I lived in NYC for 14 years and one thing I always did with visitors, or recommended to them, was to actually take one of those touristy red bus tours where you can sit up on top as they drive you around the city and tell you about it. The neat thing is you have a pass for an entire day (I believe; there may be a half day option too) and you can hop off and hop on at any stop. Good way to explore a few different neighborhoods and see a lot over the course of a day. You can catch them most easily around the Empire State Building or in Times Square.
Some other random thoughts:
Highline is cool
El Parador (34th street between 1st and 2nd ave) has the best Mexican food in the city
Walking around the West Village is not a bad way to spend an afternoon
If you want to see the view from up on high, bypass the empire state building and do top of the Rock instead.
Really try to avoid what you see a lot of visitors do with dining, i.e., eating at places like Olive Garden or TGI Fridays, etc. Go to more local or neighborhood spots, there are amazing restaurants quite literally in every single neighborhood.
If you want a real feel for New York’s Little Italy, head to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. You can combine it with a trip to the Botanical Garden and/or zoo. I have friends who do tours, message me if you would like their info.
Another off the beaten track area is Inwood/Washington Heights. The Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park are worth the trip, especially if you hit the foliage right. Great views of NJ and the Hudson River. Tannat Wine Bar is up there and I could rustle up another recommendation or two if you need it.
Queens is a little more decentralized in terms of good spots to hit, but there are plenty of great options in different neighborhoods which have easy access by subway.
As Robert mentioned with respect to Brooklyn, try to get out of Manhattan a bit. Even if it’s your first trip. There is a lot to see out there.
And I think prior to the hop on/off bus (which I do recommend as well) is a trip on the Circle Line . It goes around the entire island of Manhattan and offers a great visual and historical perspective of Manhattan, plus Yankee Stadium, all the bridges, Statue of Liberty, etc.
Maybe if I live another 25 years in NYC, I’ll make it out to the Statue of Liberty of up to the top of the Empire State building. I’ve been to Ellis Island (well, my company had their holiday party there one year, so I really didn’t got here to see it. But it was cool. What I remember of it)
My favorite thing to do is just walk around neighborhoods. Stop in have a sippy and a nosh here and there. I never tire of it and there is always new things to check out.
The NJ side of the Hudson north of the GWB is full of trees. Therefore at the right time in October if foliage is at or near peak, it’s a nice view and you don’t have to leave Manhattan for a taste of the color change.
I toured Ellis Island first in the early 80’s long before the renovation. I encourage all to look for pictures for the pre-renovation era.
I was last at the Statue of Liberty on July 4th 2001. We went up in the crown. Unless I drag my dad up there one last time, I’d prefer to cherish that memory. Both places are worth the trip.
Maybe it is just me, but Ellis Island doesn’t have that “party down” vibe to me. It seems to be place of sober reflection on hardship and hope and a perhaps-forgotten promise this country once made.
But I suppose renting the place out helps defray costs so party on!
Oh, I agree with you. It was pretty strange. A WWII aircraft carrier - not so much “party”, either. But “commodities traders” and “good taste” rarely go together.
