New York City aka “The Big Apple” aka “The City that never sleeps” – whatever you want to call it – is definitely one of the best cities in the world. I personally love the city, and to be honest, it is very hard to get bored here when there’s just so much to do and explore. However, I’ve only been working in NYC for about 1 1/2 years, and I can definitely say it takes some time to get used. Navigating and learning all of the “unspoken rules” was definitely a learning experience on its own, and I figured – it must be even harder for tourists to know what to do!

So, I had created the guide below. If you are planning to visit New York soon, especially for the first time, then here are a few things you should know. I hope this helps and please, enjoy your stay while here!

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• If Google Maps says you will arrive somewhere at a certain time, you will most likely get there 10-15 minutes later.

You will most likely spend extra time navigating through the subway, walking outside by pedestrians, being stuck in traffic, or a mixture of all of the above. As a result, try to leave at least 10-20 minutes earlier than planned

Also on that note – only take an Uber/Lyft/Taxi when you’re not in a rush. I cannot count how many times I had to be somewhere at a certain time and figured taking a Lyft would bring me there earlier than just walking/taking the subway, only to still arrive late due to general traffic.

• Hailing down a cab in New York City is not as easy as it looks in the movies.

You see it in almost every movie that takes place in New York City – the actor flails his or her arm out, and the first taxi driving down the street stops for him/her. In reality, this barely happens.

You know the little box that’s on top of the taxi’s car? If the lights are on, that means that it’s available and you should try to catch that one. Lights off, most likely the taxi is occupied.

Don’t forget about the Uber and Lyft options! But also refer back to my first point.

• Plan out and buy tickets BEFORE you arrive.

For whatever reason, buying tickets for almost anything in NYC is much more expensive in person than just getting them on line. You can save a lot of $$$ if you buy your tickets ahead of time. Below are a few websites I personally recommend and have used where you can find a great discount on certain tickets: 

1. You can get a New York Pass, which allows you to visit very popular attractions for free and skip the line queues. It’s great for those who want to see NYC to the fullest and spend more time exploring rather than waiting on a line.
2. And, of course, there’s Groupon. If you land on the site at the right time, Groupon usually has sales on all of the tickets on their site. 

• There’s an unspoken rule that when taking the escalators, you stand on the right and walk up/down the left side. Do NOT ever stand on the left side!

They call it “escalator etiquette” and it is followed in many major cities around the world, especially in NYC! 

• Similar to the last rule, it is not wise to stand in the middle of the sidewalks. If you need to stop while walking, try to move over to the side (if you can).

Suddenly stopping in your tracks in the middle of the sidewalk when there are people walking behind you is similar to suddenly stopping in the middle of the highway when there are a bunch of cars driving behind you. Of course you won’t have much of a problem in a less crowded area, however just be careful.

• Manhattan follows a grid system, where the avenues run east to west and streets run north to south.

When you go north one block, the street’s number increases by 1, and vice versa if you go south one block. And the avenue numbers increase when you go from east to west. 

However,  be aware the the street numbers change to street names once you enter lower Manhattan!

• No, you cannot buy a Metrocard pass on your phone.

You have no idea how many times I’ve been asked by a tourist what app do they need to download in order to buy a Metro card. I don’t blame them though – it’s 2018 and we should be able to have ticket passes on our phone, right?

But yes, in order to get a Metrocard, you have to go to one of the Metrocard vending machines. 

Just a PSA – in order to find if a subway’s entrance contains a Metrocard vending machine, look at the sign before entering. If the sign says something along the lines of “Enter with or buy Metrocard at all times“, then that subway’s entrance has metrocard vending machines. However, if you do not see this text or something along the lines of “Enter with a Metrocard at all time or purchase one at (some street’s stop)”, then most likely you will have to buy a Metrocard at the subway entrance across the street. The MTA’s website has a Metrocard Vending Machine finder on there that is useful.

• A lot of spaces in Manhattan are small and compact.

This is something that looks obvious from the outside, but you would still not expect once you enter a place. Also, you might (emphasis on might) have to climb stairs to go to the actual destination.

• The food trucks are actually pretty good!

Do not underestimate the food trucks – the food is actually really really good. Matter of fact, did you know that Halal Guys originally started out as hot dog cart in New York City? Now it’s one of the most popular restaurants in the world!

If you really want to get a feeling of the food trucks in NYC, then check out this article that shows the 21 best food trucks in New York City.

• Use the bathroom whenever you get a chance.

A lot of stores in NYC either do not have a restroom or they only make their restroom available to customers who make a purchase.

With that being said – whenever you stop to grab something to eat, make sure you use the restroom before you go out to explore again. The reason I say this is because while there are many public restrooms in NYC, many of them are pretty dirty and/or sparse. The restrooms in a restaurant/in a store are usually much more cleaner, so try to use one when you get a chance.

• The best way to navigate the subways – use your phone’s GPS.

Before you come to New York City, you should definitely have at least one GPS app on your phone. Many of them are very useful when navigating the NYC subways. For example -I know for a fact that the iPhone’s Maps app will tell you the number of stops your train needs to pass until you need to get off, and which exit to get out of.

Before I understood the subway system, one of my biggest fears was getting off at the wrong stop or missing my stop. If you have the same fear, then don’t worry. Just make sure you’re paying full attention while on the train. The announcer on the train will usually say which stop you’re getting off of and what’s the next stop. However, if you cannot hear what the announcer is saying (which can happen, because the subway car can get crowded), once the train stops/slows down, make sure you look outside the window on the walls to see which stop you’re at.

To find out where your train’s platform is, either refer to the signs above you or use one of the square machines to find out where you are and how to get to your destination (see picture below).

• Talking about the subway – if you’re going to ride the subway a lot during your visit, buy an unlimited pass.

This would save you SO much money and time. You can get an unlimited week pass or, if you know how many trips you will be taking on the subway, buy a Metrocard with a pre-set amount of money.

Also FYI – one swipe at the turnstile is $2.75. You will need to swipe your metrocard every time you enter the subway, but you do not have to swipe your card when leaving.

• Don’t only stay in Times Square. Matter of fact, try to venture out of Manhattan.

You will possibly see this tip in many articles of this type, but it’s true. Times Square, located between 42nd street and 47th street, has a lot of attractions and is very scenic, however they’re so many things do elsewhere in NYC. For example, my favorite location in NYC is Williamsburg (located in Brooklyn). Not only is it much more quiet and cleaner, but the area has a bunch of bars and cool/unique locations (like Brooklyn Bowl or Smogasburg). There are a lot of places you can check out in  Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island that would probably satisfy you more than just staying in Times Square. 

• Try to avoid chain-stores or chain-restaurants while here.

When traveling, I have one rule of thumb – “do everything here that I cannot do at home”.

New York City is one of the most diverse, adventurous city in the world. There are plenty of ethnic restaurants and unique boutiques that you can try out that you may not find back at home. So why not try out something new?

In addition, many chain restaurants in NYC amp up the prices because they know tourists would flock to them.

• The summers are VERY hot and the winters are VERY cold in the Big Apple. Be prepared!

No exaggeration. New York City is not like San Francisco where the temperature stays mild all year round. If you come during the middle of the Summer or in the middle of Winter, prepare to feel the EXTREMES of both season. Especially in the Summer time!

In addition, the subways are not air conditioned and can get really hot during the summer. So try to pack accordingly.

• However, wear whatever you want.

There are many articles I’ve seen online which suggests what you should and should not wear when visiting NYC. They mainly say that you should not dress up or wear tourist-y clothing items because “you would look like a tourist”.

And I highly disagree.

One of the things I absolutely love about NYC is that due to its high population, you can be completely anonymous. Wear whatever you want, and people honestly won’t care. Just have fun.

However, do be aware that the number one way to secretly portray that you are a tourist is to wear “NYC” attire. Such as those “I love NYC” shirts or statue of liberty hats.

• Bring comfortable walking shoes.

However, if I can give you a recommendation on a clothing item, it is to wear comfortable, durable shoes if you will be walking a lot. I have spent two winters commuting to work in NYC, and BOTH shoes by the end of both winters have broken apart. Mind you, I only have to walk about two blocks to work (8 minutes). While there are many places to take a seat in NYC, you don’t want to waste time sitting down instead of exploring!

• Be aware of the subway mirage.

Back to the subway. And I decided that not only should I add this to the list, but I should make it its own separate point to emphasize how important it is.

Let’s say you are waiting for a subway train to come. One finally stops right in front of you, and a door opens to what seems to be a very empty car. Or, you see the whole train clear out with a lot of open seats. You may think, “wow I won the subway jackpot!”

No – refrain!

There is a reason why people aren’t sitting in that specific subway car – either the air conditioner broke, or something smells, or there is SOMETHING wrong with that car. So, unfortunately, you did not get lucky and you should try to go into another subway car.

• Things are pretty fast paced here. The typical New Yorker’s attitude would reflect that.

This may sound a bit mean, but don’t go into a restaurant and immediately expect warm hospitality and great conversations from the servers. I would not say that this is the case for every restaurant I’ve been to. However for the most part, many staff members are trained to “rush” in order to deliver quick customer service.

However, I’ve realized that many New Yorkers as a whole are nice. So if you need help getting from point A to point B, don’t be afraid to ask them for directions!

• Heads up – if you take a picture with any of the costumed characters in Times Square – they will expect a tip (at least $5)

And if a whole group of them join you in the picture, they will all expect a $5 tip. And they will NOT be okay with you walking away without tipping them.

 

That’s all I have for now! If you are visiting New York City for the first time – what are you most excited to see? Leave your response in the comments below!