7 zile in New York – Ghidul tau complet pentru o vacanta in New York

Let's talk about New York!

The city that never sleeps, the symbol of freedom and the American dream, and the "capital of the world", as some would consider. For us, New York was the destination with which we had to start our adventure in the United States of America, it is the most touristic, famous and recognizable metropolis of this country, and not only, of the entire Western world.

In this article, we present everything you need to know for your first experience in this magnificent city: from accommodation, transportation, sights to visit and, most importantly, how to divide your schedule so that you reach the most important touristic points in New York.

Content

About New York
What you need to know about New York

What to do in New York

About New York

Let me start by saying that for us, New York was so intense!

It's not an easy city to process – it's noisy, bustling, crowded, full of people of all kinds. It's a metropolis in the truest sense of the word, with good and bad.

But it's such a unique and original experience!

And you see and feel it so different there, from how you knew it from the movies. Not in a worse sense, just more real.

From the movies we always got the image of a rich and modern city, almost inaccessible, where people were always dressed elegantly and expensively, radiating a sophisticated air.

On the spot, however, things look different. People live their daily lives, the city has its good sides, but also some less pleasant ones. What didn't impress us about New York? The presence of many suspicious people on the streets, the unbearable smell of weed everywhere, the old and unkempt subway stations and the lack of cleanliness in crowded places.

Otherwise, our experience in New York was safe and pleasant, at least in Manhattan, the area we explored. It's incredible how many places you recognize, as if you've known them for a lifetime, even though you've never been here before. The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Just to name a few.

And it's absolutely incredible how, at every street corner, you come across a place that seems familiar to you from the hundreds of movies and series you've seen about New York, which contributed to the image you might have of the city: Home Alone, Friends, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl – and these are just the first ones that come to mind.

New York has its own rhythm, here everything seems to move at a different speed and is lived at a different intensity, and that's what makes it so fascinating and captivating!

Before we show you what we visited in New York, we'll present some administrative matters.

What you need to know about New York

How New York was formed

Although today it is one of the largest and most important cities in the world, we can consider New York to be a relatively “young” city.

It all began in the 17th century, when, in 1614, the Dutch founded a small settlement in the south of Manhattan Island, which they called New Amsterdam (New Amsterdam). A few decades later, in 1664, the settlement was conquered by the English and renamed New York, in honor of the Duke of York. New York, în onoarea ducelui de York.

By the 19th century, the city had become a center of immigration: millions of people passed through Ellis Island, hoping to fulfill their “American dream” and seek a better life.

In the 20th century, New York grew and developed spectacularly, as evidenced by the skyscrapers built during this period, with Wall Street as the main financial center of the world.

Map of New York – How New York is divided

New York City consists of five major districts (boroughs): Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Of these, Manhattan is the heart of the city – home to Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building and Wall Street.

It is considered the financial, cultural and tourist centre of New York.
It is also the most expensive and congested of the five boroughs.

Manhattan, in turn, is divided into three large areas: Downtown (south of the island), Midtown and Uptown (north of the island).

Downtown Manhattan is, historically speaking, the oldest part of Manhattan. It is home to the Financial District with the WTC and Wall Street, as well as Chinatown and Soho.

is the central area of the island, and is the busiest and most vibrant, with attractions such as Times Square, Rockefeller Center or the Empire State Building.

Uptown Manhattan stretches from Central Park northward. It is predominantly residential, but you can also find famous NY museums here, such as The Met or the Guggenheim.

A fascinating aspect of Manhattan is the organization of the streets in a grid system: all the streets are parallel and perpendicular, most of them are numbered. The streets increase in number from south to north and from east to west.

A landmark is 5^th Avenue, one of the most famous streets in the world, known for its luxury stores. It marks the border between the East Side and the West Side: everything to the east (for example 2^nd Avenue) is part of the East Side, and everything to the west (such as 7^th Avenue) belongs to the West Side.

An exception to this orderly street grid is Broadway, the oldest street in New York, laid out before the current grid system. It crosses Manhattan on its own route, and squares have appeared at the points where it intersects with other streets:

Times Square, at the intersection of 7^th Avenue and Broadway

Flatiron Building, at the intersection of 5^th Avenue and Broadway

These landmarks make names like the Upper East Side much easier to understand: “East” refers to the east side of 5th Avenue, and “Upper” to the northern part of Manhattan.

Safety in New York

Is New York safe?

We don’t intend to give a verdict here, we’ve all heard different stories about America not being as safe, overall, as countries in Europe.

Our experience was limited to Manhattan (and New Jersey, where we had the accommodation). In all this time, we never felt unsafe.

However, we kept a few common sense rules in mind:

We only walked in areas frequented by tourists and locals
We didn't walk around at night
We avoided any interaction with people on the street (there weren't many, but in such a big city, it's inevitable to meet people less fortunate).

Manhattan is extremely touristy and very crowded. We felt like we were in any other big European city, where the main concern was to watch out for pickpockets.

However, we knew in advance that some areas, such as the Bronx (located north of Manhattan), were better to avoid, especially for tourists.

Where to stay in New York

We’ll be honest here – accommodation in New York was a very difficult subject. We would have liked accommodation directly in Manhattan, but…

They were very expensive for May, when we traveled – a good accommodation would have cost us at least 400 euros/night.
All the accommodation we searched for in Manhattan had a very big problem: bedbugs! From the beginning we only looked for 4-star accommodation, with a rating of 9+ on Booking, but the multitude of comments in which guests complained about bedbugs made us completely avoid accommodation in Manhattan. We don’t want to generalize and say that it’s like this everywhere in New York, but our advice is to be careful when booking accommodation here, and especially to check the reviews!

As a result, we reoriented ourselves and decided on accommodation in New Jersey. And, spoiler, it was the best decision!

We stayed at Sonesta Suites Jersey City, and the reasons that made us say that this was the most inspired choice are these:

The much more decent price (230 euros/night, compared to 400+ euros/night in Manhattan).
The room was actually a studio, quite spacious, with a kitchen, which suited us very well during our stay.

We had a view of New York directly from our room, and it was absolutely gorgeous!
From New Jersey we could get to Downtown (south of Manhattan) very quickly, we had a stop with the Path trains, which connected Jersey City to New York.
And, very importantly, we didn't find any comments about the presence of bedbugs before, and we didn't have any negative experiences there either.
In addition to these, we were very lucky to have a supermarket with affordable, and especially healthy, cooked food near the hotel – Whole Foods Market!

New Jersey is a much cleaner, airier and quieter city than New York, and after a whole day spent in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the quiet of New Jersey was all we needed to recharge our batteries for the next day!

If you still want to stay in Manhattan, keep the following in mind:

Manhattan is huge – no matter where you choose to stay, you will still need the subway to get from one area to another.

Times Square may seem like a unique and spectacular choice, but the area is extremely crowded and noisy. An interesting experience for a few hours, but not necessarily recommended as a place to rest.

Prices are very high in Manhattan. If you want to save money, you can choose a place in New Jersey, Queens or Brooklyn. I recommend avoiding the Bronx, however.

Internet in New York

For internet, we used an eSim from Mobimatter. There are different options you can buy here, depending on the period or size of the data package. We had a 20 GB package each, for 21 euros, and it was enough for a week.

I recommend you check all the options on Mobimatter or Airalo and choose the best offer for you!

Use the code DENIS39489 on the first installation on Mobimatter, for a $5 discount on the first purchase, or DENISA1254 on Airalo for a $3 discount.

How to get around in New York

As a tourist, you need two essential things to get around in New York: a phone with internet access (for navigating the map) and a bank card (for paying for transportation).

Underground transportation is very well developed – the subway network has countless lines and stations, and trains come at short intervals. They are not the most modern subways, but they do their job, and that is the most important thing.

There’s no point in going into complicated details about routes – Google Maps will guide you perfectly from one point to another. However, here’s a little hintl: in the stations you will always encounter two directions – Downtown and Uptown.

Subway lines that will go south, for example to the Financial District or Queens, will go in the Downtown direction, and those that go north, to Central Park or the Bronx, will have the Uptown direction.

How much does it cost?

A subway ticket costs 2,90 $.
There is also an unlimited 7-day pass, for 34 $.
If you always pay with the same card (including phone/wallet), the system automatically applies the cap: you will not spend more than $34 in a week, even if you pay per trip.

What to do in New York

Do you have enough to do for a week in New York?

Definitely, yes! New York is a very attractive city, with countless famous and world-famous attractions, which, if you get here, you cannot miss!

Next, I have prepared a complete 7-day itinerary for you, through which you can discover all these places! It is based on our own experience, and of course, it is indicative and has an informative purpose. There is no “perfect” order in which all these touristic spots should be visited, everyone is free to adjust their schedule according to time, availability, even weather.

Day 1

We arrived in New York the evening before voting began for the second round of the May 2025 presidential elections in Romania, so the first thing we did once we arrived in New York was to go vote!

We showed up at the Romanian Consulate in New York first thing on Friday morning, and after doing our civic duty, we set off on foot to discover New York!

Grand Central Terminal

Near the consulate is New York's Grand Central Terminal.

Grand Central Terminal is probably one of the most recognizable train stations in the world, having been used as a setting for scenes in many famous films, such as The Godfather, Men in Black or Gossip Girl.

The station was built at the beginning of the 20th century, has 44 platforms and is considered the largest train station in the world by this criterion.

Summit One Vanderbilt

Next to Grand Central is Summit One Vanderbilt, one of the newest observation towers in New York.

What makes this tower different from other towers in New York is that Summit offers visitors a very Instagrammable setting, with mirrors, reflections, light effects and glass platforms.

The price of a ticket starts at 42 euros and can be purchased from the link below: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Experience Ticket.

was inaugurated in 1931 and was the tallest building in the world for almost 4 decades, until the World Trade Center was finalized.

Quite close is the Empire State Building, the emblematic building of New York City.

was inaugurated in 1931 and was the tallest building in the world for almost 4 decades, until the World Trade Center was finalized. a fost inaugurat in anul 1931 si a fost cea mai inalta cladire din lume timp de aproape 4 decenii, pana cand a fost finalizat World Trade Center.

Tourists have the opportunity to climb the Empire State Building, and can choose between two types of tickets, up to the 86th floor (45 euros) or up to the 102nd floor (79 euros).

If you have a few days and you have the opportunity to climb only one tower in New York, then I would recommend climbing any other tower besides this one, to enjoy the entire panorama of New York, with the Empire State Building included in the landscape.

For this very reason we didn't climb it either, we preferred to see the panorama of New York with the Empire State Building included.

However, if you want to visit this tower for what it means in the history of the city, then it's definitely a must!

St Patricks Church

De la Empire State Building am ramas in Midtown si am luat-o in nord pe 5^th From the Empire State Building we stayed in Midtown and headed north on 5th Avenue, towards Rockefeller Center and St Patricks Church.

St Patrick's Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in North America, built in the mid-19th century. We were impressed by the architecture of this church, and for a moment we felt like we were back in Europe again.

Entrance to the church is free.

Rockeffeler Plaza

Rockeffeler Plaza is one of the most iconic squares in New York. It is located between 5^th and 6^th Avenues, in the heart of Manhattan, and is part of the Rockefeller Center complex - a complex of buildings built in the 1930s, which houses TV studios such as NBC. Rockefeller was one of the richest people in history, considered America's first "billionaire".

The most famous image of the square is the one from the winter holidays: it is the place where the New York Christmas tree is set, at the base of the Top of The Rock tower. The ice rink at Rockefeller Center is also set up here.

If you have seen the movie Home Alone 2, you surely remember the final scene, with Kevin next to the giant Christmas tree in downtown New York. Well, that scene was filmed right here!

Top of the Rock

If you have only one shot to climb an observation tower in New York, then Top of the Rock should be, the main building of Rockefeller Center.

What distinguishes Top of the Rock from other towers in New York?

Well, first of all, the view! You know that image of New York from above, where the Empire State Building or Central Park is captured? You should know that this is where all those photos were taken from.

Since Top of The Rock is located in the middle of Manhattan, it offers a 360-degree panorama of all the important landmarks in the city! On one side, you have a view of the Empire State Building and the entire Midtown and Downtown, with the Times Square area and the financial district, and in the other direction, you see Central Park and Uptown.

I recommend you get here at sunset. It is the perfect opportunity to discover the city from above, going through all the moments of the day: light, sunset and darkness.

Just be careful, as at sunset, the price of entrance tickets can be higher – we paid around 50 dollars / person.

Times Square

Times Square is, without a doubt, the heart of New York City! It's the place that never sleeps – bright, lively, crowded, colorful, noisy and sometimes overwhelming. And at the same time, so fascinating!

It's a whole explosion here, with advertisements, costumed characters, street performers, giant screens, street vendors, and many, many tourists.

I recommend you to go to Times Square both during the day and at night. They are two completely different experiences. During the day you feel the hustle and bustle of the city, at night you enjoy the animation and the whole light show.

Central Park

Central Park, another place that doesn't need much introduction!

Could you tell me how many movies have been filmed in Central Park? Because, honestly, there are countless!

The feeling of being here, in the most famous park in the world, and walking along the quiet paths, far from the chaos, hustle and bustle and noise of New York City, is truly amazing!

On the first day, we only arrived passing through Central Park, but the park is huge – it has over 300 hectares of green space, and to walk through it all, or even a small part of it, you need at least a few hours.

Hours that we allocated ourselves a few days later, when we returned to the park and decided to rent a bike for a ride. We rented the bike from the rental point in the southwest of the park, at Columbus Circle. We paid $25 per person for two hours. We recommend the experience, but we do not recommend that rental point! The bikes were old and heavy, and the park, although it seems flat, is not easy to walk through, there are quite a few level differences. If you can, try renting electric bikes, such as these: Central Park Electric Bike Rental.

Whether you go on foot, by bike, or by horse-drawn carriage (another traditional activity in Central Park), don't miss Bethesda Terrace!

And watch out for the squirrels! There are a lot of them, but they are really cute!

Day 2

Wall Street

What would the financial capital of the world, New York, be without the famous Wall Street?

Wall Street is the most famous street in the Financial District, in the southern part of Manhattan (Downtown), whose name has become synonymous with the world of finance and stock markets.

We couldn't miss this defining place of world capitalism either, and, to be honest, the impression we had here was not like the one in the movies. If on screens Wall Street always appears with the image of a very elegant, corporate neighborhood, dominated by people dressed in suits and a lot of seriousness, in reality the atmosphere is much more relaxed and ordinary. It seems like just another New York street, with skyscrapers and normal daily hustle and bustle.

But what happens behind closed doors really remains a mystery, with all the historical load and decisions with an impact on the free and modern financial world.

Not to be missed here are the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world, and the is, therefore. the representative image of Wall Street. It is an impressive bronze statue, with a special symbolism. It is associated with the idea of a “bull market”, a term used on the stock market, when stocks are growing and are on an upward trend., the bronze bull statue, symbol of the strength of the financial market.

is, therefore. the representative image of Wall Street. It is an impressive bronze statue, with a special symbolism. It is associated with the idea of a “bull market”, a term used on the stock market, when stocks are growing and are on an upward trend.

is, therefore. the representative image of Wall Street. It is an impressive bronze statue, with a special symbolism. It is associated with the idea of a “bull market”, a term used on the stock market, when stocks are growing and are on an upward trend. este, asadar. imaginea reprezentativa a Wall Street-ului. Este o statuie din bronz impresionanta, cu o simbolistica aparte. Este asociata cu ideea de “bull market”, termen folosit pe piata bursiera, atunci cand actiunile sunt in crestere si se afla pe un trend ascendent.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is a “Bear market,” which occurs when the market is on a downtrend—often during times of financial crisis.

One World Observatory

Did I mention there are many observation towers in New York?

The tallest tower is One World Observatory, built on the site of the former World Trade Center Twin Towers.

In fact, One World Observatory is the tallest building in the United States, at 541 meters, and was finalized in 2013.

Visitors can climb up to the 102nd floor. If there's one thing we didn't like about it, it's that it doesn't have a panoramic terrace, an exit to the outside, everything is only visible from behind the windows, which somewhat limits the whole experience. But it compensates for the fact that you can admire the whole of Manhattan from the highest possible height.

An entrance ticket costs $48 and can be purchased online here: One World Observatory Skip-the-Line Ticket.

9 / 11 Memorial

How many of you still remember the tragedy of September 11, 2001, when two Boeing planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center, following terrorist attacks? The two buildings collapsed, leaving behind thousands of victims and shocking images that will never be forgotten by the American people.

The memorial built on the site of the towers is today a place of reflection and remembrance of what happened.

Two huge fountains mark the footprint of the former towers, and underground there is a museum that houses objects recovered from the ruins, audio and video testimonies and emotional stories of those who lived through those times.

Visiting the museum is quite an intense and overwhelming experience, especially because we are talking about a recent historical event, which many of us watched live through television and the press.

An entrance ticket to the museum costs $25 and can be purchased online: 9/11 Memorial & Museum Timed-Entry Ticket.

Dumbo – Brooklyn

We leave Manhattan and the Financial District behind and head towards Brooklyn, another district of New York City.

Brooklyn is connected to Manhattan by the Brooklyn Bridge, which I'll tell you about in a moment, or by ferries.

What did we do?

We took the ferry from Pier 11 ($4 ticket), crossed the East River and arrived in Brooklyn, in the lively area on the waterfront called DUMBO. From here, we walked back to Manhattan, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. We recommend crossing the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, just to face the Manhattan skyscraper line.

DUMBO is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in New York, and honestly, we liked it a lot! Maybe because it had a bit of the atmosphere of a European city: a relaxed, artistic place, with lots of nice cafes and busy restaurants.

It was, in fact, among the few places in New York where we felt it was perfect to enjoy a walk, relax, sit down for a coffee, away from the hustle and bustle of the city..

A big bonus is the gorgeous view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Plus the famous frame of the Manhattan Bridge surrounded by the red brick buildings on Washington Street!

Brooklyn Bridge

From the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn, we returned to Manhattan, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on foot.

Brooklyn Bridge is, of course, a symbol of New York City. We've all seen it in movies, for sure!

Well, the feeling of being there, walking it from one end to the other, was, for us, one of the best experiences we had in New York!

Pedestrians can cross the entire bridge on a walkway situated above the roadway, so at no point do you feel the discomfort caused by honking horns or exhaust fumes. It’s just you and the spectacular view of Manhattan!

Every now and then, you can even spot the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

The Brooklyn Bridge was inaugurated in 1883 and was, at the time, the longest suspension bridge in the world, measuring almost 2 km.

Day 3

Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty, another symbol of New York City – but really, how many are there?

It is one of the most famous monuments in the world, and you can’t really go to New York and not visit the Statue of Liberty!

The statue was inaugurated in 1886 and was a gift from France to the United States of America, as a symbol of freedom and friendship between the two countries.

It has a total height of 93 meters, including the base. In its right hand it holds the torch of liberty, and in the other a tablet on which is engraved the date of the US Declaration of Independence: July 4, 1776.

The Statue of Liberty has a whole symbolism and history behind it, and a lot has been written and talked about it over time. Surely, those interested in its story will find sources on the internet that provide, in detail, all the information about this place.

But what I want to tell you next is:

How can you visit the Statue of Liberty

First of all, you can only get to the Statue of Liberty by ferry – which you take from Battery Park, Manhattan, or from New Jersey. I recommend going to Battery Park, if you depend on public transportation. In the port of New Jersey, although it is less crowded, it is more difficult to access without a car.

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island. As a visitor, you can choose to go to the island, to climb the pedestal of the statue, or even to the crown of the statue. For the pedestal or the crown you need separate tickets, and for the crown you need to make a reservation a few months in advance.

You can get tickets for the ferry that takes you to Liberty Island from the official site and they cost $25.

How does the ferry work? You arrive at Battery Park, join the line of those who board the Statue city cruises (the only official vendor that reaches Liberty Island), board the ferry and enjoy a quick ride, until you get off at the Statue of Liberty Island. If you have purchased, additionally, a ticket for the pedestal or crown, you can visit these as well.

From Liberty Island, you get back on the ferry and head to Ellis Island – I’ll tell you about this island in a moment.

From Ellis Island, you get back on the ferry and return to Battery Park, where you originally left.

The ferries have a circular route, and they all go in the same direction: Battery Park – Liberty Island – Ellis Island – Battery Park or New Jersey – Liberty Island – Ellis Island – New Jersey, depending on the port of departure.

You can spend as much time as you want on each island, but just be careful what time the ferries run that day.

When leaving Ellis Island, don't take the wrong ferry to return - don't take the one from New Jersey if you need to get to Battery Park.

Entrance to Battery Park is free, even if you don't have a ferry ticket. But you will encounter a lot of street vendors who try to take advantage of tourists and force you to buy a ferry ticket from them so you can enter the park. Try to avoid and ignore them!

At the same time, you will see many vendors trying to sell all kinds of boat tours around the island with the Statue of Liberty. I don't recommend going on such tours. Often, people are crammed onto a small boat, kept offshore around the statue for a few dozen minutes, from where they can take pictures, and brought back to shore. Tourists are not allowed to disembark on Liberty Island, and all of their time is spent on a crowded boat. Not to mention that the tour can be as expensive, or even more, than the official price of the ferry that takes you directly to the island.

If you find it complicated to get to the Statue of Liberty on your own, then I recommend you do as we did, namely to participate in a guided tour. It is a little more expensive ($55, compared to $25), but you get the guidance of a guide who teaches you and shows you how to handle the ferry - the same official ferries Statue city cruises. And in addition, you get a history lesson from him, who gives you very interesting details and information about the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the story of the millions of immigrants who arrived in America.

The guided tour with which we visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island was this one: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour.

Ellis Island

If you arrive at the Statue of Liberty Island by ferry, you will automatically arrive at Ellis Island.

What is Ellis Island and what does this island represent for New York, but also for the history of the American people?

Starting in the late 19th century, Ellis Island was the main gateway for millions of immigrants coming to America.

Here they were registered and medically and legally checked before being allowed to set foot on American soil. Most immigrants came from Europe, fleeing poverty, in search of the American dream.

Today, the main building on Ellis Island, which once housed the reception and registration process, has been transformed into an immigration museum, which can be visited for free with your ferry ticket.

Inside, personal belongings of immigrants, photographs, and reconstructed rooms are exhibited, where you can better understand the stages they went through.

For us, it was a revealing experience: although we didn't know much about Ellis Island before arriving here, we left with a richer baggage of information, and a new history lesson learned.

Day 4

If in the first 3 days we visited the most famous tourist attractions in New York, from now on we start to discover another side of New York, the one of the locals.

On the fourth day you will discover authentic places in New York, you will walk a lot, so be prepared with energy and a lot of good mood!

West Village

West Village seemed to us the most bohemian and real neighborhood of Manhattan. Here the skyscrapers disappear completely, and instead, narrow streets appear, with residential buildings, lots of greenery and many neighborhood shops and restaurants.

Or, to understand me better…

It is the neighborhood where the action took place in famous series such as “Friends” and “Sex and the City”!

In fact, the buildings that appear in the two series, Friends Building, and Carrie Bradshaw's apartment from Sex and the City, are the most popular places visited by tourists here.

It is a neighborhood with a relaxed atmosphere and an almost European feel. However, unlike other areas of Manhattan, you will not find any hotels here. The West Village is dominated by residential buildings, and accommodation options for tourists are lacking.

Chelsea Market

From the West Village we walk to Chelsea Market, a huge indoor food market. Here you will find numerous restaurants, with all kinds of international dishes, perfect for a quick snack, a coffee, or lunch/dinner.

Chelsea Market is located in the Chelsea neighborhood, which is quite lively. The entire area around it, with Chelsea Market, the High Line, Vessel and Edge Tower, is ideal for walks, whether you are a tourist or a local.

The High Line

The High Line is something spectacular! It is an entire pedestrian walkway built at height, a real suspended urban park, built on the site of an old, disused railway line.

The walkway is approximately 2 km long, and stretches from Chelsea Market to Vessel and Edge Tower. And the walk is very pleasant, at height, among skyscrapers, with views of the Hudson River and the tall buildings of Hudson Yards.

Entrance to the High Line is free.

We started the walk on the High Line from Chelsea Market, and went down to Hudson Yards, the central area with the Vessel building and the Edge tower.

Vessel

Vessel is a futuristic-looking building with a very interesting architectural structure that immediately catches the eye and challenges anyone to discover its symbolism. The structure has the shape of a honeycomb, made up of 16 floors, with 154 interconnected stairs.

It is approximately 150 feet (45 m) tall and is made of steel coated in shiny copper.

Visitors can climb to the top floor of the building. Tickets cost $13 and can be purchased on site, or online, here: Vessel at Hudson Yards Admission Ticket.

Edge Tower

In Hudson Yards, right next to Vessel, there is Edge, one of the most spectacular and new observation towers open to visitors. The main attraction is its outdoor platform, located on the 100th floor, with a view of the entire Manhattan. A sunset caught here is definitely something unforgettable!

A ticket to climb the tower costs $39 and can be purchased online: Edge Observation Deck Admission Ticket.

Penn Station & Madison Square Garden

From Hudson Yards we continued our walk to Penn Station, an important rail hub in the US. It has an interesting architectural style, which is why it is worth going down to the station, at least for a few minutes, to see what this extremely busy station looks like.

Above Penn Station is Madison Square Garden, the famous sports arena considered “home” to the New York Knicks basketball team and the New York Rangers hockey team. For the curious, there is a tour of the entire arena, which can be booked here: Madison Square Garden Tour Experience.

Hell’s Kitchen

Also in the area is Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood located between 34^th Street and 59^th Street, known as one of the best places in New York for gastronomy, with restaurants with specialties from all corners of the world.

Day 5

The fifth day will be another day with many kilometers covered on foot! In fact, all of New York urges you to exceed your physical limit. There are so many wonderful places to discover, and what better way to do it than by walking the city?

Chinatown

We start the day with a walk through Chinatown, located in the southern part of Manhattan, near Little Italy and Soho.

As is the case in almost all major metropolises, New York also has a strong Chinese community, which has created its own neighborhood, with its own tradition and culture.

Here you will find Chinese restaurants, shops with Chinese products, even Buddhist temples.

The atmosphere in Chinatown is completely different from the rest of Manhattan: colorful streets, with an energy and hustle and bustle specific to Asian cities.

Don't miss Doyers Street, an Instagrammable and very picturesque street.

Little Italy

Next to Chinatown is another important community in New York's history, namely the Italian community, concentrated in the Little Italy neighborhood.

Italians have always been among the city's largest waves of immigrants.

Today, Little Italy is the perfect place to go in New York if you are craving a real pizza or traditional Italian dishes! There are numerous restaurants, and the reputation of Italian cuisine guarantees a perfect culinary experience!

And yes, the famous movie The Godfather was also filmed in this neighborhood, inspired by the stories of the Italian mafia families in New York.

Soho

Soho, a name that comes from “South of Houston Street”, is located north of Chinatown and Little Italy.

It is a neighborhood famous for its streets full of shops, a combination of luxury shopping, art and lifestyle. The atmosphere is completed by numerous cafes and restaurants, all with an artistic air.

Broadway

After we finished exploring these three neighborhoods in southern Manhattan, we did something unique!

We started walking along Broadway, from the south of the city to Central Park, a distance of almost 5 km

And to be honest, we really enjoyed discovering the city on foot, walking the entire street.

As I said above, Broadway is the oldest street in Manhattan, built before the entire grid system of streets in Manhattan, parallel and perpendicular to each other.

That's why Broadway has a different route, and it's the reason why the street is special and unique.

And what's great is that you don't even feel the 5 km pass. At every step and street corner, a spectacular place greets you.

Where Broadway intersects the major boulevards, various squares have formed, such as Union Square, the square with the Flatiron Building, and last but not least, Times Square.

On certain sections, Broadway is completely pedestrianized, with bike lanes and shops on both sides.

Central Park by bike

After a long walk down Broadway from lower Manhattan, we arrived in Central Park again. This time, not to relax, but to try an activity we had been wanting to do for a long time!

To take a complete tour of the park by bike.

At the entrance to the park there are bicycles for rent – for 2 hours we paid $25/bike. The only downside was that the bicycles were classic, and, although you wouldn't think so, Central Park has differences in level for which an electric bike would have been good, or at least one that could be driven more easily.

For this, we recommend renting electric bikes directly.

It should be mentioned that the route in Central Park is unidirectional and circular, counterclockwise.

5th Avenue

After the bike ride in Central Park, we walked along Fifth Avenue, the famous boulevard with luxury stores in New York.

We did some window shopping here at stores from brands like Gucci, Cartier, and Apple, but the one that truly stands out is the spectacular Louis Vuitton building.

Plus Donald Trump's famous tower, Trump Tower.

Day 6

The day has come to discover the museums of New York. As I have said, the itinerary that we propose is purely informative. Museums are the perfect places to visit on rainy days, so if you catch any other day with less favorable weather, you can integrate a visit to these museums into those days.

American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. Located in the Upper West Side, near Central Park, the museum includes over 40 permanent exhibition halls, such as galleries with dinosaur skeletons, biodiversity or the history of various populations.

An entrance ticket costs $30 and can be purchased here: American Museum of Natural History Ticket.

As a personal experience, we found the museum quite interesting and easy to navigate, but also with a lot of valuable information.

And because New York is the city of movies, we can't help but relate to this aspect here. Did you know that the movie "Night at the Museum", with Ben Stiller, was filmed right here, at the American Museum of Natural History?

MoMA

Another famous museum in New York is MoMA, or Museum of Modern Art. It is considered one of the most influential modern and contemporary art museums in the world, and hosts works of art by famous artists of the 19th-21st centuries, such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali or Claude Monet.

An entrance ticket costs $30, and can be purchased here: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Entry Ticket.

Broadway Show

In the evening I recommend a special activity in New York, to go to a Broadway musical!

On the official website Broadway.org you will find the complete list of available shows. Among the most popular at the moment are Mamma Mia, The Lion King or Aladdin.

You can also book your tickets online on this site. Prices start at $60 per ticket, and vary depending on the show or the seats you choose in the hall.

Day 7

Day trip from New York to Washington

f you arrive in New York, an excellent idea for a day or two trip is to Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America.

The distance between New York and Washington is about 350 km, so you can get here quite quickly: either rent a car, take a train or book a day trip on GetYourGuide.

We chose the option of an organized excursion booked on GetYourGuide, for which we paid $100 / person: Guided Day Trip to Washington DC by Van or Bus.

We visited:

White House

Capitol

Lincoln Memorial

Arlington Cemetery

And, the most beautiful surprise, the Space Museum, the place where rocks brought from the moon or the suit with which Neil Armstrong walked on the moon are exhibited.

We liked Washington, although, in a one-day trip, we didn't feel like we discovered it completely. This is the main disadvantage of such a day trip. But, on the other hand, it's perfect if you don't have many days at your disposal, but you want to walk around the capital of this country. Plus, you don't have any stress all day, the guide drops you off and picks you up directly in front of each tourist attraction.

If someone asked us what to choose from a day trip with an organized guided tour, or a 2-day independent trip, we don't know what to answer. Everyone should decide for themselves:

If you have little time at your disposal, don't want stress and just want to walk around these national attractions of the USA, then the day trip is perfect.

If you want to linger longer at each point, walk through the city at your own pace and feel the the city, then organize a trip here for at least 2 days.

New York tips

Other activities in New York

The itinerary detailed in this article is purely indicative, as a source of inspiration, and should be adapted to your schedule, depending on your interests, or how much time you have available. If you are interested in the artistic or historical side, give more time to the museums. If you want to try the lifestyle of New Yorkers, don't miss the bars and restaurants specific to those who have taken the term high lifestyle to a higher rank.

There are countless possibilities for spending time in New York, for all tastes and interests!

Here is a list of other possible activities that you can try if you arrive in New York:

Helicopter Tour Manhattan Sightseeing Helicopter Tour: 300$/ person
Madam Tussaud: 44$/ticket
Intrepid Museum: 34$/ticket
Guggenheim Museum: : 30$/ticket
MET Museum: 44$/guided tour
The FRIENDS™ Experience: 54$/ticket
Day trip to Niagara Niagara From NYC: 1-Day Niagara Falls Tour: 152$/person

Tips

Once you arrive in America, you need to know one essential thing: you have to tip!

In the United States of America, including New York, tipping is not optional at all. It is part of American culture, and employees' income depends on the amounts received as tips.

At the end of a meal in a restaurant or at a coffee shop, you always have to calculate the bill along with the tip, which starts at a minimum of 10%.

If you pay directly at the bar, most of the time you will be shown an option for tips on the screen, usually between 10%, 15% or 20%, or you can choose a specific amount yourself.

Don't forget that tips are also left for guides, when participating in organized tours.

You will walk a lot

In New York, whether you like it or not, you will do a lot of exercise!

It is a large city, the sights to visit are spread all over Manhattan, and, most likely, you will choose to walk from one to the other. That means many kilometers every day, which is why I recommend that you have the most comfortable shoes possible.

But there is also a good side! New York has so much to offer, and it is so interesting to discover it on foot, that, at the end of a day of sightseeing, you will not even realize that you have walked 20 km – you will be so caught up in the mirage of the city!

How much did we spend in a week in New York

And we end this long article about New York with the interesting part: how much did we spend in a week in New York?

Flight: 550 euros / person with Lufthansa

Accommodation: 9 nights (7 full days) at Sonesta Suites Jersey City: 1980$

Food:
- Daily breakfast at Maggie’s Farm Espresso, next to the accommodation: $50/day ($400 for the entire period)
- Dinner at Whole Foods Market: $40/day ($320 total)

Transport: approximately $10 / day / person, by public transport: $70 / person

Entrance tickets and tours
- Top of The Rock: 50$ / person
- One World Observatory: 48$ / person
- 9/11 Memorial: 25$ / person
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour:: 55$ / person
- Vessel: 13$ / person
- Rental bikes in Central Park: 25$ / person
- American Museum of Natural History: 30$ / person
- : 100$ / person: 100$ / persoana

Total: 2450$ / person, or almost $5000 per couple..

With the mention that we never ate at a restaurant, we always bought freshly prepared food from Whole Foods Market and ate at our accommodation, where we also had a kitchen.

Does that seem like a lot to you? A little? Acceptable?

We say it's a normal price for New York. A vacation in the United States costs you considerably more than in Europe or Asia, considering the high standard of living in this country.

This was our itinerary in New York. We hope it helps you organize your trip, and that you enjoy wonderful days in the most famous city in the world!