11 Dos and 11 Don’ts in NYC: Tips for First-Time Visitors

NYC is one of the best cities in the world and the destination I wanted to visit more than anything in my life. I was basically preparing myself for a trip to New York City ever since I was 8 and watched Home Alone for the very first time. Needless to say, I researched numerous blog posts when it actually came to planning my very first visit to the Big Apple, so I was well aware of some things. But, others I learnt along the way, which is why in this blog post I will share with you my 11 dos and 11 don’ts in NYC, so you can be best prepared.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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📖 Read my A Perfect NYC Itinerary for 5 Days: The Best of New York blog post.

Dos for Visiting NYC

We’ll start the list of NYC tips with some dos first. This section will include some sightseeing tips alongside things to avoid and be aware of.

Visit Popular Places

It’s become very popular on social media to tell people to skip famous places and visit hidden gems instead. And while I’m all in for hidden gems and less popular places, I strongly disagree with this advice because if you’ve never been to New York before, you don’t want to skip sites like The Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge and even Times Square. I mean, I will go back to all these places every time I’m in the city because they’re iconic.

So, don’t skip these ultra popular places because in the end they are what makes NYC – NYC.

✅ Consider taking this Architectural Tour of Midtown Manhattans Classic Landmarks guided tour.

Go on a Skydeck

If you ask me, NYC is the best experienced from the top. I’ve been to 3 out of 5 skydecks: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Top of the Rock and The Edge.

I loved SUMMIT the most, so if you have time and money for one skydeck only, I’d go with it.

📖 Read my Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Worth it? Full Guide with Tips blog post for more.

✅ Get the SUMMIT tickets here.

Use the Subway

Even if you stay in the middle of Manhattan, you’d still need to use the subway because distances are just too long sometimes in New York.

I’ll share more subway tips down below, but don’t be put off of using it because of the stories you’ve heard.

Buy a City Pass

NYC was the first location where I got the City Pass and the experience was great. Everything worked out really well, and I saved some significant money with it.

You can choose between the Explores Pass (and how many attractions you’d like to cover with it, it starts from 2) and the All-Inclusive Pass (unlimited attractions for X many days you want).

I got the Explorer Pass, but I made sure the attractions I was using it for were on the more expensive side, so I actually not only cover the costs of the pass, but also save the money.

✅ Get the NYC City Pass here.

Take Off the Backpack on the Subway

I think that’s pretty much an unwritten rule anyway, but especially in a big city like New York it’s important to take off the backpack on the subway and look after your belongings.

Tip

Tipping culture is big in NYC (and the US in general), so don’t be smart and think you’d show them your way with not tipping (or tipping too little).

Most people actually live off of the tips they receive, so the general rule is to tip at least 15%, but I always made sure the tip was between 18% and 20%, depending on how I felt about the service.

As a European, it also frustrated me at times that I needed to tip even for a takeaway coffee, but this is how it is in New York, and I sure won’t try to change their culture on a short visit.

So, please tip because it’s customary and in the end, it helps the livelihood of the people working in the hospitality sector.

See a Broadway Show

New York is one of the best cultural cities in the world, so seeing a Broadway Show on your visit is a must do!

My choice was Phantom of the Opera which is sadly no longer running in NYC. I hope they will start playing it again because it was so good!

Stay in Manhattan

Another advice that I’m constantly seeing is to stay outside Manhattan and I can’t disagree more!

Yes, it would probably be cheaper, but you’d need to use the subway all the time and waste time on the train, which to me is total nonsense. Plus, most of the things you’d probably want to see are in Manhattan.

To me, nothing is better than waking up to Manhattan views every day and being able to reach some attraction as soon as I step from my hotel’s doorstep.

📖 Check my 11 Best NYC Hotels with Empire State Building Views blog post for more.

Visit the Liberty Island

And speaking of bad NYC travel tips, another one I’m constantly seeing is to skip the visit to Liberty Island and instead take a free ferry where you can see the Statue of Liberty from it.

Honestly, visiting both the Liberty and Ellis islands was one of the best cultural experiences I had in NYC. Plus, standing in front of the Statue was unreal.

While I do believe that even the free ferry ride is nice, if you’re a history lover, don’t skip visiting this place!

✅ Get the tickets here.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

In NYC I broke my record of daily steps when I made 28k steps in a day! And, I even used the subway on one instance.

So, it’s needless to say that you need comfy shoes, and if you’re a woman, forget the heels.

Enjoy the Food

New York City has some of the best food in the world, so definitely try different things here.

My favourites were pasta in Little Italy, pizza’s, banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery, NY cheesecake and steak at Gallagher’s.

✅ Consider booking this best rated Chinatown & Little Italy Food Tour with 7 Flavorful Tastings.

Don’ts for Visiting NYC

And now, let’s discuss my 11 don’ts of NYC. Some of these things I learnt along the way, so I want to share them with you now, before your trip starts.

Stop on the Sidewalk

Not stopping on the sidewalk is like a secret grail basically. New Yorkers are used to walking fast and they always seem to be in a rush, so it’s no surprise they get especially annoyed if someone stops in the middle of the sidewalk.

Therefore, if you want to take a photo or maybe lace your shoes, just pull over to the side, so anyone can just easily pass you by.

Stand on the Left Side of the Escalator

Definitely don’t stand on the left side of the escalator as this side is meant for walking down/up the stairs for people who are in a rush.

This is a common rule in most big cities, and as a Londoner myself, I can tell you it is quite annoying if someone is standing on the left side and blocking other people from passing by.

So, if you want to stand on the escalators, do it on the right side.

Take Photos of Costume People in Times Square

People dressed in costumes might approach you in Times Square for a photo with them and once you have it, they will ask you for money. It also happens with monks who share bracelets, but then charge you for it.

Basically, the rule is to not take anything from anyone in Times Square, unless you are fine with paying them.

Use Subway after 10 pm

And while I told you above that it is completely fine to use the subway in NYC, I don’t recommend taking it after 10 pm, especially outside Manhattan.

A lot of homeless and addicts may be on the trains and near the stations, so it’s best to avoid being in an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situation.

Assume the Menu Price is the Final One

Okay, so this was one of the things I learnt along the way. Yes, I knew you needed to pay taxes in the US, but I didn’t really fully understand how it works until I visited New York.

Practically, the price you see on the menu is without taxes, so you need to account for it and then also for tips, which means that if your meal is $60, with taxes and tips, it sums up to $90 easily.

To this day NYC is the most expensive place I have personally visited so far.

Stay Outside Manhattan

As I said above, I really don’t recommend staying outside of Manhattan because you’d waste time (and money) on trains.

Take Selfies at 9/11 Memorial

Honestly, to me this is even ridiculous to say to not take selfies and happy photos at the 9/11 Memorial, but I’ve personally seen people doing this there, which is so so inappropriate.

The 9/11 Memorial is a remembrance place where Twins Towers once stood and is engraved with names of all people who lost their lives on that day.

So, please be respectful of the place.

✅ There’s a 9/11 Museum next to the memorial which you can visit if you’d like to learn more about it.

Run around the City

NYC is a very exciting place to be, and I know we are all limited with the free time we have, but don’t try to see everything and run around the city because of it.

It’s better to plan your activities per neighbourhood while taking into account the days you have.

📖 Check my A Perfect NYC Itinerary for 5 Days: The Best of New York blog post as a starting point. You can always customise it in case you have less or more days for NYC.

Make an Eye Contact

You will see a lot of “characters” in NYC, but one thing to remember is to never make eye contact, especially on the subway.

I did it because I didn’t trust the guy sitting opposite me and I could see he was very annoyed and then started mumbling something. My husband was next to me, so maybe nothing happened because of it, or perhaps because I was imagining too much and they wouldn’t do me any harm even if I were alone, but, it’s better to not make any contacts whatsoever.

Of course, be aware of your surroundings, but in a more subtle way and don’t even sit next to a person that looks suspicious to you in any way.

Get on an Empty Subway Car

And while we’re on the topic of subways, never ever get on an empty subway car.

I asked a local once why that is and she told me it’s because it usually means that it stinks horribly inside or maybe there’s some lunatic there or both.

P. S. I just want to clarify that despite that negative eye contact I had, I didn’t have any negative experience on the subway, though I followed most of these unwritten rules, but I also didn’t use it that much anyway.

Go into a Restaurant before Checking the Reviews First

I think this is common sense everywhere, but always check the Google reviews of a restaurant before you go inside.

While NYC has some of the best restaurants in the world, there are also some pretty bad ones, or they’re a tourist trap.

I always check reviews on Google, but Yelp is pretty popular in the US, so you can also check it there, or TripAdvisor.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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