What's up Members of the Barrio
It's Jon coming to you from New York
And whenever I visit a new city
I always want to know
Where are the most essential places
You have to visit
So today, to help you out
I'm going to be sharing with you
12 Things You Have To Do
On your first trip to New York City
Make sure check out my other New York City Playlists
all linked down below in the comments
Let's get to that list
If there's one thing New York City does better than anywhere in the world
It's Pizza
And you can't say you've been in New York
Unless you've had at least one slice
But hopefully more
Not only does New York have the best pizza in the world
But it also has the best variety
If you want classic neopolitan no problem
Get one of the three $5 pies from Keste
You want cheap
Go to one of the more than 50 dollar slice joints in the city
Like my favorite
Percy's
How this is only one dollar still shocks me
You honestly can't go wrong
With any of the famous places
But I still stand by my favorite slice in New York
The Nonna Maria from Bleecker Street Pizza
I don't care where you go though
Just eat at least one slice of pizza
And you can thank me later
Skyscrapers a fundamental part of the New York City experience
And something that I think
You need to get a closer look at
One can only appreciate just how built up the Big Apple is
From high above
And there's so many ways you can get this view
If you want the absolute best view in the city
I recommend Top of the Rock
I admit it's touristy and tickets start at $40
Although you can find discount codes if you google it
But the views up there
Are simply.. breathtaking
And if you don't mind spending the money
It's well worth it
A runner up.. One World Trades Observatory
At 35 dollars
This is the highest view in the United States
And you just feel.. like you own the city
However, it's fully enclosed
Which is why I put this as a runner up to Top of the Rock
If money is an issue
You've got a few options
You could go to a rooftop bar
And order a beer or cocktail
230 Fifth has the best rooftop views for sure
And they allow children for Sunday Brunch
Dear Irvings Not To Shabby either
If you're on a budget and want to get up there
A cheap option is to take the Tram
To Roosevelt Island
From Manhattan
Just swipe your Metro Card and quite an impressive view
I must say
You're going to do a lot of walking in New York City
But this is one iconic walk..
That everybody's gotta try
At least once
I encourage you to come early in the day
To do this
Unless you like huge crowds
But there's something special about walking slightly over 1 mile
From Manhattan to Brooklyn
The views are fantastic
And the photo opportunities, endless
And when you get to the Dumbo Neighborhood of Brooklyn on the other side
There's plenty to do
This is definitley not something to skip
On your first trip
When you think of New York City
Times Square literally may be the first image that comes to mind
Now as a resident I try to avoid the place at all costs
But if you've never visited before
You've got to go.. at least once
And extra credit to do it at night
While most locals shudder at the thought of Times Square
There's something surreal about the bright lights
And craziness of arguably
New York City's most famous destination
You've got to knock this out at least once
And you should watch my tourist trap and scams video
Before you do
To avoid some common issues
If you're a night owl I recommend going right before midnight
To see the midnight moment
The world's largest digital art display
Which most have never even heard of
But just stop to take some photos
And soak in the vibe
And once you've done it
You really don't need to come back
Unless you're bringing some friends
On your second trip
It's the most famous park in the world for a reason
And you can spend an entire day there
We'll get started with that
You've seen it in movies
Now it's time to experience it in the flesh
I did a whole video showing off many sites
So be sure to watch it later
For even more ideas
But here's a few of my favorite things to do
Fishing in Harlem Meer
Total cost, Free
Or how about renting model sailboats
Don't skip out on the Conservatory Garden
But from Strawberry Fields
To having a picnic at Sheeps Meadow
You could easily
I repeat, easily
Dedicate an entire day to Central Park
And it really wouldn't be such a bad thing
It's crowded, it's touristy
But on your first trip to New York City
You've got to visit
You've probably heard of it by now
A 1.5 mile elevated park
Almost hidden from the rest of Manhattan
While it's crowded.. I have no problem accompanying my friends
Who are visiting because..
It's just so cool
And the views are amazing
You could combine this with hopping around Chelsea Art Galleries
On a Thursday Night
Or..
Visit Chelsea Market nearby
And eat some delicious tacos
At Los Tacos Number 1
I may be a little bit bias
Since I live there
But walking around Greenwich and West Village in Manhattan
To me
Is a requirement
I just love this part of Manhattan
Which doesn't give off that big city vibe at all
You'll feel more like a local
And there's so many cute shops to pop into
Try some coffee at Porto Rico Importers
Relax in Washington Square Park
And enjoy tons of live music
This area also has some of the highest concentration Of pizza places
In the world
If you like bookstores
Three Lives & Co gives off a really cozy vibe
But if you ask me
Just wandering the West Village
Is about as relaxing as it gets
In Manhattan
Because there's more than enough hectic, to go around
The Statue of Liberty may be the most famous icon of New York City
And there's a few ways that you can see it
I'm honestly not going to tell you
To spend your money to go on a crowded boat just to see the statue a bit closer
I always tell people
To take the free Staten Island Ferry
Sit on the right side
And get a pretty decent view from afar
But if this is on your bucketlist
Then you need to do it right
My friend Jacob Carlson did a whole video
On how to get inside the Statue of Liberty..
To go to the top of the crown
And i'm linking to it with a card above
It costs just $21.50
And you can only get it from the National Parks Service website
But fair warning
This sells out months in advance
As they limit it to just 500 tickets per day
This is definitley one of the more unique things you could do in New York
And a photographers dream come true
In fact, save a ticket for me
Because I've never even gone inside
It's not very common
To suggest visiting a transit hub
But Grand Central Terminal
Is more than just a place to catch a train
While nearly 1 million people walk through every day
On there way to work
It's also a popular attraction
Because of its architecture and history
We can start with admiring the world's largest Tiffany Clock
On the exterior
Or looking at the zodiac mural
Up above
One of the cities finest pieces
Of public art
Here's a fun one
Have a cocktail at the Speakeasy-esque
Campbell Bar
Which is straight out of the Gilded Age
Talk to your friend on the other side at the Whispering Gallery
And just wander around one of New York's
Most famous landmarks
A little bonus tip
The basement food court has some really
Great options
Like Shake Shack
And Magnolia Bakery
New York has not only some of the most famous museums in the world
But also some of the most diverse options of them as well
You could dedicate entire days just to visiting museums
In the Big Apple
There's the really famous ones
And you should hit up at least one
Moma
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Or the Natural History Museum
Of course if you want to go off the beaten path
There's every type of museum imaginable
From City Reliquary
Which houses all sorts of oddities
In Brooklyn
To my personal favorite
The transit museum
Where you can sit in old subway cars
But whatever your taste is
There's a museum for you
In New York
New York City has some of the best performers in the world
Living here..
And you owe it to yourself.. to go to at least one show
I know tickets can be expensive
But I really push any visitor to New York
To try to go at least once
If you want to save the most money
Either visit one of the TKTS booths
Or use the app on your phone
To see what shows have the biggest discounts
You could also buy directly from the app Today Tix
Which I highly recommend
But the performers are absolutely world class
And going to a Broadway Show
Is one of the highlights
Of many peoples trips
To honor the history of New York City
This is one Memorial
I'm going to recommend you pay your respects to
I admit visiting here is a sombering experience
But honoring the many men..
women
Firefighters, first responders
And police officers
That gave there lives that day
Is as far as i'm concerned..
A requirement for visiting New York City
The memorial houses twin reflecting pools
And is absolutely stunning
As an optional add on
You can visit the memorial museum located right next to the pools
To learn more about the tragic history of that day
Or...
Visit the Tribute Museum located a few blocks away
And take a guided tour with someone who actually lived through the experience
I dont' think a trip to New York is complete
Without including at least one of these
In your itinerary
Be sure to check out my other New York City content
All linked down below in the description
Tons of ideas, tips, and tricks for things to do
On your first trip
Or any trip
To New York City
Also tell me in the comments
If I missed anything
Is there something that you really need to do
On that first trip to New York City
I'm curious
Guys thank you so much for watching as always
Until next time