NEW YORK – As daunting of a destination as New York City may seem, the Big Apple can be consumed both easily and in a cost-effective manner. Just take small bites.
There are countless itineraries one could follow when visiting the city. With that in mind, know what you want to see before hitting the streets.
“I hadn’t been to New York in several years, and it was still as amazing as I remembered,” said Ruth Mitcham, a visitor from Atlanta. “There’s so much history and culture there, how could you not love New York?”
As a starting point, it’s important to know the lay of the land and that New York City is comprised of five boroughs – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens. While the city is massive, it can be, for the most part, traversed by subway or on foot, which is why good planning is crucial to a successful visit.
For starters, consider an MTA MetroCard, available in a number of options, including one-day and weeklong passes. Next, determine the must-see attractions, then consult a map or plug them into Google Maps, for example, and print out walking directions. Last, but not least, buy as many attraction tickets as possible in advance to avoid waiting long lines.
“The city is huge, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t have a plan,” Mitcham said. “Before we came, we mapped out the sites we wanted to see, and even bought tickets ahead of time, which has proven to be a great time-saver.”