3 Days in New York With A Local Friend: Top Things To Do
I’m so glad you’ve decided to join me on this three-day tour of New York City! I should start with a disclaimer: I’ve lived here for my entire life and I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface.
Clearly, three days is not nearly enough time to see everything in this metropolis, a sprawling five-borough area that’s home to more people than a typical Scandinavian country — but I’ll do my best.
I’ll show you all my favorite eating spots, from simple bagel joints to restaurants at the cutting edge of cuisine. We’ll also take time to soak up culture at museums, theaters, and concert halls. Consider this a tasting menu of everything New York has to offer. Once you’re done, I hope you’ll come back for a more substantial bite of the Big Apple.
Day 1: Midtown and Upper Manhattan
Most of New York City’s most famous tourist destinations are clustered around Midtown Manhattan, with a few creeping past the border into the Upper East Side. In my humble opinion, the vast majority of those tourist destinations — the Empire State Building, Times Square, etc. — are hectic helltraps that are thoroughly worth skipping. A few exceptions stand out. The area’s museums are among the best in the world and would take far more than a day to see in justice; I included as many of my favorites as possible in this itinerary. And then there’s Broadway, the subject of countless songs and teenage dreams. Despite all the crowds and predatory pricing, Broadway theater is still worth it. Just make sure to choose the right show (avoid anything with “Shrek” in the name) and find the right price.
8 AM: Bagels at H&H
There’s no better way to start your stay in New York than with a real New York bagel. If it’s your first time in New York, you’ll soon realize that all the bagels you’ve previously eaten were ersatz imitations, as similar to true bagels as Cup o’ Noodles is to Michelin-starred ramen. H&H is one of the most famous bagel shops in Manhattan, and it remains authentic right down to the notoriously brusque counter service. Make sure you know what to get before you start to order. I suggest an everything bagel with lox and “just a schmear” of cream cheese.
9 AM: Walk in Central Park
There’s not much seating space at H&H, so have your breakfast packed to go and walk the five blocks to Central Park. Morning is the best time to visit Central Park; on any given day, you might see octogenarian heiresses taking the air in Prada coats, dog walkers being tugged along by half a dozen purebred pups, or old guys on benches quietly appraising every jogger that bounces past. Find your own bench and enjoy your bagel as the world passes by.
10 AM: Guggenheim Museum
In a city swimming in privately-owned museums, the Guggenheim is still one of the best. The building is worth a visit for its architecture alone; its undulating, organic structure was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself. The collection nevertheless continues to be far better than necessary. This is a modern art museum, which here means that the timeline starts at Impressionism and continues to cutting-edge contemporary works. You’ll see everything from Picasso and Modigliani to Jackson Pollock and Maurizio Cattelan within these hallowed halls.
12 PM: Lunch at Cafe Sabarsky
For all its wealth of high culture, the Museum District is a little light on good restaurants. My go-to is Cafe Sabarsky, an Austrian-style cafe in the Neue Galerie. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into classic Vienna as you sit down at a wrought-iron table in the richly wood-paneled room. They’ve got a delicious menu of Austrian classics, including sausages, pretzels, schnitzels, and goulash. Make sure to save room for their beautiful, precisely-composed cakes and pastries.
1 PM: Metropolitan Museum of Art
One day — to say nothing of half a day — is really nowhere near long enough to see everything in this overwhelmingly enormous museum. Luckily, it’s free for all visitors (donation suggested), so you can come back as many times as you want. If this is your first visit, pick up a handy map of highlights at the front desk, which will lead you to all the most famous items in the public collection. You’ll probably get lost nevertheless.
5 PM: Dinner on Upper West Side
You’re always better off eating before you get to the Theater District — options worth the money are few and far between there. From the Met, walk across the park to the Upper West Side, where you’ll have to go to get on the C train to Midtown anyway. There are plenty of great (and deservedly pricy) restaurants in this high-end neighborhood. My personal favorite is RedFarm, a hip small-plates joint that reinvents Chinese-American classics, resulting in hybrid concoctions such as pastrami egg rolls and lamb shooters. For more traditional fare, try the nearby Milling Room, a classy joint with beautifully tasteful decor.
8 PM: Musical Theater on Broadway
If it’s your first visit to the Big Apple, you can’t leave without seeing a show on Broadway. Broadway tickets can stretch into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but there are a plethora of options for discounts if you do your homework. Students and teachers are eligible to buy discounted tickets through The Theater Development Fund (TDF)’s online program. Patient types can wait in line at TDF’s TKTS booths, which offer day-of tickets for 20% to 50% off. If you’re in a pinch, I’d suggest The Phantom of the Opera, a decades-strong standby that regularly sells their cheap seats for under $50.
Already excited about having a local friend showing you around the City So Nice They Had To Name It Twice? Our New York friends are already waiting, so you can start browsing through their profiles right now!
