New York is the perfect city for a citytrip, but what can you do in a few days? This is the planning we used for our trip to the Big Apple and is perfectly doable without having to hurry.
Day 1
Most flights from Europe arrive around noon, so we start the planning with a half day.
Central Park
An oasis of tranquility in the middle of Manhattan. With about 25 million visitors per year the 842 acres large park is the most visited park of the USA.
Central Park Zoo
Little zoo Central Park. The main attractions are the pinguins, polar bears and red pandas.
Strawberry Fields
A part of Central Park, close to the Dakota Building. It’s a tribute to John Lennon.
Bethesda Fountain and Terrace
The fountain was built in 1873. The statue, Angels of the Waters, was deigned in honor of the first drinking water system of the city in 1842.
The Dairy
This beautiful building is used as an information center. You can get a map of Central Park here.
Twin Towers of Central Park West
The 2 towers were built in 1929 and are a familiar sight from Central Park.
Lincoln Center
Large complex for music, opera, theater and dance.
Metropolitan Opera House
The Metropolitan Opera in New York, also called Met, is the most important opera ensemble in the USA.
Day 2
A busy day. A hike from Union Square to Herald Square.
Union Square
Large square in the middle of Manhattan. The hike starts here.
Madison Square Park
Around the park there are some famous buildings, including the Flatiron Building. The park also named the concert arena Madison Square Garden.
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building was one of the first skyscrapers in New York. It has been the talles building in New York for several years. The bulding was named for it’s specific shape, resembling a flatiron.
Bryant Park
This park is situated in Midtown Manhattan. The park is amids tall skyscrapers. The most famous building in Bryant Park is the New York Public Library.
New York Public Library
Worldfamous public library. The reading room is one of the most photographed places of New York.
Grand Central Terminal
This is the main train station of New York. The station has the largest number of tracks in the world, 67 tracks. You definitively need to see the ceiling of the main hall. There are a lot of shops and a large food court.
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building was the largest skyscraper in the world until 1931. The decorations and the spire look like details of a Chrysler car.
Daily News Building
Art-Deco skyscraper, 145m high. The building was the headquarters of the New York Daily News until 1995.
United Nations Headquarters
Although in New York, the building and surrounding area of the United Nations Headquarters is international territory.
Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock)
Complex of 19 commercial buildings, built between 1929 and 1940. The building is worldfamous for the christmas tree that is placed on the center court every year. On the highest floors of the Rockefeller Center you can visit Top of the Rock, an observation platform with a unique view of Central Park and the Empire State Building.
Times Square
The name Times Square comes for the headquarters of The New York Times. It is the cultural heart of New York with an abundance of led screens and the theater district Broadway.
Herald Square
The square was named for the New York Herald. The most famous building on the square is Macy’s.
Macy’s
Macy’s on Herald Square is the largest department store in the world according to Guinness World Records.
Day 3
Today we visit some real icons of New York.
9/11 Museum
We start the day at Ground Zero, the place where the 2 towers of the World Trade Center used to be. Now it’s a memorial for the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Below the 2 squares with the names of the victims a museum was built. You can see pieces of steel from the 2 towers, a destroyed fire truck and a lot of photo’s.
One World Observatory
Observation deck on the top floors of the new One World Trade Center.
Battery Park
Park on the most southern part of Manhattan. The ferries for Liberty Island leave here.
Statue of Liberty + Ellis Island
With the ferry you can visit Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is standing. The statue was a gift from France in honor of the 100th anniversary of the United States. After the visit to Lady Liberty you can board a ferry to Ellis Island, the place where millions of immigrants have entered the USA. Now it’s a museum.
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in the world. The facade of the building is world famous.
Trinity Church
This church in southern Manhattan was built in 1846. Back then the 86m high tower dominated the skyline of New York.
Federal Reserve Bank
Below the building of the New York Fed there is a vault containing about one quarter of the world’s gold reserve.
Empire State Building
Visit the Empire State Building just before dusk. You can see the evening fall over New York. The skyscraper is 381m high and was the talles building in the world from 1931 until 1972. Take the elevator to the 86th floor and enjoy the amazing view.
Day 4
Another busy day with a long walk and some museums.
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge crosses the East River and connects Manhattan to Brooklyn. Take the subway to Brooklyn and walk across the bridge.You’ll have a great view of the New York skyline.
Chinatown
About 300.000 asian live here. The area draws a lot of tourists with asian shops and food.
Criminal Courts Building
This is the most important justice building in New York.
Little Italy
Most Italian immigrants used to settle here. Now there are a lot of Italian restaurants.
Economy Candy
This shop was founded in 1937 and is legendary. You can find all candy you can think of in the small shop.
Take the subway to Times Square and continue on foot from there.
Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum
The museum is housed on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. After years of service during WWII, the Vietnam war and picking up capsules for NASA the ship was converted to a museum. You can visit the whole ship and on the flight deck there are several airplanes on display.
American Museum of Natural History
The museum is the most famous natural history museum in the world with an impressive collection.
Guggenheim
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a modern art museum on 5th Avenue. It’s not only famous for it’s art, but also for it’s beautiful building.
Bloomingdales
Bloomingdales is the favorite shopping mall for many New Yorkers. This is where they buy their designer clothes.
