Your First Trip to Manhattan: A Transplant’s Guide
So, you’re taking the plunge and going on the Great American journey—your first trip to New York City. While the city most definitely lives up to its title as the “Greatest in the World,” your first visit can be overwhelming when deciding what to do, where to stay, how to get around, and everything in between.
Even after living here a mere six months, I already receive countless texts and calls asking for recommendations of anything and everything in regard to the city. To narrow down your abundance of choices, I have complied a list of my favorite recommendations and tips for your first time in Manhattan.
To the best of my ability, here is a transplant’s guide to a first visit to the Big Apple’s most iconic borough.
STREET VIEW OF LA ESQUINA, NOLITA
WHERE TO STAY:
This can be one of the hardest decisions to make when planning your trip, but no worries, the city is well connected. No matter where you decide to stay, it will be fairly easy to get place to place via transit. My best advice: plan out what you want to do first, then decide where to stay that is most central (or most walkable) to the most places you want to go.
- To feel like you’re “in the city”:
The Quin
Midtown, 101 W 57th St.
- Best centrally located Midtown:
Hilton Garden Inn
Midtown East, 45 E 33rd St.
- Best centrally located Downtown:
NOMO SOHO
SoHo, 9 Crosby St.
- Best bang-for-your-buck:
The Moxy
East Village, 112 E 11th St.
- To feel like a local:
AirBnB in the Village
East, Greenwich, or West Village
- Most Affordable:
Hilton Garden Inn Times Square
Times Square, 790 8th Ave.
THE WINDOW VIEW FROM ROOM AT NOMO SOHO
WHAT TO DO:
Now for the fun part—things to do! Every season in the city ushers in a new batch of activities, but some attractions are evergreen. Here, we’ll focus on those things, in order of downtown to uptown.
⁃ See the Statue of Liberty and visit Ellis Island.
Tickets to these places come as a package deal, so if you’re interested in touring the Ellis Island Museum (which is a fantastic experience), the ticket for both is well worth it. The ferry leaves approximately every 20 minutes from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan.
However, if you’re not a history nerd or looking to explore your family ancestry at Ellis Island, I highly recommend just taking the Staten Island Ferry to see Lady Liberty. This option is free, about an hour to go round trip, and provides a perfect view of the statue from the right side of the boat out of Manhattan. The ferry leaves every 30 minutes during peak times, but you can find the official schedule HERE.
⁃ Visit the 9/11 Memorial Reflection Pools, One World Trade Center, and the Oculus.
Perhaps one of the most breathtaking memorials, the 9/11 Reflection Pools are a must see. You can find more info on the memorial and museum HERE.
Right next to the memorial, One World Trade Center stands proudly, as well as the eclectically designed Oculus. These are both worth a visit as the Trade Center has a wonderful observation deck and the Oculus is essentially a glorified mall sitting on top of a train station.
⁃ Walk through (& eat!) in Little Italy & Chinatown.
Little Italy and Chinatown have some of the best restaurants (a few listed below) and unique scenes Manhattan has to offer. Don’t forget to grab a cannoli and an order of soup dumplings on your way through.
⁃ Shop around & brunch in SoHo.
Besides 5th Avenue, SoHo is Manhattan’s shopping destination. Anything you are looking to purchase can easily be found here. Start with brunch in the area to fuel your day, then walk down Broadway for a dive into the hustle and bustle, or head down Greene Street for a trip through a mini designer row.
⁃ Check out Washington Square Park.
Known for historical protests, a variety of street vendors, and impromptu interviews, Washington Square Park is a microcosm of Manhattan. This is by far the best place in the city to people watch while utilizing the photo op of the Empire State Building seen though the Washington Square Arch.
⁃ Visit famous spots in the West Village.
While the West Village is largely residential, famous spots litter the area that hugs the Hudson. Places of note include the Friends apartment, Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment, the original Magnolia Bakery, Bleeker Street shops, the Stonewall Inn, and Pier 45 off the picturesque Westside Highway.
VIEW FROM THE WESTSIDE HIGHWAY FROM PIER 25
⁃ Chelsea Market & Starbucks reserve if you’re a big coffee fan.
The Meatpacking District in Chelsea offers a trendy, walkable area that is filled with activity, food, and drinks. The hub of this in the area is the Chelsea Market. The multi-floor attraction houses restaurants and shops for everyone. If you’re a big fan of Starbucks (Mom, this one is for you), check out the Starbucks Reserve around the corner from the Market.
⁃ See Grand Central, Bryant Park, and Times Square.
These three attractions are all within three avenues of each other, making them the perfect trio of a walking tour. Grand Central’s shops and restaurants give the giant train station plenty of activity in addition to travel, so be prepared for the crowds here. As you make your way west through Bryant Park, be sure to check out the New York Public Library on the 5th Avenue side of the park—one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Lastly, as you approach Times Square, keep your wits about you as you enter the tourist hub of the United States. While this area is very unique and offers must-see, iconic fanfare, there is a ton of hustle & bustle that can be disorienting.
⁃ See a Broadway Show in the Theater District.
As a huge arts capital, New York offers the best and brightest when it comes to musical theater. Seeing a Broadway show is a must! Find out what’s playing and get tickets HERE.
⁃ Visit Top of the Rock or the Edge for the best views of the city.
As someone who has had her fill of observation decks, I can honestly say these two are my favorite. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but go for one of these views over the top of Empire State Building. Who doesn’t want the most iconic building in the Manhattan skyline not in their view of the city?
⁃ View the famous pieces in the Museum of Modern Art.
Some of the most famous paintings in the world, including Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Dalí’s Persistence of Memory, are housed in the MoMA. Get your tickets HERE.
⁃ Explore Central Park.
This iconic park is huge in relation to others in the city. Some places of worthy note in the park include Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, Sheep’s Meadow, Strawberry Fields, the Loeb Boathouse, Literary Walk, and the Conservatory Gardens. For full attraction history and descriptions, as well as maps of New York’s backyard, view the official website HERE.
⁃ Spend hours wandering through the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
When I say you can spend hours getting lost in the MET, that might be an understatement. This museum is HUGE and provides a large array of display items of all interests. If you’re a fashion fan, this is where the Costume Institute houses Anna Wintour’s Costume Center-- a yearly exhibition that opens with the star-studded and exclusive Gala hosted at the MET the first Monday of every May. Plan your visit and secure your tickets HERE.
THE MET COSTUME INSTITUTE IN AMERICA EXHIBIT
WHAT TO EAT:
When choosing where to eat, keep in mind that New York City has some of the best food you can find, well, anywhere. Almost any hole-in-the-wall bagel or pizza joint is a sure thing, in addition to a wide array of coffees, world cuisines, and sweet treats. While the majority of my recommendations reside downtown, many of these places have multiple locations, so don’t be afraid to branch out in whatever neighborhood you’re exploring!
Breakfast + Brunch
⁃ Claudette, French
Greenwich Village, 24 5th Ave.
⁃ Sarabeth’s, American
Midtown, 40 Central Park S.
⁃ Tavern on the Green or Loeb Boathouse, American
Central Park, W 67th St. & E 72nd St.
⁃ Tompkins Square Bagels, Bagel Shop
East Village, 165 Avenue A
⁃ Sadelle’s, Classic Brunch
SoHo, 463 W Broadway
⁃ Waverley Inn and Garden, American
West Village, 16 Bank St
FRENCH TOAST AT WAVERLY INN & GARDEN
Lunch
- Ruby’s, Australian
Nolita, 219 Mulberry St.
- Tortaria, Mexican
Greenwich Village, 94 University Pl.
- Chelsea Market, Marketplace
Meatpacking, 75 9th Ave.
- Liberty Bistro, French
Financial District, 225 Liberty St.
- La Botaniste, Vegan
SoHo, 127 Grand St.
WATERFRONT VIEW FROM LIBERTY BISTRO
Dinner
⁃ The Smith, American
NoMad, 1150 Broadway
⁃ 12 Chairs, Middle Eastern
SoHo, 56 MacDougal St.
⁃ Spicy Moon, Chinese Szechuan
Greenwich Village, 68 W 3rd St.
⁃ Olio è Piu, Italian
West Village, 3 Greenwich Ave.
⁃ Jajaja, Mexican
West Village, 63 Carmine St.
⁃ Balthazaar, French
SoHo, 80 Spring St.
⁃ Rue 57, French
Midtown, 60 W 57th St.
⁃ La Esquina, Mexican Speakeasy
NoLita, 114 Kenmare St.
⁃ MONO+MONO, Korean
East Village, 116 E 4th St.
HUMMUS AT 12 CHAIRS
Coffee
⁃ Maman
Greenwich Village, 67 University Pl.
⁃ Remi43
Midtown East, 810 2nd Ave.
⁃ Banter
Meatpacking, 643 Hudson St.
⁃ Ralph’s Coffee
Flatiron, 160 5th Ave.
⁃ The Chai Spot
Little Italy, 156 Mott St.
⁃ Citizens of SoHo
Nolita, 201 Lafayette St.
⁃ Felix Roasting Co.
SoHo, 104 Greene St.
RALPH’S COFFEE IN FLATIRON
GETTING AROUND:
- Get yourself slightly familiar with the map of Manhattan.
The majority of city is organized on a grid, so it is beneficial to orient yourself with this, but the numbering system keeps it simple.
Below Houston Street, the numbering system disappears. Easy tip here: the Empire State Building is north, the Freedom Tower is south.
- Getting to Manhattan from the airport:
Perhaps the easiest route is to grab a cab or Uber from LaGuardia, JFK, or Newark airports, whichever you are arriving to.
If you’d like to opt to save on transportation, take the train from JFK or Newark directly. Or, the bus from LGA and transfer to the train into the island.
- Subway tips:
The subway can be intimidating if you’ve never navigated it, but it is easily the most efficient (cost and time-wise) way to get around the city.
It costs $2.75 to go anywhere in the city by subway train. You will need to either purchase a Metro Card to swipe or use Apple Pay on your phone to tap at the turnstiles to get in. I highly recommend utilizing this feature on Apple Pay; it is the best option when you’re in a rush or if you are prone to misplacing cards. Also, it is unlikely in your first trip you will utilize the subway enough times to need a full week or month card.
Apple Maps usually offers step by step instructions how to get from where you are to where you want to go via subway. Tip: the blue dot that represents where you are on Apple Maps has a little blue cone that points in the direction you are facing.
Be sure to check the platform you are going to is uptown or downtown- this is an easy mistake to make as some are more clearly marked than others.
- Plan your trip by area/ neighborhood.
To be most efficient with your time, plan your days by neighborhood, starting downtown and moving up, or vise-versa. This will minimize your travel time, allowing you to walk and see more on the way to your next destination.
- Walk wherever & whenever you can!
This is by far the best way to see the city. In a car or on the subway, you don’t get to soak in the city near as much.
Bring your walking shoes—I have had days in the city where I find myself walking 10-15 miles without realizing.
IN CONCLUSION,
Manhattan is filled with a wide array of activities, food, and attractions—enough for years of entertainment. I could go on for pages about the wonderful things this borough has to offer. No matter how you choose to fill your itinerary in your first trip to New York, I hope you discover the magic that has inspired so many others who have come before you.
Come back soon!
xo,
KR
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