First time in New York City
Getting around, paying for the subway, where to stay, what to book ahead and how to plan your days, in one page. Then see what is actually on while you are here.
Open the interactive NYC guide with map and filtersGetting around: the subway is the answer
- Tap to pay. Use a contactless bank card or phone at the turnstile (OMNY). A ride on the subway or a local bus costs $3, and transfers between them within two hours are free.
- The weekly cap. If you tap with the same card or phone for every ride, you stop paying once you have spent $35 in a seven-day period; every ride after that is free. Do not switch between your phone and the physical card, or the cap will not count.
- MetroCards are on the way out. Sales ended on December 31, 2025, so do not hunt for one.
- From the airport. AirTrain JFK connects to the subway and the Long Island Rail Road but charges its own fare on top. A taxi or ride-share is simpler with luggage or a group.
- Walk. Many Manhattan sights are close together: Times Square to Rockefeller Center to Grand Central is about a 20-minute walk.
Where to stay
- Midtown / Times Square: the most central for first-timers, close to Broadway and most subway lines. What is on near Times Square.
- Lower Manhattan: quieter at night, close to the Statue of Liberty ferry, the 9/11 Memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Chelsea, the Village and SoHo: more neighborhood feel, great restaurants, easy subway rides to Midtown.
- Brooklyn (Williamsburg, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn): often better value and a real local scene. What is on in Brooklyn.
What to book before you arrive
- Statue of Liberty: book the official Statue City Cruises ferry ($26 adults, $17.30 for ages 4 to 12, free for 3 and under). Pedestal and crown reservations can sell out months ahead.
- One observation deck at sunset: sunset time slots cost more and sell first. Compare them in our skyline views guide.
- Broadway: the biggest shows sell out on weekends. See Broadway this week.
- Big dates: if your trip overlaps the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (November 26) or the tree lighting (December 2), book hotels early.
How to plan your days
- Group by area. Do Lower Manhattan (Statue ferry, 9/11 Memorial, Brooklyn Bridge) in one day; Midtown (Rockefeller Center, MoMA, Times Square, a show) in another; the Upper East or West Side (Central Park plus the Met or Natural History Museum) in a third.
- One big ticket a day. Pair one paid attraction with free things nearby.
- Leave room for one dated event. A concert, a game, a market or a festival is what makes a trip feel like yours. That is what the listings below are for.
Small things that help
- Tipping: about 18 to 20% at sit-down restaurants and a dollar or two per drink at bars is normal.
- Walk on the right, stop at the side of the sidewalk to check your phone, and let people off the train before you get on.
- Free is everywhere: parks, bridges, the Staten Island Ferry and free museum hours. See our free things to do guide.
Book ahead: the big attractions
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum TicketsLower-sensory by design
- Edge Flex Pass: Flexible Entry Tickets
- Empire State Building: Observation Decks Tickets
- Intrepid Museum TicketsLower-sensory by design
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) TicketsLower-sensory by design
- One World Observatory Standard Tickets: Skip-the-Box-OfficeLower-sensory by design
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Tickets
- Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tickets
On in NYC in the next few days
Monday, November 2
- The 34th Annual Canstruction Competition and ExhibitionLimitedLower-sensory by design
- Day of the Dead Family CelebrationLower-sensory by design
- Day of the Dead Family Celebration at Green-Wood CemeteryLower-sensory by design
- Movie Musical Mondays: Meet Me in St. LouisLower-sensory by design
- Two Shows. One Night: WWE RAW & SmackDownSensory supports offered
- The Business Behind the Content: Careers in Advertising Technology
- Aladdin
- Biology on Tap
Tuesday, November 3
- [NEW YORK] One-Day Choir: Ólafur Arnalds & Talos - "A Dawning"
- Difficult People: The Movie (A Live Table Read)
- Find Out Media: The F*ck Around And Find Out Tour
- Hamilton
- Hamilton (NY)
- New York Rangers vs. St. Louis BluesSensory supports offered
- Wicked
- Wicked (NY)
Wednesday, November 4
- The 46th Annual Original Art ExhibitionLimitedLower-sensory by design
- Hamilton (NY)
- Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City RockettesSensory supports offered
- Aladdin
- Hamilton
- Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildSensory supports offered
- Hurricane Wisdom
- NYC Salt: The Next Generation of Visual StorytellersSensory supports offered
Questions visitors ask
- How much is the NYC subway in 2026?
- A subway or local bus ride costs $3 with a contactless card or phone (OMNY). After $35 in seven days on the same card or device, the rest of your rides that week are free.
- Can I still buy a MetroCard?
- No. MetroCard sales ended on December 31, 2025. Tap a contactless bank card or phone, or buy an OMNY card.
- What is the best area to stay in NYC for a first visit?
- Midtown near Times Square is the most central and easiest for first-timers. Lower Manhattan is quieter, and Brooklyn is often better value.
- What should I book before visiting New York?
- The Statue of Liberty ferry (pedestal and crown reservations sell out months ahead), an observation deck if you want sunset, and any popular Broadway show.
More visitor guides
- The 40 best things to do in NYC
- Free things to do in NYC
- NYC with kids
- NYC skyline views and observation decks
- NYC in November 2026
- Christmas in NYC 2026
- This weekend in NYC
- All NYC visitor guides
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More ways to plan your NYC visit · Everything on in NYC this week