New York has jazz in basement clubs, bars where you knock to get in, and restaurants worth booking on the right morning. Pick a neighbourhood, save the addresses you want, and walk between them.

New York at a glance

Time zone
Eastern Time: UTC−5, or UTC−4 from mid-March to early November
Currency
US dollar ($). Cards and phone payments are taken almost everywhere; listed prices exclude sales tax of 8.875%
Language
English. Spanish is also widely spoken
Airports
JFK: AirTrain to Jamaica, then the LIRR to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison, about 30 min on the train. LaGuardia: the free Q70 bus to Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Av for the subway. Newark: AirTrain, then NJ Transit to Penn Station, about 30 min
Best months
Late April to June, and September to early November
Power
Type A and B plugs, 120 V
Tipping
About 18–22% at restaurants and $1–2 a drink at bars. Check the bill for a service charge first

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Where to spend your time

  • West Village Walk Grove, Bedford and West 10th streets, browse Three Lives, then try for a table at Via Carota.
  • Lower East Side Start at Russ & Daughters on Houston Street, walk Orchard Street, and keep Attaboy for after dinner.
  • Soho and Nolita Get coffee at La Cabra on Lafayette, walk the cast-iron blocks of Greene and Mercer streets, then eat at the bar at Raoul’s.
  • Williamsburg Take the L to Bedford Av, have coffee at Devoción, then walk to Domino Park on the East River.
  • Upper East Side See the Frick in the morning, walk Madison Avenue, and end with a drink at Bemelmans in the Carlyle.
  • Meatpacking and Chelsea Start at the Whitney, walk north on the High Line, and look into the galleries in the West 20s.
  • Long Island City Take the N or W to Broadway for the Noguchi Museum, then take the 7 from Queensboro Plaza to Vernon Blvd–Jackson Av for the Gantry Plaza waterfront and the Midtown view.

Where we’d send a friend

  • Devoción Williamsburg. Colombian coffee roasted in Brooklyn, served in a skylit room with a courtyard. 148 Grand St, Brooklyn. Bedford Av, about 10 min. Opens at 7 AM on weekdays and 7:30 AM at weekends; until 6 PM. Coffee classes in the lab are booked online. Website
  • La Cabra Soho. A Copenhagen roaster’s bakery and coffee bar on Lafayette Street. 284 Lafayette St. Broadway–Lafayette St, about 2 min. Order: Filter coffee and a pastry from the counter. Opens at 7 AM on weekdays and 8 AM at weekends; open until 8 PM. Website
  • Russ & Daughters Lower East Side. The original appetizing shop, open since 1914: smoked fish, caviar, bagels and babka. 179 E Houston St. 2 Av, about 3 min. Order: A bagel with lox and cream cheese, to go. Open every day, 8 AM to 4 PM. For a table, the sit-down café is at 127 Orchard Street (no reservations). Website
  • Via Carota West Village. A Grove Street trattoria for a long lunch, dinner or a late amaro. 51 Grove St. Christopher St–Stonewall, about 2 min. Walk-ins welcome. Open 11 AM to 11 PM Monday to Thursday, from 10 AM Friday to Sunday. Website
  • Dhamaka Lower East Side. Cooking from the less-told corners of India, in Essex Market. 119 Delancey St (Essex Market). Delancey St–Essex St, about 2 min. Order: Something from the grill, and the butter pepper garlic crab. Dinner every day from 5 PM; brunch Saturday and Sunday. Book on SevenRooms for six or fewer, well ahead: tables go quickly. Website
  • Lilia Williamsburg. Handmade pasta and wood-fired seafood at Union Avenue and North 10th Street. 567 Union Ave, Brooklyn. Bedford Av, about 8 min. Order: A pasta and something from the wood fire. Dinner from 5 PM Monday to Thursday and 4 PM Friday to Sunday. Book on Resy. Website
  • Raoul’s Soho. A Prince Street bistro whose bar is first come, first served, with 12 burgers a night. 180 Prince St. Prince St or Spring St, about 4 min. Dinner every night from 5:15 PM; brunch Saturday and Sunday. Book on Resy up to 30 days ahead. No Apple Pay: bring a chip card. Website
  • Tatiana Upper West Side. Kwame Onwuachi’s restaurant inside David Geffen Hall, drawing on the food of New York’s neighbourhoods. 10 Lincoln Center Plaza. 66 St–Lincoln Center, about 2 min. Closed Sundays and Mondays; dinner 5 PM to 10 PM. Book on Resy. Website
  • Scarr’s Pizza Lower East Side. A pizzeria on Orchard Street that mills its own flour, with slices at the counter and a room at the back for whole pies. 35 Orchard St. East Broadway, about 4 min. Order: A slice at the counter, or a whole pie in the back. Open every day, 11:30 AM to 11 PM; until midnight Thursday and 2 AM Friday and Saturday. Slices are walk-in, with a line at busy times; tables at the back can be booked on OpenTable. Cards add about 3%. Website
  • Nom Wah Tea Parlor Chinatown. A dim sum parlour on Doyers Street, open since 1920, where you tick your order on a paper list. 13 Doyers St. Canal St, about 6 min. Order: Several kinds of dumplings, ticked on the paper list. Open every day, 11 AM to 9 PM. Walk in as two; parties of three to five can book Monday to Thursday on Resy. Website
  • Phayul Jackson Heights. A small Tibetan restaurant just off Roosevelt Avenue for beef momos and stir-fried noodles; in the MICHELIN Guide’s Bib Gourmand list. 37-59 74th St, Queens. 74 St–Broadway, about 2 min. Order: Beef momos, and stir-fried noodles with beef. Open every day, 11 AM to 10:30 PM. No reservations. Bring cash: the MICHELIN Guide lists cards as not accepted. Website
  • The Studio Museum in Harlem Harlem. A museum of art by artists of African descent, in a new building on West 125th Street. 144 W 125th St. 125 St (2, 3), about 3 min. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 6 PM, and until 9 PM on Fridays; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Adult tickets are $16 and Sundays are free. Website
  • The Frick Collection Upper East Side. Art from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century, in a Gilded Age mansion on East 70th Street. 1 E 70th St. 68 St–Hunter College, about 7 min. Closed Tuesdays. Open 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM; timed tickets are recommended. Pay what you wish on Wednesdays from 1:30 PM. Website
  • Whitney Museum of American Art Meatpacking and Chelsea. Twentieth-century and contemporary American art at the south end of the High Line. 99 Gansevoort St. 14 St–8 Av, about 8 min. Closed Tuesdays. Open until 10 PM on Fridays, with free entry from 5 PM; free for visitors 25 and under. Website
  • Film Forum South Village. New independent films and restored classics on West Houston Street. 209 W Houston St. Houston St, about 2 min. Check the day’s schedule online; tickets are about $18. Website
  • The Noguchi Museum Long Island City. Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture, in the museum and garden he designed. 9-01 33rd Rd, Queens. Broadway (N, W), about 15 min. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Open 10 AM to 5 PM, last entry 4:30 PM; no advance tickets, pay at the door (about $16). Free on the first Friday of the month. Website
  • Bemelmans Bar Upper East Side. The Carlyle’s bar, with Ludwig Bemelmans’ murals, a pianist and a late jazz trio. The Carlyle, 35 E 76th St. 77 St, about 4 min. Opens at noon every day. From 5:30 PM there’s a cover charge, about $20–35 a person depending on the artist. Website
  • Attaboy Lower East Side. A small cocktail bar on Eldridge Street. Just knock. 134 Eldridge St. Grand St, about 4 min. Order: Say what you like and let the bartender choose. Open every day, 5 PM to 3 AM. A few reservations go on OpenTable. Website
  • Double Chicken Please Lower East Side. A cocktail bar on Allen Street that serves food until late. 115 Allen St. Delancey St–Essex St, about 5 min. Closed Mondays. Opens at 5 PM; at busy times, wait for the host to let you in. Website
  • Maison Premiere Williamsburg. An oyster bar on Bedford Avenue with absinthe, cocktails and a garden from April to November. 298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn. Bedford Av, about 8 min. Order: Oysters and an absinthe. The bar opens at noon on weekdays and 10 AM at weekends. Book the dining room or garden on Resy, up to a month ahead. Website
  • Village Vanguard West Village. A basement jazz club at 178 Seventh Avenue South since 1935. 178 7th Ave S. Christopher St–Stonewall, about 3 min. Sets at 8 PM and 10 PM; buy tickets online, plus a one-drink minimum. For sold-out shows, a standby line forms about 30–45 minutes before. Website
  • Three Lives & Company West Village. A small independent bookshop on West 10th Street. 154 W 10th St. Christopher St–Stonewall, about 2 min. Open 10 AM to 7 PM Monday to Saturday, noon to 7 PM Sunday. Signed copies can be ordered by phone or email. Website
  • Dover Street Market Rose Hill. A multi-label fashion store over several floors on Lexington Avenue. 160 Lexington Ave. 28 St, about 4 min. Open 11 AM to 6 PM Monday to Wednesday, to 7 PM Thursday to Saturday, noon to 6 PM Sunday. Website
  • Kalustyan’s Rose Hill. Spices and specialty foods from around the world, on Lexington Avenue since 1944. 123 Lexington Ave. 28 St, about 2 min. Open 10 AM to 8 PM Monday to Saturday, 11 AM to 7 PM Sundays and holidays. Website

A first week in New York

  1. Day 1: Land and walk the West Village. Drop your bags and walk Grove, Bedford and West 10th streets. Eat at Via Carota, which takes walk-ins, then catch the 10 PM set at the Village Vanguard if you booked.
  2. Day 2: Museums uptown. See the Frick in the morning, then walk Madison Avenue north to the Met. End with a drink at Bemelmans in the Carlyle.
  3. Day 3: The High Line. Start at the Whitney, walk the High Line north through Chelsea, and look into the galleries in the West 20s. Eat nearby.
  4. Day 4: Lower East Side. Breakfast at Russ & Daughters, then walk Orchard Street and Essex Market. Dinner at Dhamaka, then Attaboy.
  5. Day 5: Out of town. Choose one: Metro-North to Beacon for Dia Beacon, or Amtrak to Hudson for Warren Street. Both take most of the day.
  6. Day 6: Williamsburg. Coffee at Devoción, the waterfront at Domino Park, then dinner at Lilia or oysters at Maison Premiere.
  7. Day 7: Queens, then Soho. Take the N or W to Long Island City for the Noguchi Museum. Come back for a film at Film Forum and dinner at Raoul’s.

Where people meet

  • Bar seats Raoul’s keeps its bar for walk-ins. At other restaurants, ask whether the bar takes walk-ins before you book.
  • Jazz Seating for the 8 PM set at the Village Vanguard starts at 7 PM. Small tables, and a one-drink minimum.
  • Gallery openings Chelsea galleries often hold openings on Thursday evenings. Check each gallery’s site for the date.
  • Coffee classes Devoción runs coffee classes and cuppings in its Williamsburg lab. Book on its site.

Eating in New York

  • Book on the right morning Many restaurants release tables a set number of days ahead: Raoul’s and Maison Premiere about a month before, on Resy. Set a reminder.
  • Eat at the bar Bar seats often serve the full menu and take walk-ins. Arrive when the restaurant opens.
  • Brunch is for weekends Many restaurants serve brunch only on Saturday and Sunday, usually until about 3 PM.
  • Add about 30% Menu prices exclude sales tax of 8.875% and a tip of about 18–22%. Add about 30% to the listed price.

Getting around

  • Tap to ride Tap a contactless card or phone at the subway gates and on buses: about $3 a ride. Once you’ve paid $35 in seven days on the same card, the rest of that week is free.
  • Local or express Many lines run local and express trains; check the sign on the train before you board. The subway runs all night, with fewer trains late.
  • By ferry NYC Ferry’s East River route stops at Wall Street, Dumbo, Williamsburg and Long Island City. Ferry tickets are separate from the subway: buy them in the NYC Ferry app or at the machines on the landing.

Good to know

  • Keep the sidewalk moving Step to the side to check your phone or map.
  • Tip at the bar Leave $1–2 a drink, more for a complicated cocktail.
  • Stand right On escalators, stand on the right and walk on the left.
  • Let people off Wait beside the subway doors until passengers get off, then board.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn are the easiest months for walking between neighbourhoods. July and August are hot and humid; January and February are cold, with occasional snow. December brings big crowds to Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center.

April to May
Cherry and magnolia trees bloom in Central Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Check bloom reports before you go.
June
Long evenings, and outdoor film and music series start in the parks. Check each series’ dates.
July to August
Hot and humid, with summer storms. Plan museums for the afternoon and the waterfront for the evening.
September to October
Often warm and dry; the new season opens at Lincoln Center and in the galleries.
November
Autumn colour lasts into November in Central Park. The marathon runs on the first Sunday, and some roads close.
December
Holiday windows on Fifth Avenue and the tree at Rockefeller Center draw big crowds; go early in the morning.
January to March
Cold, with occasional snow. Plan around museums, jazz clubs and long dinners.

Day trips and next stops

  • Dia Beacon Take Metro-North from Grand Central to Beacon, then walk about 7 minutes to the museum. Allow a full afternoon for the large-scale works. About 1 h 30 m.
  • Hudson Take Amtrak from Penn Station for Warren Street’s antique shops and restaurants. Book a seat ahead. About 2 h.
  • Philadelphia Take Acela or a Northeast Regional from Penn Station to 30th Street Station for the museums and Reading Terminal Market. About 1 h 20 m.
  • New Haven Take Amtrak or Metro-North for the Yale art galleries, which are free, and a pizza on Wooster Street. About 1 h 45 m.

Questions people ask

Is New York a good city for meeting people?

Sit at a bar, go to a gallery opening or a jazz set. If you’re an O member, you can also see people who choose to share overlapping travel dates.

Where should I stay?

To walk to restaurants and bars, stay in the West Village, Soho or the Lower East Side. Williamsburg is quieter, with the L to Manhattan; Midtown is closest to the theatres and Penn Station.

How do I get in from the airport?

From JFK, take the AirTrain to Jamaica, then the LIRR to Penn Station or Grand Central Madison. From Newark, take the AirTrain and NJ Transit to Penn Station. From LaGuardia, take the free Q70 bus to the subway at Jackson Heights. Taxis can take longer in traffic.

Do I need cash?

Rarely. Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips. Raoul’s doesn’t take Apple Pay.

Is the subway open all night?

Yes, it runs 24 hours, with fewer trains late at night. Check the MTA app for weekend changes.