New York

Why go

New York's density is its feature: five boroughs, 800 languages and a subway that runs all night. Manhattan is the postcard, but Queens is the food capital and Brooklyn is where most of the city actually lives.

Five things to do

• 01

  The Staten Island Ferry

  Free, twenty-five minutes, harbour views.

• 02

  The Met at opening

  Tuesday, 10am, straight to the Egyptian wing.

• 03

  Walk the Brooklyn Bridge east

  Manhattan behind you the whole way.

• 04

  A bagel and a slice

  Argue about which shop afterwards.

• 05

  Prospect Park on a Sunday

  Better than Central Park, quietly.

Neighbourhoods

Getting around

Buy the transport card on arrival — every city on this list has one, and it is cheaper than single fares within about four journeys. Walking covers more than the map suggests: most of the districts above are within thirty minutes of each other on foot.

Taxis and ride apps are worth it late at night and when you are carrying luggage. Everything else is faster on the metro, the tram or the ferry, in that order.

Where to eat

The rule that holds in New York is the rule that holds everywhere: eat at the busy place, at the hour the locals eat, and order the thing the kitchen makes most of. Reserve for dinner in the districts above; lunch rarely needs it.

Two days here

1. Morning: The Staten Island Ferry
2. Afternoon: walk Lower East Side
3. Evening: Walk the Brooklyn Bridge east
4. Day two: Prospect Park on a Sunday

Compare these dates elsewhere

Places to stay in New York, priced by each site in its own currency.

Booking.comBiggest inventory; free cancellation on most rooms.Check price ↗AgodaUsually strongest across Asia.Check price ↗ExpediaGood for flight-and-hotel bundles.Check price ↗Hotels.comCollect-ten-nights reward scheme.Check price ↗Trip.comOften cheapest for East Asian cities.Check price ↗HostelworldHostels and guesthouses the big sites miss.Check price ↗KayakCompares the comparison sites.Check price ↗TrivagoSide-by-side rates for the same hotel.Check price ↗AirbnbFlats and whole houses rather than rooms.Check price ↗TripadvisorReviews first, prices second.Check price ↗

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