What to see in New York

New York highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

1. Central Park

   More than 340 hectares in the middle of Manhattan: Bethesda Terrace, the lake and Strawberry Fields, best explored on foot or by bike.

2. Times Square

   Screens and crowds at all hours; it’s striking at night, but don’t eat here: two blocks away it costs half as much.

3. Brooklyn Bridge

   Walk across from Brooklyn to Manhattan with the skyline ahead of you; early in the morning there are no crowds.

4. The Met

   One of the largest museums in the world: pick two or three wings (Egypt, the European paintings, the roof garden in summer) and don’t try to see it all.

5. High Line

   A former elevated railway turned into a garden; it ends at Hudson Yards and Chelsea Market.

6. Statue of Liberty views

   The free Staten Island Ferry sails right past the statue: 25 minutes of views without buying a ticket.

7. Empire State Building

   Open-air observation deck on the 86th floor; the 102nd is glassed in and costs more. At sunrise there’s hardly anyone there.

8. Grand Central Terminal

   A green ceiling with the constellations painted back to front, and the whispering gallery in the corners by the ramp.

9. 9/11 Memorial

   Two square pools set in the exact footprints of the towers, with the names engraved in bronze. The outdoor memorial is free.

10. MoMA

    The Starry Night and Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are on the fifth floor: start at the top and work your way down.

11. Dumbo

    Cobbled streets between brick warehouses; from Washington Street, the Manhattan Bridge fits perfectly between two buildings.

12. Coney Island

    The end of the subway line: a wooden boardwalk, the 1927 Cyclone roller coaster and the beach. The rides close in winter.

13. The Cloisters

    French Romanesque cloisters rebuilt above the Hudson, home to the Unicorn Tapestries. It’s a long way out and worth a whole morning.

14. Green-Wood Cemetery

    Two hundred hectares of hills and mausoleums, with monk parakeets nesting in the gates. From Battle Hill you can see the harbour.

Day trips from New York

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

• Statue of Liberty ★ 4.6 (2,891 reviews)
• Contrasts tour ★ 4.5 (3,174 reviews)
• Observation decks ★ 4.7 (61,390 reviews)
• Broadway musical ★ 4.9 (2,304 reviews)

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Curious facts about New York

• Its subway runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Traditions of New York

• Late November to early January Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

  The great illuminated fir above the ice rink, the symbol of Christmas in New York.

Typical food of New York

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to New York from your kitchen).

New York cheesecake

New York’s cheesecake: dense, creamy and tall, on a biscuit base. The city’s Jewish delis made it popular in the early 20th century.

• Serves 10
• 2 h

Ingredients

• 200 g digestive biscuits
• 80 g melted butter
• 900 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 200 g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200 g soured cream (or whipping cream)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the zest of 1 lemon

How to make it at home

1. Crush the biscuits, mix them with the butter and press into the base of a 23 cm springform tin. Bake for 10 minutes at 170 °C.
2. Beat the cheese with the sugar on a low speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, then the soured cream, flour, vanilla and lemon, without overbeating.
3. Wrap the outside of the tin in foil and pour in the mixture.
4. Bake in a bain-marie at 160 °C for about 1 hour, until the edges are set and the centre still wobbles.
5. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar for 1 hour. Chill in the fridge overnight.

The trick: Beat gently and cool slowly: that way it won’t crack.

Frequently asked questions about New York