First trip to the US

[TheIntruder]

A seasoned traveler like the the OP should have no problems navigating NYC.

The Guggenheim is great, but with the Met only a few blocks away, I would try to see both. Never been to the Natural History Museum, but it's just on the other side of Central Park. This group doesn't have quite the same compactness as the Museumkwartier in Amsterdam, but still convenient. The MoMA is on its own in Midtown, so that could be a tentpole for a different day.

Central Park is nice, and a bike rental facilitates seeing more of it than simply walking, in a very pleasant way (provided the climate is not too hot and muggy, but you've been to Asia, so that won't be a shock).

Most cities have their share of interesting and distinctive neighborhoods, so I'd try to do that research beforehand, according to one's interests.

In terms of typical tourist attractions, I'd prioritize the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island over things like the Empire State Building and Times Square, which may be worth doing once, but in a more "been there, done that" way. But that's how I roll.

The Subway can take one to most places, and avoids the delays of surface traffic.

Above all, enjoy.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Montreal is not too far from Northern NY. Have you ever been in Montreal? It's quite a beautiful city, too.

New York to Montreal - 9 ways to travel via train, subway, and plane, and bus

The cheapest way to get from New York to Montreal costs only $100, and the quickest way takes just 4½ hours. Find the travel option that best suits you.

www.rome2rio.com

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Perhaps OP should avoid Arizona (where I live)…

AZ is an open carry state. Although, based on how I've seen some people 'carrying' lately I have to wonder how it is they haven't wounded or killed themselves yet. In the waistband of a particularly flimsy pair of workout shorts isn't my idea of safe.

Arizona is a constitutional carry state which means you don't require a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Very different than open carry... Also extremely different than NYC gun laws

 

[Lyrca]

Montreal is not too far from Northern NY. Have you ever been in Montreal? It's quite a beautiful city, too.

New York to Montreal - 9 ways to travel via train, subway, and plane, and bus

The cheapest way to get from New York to Montreal costs only $100, and the quickest way takes just 4½ hours. Find the travel option that best suits you.

www.rome2rio.com

Yes I was in Montreal a couple of years back, really enjoyed it. The people were great.

Again thanks for the amount of info you guys have given me regarding day to day business or places or interest. I really appreciate you taking the time.

My parents traveled a great deal around the US but that was in the 70-80s so I needed some up to date tips !

 

[Duncan-UK]

Just have a brilliant time - if I could afford it I would visit the States every year - a brilliant, fascinating country. Manhattan is amazing - so much to see and do - but I wouldn't bother with The Empire State Building if there are queues - Top of The Rock is far better!

 

[eyoungren]

Arizona is a constitutional carry state which means you don't require a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Very different than open carry... Also extremely different than NYC gun laws

Thank you for the clarification. I've been here 22 years, but I'm not a native.

 

[hallux]

Montreal is not too far from Northern NY. Have you ever been in Montreal? It's quite a beautiful city, too.

New York to Montreal - 9 ways to travel via train, subway, and plane, and bus

The cheapest way to get from New York to Montreal costs only $100, and the quickest way takes just 4½ hours. Find the travel option that best suits you.

www.rome2rio.com

I'm halfway between NYC and Montreal, it's about 3-3.5 hours from me to each of them. Going to Montreal from NYC would be a full day just traveling.

I WAS going to suggest grabbing Amtrak and coming North to my area, but seeing anything worthwhile might require a car once getting here.

 

[AJK13K]

I grew up in NYC and spent a good part of my business life in NY. The NYC of the 1950’s was a place where I as teen could explore the sites of NY on the subway. Unfortunately thing are different now. I would not go on a subway for any reason. I would be afraid of random violence - which seeming is no longer a crime in NYC.

If you take any walking tours remember that NYC is a place of great wealth and great poverty. Guided tours might be good way to see NYC. We have great museums, the Met, Natural history, Guggenheim….

Finally NYC and NY State are really two separate places, the city and surrounding suburbs = NYC. Much of the rest on NY is rural, smaller cities and many small villages, Some of which date to the early 1700’s. When I retired I chose a small villige of about 1100 people in the Hudson Valley. The Hudson Valley is worth a look. It was the home of the Rockafellers, 2 US presidents and West Point (US MilItaly Academy), and many grand 19th century homes, all,open for tours.

On first trip to Europe I depended on the excellent guide michelin. You might do the same for NY. I hope you enjoy your trip and be safe.

art K

 

[Kung]

Regarding New Yorkers they can't possibly more brusque than Parisians.

I have to admit I got a good chuckle out of this. In the Navy (1994-2003) I spent some time in France (Versailles, Cannes and Paris to be specific).

I enjoyed the heck out of Versailles and Cannes...but while I *did* enjoy Paris, I will say that a quote by my buddy was pretty accurate:

"If you've ever drank a glass of wine and been insulted by a headwaiter, you've experienced Paris." 😆 A bit simplistic I suppose, but not terribly far off the mark.

 

[ndouglas]

NYC is a beautiful city, probably my favorite. You will surely enjoy it

Some things that I can share from my travel experience to there:

1. You don't need cash, a CC or debit card will work without issues.
Depending on your bank you must notify them of your travel, so they "lower" the security
requirements for the transactions. A lot of credit card terminals in US are still using
the magnetic band and that could cause transactions being rejected. (Happened to me)

When paying in a restaurant for example, you need to add the amount of the tip
to the receipt AFTER you paid with your CC or debit card. You will leave the place and
if you check your bank app, only the meal has been charged. A few days later the
charged amount will increase to reflect the tip. Really crazy if you ask me.

2. I asume that you will be visiting the Statue of Liberty, Empire State, etc.
If possible, always purchase the "express" or "VIP" tickets. They are a little more expensive
but they will save you HOURS of waiting in a line. Time that you can spend enjoying the city.
For the Empire State for example, they cost us $30 over the regular price, but we got
up to the top in 20 minutes.
Purchase over internet only. Avoid any street seller, they are everywhere and they
are really pushing. Lot of them will lie about ticket kiosks being closed or something else.

3. It's a big city. It seems smaller in the map but it takes a lot of time to move up and down.
Use the NYC metro. When planning your day, remember that a trip from Wall Street area to
central park needs 50 minutes at least for example. Cars, taxis are not an efficient way to
move around the city. Use UBER to go from the airport to the hotel.

Not sure what you had planned for internet access, but an ESIM (like Airalo or GigSky),
it's my favorite solution. You can keep your SIM in your phone and add the internet access
with the virtual one. Apple Maps do a great job with the Metro, showing detailed instructions
to stations and train numbers together with time schedules.

4. Food is expensive and you have to tip. A 2 course meal in a regular restaurant would cost you
over $100. Without wine. In Little Italy expect to pay around $80 for 2 course pasta meal.
Also, there's not such a thing like American food. Most of the food that you can eat in NYC is Italian,
Mexican, Chinese, French. Unless you are foodie and expect to invest lot of money eating (like $400
or more for a 2 course), the quality of the food is not worth the price.
There are numerous Deli's where you can taste a more traditional food and eat on a budget.
Places like Paris Baguette are great to enjoy a delicious breakfast.

5. Shopping takes lot of time and effort. Stores are gigantic. You can easily spend 6-7 hours just
in Macy's. Plan ahead.

6. Use the Ferry's. They are several of them and it's a fantastic way to see the city skyline.
For example, after we crossed on foot the Brooklyn Bridge, we returned to Manhattan in a Ferry.
They are ridiculous cheap as well.

Not to derail the discussion toward the notorious tipping debate, but no one “has” to tip. It’s more common in the US but not forced nor even necessarily noticed by staff especially given the electronic-ness of all the payment gizmos these days.

 

[Lyrca]

I have to admit I got a good chuckle out of this. In the Navy (1994-2003) I spent some time in France (Versailles, Cannes and Paris to be specific).

I enjoyed the heck out of Versailles and Cannes...but while I *did* enjoy Paris, I will say that a quote by my buddy was pretty accurate:

"If you've ever drank a glass of wine and been insulted by a headwaiter, you've experienced Paris." 😆 A bit simplistic I suppose, but not terribly far off the mark.

Definitely not far off the mark. As a person who grew up around Paris and who has had my small but fair share of travelling experiences I have to agree that the level of service to tourists (especially non french speaking) in Paris is appalling.

Not to derail the discussion toward the notorious tipping debate, but no one “has” to tip. It’s more common in the US but not forced nor even necessarily noticed by staff especially given the electronic-ness of all the payment gizmos these days.

This is what I understand with regards to people working in the service industry in the US. There is a base salary which is pretty low and employees work towards a better pay through tips. Although tipping is not mandatory I will be tipping nevertheless since I feel it’s fair.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Definitely not far off the mark. As a person who grew up around Paris and who has had my small but fair share of travelling experiences I have to agree that the level of service to tourists (especially non french speaking) in Paris is appalling.



This is what I understand with regards to people working in the service industry in the US. There is a base salary which is pretty low and employees work towards a better pay through tips. Although tipping is not mandatory I will be tipping nevertheless since I feel it’s fair.

In the event you receive very very poor service and/or attitude in a restaurant from a waiter or waitress, you may choose (or not) to do what I do. I do not leave no tip as this does not send a message as the waiter or waitress may just assume that I am a person who never tips. Instead, I leave 10 cents. If possible, I also leave a short note explaining the reason for the small tip. Note: I would only do this in an establishment that you know you will not be visiting again.

 

[eyoungren]

Not to derail the discussion toward the notorious tipping debate, but no one “has” to tip. It’s more common in the US but not forced nor even necessarily noticed by staff especially given the electronic-ness of all the payment gizmos these days.

No, it's not mandatory. But it is customary for certain things, and if you intend to continue frequenting establishments or using services that don't entirely revolve around electronic payment you may find staff doing the bare minimum for you.

While I don't tip for stuff that's never customarily been a part of tipping in the past (barrista tip jars, tipping to have someone walk my meal out to the car, etc) I do tip for all the other customary stuff.

Good service should be rewarded…not taken for granted. And while there are those that will argue that good service is what employees are being paid for, no one seems willing to force change on the service industry so that employees are actually paid what their good service is worth.

 

[I7guy]

Walk around lower Manhattan. Go to the top of the World Financial Center. Visit Chinatown, Little Italy and the financial district. See the stock exchange if you can. Don't interact with pan handlers and don't buy any genuiiiiine merchandise on the streets.

If you feel adventurous see the Cloisters.

 

[eyoungren]

If possible, I also leave a short note explaining the reason for the small tip. Note: I would only do this in an establishment that you know you will not be visiting again.

Notes can get you in trouble in these days and times. Tone and intent are not always conveyed properly and notes can be open to misinterpretation. Plenty of stories in the news where someone left a note and the situation blew up.

Your idea of just leaving 10¢ or so speaks better by itself.

 

[Kung]

Definitely not far off the mark. As a person who grew up around Paris and who has had my small but fair share of travelling experiences I have to agree that the level of service to tourists (especially non french speaking) in Paris is appalling.

Yep. I mean, don't get me wrong - when traveling we were briefed on what and what not to do, and the phrase "Don't act American" (LOL!) kept coming up. I understood what they meant - you're in THEIR country, and while no one expected me to morph into a Frenchman, neither should I expect them to kowtow to me, demand they speak English, talk super loud, etc.

But whereas people in Cannes and Versailles (in my experience) were understanding of the fact that I was not French....Paris was different. A sort of disinterested disapproval seemed to be the baseline personality, and it was ratcheted up soon as they figured out you were American, regardless of HOW polite you were.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Yep. I mean, don't get me wrong - when traveling we were briefed on what and what not to do, and the phrase "Don't act American" (LOL!) kept coming up. I understood what they meant - you're in THEIR country, and while no one expected me to morph into a Frenchman, neither should I expect them to kowtow to me, demand they speak English, talk super loud, etc.

But whereas people in Cannes and Versailles (in my experience) were understanding of the fact that I was not French....Paris was different. A sort of disinterested disapproval seemed to be the baseline personality, and it was ratcheted up soon as they figured out you were American, regardless of HOW polite you were.

And it was 20+ years you experienced that. I would imagine it has only gotten worse.

 

[Huntn]

I'm set in terms of credit card and phone connectivity. As for distances I guess I won't try and cover large distances on foot just like certain other cities I visited outside the EU.

Regarding not using shady ATMs in stores I've learnt my lesson already in India, I'm not going down that road again.

Pen on the plane, got that covered since I tried finding one 20 mins before landing in the past !

Regarding New Yorkers they can't possibly more brusque than Parisians.



From the shows and movies Isaw from a young age Iexpect to see the US flag EVERYWHERE, there won't be any surprises there.

I was brought up in an English (British) speaking home. So the accent may not be that exotic !



Yes, I remember being told to get ready to do a little math before reaching the counter.

Thanks for the tip regarding the phone service on the ̶m̶e̶t̶r̶o̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶g̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ subway, I wasn't expecting this.



There was just a documentary the other day about the state of Paris stating that it is safer to walk around mid town Manhattan than it is in some tourist corners of Paris.



All these are on our to do list. (Most likely the Lion king).

Again thank you all for taking the time to respond.

Have you arranged for transport from the airport (Kennedy I suppose) to down town? Depending on the time of day, Cab rides can be lengthy and expensive. I flew in there a lot due to my job, but we always had transport set up for us. So I don’t know if there is a metro (train) that could be utilized for this purpose. 🤔

 

[Silencio]

Have you arranged for transport from the airport (Kennedy I suppose) to down town? Depending on the time of day, Cab rides can be lengthy and expensive. I flew in there a lot due to my job, but we always had transport set up for us. So I don’t know if there is a metro (train) that could be utilized for this purpose. 🤔

From JFK, you would take the AirTrain to connect either with the NY Subway or the Long Island Railroad. It's kind of slow and not terribly cheap, so getting a taxi or Uber/Lyft to your hotel is usually more convenient, especially if you're traveling as a family. It's a long ride and the traffic is usually terrible, though.

Exploring some of the residential neighborhoods is a good idea. In Manhattan, the West Village and Tribeca have a lot of tree-lined streets, interesting boutiques and restaurants, and beautiful old buildings. Brownstone Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Park Slope) is also good for a little wander, and Prospect Park is fantastic — superior to Central Park IMHO.

Getting away from the buildings and density for a bit is also highly recommended. Ferry to Governor's Island or the long subway ride up to the Cloisters are great suggestions.

Times Square isn't worth it IMO. I don't think Wall Street is, either, unless you're down in the FiDi to get the aforementioned ferry to Governor's Island.

If you only go to one big museum, I'd say the Met is your best bet, as they have a little bit of everything. They usually have some sort of interesting installation on the rooftop, so be sure to check that out.

There is lots of amazing food from all around the world everywhere you go.

In most areas the safety concerns are a bit overblown: NYC is statistically safer than many parts of the US. Just stay alert and aware of your surroundings and you should be fine.

 

[Lyrca]

Just booked our flight, hotel and applied for the ESTA which was approved within an hour.

Again thank you for all your precious advice and tips which I will definitely be reading again when planing our trip in detail. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my initial request.

 

[Euroamerican]

Have fun and let us know how it is.

I'm a Yank and I have never been north east of anywhere in the US that is that direction of Baltimore/DC. So, I've never been to NYC...

Actually, I have no desire to go there! Upstate New York, New England... Yes. I would like to go there.

=====

By the way, if nobody has mentioned it yet: NO VAT tax here in the USA, in the Euro sense. Wonderful.

 

[audiokid]

If you do go to Roosevelt Island via tram, there is a newish hotel rooftop bar/restaurant you may want to check out. It has limited days and hours and is way overpriced, but the views are amazing.

Home | PANORAMA ROOM

www.panoramaroomnyc.com

Also, if you want some really cool pictures of the NYC skyline, take the #7 one stop out of Manhattan to Vernon Blvd./Jackson Avenue. Walk west two blocks to the East River and prepare to be wowed.

And I second the ferry suggestion. And also the 7-day unlimited MetroCard.

Enjoy your visit and thanks for spending time (and your money) here!!

 

[HDFan]

Times Square isn't worth it IMO.

The thing about Times Square it appears on television almost constantly when they talk about NYC. It is sort of nice when you see it to be able to say "I was there!".

I still remember going to TS as a teenager with my family over new years to watch the ball drop in 10 degree weather. A memory I will never forget.

 

[Expos of 1969]

The thing about Times Square it appears on television almost constantly when they talk about NYC. It is sort of nice when you see it to be able to say "I was there!".

I still remember going to TS as a teenager with my family over new years to watch the ball drop in 10 degree weather. A memory I will never forget.

Unfortunately Times Square has been Disneyfied and over sanitized. One must watch some gritty 1970's movies to get a feel for its "glory days".

 

[eyoungren]

The thing about Times Square it appears on television almost constantly when they talk about NYC. It is sort of nice when you see it to be able to say "I was there!".

I still remember going to TS as a teenager with my family over new years to watch the ball drop in 10 degree weather. A memory I will never forget.

My dad had a business trip in 1983 that he took me on. We hit Boston first, then NYC. I was 12 and I do recall a bit about Times Square.

But mostly I remember that New Yorkers will pass you by driving into oncoming traffic or using the sidewalk. A phenomenon my aunt and uncle (who lived on Long Island at the time) explained to me before we drove into the city. They did not explain the colorful metaphors New Yorkers would use to describe my uncle's driving when they passed him.

We took their old 'clunker' car when we visited. I guess they didn't want the nicer car to be damaged or stolen - at least, so my uncle said. We even rode on the subway for a bit. I just remember all the graffiti.