Sailing out of Manhattan is a treat. The cruise ship terminal is just west of midtown and, from there, the city is a walk, cab, or crosstown bus away. If you’re embarking, disembarking, or staying the night, you’ll want to make dinner reservations and book tickets to a Broadway show as soon as you plan your cruise.
Central Park: New Yorkers mostly live in apartments, and this giant park is their “backyard.” Locals run, bike, walk their dogs, and sun on Sheep Meadow. In the fall, there’s no better spot to see the leaves change color.
Brooklyn Bridge: The bridge spans the East River, leading from just south of Chinatown in Manhattan to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) in Brooklyn. On the Brooklyn side, stop for pictures on the Promenade, the borough’s best vantage point.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: You may come for the Temple of Dendur, in the famed Egyptian wing, but you’ll be sucked into the immense variety of art from around the world.
Statue of Liberty: Book in advance for a ferry tour to the statue’s crown and a visit to Ellis Island, where many of our country’s immigrants arrived.
Culture Lovers: No city in the nation matches New York's diversity of entertainment, ranging from the high to the low brow.
Foodies: The restaurant scene is varied, international, and … awesome. Head to Koreatown for barbecue, Chinatown for dim sum, or downtown for cool, celebrity chef-helmed spots, like those by David Chang and April Bloomfield.
It's Packed: You may encounter lines and throngs everywhere. Popular sites, such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Empire State Building, are often very crowded.
Prices Are High: Many museums have $20 entrance fees, and restaurants and shops tend to be pricey.