10 Of The Best Things To Do In New York

Also, one essential thing everyone needs when they come to NYC, it’s not free, but it is cheap and great value and will enable you to do everything on the list below. That is a subway pass or Metro Card, a 7-day pass is pretty affordable and gets you everywhere on the map! If you are unsure go to a station with a counter and also make sure and ask for a map.

Here Are Our Favourite Things To Do For Free in NYC:

Staten Island Ferry

This is a classic, the Staten Island ferry is an amazing service provided by the city of New York for free. The crossing takes around 30 mins and you will get amazing views of downtown New York, the Statue Of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. What is also great is that it is full of locals too meaning you get the chance to chat and also just see a part of everyday NYC life. Even if it’s your first time to NYC or your millionth the Staten Island Ferry is an amazing experience and incredible that it doesn’t cost a penny!

LOCATION: Southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park
SUBWAY: In Manhattan, J/Z to Broad Street; 1 to South Ferry; 4/5 to Bowling Green. In Staten Island, Staten Island Railway to St. George.

Parks

New York is full of amazing parks all offering something different. Of course, central park is the main one and it is massive, lots of things to see and do in here for free, make sure you don’t miss Bethesda Fountain and the lake.

LOCATION: Runs through the centre of Manhattan (Pretty hard to miss!!)
SUBWAY: Subway covers all sides of the park well with the West being the closest so it depends where in the park you want to go, but 72nd is a good place to start as it is near the John Lennon memorial and a short walk to the fountain and lake.

Highline Park:

Over in Chelsea, this converted railway line is a really unique park, complete with natural flora, existing train lines and amazing views as it cuts through the city, across intersections, past old factories and apartment buildings.

LOCATION: Meatpacking Dist/ Chelsea/ Lower West Side

SUBWAY: 14th Street & 8th Avenue, 23rd Street & 8th Avenue, 14th Street & 7th Avenue, 18th Street & 7th Avenue, 23rd Street & 7th Avenue

Washington Square Park:

Famous for the Washington arch and street performers this park is always a centre of activity, culture and creativity.

LOCATION: Greenwich Village
SUBWAY: W4 Wash. Sq, 8th St. NYU, Astor Pl.

New York is full of parks to explore!

Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge is a brilliant way to see the city and one of its most famous landmarks. The walk is about a mile long but well worth it. I would recommend getting the subway over to the Brooklyn side of the bridge and then walking back over to Manhattan.

LOCATION: Downtown Manhattan/ City Hall
SUBWAY: Manhattan: Brooklyn Bridge/ City Hall, Chamber Street
Brooklyn: High Street, Borough Hall.

9/11 Memorial

Obviously, this is a very moving thing to see but in my opinion, is something no one should miss. Although this is free you will have to book a time slot online at least a day before you go for which there is a small admin fee. The time slot isn’t strictly enforced but you may be required to bring ID.

LOCATION: Downtown Manhattan/ Financial District
SUBWAY: Fulton Street, Park Place, World Trade Center, Rector Street, Cortlandt Street.

Our Favourite Backpacks

Osprey Farpoint/ Fairview

We’ve used the Osprey Farpoint/ Fairview for all our backpacking adventures over the past 5 years and highly recommend them!

The main area of the pack opens like a suitcase, which is great for using packing cubes to keep everything organised and they even come with a detachable day pack!

> Farpoint: Buy It Here
> Fairview: Buy It Here

Wall Street/ Federal Hall

Wall Street is the centre of world finance and depending on your point of view the home of all that is wrong or great about capitalist society. Either way, it is somewhere not to miss, along Wall Street there is also Federal Hall which is the site where Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the USA. (Inside is closed on weekends)

LOCATION: Downtown Manhattan/ Financial District
SUBWAY: Wall St, Broad St, Fulton St.

Grand Central Terminal/ Station

This beautiful and historic station with its famous main hall is an amazing site and a must-do. There are plenty of shops, markets, restaurants and details to see and make sure to step outside to see the main entrance too.

LOCATION: Midtown Manhattan
SUBWAY: Grand Central – 42nd.

SafetyWing Travel Insurance

SafetyWing

Travel insurance is one of those annoying things that no one likes to think about, let alone pay for, when you’re planning your next trip. It can also be bloody annoying as a backpacker/long-term traveller to find affordable coverage that meets the itinerary-less lifestyle (*cough* World Nomads *cough*).

So instead of getting subpar travel insurance, now we just always go with  SafetyWing. It takes like 5-10 minutes to purchase your policy and essentially functions as a monthly subscription plan with near-global coverage!

Get a Quote Now!

New York Public Library (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building)

This building is probably most famous for being in the blockbuster “The Day After Tomorrow” but not only that this beautiful and historic building is the second largest public library in the world (behind the Library of Congress). There are lots of historic artefacts and texts in here but the building itself and specifically the Rose main reading room will take your breath away.

LOCATION: MidTown/ 5th & 42nd
SUBWAY: 42nd Street and Broadway, 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Station

Times Square

What is a trip to NYC without going to Times Square, granted it is full of shops and restaurants to spend your money on but it is also an experience in itself. The flashing lights and sea of people, the buzz and hive of activity, it’s great just to sit on the red steps and take it all in. Toy’s ‘r’ us and other shops are also great to just walk around.

LOCATION: Midtown, Broadway & 7th.
SUBWAY: Times Square.

Flatiron Building/ District.

Built in 1902 the Flatiron was New York’s first skyscraper and this unusual building has become an icon of the city. Madison square park is also across the road and is a great place to relax and admire the building and surrounding area from.

LOCATION: 5th & Broadway, Midtown.
SUBWAY: 23rd St (N, R, 6)

Walking/ Subway/ City Hall

Ok, so bear with me on this one was it might seem obvious but I truly think the best way to see and experience any city is by walking. The great thing about New York and many other cities in this respect is that with the subway covering almost everywhere, you can wander to your heart’s content and know once you are ready to head back a subway stop with usually be within a block or two.

Walking is when you come across the little unexpected things which make you feel that much more connected to a place, things that would not usually be mentioned on lists like this too, those little details which make a place unique.  Soho, Chelsea and Greenwich Village have to be some of my favourite walking locations but the whole of the city is out there for you.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, you should have your subway ticket already, and just like walking the subway opens up the whole city for you. This kind of depends on the type of person you are but I know the first time I came to NYC I wanted to see every side to it. So with my metro card in hand, I travelled to all 5 boroughs, got off at random stops and really felt I got under the skin of the real New York and not just Manhattan.

Have a look at our “Budget NYC Trip” ideas

Book Your Accommodation

Booking.com

Over the course of the last 10+ years of travelling, we’ve used Booking.com to book probably around 90% of our accommodation. These days you can book anything from a luxury resort to budget hotels and even hostels and rentals similar to Airbnb.

Plus, if you make an account, you get access to their ‘Genius’ loyalty program… and DISCOUNTS. Everything is laid out super easy so you know what you’re getting, and honestly, I’m just a really big fan of the platform over other major providers.

Find Your Next Hotel or Hostel Here