12 things to do (and some NOT TO DO) in New York - 2024 United States Guide

If you have started drawing up the itinerary for your trip to New York, you will have immediately realized that there are so many things to see in New York! Choosing what to visit and what not isn't easy at all, and the time available almost always makes it compulsory to discard something in favor of some other attraction that interests us more.
Whether you're staying just for the day or for a much longer vacation, there are New York City's iconic must-see sights and attractions that must be part of your itinerary. They are part of the most touristic New York if you will, but they are also the classic image of the Big Apple that we all have!

1.Empire State Building.

One of the best-known buildings in New York, a true symbol of the city, an indispensable attraction among the things not to be missed in New York. Instantly recognizable on the New York skyline, it remained the tallest skyscraper in the world and in the city for a long time, overtaken by the Freedom Tower in recent years.
A classic example of the Art Deco style, it was inaugurated in 1931. Since then, hundreds of millions of visitors, including the Queen of England, have admired the city from its observatories. Yes, because there are 2 observation platforms: one on the 86th floor and one on the 102nd floor. The observatory on the 86th floor is located at a height of 320 meters and allows you to enjoy a breathtaking 360° panorama. The one on the 102nd floor, 381 meters high, can be reached with a surcharge and will give you an even wider and deeper New York panorama.
Admire the 5th Avenue entrance, with an embossed image of the skyscraper superimposed on a map of New York. Elevators will take you to the 86th floor in 45 seconds.

2. Rockefeller Center.

From the Top Of The Rock on Rockefeller Center you can admire a breathtaking 360 ° view of New York and the Empire State Building

Rockefeller Center is a complex of gardens, restaurants, shops, offices, works of art: it is a private complex made up of 19 of the largest buildings in the world. It is the heart of Midtown, famous for the huge festively decorated Christmas tree during the holidays and the skating rink set up in front, which in the summer gives way to the tables of the outdoor bars.

The Rockefeler Center also houses the NBC Studios, which can be visited by reservation, a shopping gallery in the basement and the legendary Radio City Music Hall, an Art Deco masterpiece.

Do not miss the Top of The Rock: the splendid open observatory on the 70th floor. Many prefer it to climbing the Empire, because it is less crowded with tourists, there are no grates that spoil the view and the panorama will include the Empire itself.

3. Statue of Liberty.

Lady Liberty, the Statue of Liberty, certainly cannot be missing from the top 10 things to see in New York. The symbol of freedom for millions of approving immigrants in America and today a symbol of New York and all of the United States.

The Statue of Liberty dominates the entrance to New York on an island of its own. The imposing structure, inaugurated in 1886, was designed by Gustave Eifell and Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi as a gift from France to the American people. The elegant female figure is made up of a steel armor covered with three hundred shaped copper sheets joined together. The statue holds a golden torch, symbol of the eternal fire of freedom.

Ferries to visit depart regularly from Battery Park and are included in the ticket. Access to the crown has been reopened, but to go up you need to book months in advance via the website.

Together with the visit to the Statue of Liberty, I suggest you add a visit to Ellis Island, the island where immigrants were kept for medical and legal checks. During your visit, think about when up to 5,000 people passed through here every day.

4. Fifth Ave.

Fifth Avenue, 5th avenue, is the most famous street in New York. Walking along this street you can admire some of the most important buildings in the city. You can easily cover it on foot, the most interesting part goes from the Grand Army Plaza, dominated by the Plaza Hotel facing Central Park, up to 34th street. It's about 1.6 kilometers. Fifth Avenue overlooks the New York Public Library, the Gothic St. Patrick's Cathedral and the luxurious Trump Tower.

You can't help but notice the succession of shop windows, shops and malls: Fifth Avenue is the real shopping mecca in New York and beyond! Among the most famous shops: Saks, Cartier and the unforgettable Tiffany and Co.

5. Times Square.

You can't say you've been to New York without seeing the explosion of neon lights that illuminate Times Square and the Theater District. The most famous square in New York is not to be missed, it is one of the things to see absolutely in New York. It is here that the arrival of the new year is celebrated every year, it is dominated by huge giant screens that broadcast advertising messages, the Nasdaq indexes, news in real time: you will get lost in the midst of all those lights! The MTV studios, Madame Tussaud's and the opulent Broadway theaters also overlook the square: there are so many things you can see in Times Square.

6. 9/11 Memorial.

A visit to the 9/11 Memorial is both inspiring and touching. The memorial is located where the twin towers once stood, of which it commemorates the victims of September 11, 2001. Two huge tanks whose black walls are engraved with the names of the 2,749 victims of the attack. The visit is free, while if you want to visit the 9/11 museum, you will find all the information in a dedicated article where you will find all the important information for visiting the 9/11 museum.
Now lift your eyes and admire the tallest skyscraper in the city: One World Trade Center, or Freedom Tower. The new Observatory on the 102nd floor offers a new unmissable 360° panoramic view of New York.

7. Central Park.

A green oasis among the skyscrapers

Even those who don't particularly like parks will be delighted: Central Park is a real attraction not to be missed in New York. 340 hectares of greenery in the heart of one of the most frenetic and urbanized metropolises in the world: Central Park is a magnificent oasis for New Yorkers and beyond.
Designed as a place to relax, the park was built over 16 years with more than 500,000 trees and shrubs. There are lakes, hills, skating rinks, playgrounds, a petting zoo, tennis courts and football pitches. It will almost seem as if you are not in the city, even if the skyline of the skyscrapers will remind you that you are still in Manhattan!

Among the places to see: the observation deck Bethesda Terrace, which you will remember seeing in many films, Strawberry Fields, with a tribute to the memory of John Lennon and the Statue of Christian Andersen, surrounded by children.

8. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I don't particularly like wasting entire days visiting paintings, statues and archaeological finds, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) certainly deserves to be included in this list of things to see in New York. In its galleries it houses a collection of over 5000 years of history, from all over the world.
Egyptian art is my favorite area, with the largest collection in the world after Cairo. The spectacular temple of Dendur is faithfully reconstructed inside the museum. Don't miss a visit to the roof garden: a wonderful view of Central Park and New York.

9. Brooklyn Bridge

Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the symbols par excellence of the city of New York. As the name reveals, it connects the island of Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn. Imposing and majestic, even if you have seen it a thousand times on television or in the cinema, it will be a thrill to see it live and be able to cross it. However, remember that the bridge is over a kilometer long… maybe take advantage of a ride by taxi or bus and enjoy the view from the Brooklyn shore of the Manhattan skyline. Even better: rent a bike and cycle across it as the sun sets!

10. High Line.
I add this marvel of urban recycling to the list of things not to be missed in New York, which when looked at from the right perspective gives you the idea of how the city is capable of renewing itself. It is a garden 9 meters high, built on the site of a disused railway. Between the Meatpacking District and Chelsea you can walk in the greenery, among some of the most beautiful buildings in the city.
11. MoMa: The Museum of Modern Art.
With around 200,000 works of modern and contemporary art since 1929, the year of its foundation, the MoMa in New York is considered the most important museum of modern art in the world, and a must-see for art lovers.
The museum houses artistic masterpieces from 1800 to today and the collections are divided into six sections: Painting and sculpture, Drawings, Prints and illustrated books, Photography, Cinema, Architecture and design, representing the artistic currents and their main exponents.
The MoMa is also a delight for film buffs, holding 30,000 original films, the largest collection in the United States, including the works of Hitchcock and Francis Ford Coppola, shown in rotation in the ground floor theatre. Any titles? The Birds and Apocalypse Now.
12. Wall Street
Last but not least, a walk in the most famous Financial District in the world is a must.
Moreover, you visit a historic area not only for New York but for the entire United States. In fact, George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the USA in the Federal Hall located on Wall Street.
Warning 1. DO NOT TELL THE TAXI DRIVER WHERE YOU WANT TO GO BEFORE YOU ARE IN THE TAXI.
This tip is very important to keep in mind, as the taxi driver may refuse to take you to a place that is too far from where you are or to a place where the fare is fixed (for example the Manhattan – JFK section is at a fixed rate and hardly a taxi driver will accept to take you to the aforementioned airport).
Warning 2. DO NOT SMOKE WHERE IT IS NOT ALLOWED.
Smoking is prohibited in public places, but not only, because in New York the prohibition also applies in parks, swimming pools, squares, beaches... These rules also apply to electronic cigarettes (and in general to substitutes tobacco). Smoking in non-smoking areas carries an economic penalty. It should also be remembered that in the USA under the age of 21 it is not permitted in any way to buy cigarettes and smoke them.
Warning 3. DO NOT WALK IN THE “BIKE LANE” ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
Crossing the Brookly bridge on foot you will notice that it is divided into two areas: an area reserved for pedestrians and a path reserved for bicycles. If you don't want to risk being run over, we advise you not to walk along the bike lane of the bridge, where bikes whizz by that have priority and have no intention of slowing down if they find pedestrians in their trajectory.