In this post I review all of the best things to do in New York City! It’s a huge city, over 8 million people live here, so there’s a LOT goin on at all times. Since there’s so much to do, I’ve narrowed down my list to the things you absolutely HAVE TO DO at least once in your lifetime. 😄 And I’m gonna kick this off with going to a broadway show because if you take away anything from this list, it’s that you gotta go to a broadway show at least once. It is THE THING TO DO in NYC. And probably one of the best things this entire city offers.
Broadway Show
Is anything better than the live theater and live music? No. There isn’t. And broadway is BOTH of those things, AT THE SAME TIME. If you have never seen a broadway show, this should be the only thing on your list for your next visit. There are so many great shows, and I’m going to list a few of my favorites below. Not all shows are running since they rotate out, but if any of the shows I list below are running, then you should definitely go.
- Some of the best shows are:
- Phantom of the Opera
- Wicked
- Les Misérables
- Rent
- Annie
- Mamma Mia
- Any Disney production (Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc.)
- Kinky Boots
- View current shows and get tickets here
New York Philharmonic
The next thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is see the New York Philharmonic. They are one of the best orchestras in the world so, definitely worth seeing. My personal favorite performances are the ones during the holiday season since they do holiday themed shows. For example, last year in December they played the score from Elf, how fun! Then another year they played along to the score of one of the Harry Potter movies, it was awesome.
Concerts
Yes.. another music themed recommendation… 😅, but these really are the best things to do! So my next recommendation is to go to a concert because every huge artist plays NYC. So check your favorite artist’s tour schedule, they might be in the city when you’re there! I’d recommend checking the events calendar at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, since a lot of the big name shows will be there.
Central Park
Walking around Central Park is another thing that should be on your list. It’s huge, it’s 2.5 miles long and half a mile wide so there is a LOT to explore. There are the lawns, the mall, the boathouse, the bridge, there’s just so much to see, and I walk through some of these in the video below ⬇️
Brooklyn Bridge
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is another fun thing to do. Very touristy, so very crowded, but it is a cool thing to do, and then once you’re across you can check out Brooklyn. I have a few clips of what this looks like below ⬇️
Ellis Island / Statue of Liberty
If you are interested in history, then Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty should absolutely be on your list. It’s an awesome museum, an iconic monument, and there is so much history to read about. I have some clips of Ellis Island here ⬇️
And some clips of the Statue of Liberty here (Tip: if you get the crown ticket, you can go up to the crown!) ⬇️
Then if you plan on going, you should check out these tips so you know where to go ⬇️
The Met
The Met is short for The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s one of the largest museums in the world, so if you like art, this should definitely be on your list. There’s also a rooftop that overlooks Central Park, so make sure to check that out too!
Visit During The Holidays
Another tip I have for visiting NYC is to visit during the holidays. There’s so much to do, there’s the Rockefeller center tree, the Rolf’s bar is magical, tons of bars and restaurants put up decorations, it’s just a great time to visit. If you visit during the holidays, I show some of the fun things you can do here ⬇️
Food And Restaurants
And last, but certainly not least, is the food! The other probably best thing this entire city offers is the quality of food. Eating at restaurants anywhere else just isn’t the same. Well, I guess if you’re in France or Italy, then yea that would be better, but eating anywhere else in America, just isn’t the same. I have an entire Food and Restaurant Guide with all my favorite restaurants linked here.
Map
A map of all of the best things to do in NYC! Click on the icon to the left of my profile picture to see a list of all locations.
And those are all of my recommendations for NYC! What are your favorite things to do? Let me know in the comments!
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