A plan for New York City

New York City is a major global center of international finance, politics, communications, film, music, fashion, and culture, and is among the world's most important and influential cities. It is home to many world-class museums, art galleries, and theaters. Many of the world's largest corporations have their headquarters here. The headquarters of the United Nations is in New York and most countries have a consulate here. This city's influence on the world and all its inhabitants is hard to overstate, as decisions made within its boundaries often have impacts and ramifications around the globe.

Immigrants (and their descendants) from over 180 countries live here, making it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Travelers are attracted to New York City for its culture, energy and cosmopolitanism.

History

The first human settlers are believed to have arrived in the area at around 7000 BCE, though this settlement was later abandoned. A subsequent wave of settlers, known as the Lenape people, would then arrive at around 1000 BCE. Although they have been largely wiped out from the area since the days of European settlement, many of the thoroughfares used by them, such as Broadway, continue to be in use to this day.

The first Europeans to settle in the area were the Dutch in 1609, who named the colony New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam). The colony was conquered by the British in 1664, who re-named the colony New York. Columbia University, the most prestigious in the city, and one of the most prestigious in the United States, was founded during the British colonial period in 1754.

Like most of the great world cities, New York has an abundance of great attractions—so many, that it would be impossible to list them all here. What follows is but a sampling of the most high-profile attractions in New York City; more detailed info can be found in the district pages.

A general word of advice on sightseeing in New York: Tourists often spend their entire vacation in New York standing in line (or as New Yorkers say, "on line"). This is often unnecessary; there are usually alternatives. For example, one can choose to avoid the Empire State Building during the day (it is open, and much quieter, late, until 2AM), skip the Statue of Liberty in favor of the Staten Island Ferry, and stay away from the Guggenheim on Monday (it is one of the only museums open that day). Also, there is no reason to stand in line for a Broadway show if you already have a ticket with an assigned seat. If you prefer, get a drink nearby and come back closer to curtain time, when you can walk right in. The lines for bus tours can be absurd because tourists all seem to have exactly the same itinerary, which is get on a bus in the morning in Times Square, get off for the Statue of Liberty, and finish on the East Side in the afternoon. Why not go downtown in the morning, and save Midtown for the afternoon? You will thank yourself for avoiding the crowds.

Entertainment

Theater and performing arts

New York boasts an enormous number and variety of theatrical performances. Most of these are concentrated in Manhattan, particularly the Theater District around Times Square, where you'll find the major musicals and big-name dramatic works of Broadway. These are the most popular with visitors, with tickets for some shows running to $130 a seat, though discounters make cheaper seats available. And if you're in town in early June (and willing to spend a lot of money), it's possible to purchase tickets to the Tony Awards, Broadway's biggest award ceremony and the culmination of the theatrical season in the city. However, you can also find "Off-Broadway" shows (and even the dirt cheap and very small "Off-Off-Broadway" shows) throughout Manhattan that play to smaller audiences and are far less expensive. Playbill.com is a good resource for current and upcoming Broadway and Off-Broadway info and listings. See the Manhattan page for more detailed info on theater offerings.

Some of New York's (and the world's) most high profile music and dance halls include the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Downtown Brooklyn, Carnegie Hall — the premier venue for classical music in the United States — in Manhattan's Theater District, Radio City Music Hall — home of the Rockettes — in Midtown, and Lincoln Center in the Upper West Side, home to the prestigious Chamber Music Society, the Metropolitan Opera ("the Met"), the New York City Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic. There are also numerous small companies putting on more idiosyncratic shows every night of the week.

New York has, as you might expect of the Big Apple, all the eating options covered and you can find almost every type of food available and every cuisine of the world represented. There are literally tens of thousands of restaurants, ranging from dingy cheap pizza-by-the-slice joints to $500-a-plate prix fixe sushi. Thousands of delis, bodegas, and grocery stores dot every corner of the city and do it yourself meals are easy and cheap to find. Street food comes in various tastes, ranging from the ubiquitous New York hot dog vendors to the many Middle Eastern carts at street corners in Midtown. Fast food is as plentiful and as diverse as you can imagine. Fruit stalls appear at many intersections from spring to fall with ready-to-eat strawberries, bananas, apples, etc. available at very low cost. Vegetarian and vegan options abound throughout the city.

Don't leave without trying

New York pizza

A peculiarly New York thing, a true New York pizza is a plain cheese pizza with a very thin crust (sometimes chewy, sometimes crisp), and an artery-hardening sheen of grease on top. From just about any pizzeria, you can get a whole pie with a variety of toppings available, or a "dollar slice" if you just want a piece of plain cheese pizza. The "dollar slice" cost $1 at the start of the 21st century, but prices have risen, and it may cost anywhere between $1.50 and $4 before sales tax, depending on the place and any toppings you want. Just fold in half lengthwise, grab a lot of napkins, and eat – the quintessential meal on the go in New York. Dollar-slice places can be found all over the city, and include the many different variations of "Ray's Pizza", all of which claim to be the original thing. However, perhaps the most respected of the corner joints is the wildly popular Joe's in Greenwich Village.

Last call can be as late as 4AM, although many establishments will let you stay beyond that, especially in the outer boroughs. It is not uncommon to be locked in a bar after 4AM so people can keep drinking. Wine and liquor are sold at liquor stores, and are not sold at delis or supermarkets. Beer cannot be bought between 4AM and 8AM on Sunday morning (although if you look hard, you can get around this).

As in most American cities, drinking alcoholic beverages on the street is illegal. The law is flouted openly in many areas, but bars will not generally let you take your drink outside.

Popular nightlife neighborhoods

The only thing about New York City that changes faster than the subway map or the restaurants is the bar scene. While some established watering holes have been around for decades or centuries, the hot spot of the moment may well have opened last week and could likely close just as quickly.

On Manhattan, Greenwich Village is probably the best neighborhood to go if you are in town for just a brief period, full of locals of all ages, especially students attending NYU. Chelsea has lots of clubs and a thriving gay scene, and if you are European and looking for a discothèque, this is where you want to be. The Meatpacking District holds trendier bars and clubs and some expensive restaurants. The Lower East Side, formerly the dingy alternative to the West Village, has become trendier today, with an influx of hipsters. The East Village also has lots of bars, as well as a sizeable cluster of Japanese bars. Nearby, Alphabet City, once a dangerous drug-addled hell hole, has since cleaned up and is loaded with bars. Murray Hill is more hip with the 30-year-old crowd, with many Indian restaurants and plenty of watering holes, including a couple of fireman bars and an all Irish whiskey pub. Times Square is a very touristy area with a few classy hotel rooftop bars, although very few New Yorkers would be caught dead at these places.

Public transit

Fares

OMNY is the contactless fare payment system for the MTA subway and bus lines. The system allows passengers to pay by "tapping" one of the following to a reader:

A contactless credit, debit or prepaid card, including American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa.

A smart device equipped with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.

An OMNY card (OMNY cards do not work on the PATH network).

A standard fare for the subway and/or local bus is $3. A standard fare for the express bus is $7.25. A half price fare is available for those 65 and over, or those with a covered disability. You must specify a card or device to receive the half price fare. A free fare is available for children up to three years old and up to 44 inches (112 cm) tall, when accompanied by a fare paying adult.

A fare cap applies during any 7-day period. It's $35 when using the subway and/or local bus. It's $67 when using the subway, local bus and/or express bus. A half price fare cap is available for those 65 and over, or those with a covered disability. You must use the same card or device to reach the fare cap. You must also specify a card or device to receive the half price fare cap.

The system offers free transfers. You can transfer from subway to subway as often as you like, provided that you do not exit the subway system by leaving through a fare gate. Many subway connections are possible in this way, by using in-station connections between the various lines. Indeed, the Guinness Book of World Records tracks the fastest times that people have tried to ride every single New York City subway train line on a single fare. Some have spent over 24 consecutive hours riding the subway! Just remember that if you leave the subway and re-enter, you will be charged a second fare.

The following transfers are free regardless if you leave the subway and re-enter:

New York is the safest large city in the United States, and its crime rate per person is lower than the national average and the crime rate of many small towns. You can be assured of a high police presence in Times Square, public transportation hubs and other major crowded places.

The most common crime against tourists (not including being overcharged, or scammed in the Times Square area) is bag snatching. Never let go of your handbag (putting other bags down is OK, as long as you guard them carefully), especially in the subway but also when eating at a restaurant. Take special care if you are sitting outdoors or in a crowded self-service restaurant. Leave your passport and other valuables that you don't need to carry in a hotel safe or hidden in your suitcase. Don't flaunt a wad of money if you can help it; if you want to be safer, count your money in your room before you go out and take only what you think you may need. Unless you have protective outer wear, consider not wearing expensive jewelry, and hide valuables like cameras when you're not using them.

While muggings are rare, they do happen. Take a tip from seasoned New Yorkers and always try to be aware of who's walking near you in all directions (especially behind you), at all times. Always be aware of your surroundings, especially if you find yourself on a lightly traveled or poorly lit street. Certain neighborhoods that are off the tourist path can be avoided in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Riverside Park and Central Park are less safe at night, so stick to well-lit paths if you walk there after dark. If you go to an evening outdoor concert at one of the parks, follow the crowd out of the park before heading toward your destination.