# What are the must-dos for a first trip to NYC? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217 "2016-04-26T21:18:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/1 "2016-04-26T21:18:23Z")
I’m planning my first trip to NYC. I’ll probably be there about 3-4 nights. I won’t be completely penniless but I am on a budget (i.e. admission charges are fine and maybe tickets to a Broadway show or two aren’t out of the questions, but I’m not going to be paying $2,500 to a scalper for a seat to _Hamilton_, though I wouldn’t mind visiting his house in Harlem if it’s open to the public again). My main interests are history, theater, and sight seeing. Would be particularly interested to know which museums and-or tours would be most recommended. I do not have the slightest problem with looking like a tourist or doing “touristy stuff”. Are cruises worth the money? Is there a right way to see Central Park? Is Mme. Tussaud’s worth visiting? Can anyone recommend a good service for getting theater tickets? Any advice on do’s and don’ts for finding AirBnB or other lodgings in Manhattan? (I’ll be traveling with a friend- one bed is fine, two would be better.) Thanks for any recs. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/2 "2016-04-26T21:39:41Z")
At times square there is a place where you can buy last minute Broadway tickets. I got into one for $50 and was seated in the 10th row center. It was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/3 "2016-04-26T22:12:21Z")
I’m going to piggy-back on this thread because I’m also planning a trip to NYC in June. I love history, music and museums, but I am not really into art. I’m particularly interested in hearing about experiences with the 9/11 Museum and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/4 "2016-04-26T23:40:27Z")
The NY Public Library has a great tour, and is free. The Map Room there is very interesting. So are the Ellis Island immigrant manifests. Subways are a great way to get around. On a good weather day take the Staten Island Ferry out and back for nice views of the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Inexpensive, ita subway ticket. When you say NYC I think you mean Manhattan, but if otherwise let us know. The boat tours circling Manhattan, going all the way around, is worth the price - don’t recall but IIRC it’s very reasonable. Walk around Central Park. Manhattan can be very expensive but there are lots of budget things to see and do. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/5 "2016-04-26T23:44:42Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > The boat tours circling Manhattan, going all the way around, is worth the price - don’t recall but IIRC it’s very reasonable. > . The Circle Line. I agree, worth doing. You get a much better sense of geography circling the island, and a lot of history to boot. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/6 "2016-04-26T23:56:01Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Are cruises worth the money? Worth the money? No. But the Circle Line is kinda nice this time of year for sight-seeing. > [@](#): > > Is there a right way to see Central Park? With your eyes. > [@](#): > > Is Mme. Tussaud’s worth visiting? Fuck no. > [@](#): > > Can anyone recommend a good service for getting theater tickets? The TKTS booth in Times Square has last-minute discount tickets to Broadway shows. You have to take what you can get, though. > [@](#): > > Any advice on do’s and don’ts for finding AirBnB or other lodgings in Manhattan? (I’ll be traveling with a friend- one bed is fine, two would be better.) My advice is to find a real hotel and not do AirBnB. Keep in mind that this is the opinion of a confirmed misanthrope. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/7 "2016-04-26T23:59:21Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The Circle Line. I agree, worth doing. You get a much better sense of geography circling the island, and a lot of history to boot. Yeah, what **Procrustus** said! Good point about getting a sense of geography. The Circle Line Tour was better than the guided sightseeing open top bus tour we took. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/8 "2016-04-27T01:58:06Z")
I loved The Cloisters - which is far off the beaten tourist track. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/9 "2016-04-27T02:00:59Z")
Definitely, the Circle Line Art museums: Met, Guggenheim, MoMa Staten Island Ferry, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty Brooklyn Botanic Garden, if you have time Great views from top of Empire State Building Ground Zero Rockefeller Center Famous delis: Katz’s, Carnegie, 2nd Avenue Grand Central Station Walk across Brooklyn Bridge Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall See a TV show. South Street Seaport The High Line Park Brooklyn Promenade is nice. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/10 "2016-04-27T02:15:11Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The TKTS booth in Times Square has last-minute discount tickets to Broadway shows. You have to take what you can get, though. Here’s a tip: the lines at the TKTS booth can run 45 minutes. But at the left, there is a special “Play only” line, which rarely takes more than 15 (ask the guides). You won’t see a musical, but there are plenty of great plays. I got tickets there for _No Man’s Land_ with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan for half price. There also are signs showing you what’s available for both the plays and the musicals. Some theaters also have discount tickets. We got to see _Lend Me a Tenor_ (with Tony Shaloub and Antony LaPagia) at the Music Box for half price by showing up when the box office opens. Other theaters have cheap tickets in a lottery just before showtime, so that runs a risk. Check the shows to see what they might have. Personally, I love going up the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center is also interesting, and there are too many great museums to count (I’m partial to the Metropolitan and the Museum of Natural History). I’ll also add a vote for the Circle Line. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/11 "2016-04-27T02:50:14Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > My advice is to find a real hotel and not do AirBnB. Keep in mind that this is the opinion of a confirmed misanthrope. You realize AirBnB has nothing really to do with traditional Bed & Breakfasts, right? 😕 (I personally would HIGHLY recommend looking into AirBnB - when we went to Paris last year, we rented a quite nice 1BR apartment with kitchen and laundry facilities in a lovely building in a quiet residential area for the same price a tiny room in a tourist hotel would have cost…as far as tips, just search the site for places in the areas you’re looking at and pay close attention to reviews.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/12 "2016-04-27T03:18:21Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > I’m going to piggy-back on this thread because I’m also planning a trip to NYC in June. I love history, music and museums, but I am not really into art. > > I’m particularly interested in hearing about experiences with the 9/11 Museum and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Sounds like we would make excellent traveling companions actually: I would love to go to the tenement museum but don’t really care that much about the art museums. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/13 "2016-04-27T03:43:36Z")
Definitely the public library!! Even if you don’t go on the tour mentioned above, take a few minutes to go in and look around. The main reading room on the top floor is amazing. And it’s free. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is across from Rockefeller Center, and is also free to go in and look (though I usually put a buck or two in the donation box) The Staten Island Ferry gets you a nice boat ride for free too. And the tenement museum is really interesting. I wouldn’t call it a must-see unless you’re particularly interested. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/14 "2016-04-27T04:21:34Z")
The Ellis Island memorial and museum. Eat a bagel. Bagels bought in New York are unlike bagels bought anywhere else. They are the food of the gods. It almost doesn’t matter where you buy it: in fact, some of the bagel places in Grand Central and Penn stations are actually pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/15 "2016-04-27T14:14:46Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Are cruises worth the money? Not really. If you want to see Manhattan from the water, I would just recommend hoping on a Water Taxi or NJ Transit Ferry (around $10) or the Staten Island Ferry (free). > [@Sampiro](#): > > Is there a right way to see Central Park? It’s a big park, so it helps to have some points of interest in mind. [http://www.centralparknyc.org/assets/pdfs/tours/April-Monthly-Mile.pdf](http://www.centralparknyc.org/assets/pdfs/tours/April-Monthly-Mile.pdf) You might also want to try the Central Park Zoo. It’s small so you can do it in an hour or so. I’d buy tickets online though. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Is Mme. Tussaud’s worth visiting? Only if you like creepy wax sculptures that kinda look like celebrities. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Any advice on do’s and don’ts for finding AirBnB or other lodgings in Manhattan? (I’ll be traveling with a friend- one bed is fine, two would be better.) Speaking of NJ Transit ferries - If you are looking to save money, you might want to look at hotels in Weehawken or Jersey City across the river and just take the ferry in. It drops you off on W 39th and from there you can catch free shuttle busses across town. > [@panache45](#): > > Ground Zero It’s not really “Ground Zero” anymore. It’s now the “9/11 Memorial and Museum”, which I also recommend. Also check out the Freedom Tower > [@panache45](#): > > South Street Seaport Pier 17 has been demolished. There are still a lot of shops and restaurants and old ships in that neighborhood though. I’d check out the Empire State Building Brooklyn Bridge Wait in line for 45 minutes at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park I’ve lived in New York for about 16 years. So I’ve done none of this shit.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/16 "2016-04-27T14:24:40Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > You realize AirBnB has nothing really to do with traditional Bed & Breakfasts, right? 😕 Yes. That’s not the reason. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/17 "2016-04-27T14:27:44Z")
Highly recommend the [Lower East Side Tenement Museum](https://www.tenement.org/). Especially relevant after you go to Ellis island, as the majority of immigrants after coming through Ellis island lived temporarily in Manhattan’s lower east side. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/18 "2016-04-27T14:49:41Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Highly recommend the [Lower East Side Tenement Museum](https://www.tenement.org/). Especially relevant after you go to Ellis island, as the majority of immigrants after coming through Ellis island lived temporarily in Manhattan’s lower east side. That’s a good one indeed. If you like transit and old technology, definitely check out the NYC Subway museum in Brooklyn. (It’s in an unused subway station.) Some other good sites that I like: [ul] [li]The Paley Center museum (formerly Museum of Television and Radio)[/li][li]The new Whitney Museum of American Art - fantastic brand new downtown location[/li][li]See a show at the Lincoln Center IMAX theater, Broadway & 68th St.[/li][li]USS Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum (it’s on a frickin BOAT (They have a SPACE SHUTTLE!!!11)!)[/li][li]Rough Trade - a genuine independent record store. This is the only good thing in Williamsburg.[/li][li]The Cyclone at Coney Island. Yeah, it’s a tourist trap, but why not. The weather is nice and it’s part of history[/li][li]Speaking of the Cyclone, if you like baseball, go see a Cyclones game at Keyspan Park. Infinitely cheaper than the Mets or Yankees and far more entertaining[/li][li]The Brooklyn Museum - tons of cool historical stuff and art, with a little less crowding than the museums in Manhattan[/li][li]It’s a bit out-of-the-way, but the Queens Museum has a gigantic scale model of the entire city, showing every building and street. It’s amazing.[/li][li]Take a [guided tour](http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/info/tours.cfm) of Grand Central Terminal, the most amazing building ever constructed[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/19 "2016-04-27T15:03:43Z")
I love the [Frick](http://www.frick.org/) museum. Frick was one of the wealthy industrialists of the 1800s, and this museum is in one of his mansions, and is mostly his collection of art as he had it displayed. It’s both a really interesting collection of art and a window into the tastes and styles of art collectors in the decades around 1900. And, it’s ‘pay as you wish’ on Sundays. There can be an intimidating-looking line for that, but it moves fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217/20 "2016-04-27T15:13:48Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Sounds like we would make excellent traveling companions actually: I would love to go to the tenement museum but don’t really care that much about the art museums. 🙂 I know! I feel like such a rube since New York has some of the best art museums in the world, but it’s just not my thing. I like the recommendation for the NY Public Library. I will definitely check that out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-must-dos-for-a-first-trip-to-nyc/753217.md?page=2)