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New York City Travel Guides

As you might expect there is a plethora of New York City Guide Books. We recommend those below, which you may purchase from Amazon - just click on any of the images.

The NYC Subway

Like London, New York has an extensive network of subway trains. Click on the image below to see a map of the system.

The Empire State Building.

The ESB is the most popular of all NYC's attractions, with between ten and twenty thousand visitors daily (depending on the weather !). Click on the image below to go to the "official" website.

The Statue of Liberty.

This is the second most-visited of New York's attractions, with over 4 million visitors every year. Click on the image to go to the official website.

New York City Hotels New York has a vast number of hotels to suit all budgets. We recommend that you choose your hotel carefully, and check on tripadvisor before booking. We also suggest that you try to avoid the Times Square area as, although there are some excellent hotels there, it can be noisy and a bit rough, especially after dark. Instead try the Central Park, Mid or Upper West Side or East Side, taking into account where you want to go in the city. Any of the links below will enable you to book the hotel of your choice.

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Things to do in New York City We have been to NYC many times in the last 45 years and have always enjoyed both our short visits and our longer stays. May we suggest the following "things to do" which we hope you will enjoy ? (These are in no particular order !) 1   Go up to the top of the Empire State Building - see the links above. Everyone does it at some time or other and there are some magnificent views of the city. Choose your time carefully though if you want to take photos. Remember that Manhattan runs roughly north/south and that at midday the sun will shine into your camera from the direction of Staten Island. If you have the time (and the money) make several visits at different times of day and in different weather conditions. A night visit is great fun - the place is open until 2am seven days a week. 2   Take a ride in Central Park in one of the many horse-drawn carriages. To find them go to the south-east corner of the park between 5th and 6th avenues. But watch out for the price - currently (2010) $50 for 20 minutes and then $20 for each additional 10 minutes, so negotiate your price before you start - and the driver will want a tip too, although he will give you his well-rehearsed commentary if you want ! They don't operate in very hot or very cold weather for the welfare of the horses. But after all that, the ride can be very relaxing, and very romantic if you're with the right companion ! 3   Go Shopping !  There are of course thousands of shops in the city, varying in size from Macy's to the smallest corner store. Macy's has everything you can think of, but it is a very big, rambling old store, and you might get lost inside. We had difficulty finding our way out one day. The staff are very friendly and helpful though, so don't panic ! Fashion is New York's big attraction, and if you can afford it there are designer shops by the score, particularly on 5th Avenue. On the east side there is Bloomingdale's (3rd avenue between 59th and 60th), another huge store which occupies an entire block. Buy something there and get one of their famous brown bags ! So popular is shopping in NYC that there are companies who organise guided shopping tours - go in their coach and get discounts on your purchases. The trips are often themed eg mother-to-be or bride-to-be tours. We've never tried these so we can't recommend any one company - use the search box to find one ! There are also several websites about shopping in the city - just type "Shopping New York City" in the search box. Enjoy yourself and try not to max out your credit cards !

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4       Take a boat ride around Manhattan. This is another great trip to take whilst you are visiting NYC. There are several companies offering trips, some in high speed boats where you will get a soaking (The Chelsea Screamer), to a leisurely ride right round the island. The most popular appears to be Circle Line Sightseeing, which operates from 42nd Street on the Hudson River. They offer several trips ranging from a complete circle of Manhattan Island to a trip round the bottom of the island to the Brooklyn Bridge and back. Great views of the Manhattan skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. But choose your time and weather conditions ! 5   Go to the theatre.   (more soon !)

New York City Airports New York has three major airports, JFK and La Guardia,  plus Newark in New Jersey. 1       JFK. The airport was built on the former Idlewild Golf Course in the 1940s, and was named Major General Alexander E Anderson Airport. In 1948 the name was changed to New York International Airport, Anderson Field, but "Idlewild" was in common use until December 1963 when, after the assassination of President John kennedy, the airport was renamed John F Kennedy International Airport. It is the busiest of New York's three airports with 46 million passengers in 2009. JFK lies in Queens County on Long Island, about 12 miles from Lower Manhattan. There are three main methods of transportation to and from the airport. (1) Rail. Air Train JFK links all the terminals with the Long Island Railroad at Jamaica Station and will take you about 40 minutes. (2) Bus. City Bus routes connect JFK with the New York Subway or the Long Island Railroad, and there are also private companies which operate express services between Manhattan and the airport. (3) Taxi. The easiest way to get to and from JFK. When you arrive at the airport (from the UK), you will find several gentlemen asking if you want a taxi. Ignore them, or politely refuse their generous offers, and cross the road to the official taxi rank where you will be allocated a taxi. There is a fixed fare to Manhattan (currently 2009 £45, plus tolls and of course a tip). Depending on traffic the journey should take 40 minutes or so, and is an interesting ride if you are still awake after your flight, giving you a view of New York as you approach the city.

View New York City Airports in a larger map, or zoom in on this one for a closer view

2      La Guardia.  In 1929 the former Gala Amusement Park was demolished and a private flying field, known at first as the Glen H Curtiss Airport and later as North Beach Airport, was constructed. Due to the efforts of New York's colorful mayor Fiorello LaGuardia the field was expanded and became the New York Municipal Airport in 1939, and La Guardia Airport in 1947. It is the smallest of NYC's three airports, handling a mere 23 million passengers in 2008. The majority of flights into and out of the airport are to and from destinations in the USA and Canada as it does not have the facilities to process large numbers of international passengers. The airport is about 8 miles from mid-town Manhattan. The NYC subways and busses will both get you there, and in addition there are several companies which run private, express busses at a reasonable fare. Taxis are of course available, but unlike JFK there is no fixed fare and you have to pay what's on the meter, plus tolls and a tip. Use the search box below to find the transportation which suits you.

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3    Newark Liberty International Airport.   Newark Airport opened in 1928 and was for a while the world's busiest airport, until La Guardia split New York's air traffic. It was closed to passenger aircraft during World War II and was greatly enlarged during the 1970s when it was renamed Newark International Airport. The word "Liberty" was added to its name after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The airport is located about 15 miles southwest of mid-town Manhattan, between the towns of Newark and Elizabeth, both in New Jersey. It is the second busiest of New York's airports, having handled 35 million passengers in 2008. Newark has a monorail system, AirTrain Newark, which connects the terminals with  Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Link Station. From here you can take an Amtrak train or get on the New Jersey Transit service. The monorail service is free, but you have to pay to get into the railway station. There are numerous bus services which operate between the airport and the cities nearby, and there are also express bus services to Manhattan. Taxis are available. From Newark to Manhattan you pay the metered fare, which will cost you between $50 and $75, plus tolls and a tip. Taxis to Newark from Manhattan will cost you a little more as they apparently add a $15 surcharge and charge return tolls too. Again, please use the search box above to find out more and choose the most suitable means of transportation for you.

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