What to do in NYC and how to see the most of it

If you are not a local from NYC and think you can see everything in NYC, you are mistaken. We mean no time is ever enough to visit all the places and experience everything in NYC. And there are two reasons for that. First, NYC is too big to travel to, especially for a tourist. And the second thing is that NYC is always changing; hence you'll get different experiences each time even if you'll visit the same place again and again. Hence, the question arises what to do in NYC?

To answer this particular question, we have done a thorough research and have found some of the best places you can visit in NYC and some of the best things to do in NYC. Many of our suggestions are good for Group outings in NYC, some of our suggestions are good for making date plans in New York, as Valentine month is going on and New York is always a great place to make date plans. But even if you have no plans and are visiting New York just for fun, our suggestions will surely give you a lifetime experience in New York. Although, do remember that some of these places are free to visit but some also charge a ticket to visit. So let's start.

See the Statue of Liberty

We know you may think that this one is a very common suggestion and there is nothing innovative in it. But if you are thinking about what to do in NYC? The Statue of Liberty should top your list. Of course, one cannot start the journey of NYC as a tourist without seeing the Statue of Liberty. Why not? This is an international symbol of freedom and justice and one of the tallest statues in the world. But the important question is, how can you see the Statue of Liberty and enjoy its full beauty. There are the following two ways to enjoy the in which you see the statue of liberty; the Staten Island ferry and take a tour.

The Staten Island ferry-

If you don't know, Staten Island is the small island on which the Statue of Liberty is situated. And one of the best ways to reach this Island is using the Staten Island ferry. A ferry leaves after every half an hour from the south ferry terminal of Manhattan, and you can easily board it as it is completely free. But do expect some crowd on the Ferry as it is free of cost. The Ferry can drop you on Staten Island in about 25-minutes, and during that time, you can enjoy the views of the Hudson River. But do remember that you need to come back using the same Ferry in time. And the best way to do so is to keep following the crowd.

Tour the Statue of Liberty

The tour is another way to move around the Statue of Liberty and enjoy its amazing views from every corner. And you also combine a tour of Ellis island if you want. The tour provides a better experience than the Ferry, but it is also paid for. So you have to buy a pass or ticket for the tour. And one of the best ways to use the tour is by buying the New York City PASS.       

The Museums Of New York

While being in New York, you can't ignore its museums. This place has some of the best museums in the world, and above that, NYC has all kinds of museums, from classics like the American Museum of Natural History to some bizarre museums like the Museum of Sex. And many more museums like these provide New York with a total number of 30 Museums. But which of the museums you want to see is your individual choice. However, we can suggest to you the criteria for choosing the museum. For instance, do you want to see a decent museum with a minimal amount of crowd? Or you want to see a famous museum with lots of crowds.

But if you are making a plan for group outings in NYC, then crowded museums can add more fun to it. So let's suggest to you some museums that we have liked the most.

Which one is the best museum in NYC

As NYC is home to more than 80 museums, it is difficult to select anyone and say this is the best museum. Thus we found two of the best museums in NYC. The best museums in NYC are the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. 

And our personal opinion would be that if you are looking for a place to go along with your family and children or group outing in NYC, then choose the American Museum of Natural History. But if you are an art lover and looking for a museum to spend some personal time in, then the Metropolitan Museum of Art is better. Rest, there are many more options to pick from, so make your choice wisely as it won't be possible for you to visit all the 80 museums of NYC.

The High Line

So if you are thinking about what to do in NYC and want to see this city from a different perspective, then this place is best for you. And High Line is a raised path and a parkway built on a section of an abandoned railway section. One of the best things about this place is a 1.5-mile long pathway that provides some of the most beautiful views of the Hudson River and the high rises surrounding the Chelsea neighborhood. And this place looks beautiful all time of the year.

But as this place has become quite famous among New Yorkers and tourists, it's a bit crowded during the day. However, if you want to avoid the crowd, visit the place early in the morning or evening to enjoy the beautiful sunset.

And there is also the Chelsea Market in the neighborhood with many places for food and shopping, so you can visit that too if you feel hungry.  

Want to know more exciting things to do on meetup in nyc. Read here. 

The 9/11 memorial and museum

We know that we have already told you about all the museums of NYC, but this place has a completely different vibe and is a must-visit. This ground zero museum dedicated to the tragic events of 9/11 is very adequately designed and powerful. But it is very famous among the tourists as well and thus easily gets crowded during the day. Hence we suggest you visit early in the morning to avoid the crowd.

Also, while going to the museum, you should visit and stop inside the Oculus. It is an amazing dove taking flight like a train station adjacent to the ground zero museum.

And while you are inside the museum, you can rent an audio file there for $7 to know more about the museum and the events of 9/11. The audio file provides some very useful information about the events in the voice of Robert De Niro. And in case you don't want to spend $7 on an audio file, you can even listen to the audio file for free by downloading the 9/11 museum guide for free. Through this app, you can find the same audio they rent in the museum.

The Brooklyn Bridge

If you want to get the typical tourist-like experience in New York, then you should keep a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge at one of the top ranks on your list. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most beautiful and iconic bridges globally. However, it is also very long. And the views on both sides of the bridge are amazing. But, because it is one of the most favorite tourist places in NYC, it is certainly one of the most crowded tourist places in NYC. Thus, if you want to walk the bridge in peace, the best timing would be early in the morning. The bridge is about a 20-minute walk to enjoy all the beautiful surroundings and click photos.

But if you want to rent a bicycle and cycle, instead of walking, on the bridge, we suggest you come as early as possible. Because in the daytime it becomes very difficult to even walk on the bridge in a straight path, forget cycling. And just like the early sunrise, sunset is another great time to be on the bridge. But unlike sunrise, you will be surrounded by many crowds during the sunset. Although, sunset at Brooklyn Bridge is a great place to make date plans in New York.

And once you cross the bridge, you can either visit the Empire Fulton Ferry park or the Main Street Park to experience more beautiful views. And then, you can also explore the Dumbo Neighborhood.

Central Park

We are sure that you must have seen central park at least in Hollywood movies based in New York. Yes, it is that famous. And it is one of the most peaceful places in NYC. So if you are thinking about what to do in NYC and want a peaceful place full of natural beauty and greenery, keep central park on the top of your list of places to visit in NYC.

But do note that central park is quite big, and it would be very hard to walk around, especially if you are not habitual to walking long miles. So the best option would be to rent a bike, a bicycle, to enjoy the beauty. And just for you, so you don't just walk around in Central Park, we have listed some of the best places to visit and the best things to do in Central Park.

Sheep Meadow:

If you are visiting Central Park with your kids and dogs or friends and want to play some games in an open field, this is the place in Central Park. It is a big, open, playground like an area in the central park to play sports.

The Lake:

There are many lakes in the central park, but this one is the most famous. And maybe this is why it is called 'The Lake'. And there is also an option for boating on the lake so that you can take a boat on rent for $15/hour plus a $20 deposit.

Bethesda Fountain:

This one is one of the most beautiful spots in central park, and there are many famous Hollywood movies shot at this place like Home Alone 2. Hence you will enjoy clicking photos in this place. This is located on the southeast side of central park.

 And there are many more beautiful places like these in the central park which makes it one of the best places to make date plans in New York.

The Governors Island

Now, if you have gotten bored from the crowded and busy life of New York and are thinking about what to do in NYC now, Governors Island could be an escape way for you without actually leaving New York City. The Island is located very close to NYC. Just meters away from lower Manhattan. This is one of the best spots for group outings in NYC, with 172-acre of the area to roam around, having parks, bike trails, exhibitions, and many more. 

One of the interesting facts about Governors Island is that it was closed to civilians for over a hundred years, as it was a military base. But later, it opened for civilians for the months from April to October. However, just last year, the government announced that the Island would be open for civilians for the whole year, but only on selective days of the week, like Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In addition, many fun festivals take place on Governors Island during the summer. So it is one of the best times to visit this place.

However, you need to buy a ferry ticket to reach Governors Island. The price for an adult is $3, and for seniors, it is $1. But there is no ticket for kids below the age of 13. However, the rides are also free on Saturday and Sunday till noon.

What's the best way to find more such places in NYC

So these were some of the best and most typical places in NYC to visit as a tourist. But if you have already visited these places and are still thinking about what to do in NYC, we have a for-sure solution. Leaf is an app that you can download from the Apple app store and use to find the best and novel places to visit in NYC. Although there are many more social planning apps on the internet, this app comes with unique features. Like you can use this app to find local meetup groups in New York, make friends in New York, and much more.

5 years in the making

Overnight successes are overrated (that’s if they exist at all).

On September 15, 2015, I started to design and build what was then called Leaflets. The idea behind Leaflets was that I would create cool and unique plans for a given day & time, viewable by all users within a given location. It was like meetup without needing to be member of a club. Users would log onto the app, select a plan and join. Once the minimum attendee amount was met, the plans would be “activated” and a group chat would open and those that decided to attend could chat and set up the plans. Great idea, right? Far from it.

What I not-so quickly learned:

1) It was a painstaking process as an admin to discover & manually create cool and unique activities in New York City that a bunch a strangers would enjoy together. Every place had to be spacious enough for a large group, in high traffic areas, & age appropriate (without even knowing anyone’s age upfront).

2) I quickly learned that no one really likes to meet strangers in this way. In today’s society, most single folks want to go out with friends they already know (more on that later) or go on a one-on-one date with someone they met on online.

3) I wasn’t really solving the right (and bigger) problem. Most folks didn’t really want and/or need to meet new people if we could help them better connect more frequently with the friends they already had.

4) Many folks had trouble pronouncing and understanding the name, Leaflets. Whenever I said the name of the app, it almost always required me to repeat the name more than once. “Is it ‘Leafless’ or ‘Leaflifts’ ?” “What’s a leaflets?” It was exhausting.

These issues lead me to make some changes into how I viewed the problem, thus how I viewed the solution...

There’s more where that came from.