-goers who yelled out to him about Charleroi, asking them if the town has changed. Several attendees shouted back: “they’re everywhere!” and “it’s horrible!”

He has previously said that the borough has become “not so beautiful” because of migrants who are straining the municipal government’s resources.

“They are here legally,” Ms. Bartolotta wrote in a post on X about Haitian migrants. “Check the facts before posting information the jeopardizes the safety of good, hard-working people.”

Joe Manning, the borough manager, told WESA, the local NPR station, that he worried his town would turn into the next Springfield, Ohio.

“You have to get them the hell out,” Mr. Trump said about migrants in Springfield at his rally on Monday.

The crowd responded with chants of “send them back!”

Some Haitians in Springfield were left shaken after Mr. Trump aired his concerns about the city at the presidential debate in early September.

Mr. Trump has also repeatedly claimed that Venezuelan migrants in Aurora , Colo., brandished guns and took over an apartment complex there, an exaggerated claim.

Neil Vigdor reported from Indiana, Pa., and Simon J. Levien reported from Smithton, Pa.

Trump tells women that they ‘won’t think about abortion.’

Former President Donald J. Trump claimed at a rally on Monday that he would protect women voters by making their communities safer and that they won’t “be thinking about abortion.”

“You will be protected, and I will be your protector,” said Mr. Trump, who polls have shown is struggling to cultivate support among women, for whom abortion rights remain a top issue.

Speaking in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, where Vice President Kamala Harris has a slight edge in recent polls, Mr. Trump bristled at the notion that his struggles with women voters could cost him the election and suggested that his tough talk about immigration and economic proposals would resonate with them.

“I always thought women liked me,” Mr. Trump said in Indiana, Pa., about 55 miles east of Pittsburgh. “But the fake news keeps saying women don’t like me.”

Mr. Trump, who last year was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming the writer E. Jean Carroll and who has a history of making demeaning remarks about women , has been seeking to cast himself as a safeguard for women, posting similar comments on his social-media platform.

“Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free,” he said during an extended riff at the rally.

And then he asserted: “You will no longer be thinking about abortion.”

A spokeswoman for the Harris campaign, Sarafina Chitika, said that “women know better.”

“He tries to tell us what to think and what we care about,” Ms. Chitika said. “We will vote like our lives depend on it this November.”

The former president has frequently bragged about his role in appointing Supreme Court justices who helped to overturn Roe v. Wade. On Monday night, he repeated that the court’s ruling returned authority to the states to determine their own limits on abortion, a move that he said that many Americans had favored for decades.

“Everyone wanted abortion out of the federal government and into the states,” he said.

Mr. Trump also repeated a falsehood that he amplified during his debate against Ms. Harris earlier this month, saying that Democrats had been demanding abortions in the ninth month of a pregnancy or “an execution of a baby after birth.”

A growing share of voters in swing states now say the issue is central to their decision this fall, according to New York Times/Siena College polls earlier this month .

During the midterm elections in 2022, the first political cycle after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion played a key role in many races. Republicans underperformed their expectations for that year, with a so-called red wave failing to materialize.

Reid J. Epstein and Nicholas Nehamas

Reid J. Epstein and Nicholas Nehamas cover Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. They reported from Washington.

Harris is set to visit the border, trying to cut into Trump’s immigration edge.

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday during a trip to Arizona, according to two people briefed on the preparations, as she seeks to counter former President Donald J. Trump’s advantage with voters on the issue of immigration.

The trip is set to be her first visit to the southern border since President Biden dropped out of the race.

Ms. Harris may give remarks about border issues during the visit, according to the people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a trip that has not yet been made public. The people said final details about exactly where Ms. Harris would visit or what else she might do on the trip have not been decided. The Harris campaign did not immediately provide a comment.

Mr. Trump and Republicans have blamed Ms. Harris for the large numbers of migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico over the past several years. Early in his administration, Mr. Biden made Ms. Harris responsible for addressing the root causes of migration from Latin America.

But she struggled in that role and drew criticism after telling the NBC News host Lester Holt in a 2021 interview, when he asked why she had not yet visited the southern border, that she had “never been to Europe” either. The Trump campaign has used that exchange in advertisements attacking her record on immigration. Ms. Harris traveled to the border soon after her interview with Mr. Holt.

In recent months, border crossings have fallen to their lowest levels since she and Mr. Biden took office.

Mr. Trump maintains a narrow lead in Arizona, a key battleground state, according to a Times polling average . The state has a large number of Hispanic voters, a group among which Ms. Harris has recovered some support since replacing Mr. Biden on the ticket. But she is still polling below the traditional Democratic benchmark .

Ms. Harris is also expected to appear at a fund-raising event on Saturday in San Francisco and another on Sunday in Los Angeles. She is set to close her West Coast swing this weekend with a campaign event in Nevada.

Broadly, she has tried to sway voters who are skeptical of her approach to immigration by saying that she believes both in securing the border and in providing an “earned pathway to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants. And she has highlighted her role in pursuing transnational criminal groups during her time as attorney general of California.

Speaking at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus event last week, she warned that Mr. Trump would follow through on his promises to detain and deport vast numbers of undocumented immigrants if he is elected.

“Imagine what that would look like and what that would be,” Ms. Harris said. “How’s that going to happen? Massive raids? Massive detention camps? What are they talking about?”

She has also pointed out that Mr. Trump leaned on his Republican allies in Congress to kill a bipartisan border security deal this year, accusing him of playing politics.

Andrew Duehren contributed reporting.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota has made environmental issues the theme of his night of fund-raisers in New York. At his third and final one, he said Senator JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, “sold his soul” by changing his position on human-caused climate change to curry favor with Trump, who has called it a “hoax.” (Vance, back in 2020, said climate change was a problem.) Walz concluded his 20-minute-long remarks with a plea for attendees to “talk to your neighbors.” “Polling is neck and neck,” he said.

Neil Vigdor

With polls showing Donald Trump struggling to cultivate support among women, the former president bristled over their concerns about abortion rights during an extended riff at his Pennsylvania rally. “I always thought women liked me,” he said. He suggested that his tough talk about immigration and his economic proposals would appeal to women. “You will be protected, and I will be your protector,” he said.

I always thought women liked me. I never thought I had a problem. I am your protector. I want to be your protector. As president, I have to be your protector. I will make you safe at the border, on the sidewalks of your now-violent cities. You will no longer be abandoned, lonely or scared. You will no longer be in danger. You’re not going to be in danger any longer. You will no longer have anxiety from all of the problems our country has today. You will be protected. And I will be your protector.

Chris Cameron

The Harris campaign almost immediately seized on Trump’s remarks during this rally vowing to disband the Department of Education, noting that it is one of the policy proposals in Project 2025.

This is a key goal of Project 2025 https://t.co/0fFTrHznXG — Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 24, 2024

Trump, talking about Charleroi, Pa., falsely suggested that Haitian immigrants were being dropped off “right smack in the middle of your community.” He has sought to tap into anger in local communities with growing populations of Haitian immigrants, most of whom are in the U.S. legally.

He called the migrants in Charleroi "lawless" members of gangs and, in polling the crowd about the town, several attendees shouted "It's horrible!"

One day after President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine visited Pennsylvania, Donald J. Trump, at a rally in the state, suggested without evidence that he favored Vice President Kamala Harris. “He wants them to win this election so badly,” Trump said of the Democratic ticket. He called Zelensky the “greatest salesman” for continuing to secure U.S. aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Trump said he would press Zelensky and President Vladimir Putin of Russia to make a deal to end the war.

Katie Glueck

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, is on a fund-raising swing in New York. According to reporters traveling with him, he attended one today at the home of Huma Abedin, the longtime adviser to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Alex Soros, the politically active son of the financier and Democratic donor George Soros, in Manhattan.

Vance, declining to denounce Robinson, lashes out at the media instead.

Senator JD Vance of Ohio lashed out at the news media on Monday as he campaigned in North Carolina, deflecting questions about a scandal engulfing the campaign of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson , the embattled Republican running for governor in the state.

Mr. Vance, who has previously cast doubt on a CNN report linking Mr. Robinson to disturbing comments on a pornographic forum , avoided mentioning the lieutenant governor during a campaign rally in Charlotte. When pressed by journalists, he declined to denounce Mr. Robinson but said the onus would be on him to convince voters that he didn’t make the posts, in which the report says he called himself a “black NAZI” and defended slavery.

“What he said or didn’t say is between him and the people of North Carolina,” said Mr. Vance, former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate. He added: “I’ve seen some of the statements. I haven’t seen them all. Some of them are pretty gross, to put it mildly. Mark Robinson says that those statements are false, that he didn’t actually speak them. So I think it’s up to Mark Robinson to make his case to the people of North Carolina that those weren’t his statements.”

As audience members booed and jeered the local journalists asking Mr. Vance about Mr. Robinson, with many standing up in their seats and turning around to shout at the press gathered in the back of the venue, Mr. Vance shifted his focus there as well.

“This entire episode illustrates something that is fundamentally broken about the American media,” Vance said, later comparing the gathered journalists to “supermarket tabloids” and adding “I really cannot believe that the American media is so much more focused on this than on the struggles of their fellow citizens.”

But Mr. Vance brushed aside the questions about Mr. Robinson, some of which were drowned out as the crowd roared against them. He declined to say if the lieutenant governor still had the endorsement of the Trump campaign.

Mr. Trump, for his part, has avoided mentioning Mr. Robinson in recent days, including at his own rally in the state on Saturday. The scandal surrounding Mr. Robinson presents a delicate challenge to Mr. Trump, who called him “Martin Luther King on steroids.”

Trump just took the stage here in western Pennsylvania, nearly an hour after he had been scheduled to speak.

Vance, speaking at his second campaign event in Charlotte today, discussed the second assassination attempt against Trump earlier this month and praised the former president for saying he was more concerned about his golf game than the gunman near his golf course.

“Isn’t this the kind of person that we want to be the president of the United States?” Vance asked a crowd at the Freedom House Church. He said that Trump was “more worried about missing a birdie putt than he is about an assassin’s attempt on his own life, because that is the definition of courage under fire, and Donald Trump has it in spades.”

Vance has made no mention of Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, at the campaign event. Vance spoke of the embattled lieutenant governor only when asked by reporters at another event in Charlotte earlier in the day — and he deflected those questions, while the audience repeatedly booed journalists for asking them.

Simon J. Levien

In his roundtable earlier today, Trump said he would impose a 200 percent tariff on imports from John Deere, the Illinois-based farm-equipment maker, if the company continued to ramp up its manufacturing in Mexico. He focused a large part of his remarks on promoting efforts to boost domestic manufacturing. He has previously also threatened to raise tariffs on auto companies that rely heavily on foreign factories.

Michael Whatley, the chairman of the RNC, is speaking at the Freedom House Church ahead of JD Vance's second appearance in Charlotte, N.C., today. As Whatley mentioned supporting downballot Republican candidates in the state, several members of the crowd cried out, “Mark Robinson!”

Over and over again, Vance has been asked questions by the press at this campaign rally, many about Mark Robinson, and their words have been drowned out by boos and jeering by the audience, with many standing up in their seats and turning around to shout at reporters. In previous campaign rallies, Vance has asked the crowd to settle down so that the question could be heard. But not today.

“I really cannot believe that the American media is so much more focused on this than on the struggles of their fellow citizens,” Vance said.

The arena hosting tonight’s Trump rally in Indiana, Pa., appears to have reached capacity. A Pennsylvania state trooper estimated that there were 5,000 to 6,000 people inside. Outside the building, there is a sizable overflow crowd, a detail that Trump frequently boasts about during his events.

Vance was also asked about why he spread debunked claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing and eating their neighbors' pets. He denied any wrongdoing.

“My responsibility is to listen to the people that I serve and not a biased media,” Vance said to raucous applause from the audience. “And that’s what I’ll keep on doing in Springfield, Ohio, or anywhere else.”

The first question Vance is asked during his rally is about Mark Robinson, and the local journalist who asked it is drowned out by boos and jeers from the crowd.

“What he said or didn’t say is between him and the people of North Carolina,” Vance said, and added: “I’ve seen some of the statements. I haven’t seen them all. Some of them are pretty gross, to put it mildly. Mark Robinson says that those statements are false, that he didn’t actually speak them. So I think it’s up to Mark Robinson to make his case to the people of North Carolina that those weren’t his statements.”

The venue in Charlotte, N.C., where JD Vance is holding a campaign rally is more than half empty in the aftermath of the report that Mark Robinson made disturbing comments on a pornographic forum. Representative Dan Bishop, a congressman running for attorney general in the state, ended his speech before Vance by telling the audience to “vote for Donald Trump and JD Vance,” and then, without naming Robinson, called on the audience to “vote for Republicans down the ballot.”

As Trump’s supporters begin filling the arena here in Indiana, Pa., his campaign played a pre-recorded — and outdated — message of the former president vowing to evict President Biden from the White House in November. It was symbolic of Trump’s grudging pivot to having to run against Vice President Kamala Harris. At his rallies, he has regularly complained about how he spent $100 million trying to defeat Biden, only to have a new opponent.

Trump has wrapped up the policy roundtable he held with local farmers in Smithton, Pa., where he fielded mostly friendly questions about his policies to boost agriculture exports and beat back foreign adversaries and competitors like China. He will head to rally later this evening in Indiana, Pa., which is also near Pittsburgh.

Eduardo Medina

Tina Watson, 53, who owns the diner in Boone, N.C., where Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson campaigned for governor today, said she had agreed to host the event before a CNN report linked him to disturbing posts on a porn site. Watson, a Republican, said she was sure she wouldn’t vote for Josh Stein, the Democratic nominee. But Robinson? “I’m still making my mind up,” she said.

At this roundtable, a reporter asked Trump about his plan to put substantial tariffs on imported products in an effort to encourage domestic production. Some economists think this plan could raise consumer prices . He did not directly answer the question, but said that Congress would “approve it.”

Trump’s roundtable event this afternoon was billed as being about the threat China imposes on U.S. agriculture. But as he often does, Trump has touched other topics, telling the farmers at the roundtable that he “totally fixed” the border and again promising to increase fracking in Pennsylvania.

On Monday, just days after CNN reported that Mark Robinson, the Republican running for governor, had posted on a pornographic forum that he was a “black NAZI,” he refused to take questions from reporters at a campaign stop in Boone, N.C. Inside a diner perched on a winding, mountainous road, Robinson told his supporters that what mattered in his campaign for governor was his policy.

“I don’t want to hear any more about personality,” Robinson said. “Personality doesn’t get it done. Policy gets it done.”

JD Vance has landed in Charlotte, N.C., and now faces the challenge of campaigning in the battleground state today while the Republican running for governor there, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, insists he will remain in the race after most of his staff resigned following a CNN report linking him to numerous disturbing comments on a pornographic forum. Vance has previously cast doubt on the CNN report, while Donald Trump has made no mention of Robinson in recent days.

Maggie Astor

Ukraine’s president criticizes Trump and Vance over remarks on his country’s war with Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine criticized former President Donald J. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, in an interview published on Sunday, even as he said he did not want to influence American voters.

“My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how,” Mr. Zelensky said in a lengthy interview with The New Yorker . “With this war, oftentimes, the deeper you look at it the less you understand. I’ve seen many leaders who were convinced they knew how to end it tomorrow, and as they waded deeper into it, they realized it’s not that simple.”

Mr. Trump has said repeatedly that, if elected, he could end the war — which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 — “within 24 hours,” but he has never provided details on how he would do so. He has said only that he would talk to both Mr. Zelensky and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and get them to agree to a deal, which would almost certainly involve Ukraine giving up territory to Russia.

Although Mr. Zelensky said that Mr. Trump had said in a private call that he would support Ukraine, the former president declined to say that he wanted Ukraine to win the war during his debate this month with Vice President Kamala Harris. Instead, he said only that he wanted the war to end.

Mr. Zelensky responded to that in his interview, saying: “He says he wants the war to stop. Well, we do, too. This phrase and desire, they unite the world; everyone shares them. But here’s the scary question: Who will shoulder the costs of stopping the war?”

Mr. Vance said in an interview this month that Mr. Trump’s proposal would likely allow Moscow to retain the land it has taken and establish a demilitarized zone along the current battle lines. The plan was similar to what Mr. Putin has repeatedly offered as peace terms.

Mr. Zelensky said that Mr. Vance was “too radical” and that such a solution would be “an awful idea.”

“This kind of scenario would have no basis in international norms, in U.N. statute, in justice,” Mr. Zelensky said. “And it wouldn’t necessarily end the war, either. It’s just sloganeering.”

Mr. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The former president has said many times, including during the Republican primary, that he does not believe supporting Ukraine should be a priority for the United States, and that it should be primarily Europe’s job to help, though he has often avoided giving a direct answer on whether he would sign a bill granting additional aid.

Mr. Trump was impeached in 2019 for withholding aid to Ukraine as part of an effort to pressure Mr. Zelensky to help him politically.

Mr. Zelensky said in his interview, “We have always tried to avoid influencing the choices of the American people — that would simply be wrong.”

But he added, “I believe we have always demonstrated that Ukraine is definitely not a pawn, and that our interests have to be taken into account.”

Reid J. Epstein

Reporting from Washington

A key Republican legislator in Nebraska rejects Trump’s push to shake up the electoral map.

The Nebraska state senator who Republicans hoped would help ease former President Donald J. Trump’s path to the White House by agreeing to change how the state allocates its Electoral College votes said on Monday that he would not do so, ending a brief but intense lobbying effort from allies of Mr. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The state legislator, Mike McDonnell, a Democrat turned Republican from Omaha, said that he would not agree to change Nebraska’s 32-year tradition of awarding three of the state’s five electoral votes by congressional district to a winner-take-all system based on the statewide popular vote, bucking calls from Nebraska’s governor and its congressional delegation to help Mr. Trump.

“In recent weeks, a conversation around whether to change how we allocate our Electoral College votes has returned to the forefront,” Mr. McDonnell said in a statement on Monday. “I respect the desire of some of my colleagues to have this discussion, and I have taken time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.”

Mr. McDonnell said he had told the state’s Republican governor, Jim Pillen, that “I will not change my long-held position and will oppose any attempted changes to our Electoral College system before the 2024 election.” He said he had proposed seeking a constitutional amendment next year, which would require a statewide vote to change how Nebraska allocates its electoral votes.

The Nebraska Examiner earlier reported Mr. McDonnell’s statement.

Nebraska is a reliably red state, and, had the change taken effect, it would have affected only the electoral vote awarded from the congressional district that includes Omaha and its suburbs, which has gone to Democrats twice since the state established its by-district allocation system for the 1992 election. Barack Obama won it in 2008, and President Biden took it in 2020. In this year’s presidential election, both of the leading campaigns see situations in which a single electoral vote could prove decisive.

Mr. Pillen had said he would convene the state’s 49 legislators in a special session to change the state law once he had commitments from enough of them to overcome a promised filibuster from Nebraska Democrats. In the past week, when Mr. McDonnell, a former firefighter who is the president of the Omaha Federation of Labor, emerged as the key vote on the issue, he found himself being pressured by high-level allies of the Harris and Trump campaigns.

Last week, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina traveled to Lincoln, the Nebraska state capital, to lobby lawmakers to change their electoral vote allocation system to winner take all. After that, the five members of the state’s congressional delegation, who are all Republicans, signed a joint letter endorsing the switch.

“Nebraska has a long and proud tradition of independence, and our electoral system reflects that by ensuring that the outcome of our elections truly represents the will of the people without interference,” said Jane Kleeb, the chairwoman of the Nebraska Democratic Party. “Senator McDonnell is standing strong against tremendous pressure from out-of-state interests to protect Nebraskans’ voice in our democracy. In this election and those to come, Nebraskans will continue to lead the way by electing leaders at every level who stand up for the people and respect our spirit of independence.”

Mr. McDonnell, who is barred by term limits from seeking re-election to the Nebraska Legislature, is widely seen as eyeing a run for mayor of Omaha against the incumbent, Jean Stothert, a Republican who said on Friday that she had “always” preferred a winner-take-all allocation of Nebraska’s electoral votes.

Changing the law would require agreement from 33 of the 49 state senators in Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature. Sixteen seats are held by Democrats, all of whom are opposed to the switch. Up until now, Mr. McDonnell and two other Republicans had not committed to the change. The other two Republicans have been seen by officials in both parties in Nebraska as all but certain to follow Mr. McDonnell’s lead.

The prospect of winning just one of Nebraska’s electoral votes is tantalizing to the two presidential campaigns.

If all five of Nebraska’s electoral votes are awarded to Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris carries Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and all of the other states Mr. Biden won in 2020 except Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, the vice president and Mr. Trump would each have 269 electoral votes, a tie that would be broken by a vote of state delegations in the House of Representatives. Republicans hold an advantage there and would most likely award the White House to Mr. Trump.

But under the current rules, if Ms. Harris wins the Omaha district along with the northern battleground states, she would win the White House regardless of how the Sun Belt states vote. The Harris campaign has held a campaign event in Omaha featuring her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, who is a Nebraska native.