–
To make the most of your stay in New York and spare the suspense of discovery, here are the 5 places you should visit first, in a precise order.
1/ Times Square
I rank Times Square first because this unique place in the world will truly immerse you in another universe. After several hours of flight and a transfer to your hotel, Times Square is a heck of a slap! You will discover this mythical place, with its giant screens, its neon lights, its crowd, its police officers ready to pose for a photo and its supercharged, even crazy atmosphere. The fact of going to Times Square on the first evening has the enormous benefit of keeping you awake and fighting against the effects of jet lag.
More information and photos on Times Square.
2 / The Statue of Liberty
I advise you to visit the Statue of Liberty the day after your arrival. Why ? Because if you are coming from Europe the jet lag will cause you to get up very early the first morning and therefore you can easily catch the first ferry from 8:30 am in summer (9:30 am in winter). This will allow you to avoid the midday crowds. And then the Statue of Liberty is one of New York’s most iconic landmarks and it’s definitely worth seeing it quickly. As a bonus, the mini-cruise in the New York harbor will allow you to appreciate the Manhattan skyline from the start.
More information and photos on the Statue of Liberty.
3 / The Brooklyn Bridge
Like the Statue of Liberty, the walk on the Brooklyn Bridge will blow your mind and that’s why I recommend that you do it at the very beginning of your stay. Meet in the morning, on the Brooklyn side, to go up the bridge towards Manhattan. There, you will have the skyline in front of your eyes and the towers of the Financial District will approach as you go. Magic ! In the middle of the bridge, spot the Empire State building and the Chrysler building on the right and the Statue of Liberty on the left. By the way, the Brooklyn Bridge is a great place to take your selfies!
More information and photos on the Brooklyn Bridge.
4/ Le World Trade Center
One World Trade Center
” data-medium-file=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-300×[email protected]” data-large-file=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-1024×[email protected]” class=”size-medium wp-image-9701″ src=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-300×[email protected]” alt=”Au pied du World Trade Center. (Photo Didier Forray)” width=”300″ height=”200″ srcset=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-300×[email protected] 300w, https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-150×[email protected] 150w, https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-400×[email protected] 400w, https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_3151.jpg 1000w” sizes=”(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px”/><img data-attachment-id="9701" data-permalink="https://www.cnewyork.net/bons-plans/visites/les-5-premiers-lieux-a-voir-en-arrivant-new-york/img_3151/" data-orig-file="https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_3151.jpg" data-orig-size="1000,667" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"13","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 50D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1436109420","copyright":"","focal_length":"29","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.0025","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="One World Trade Center" data-image-description="
One World Trade Center
” data-medium-file=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-300×[email protected]” data-large-file=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-1024×[email protected]” class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-9701″ src=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-300×[email protected]” alt=”Au pied du World Trade Center. (Photo Didier Forray)” width=”300″ height=”200″ srcset=”https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-300×[email protected] 300w, https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-150×[email protected] 150w, https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/resizefly/2015/09/IMG_3151-400×[email protected] 400w, https://www.cnewyork.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_3151.jpg 1000w” data-sizes=”(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px”/>
Whether you are already familiar with New York or this is your first time, visiting the World Trade Center is to be done from the start of your stay. First, because the neighborhood has completely changed and it will allow you to see how far you’ve come since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Then because you will be able to measure yourself against the 541 meters of the new One World Trade Center tower, the tallest tower in North America. Impressive! To climb to the top and enjoy the view from the observatory, remember to book in advance. By the way at the end of the day, you can also quietly book your tickets there.
More information and photos on the One World Trade Center.
5/ Le Top of the Rock
Now that you’ve seen Times Square and the southern tip of Manhattan from two different angles, it’s time to take to the skies in Midtown with the Top of the Rock Observatory. This observatory overlooks the Rockefeller Center and offers you a great dive over Midtown and the Empire State building, which you will see in full from the bottom up. North side, you will also see Central Park and its reservoir. The observatory consists of 3 levels, with pleasant and spacious outdoor terraces. A word of advice: take your time!
More information and photos on Top of the Rock.
Once you’ve walked through these top 5 places, you’ll have already seen most of New York City. But your stay has only just begun and New York is obviously far from all of these top 5 places. Head over to the New York City Guide to find out all there is to see and do in New York City. Have a good stay !
–
