Oh New York City! Who hasn’t grown up dreaming about this place? I know I have and it topped all my expectations every time. I’ve been to the city 4 times by now, and it’s a never ending love story. I’d go all the time if I could. The energy is just so different than anywhere else: it’s captivating, vibrant, hopeful – it is THE setting for dreamers.
I came to New York and in only hours, New York did what it does to people: awakened the possibilities. Hope breaks out.
Philipp Roth
As long as I can remember I had dreamed about going to New York, living in New York, breathing in the New York air. I have to admit, Gossip Girl (the books way before the TV series!) played a big part in that. There was just something about this city, that held my fascination long before I ever got there. When I was 16, I finally got to go for the first time with my Dad. I remember getting off the train that took us to Manhattan and being completely overwhelmed by the masses of people that were flooding the train station from all entrances as I had difficulties making my way through the crowd with my suit case. This was also my first time ever being in the United States. Even though I was a little overwhelmed, that wasn’t all I was feeling. The immediate and predominant feeling was just – and I don’t have a better word for it – feeling alive. I had never wanted to be a part of something as much as I wanted to be a part of New York City.
Since then I have loved every visit and every minute spent there. And to this day, I would love to live there at least for a while. And who knows, maybe someday I will? A girl can dream 🙂
As I was writing this post I realized it was getting longer and longer because there is just SO MUCH to say about New York City.
This is why I decided split it in two and to cover the basics here first and then cover the sights / To Do’s / Food in blog post Part 2.
So let’s get to it!
Note: This blog post contains links & mentions to third party sites etc. – this is non commercial as nothing was paid for. But let me mark this as an Ad for legal reasons. 🙂
How long to stay? And when to visit?
A great trip to NYC can literally be any duration. I’ve personally been for 2 days (shortest trip) to 7 days (longest trip). My recommendation would probably be 5 days, that gives you lots of time to explore yet without a rush. That said – any trip to New York is too short of course!
New York is worth a visit at any given time of the year! Keep in mind – you never know what you’re in for. Within a week I’ve seen it go from warm enough to sit in the sun without a jacket to a legit snow storm.
Personally, I enjoyed going in the spring (April), but I would love to see it in the Christmas season, that’s a little dream of mine.
Where to stay?
This was the entire hotel room, photographed from the door!
I’ve already said it before, when traveling in the US, Airbnbs are my favorite, and this is also true for NYC.
For the traveller on a smaller budget, hotels are usually too expensive. At least those, that are conveniently located. And if they’re affordable, they’re usually not the best/cleanest/you name it.
One time, we were given a double room that was SO small it barely fit the (also small) bed. We could only just walk around it with no option to store our suit cases except the little part between the end of the bed and the wall, meaning every time we had to take something out, we had to lift the suit case on the bed! And this was literally it, one tiny room with a bed (see photo) and a shared bathroom on the floor.
So yes – go for an Airbnb. But where?
If you’re an early bird, it is definitely possible to find something affordable right in Manhattan. My recommendation though, would be to find something on the other side of the East river, with a convenient subway station close by. It will be cheaper and you get to experience life outside of just Manhattan as well. (I only left the island of Manhattan on my 4th visit to NYC! There’s just so much to see that I didn’t leave!)
✔Tip: Check in the area of Bedford Avenue. Lovely neighborhood and just one subway stop away from Manhattan.
It is absolutely doable to find something good for 60€-80€ a night. Divide by 2 people and you’re all set for an affordable trip.
✔Tip: Sometimes a whole neighborhood is connected to Manhattan by just one subway line. Check that it is not under construction when you’re there. Because that, my friends, would suck.
Flying into JFK? Or Newark?
There are two very convenient airports: One is the obvious JFK airport and the other one is Newark (EWR) in New Jersey. And even though it’s technically in a different state, Newark is just about the same distance from Manhattan as JFK so it’s definitely just as easy to fly into New Jersey. Personally, I have never flown into Laguardia Airport so I can’t say much about it.
Of course taxis are always a possibility but of course on the more expensive side. If you do however want to take a taxi, because it is also more convenient with a lot of luggage, it would be roughly about $50 – $70 from either airport.
If you’re looking for an alternative to a taxi, a pre-booked shuttle is a great way to do it as well and will be less expensive. (GO Airlink)
However, the most budget-friendly way to get to Manhattan is by train:
From Newark to Manhattan on a budget
I’ve done this most times – it is really easy, you just need to change trains once!
From any terminal look for the signs saying AirTrain. You can get your tickets right at the station at the NJ Transit machines. Buy a ticket to go to New York Penn Station. Once you arrive at New York Penn Station you can simply connect to the regular subway system to reach your accommodation.
Ride No. 1 with AirTrain:
Terminal to Newark Liberty International Airport AirTrain Station (about 10min)
Ride No. 2 with NJ Transit:
EWR Intl. Airport Air Train Station to New York Penn Station (about 30min)
Cost: ca. $16
Duration: ca. 45min
From JFK to Manhattan on a budget
There are two options here: AirTrain & LIRR or AirTrain & regular subway system.
Option 1 AirTrain & LIRR (fastest):
Again, from any terminal look for the signs saying AirTrain and buy a ticket to go to New York Penn Station. Take the AirTrain Jamaica Line to go to Jamaica Station, where you can get on the LIRR train to go all the way to Penn Station.
Cost: ca. $18
Duration: ca. 30-40min
Option 2 AirTrain & regular subway system:
Get on the Jamaica Line as well but take it all the way to Sutphin Blvd/ Archer Avenue station, where you can then connect to the regular subway system by taking the E-train into Manhattan.
Cost: $8
Duration: ca. 50-60min
The Subway System
Click here for a map of the New York Subway (2020).
You can get the hang of it quite quickly, there’s just a few things to know to avoid mistakes (that I’ve made).
✔You can buy a metro card easily at the machines and use it to get in and out of the subway system by swiping the cad each time.
✔Add value / Add time: Sounds so easy when you know what it means and would have saved me SO much money!! Add value means you’re literally just loading on more money and you’re paying for every single ride. Add time equals a day-pass or 7-day-pass or whatever you choose for the metro. So if you’re staying longer and planning to use the subway a lot, add time is the button you should use.
✔Local trains/ Express trains: Not all trains stop at all stations! The express trains skip some stations for a faster service to the bigger stations. Example: There is a 1, 2, 3 train on the red line. Train 2 and 3 are Express trains while 1 is a local train. So pay attention before you get on!
✔On the map stations with a black dot mean that only local trains will stop there. Next to the dot it will also indicate which exact line stops there
Is a New York City Pass worth the money?
You might have heard about the New York Citypass – and especially if you’re going for the first time and will want to cover some of the most popular attractions, I would absolutely recommend it, as this will safe you $$$ for sure.
It includes admission to 6 top attractions:
1. Empire State Building
2. the American Museum of Natural History
3. the Metropolitan Museum of Art
4. Top of the Rock OR Guggenheim Museum
5. Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
6. 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
New York City sights tend to be quite expensive, so if you already know you’ll want to do let’s say 3 out of those attractions mentioned above, you should compare the prices to date but it usually makes sense to get the pass and get 3 more attractions basically for free!
The pass currently is $136, while the Empire State Building Admission alone is already about $60 – just something to think about.
So there it is, Part 1 of the NYC Post with all the infos on planning your trip! I hope you will find all this helpful, as I tried to be as specific as I could from my own experience.
Now I am doing my best to get Part 2 up as quickly as I can, covering all the things to do! I am already buzzing with inspiration for this.
Love & magic to you,
Jules
