New York Tips

New York

A city that is the center of the world! There you can see and find everything, people are on the run and barely have time to look around, but when they do have a little extra time, they manage to make the most of the parks that surprise us with their beautiful nature in the midst of increasingly modern buildings!

Charm around every corner, with musicians and performances that will take your breath away or just entertain you.

Transportation

How to get from the airport to the city!

AIR TRAIN + METRO

At the airport itself there is the famous air train which is connected to the local metro, which is daunting at first because it's so big, but in the end it's very easy to get around once you've got the map and understand the connections! The air train costs 5 dollars and you have to take it to Jamaica station, where it connects with the normal metro to your final destination.
The metro costs 2.75 dollars for a single ticket.

TAXI

I've taken both the air train and the metro, as well as taxis! And it's definitely worth taking a taxi if you're with more people, just to avoid the hassle of lugging suitcases through the subway, which is usually full and has lots of stairs.
A taxi costs around 60 dollars from JFK airport to the center of Manhattan.

*Remember that these values are based on the date of the post. *

Shopping

Who doesn't think of shopping when it comes to the United States? And the best place I've ever found for that is in New Jersey, which is about 40 minutes from downtown Manhattan and super easy to get to! Just take the bus from the Port Authority terminal, which is located at 42nd and 8th avenues and costs just 13 dollars round trip! The bus drops you off at Jersey Gardens Shopping Center and picks you up at the same place!
Why go to New Jersey? Simple, in the United States, each state has a tax on its products, but in New Jersey there is no tax on clothes, that's right, you only pay what you see on the labels! Which ends up being 6 to 9% cheaper than anywhere else, not to mention that the prices at this outlet are great.
Ahhhh and if you show your passport at the counter right at the entrance, you get a book with lots of extra discounts! Very nice.

Food

As usual I tell people to look for supermarkets to save money on meals, but there aren't many in NYC, so the tip is to go to the pharmacies, there's a chain of them that sells everything, food, fruit, it's a very good mini market, even for buying make-up! Cheap and top quality, a card up your sleeve for everything! There's one of these inside the hall of the Empire State Building and one in a block near it, at 34th and 5th Avenue, on the corner, and it's 24 hours! It saves a lot of extra trouble.
Of course, going to restaurants is a must, as is  Red Lobster one of my favorites there, or even a pub or some other place that makes the city a real gastronomic fair.

Free tourist attractions!

Central Park

It's impossible not to be enchanted by this beautiful place! With impeccable nature in the midst of majestic buildings that frame the place. Any time of year it's enchanting, whether it's winter with its frozen lakes or summer with the sun warming the leaves and our skin, or even in the fall with its shy trees losing their leaves or in the spring when the flowers grace! No matter what the season, each park is different and it's so big that you can go a thousand times, you'll always find something you didn't know.

Not to mention the street performers, who turn the wonderful place into something even cozier.

High Line

I loved this place! An old railway line that has been transformed into a hanging park, great for relaxing and watching the sunset.
O High line It starts at 14th and 10th avenues and goes all the way to 30th. It's quite long, but as you walk along you don't even notice that you're nearing the end. Every step of the way there's a new corner, with sun loungers or chairs, and more or less in the middle of the High Line, you'll also find a place to have a drink or a bite to eat.

September 11 Memorial

Who doesn't remember the fateful day of that disaster? Well, I think everyone remembers what they were doing at the time, for example, I was having lunch to go to school!

In NYC there are a few things to remember this day and honor the people who have suffered from it.
As a memorial, it's free and it's near the new World Trade Center (they're building 4 new buildings and the biggest one is almost finished).
To get to the memorial, you have to go through a very controlled queue until you actually get there! There is also a museum, but this is paid for and many people who go to NYC end up getting confused.

The memorial is where the old Towers used to be. They built a sort of giant black pool with a waterfall and the names of the victims written in it.
The place is very strong and beautiful at the same time, it transmits peace with all the noise of the water.

Statue of Liberty

You can get close to the cutie in a cheaper way! If you just want to take a photo near it, this tip is worth it! There's a boat that goes to State Island for free from the South Ferry station, and it passes right by the statue! I was satisfied with what I saw and didn't feel the need to go up to the Statue itself, but that's up to you, if you want to spend a lot of money to go up close enough to touch it, this isn't the best tour!

Don't forget to get off the boat to catch a return one, otherwise you'll end up going elsewhere, as the boat that goes is not the same as the one that comes back.

Don't miss the lights of Times Square or the Natural History Museum!
And going into all the magical stores dotted around the city, like the Lego store or the Disney store or maybe the M&M store, are more for fun than for shopping!
Ohhh and the figures that walk around Times Square usually charge for a photo! Don't fall for the idea of taking pictures with them, there are so many you won't believe it!

Did you like the tips? Anything to add?
Have a good trip!