New York City has received some of the most touching love letters in modern history, from Billie Holiday’s ballads to E.B. White’s essays. After a visit to the bustling boroughs and local hideaways of NYC, you’ll understand why travelers and locals alike shower this city with affection like autumn leaves falling in Washington Square Park. You may pen your own note of adoration... even if you write it in the form of coffee rings on a newspaper near Bryant Park or red lipstick on a glass in a Brooklyn pub. New York may not be known for sleeping, but you’ll need your rest to squeeze as much juice as you can from the Big Apple. Fortunately, there’s a slew of excellent hotels in NYC and you can be ready to fly in a New York minute. Get ready to taste, touch, and explore the world, one neighborhood at a time—from Puerto Rican tostones in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to the festive streets of Little Italy in Manhattan. So find a subway map and follow your bliss, whatever your bliss may be.
Things to Do in New York City
From sunrise to…sunrise, there’s a long list of fabulous things to do in New York City from artsy to historic and everything in between. When grandeur beckons you, and rest assured it will, follow the siren song to Manhattan, and call any of the many cheap hotels in NYC your home away from home. Whether you're uptown or downtown at any of the great hotels in Manhattan, it's only a short subway ride away from the rest of the city. Let the buzz of electric billboards lead you to the bright lights, street performers, and racing taxis that fill Times Square—just a few minutes here will feed your energy to explore NYC’s quieter side. To quench your craving for calm, wander through Greenwich Village and feel the echoes of America’s Beat movement reverberating through the historic halls of New York University and nearby art galleries and parks.
Across the East River, Brooklyn dances to its own drum—or electric house music to be more precise, which makes it one of the best places to stay in New York City when you want to live like a local. Across the river from Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn has been “having a moment” of unadulterated cool for a while now. But before vintage boutiques and craft cocktails—which you must sip—started shaking up the neighborhoods, the borough was home to warehouses and scrappy artists. Celebrate the place where the old world meets the new at the Williamsburg Smorgasbord, a weekly food fest and flea market where you will be a Brooklynite for the day. Start with an unforgettable lobster roll and end with a new rug that may have once graced the parlor of a princess…
Eating and Drinking
Speaking of food fests, New York City is one of the world's culinary capitals, so don’t worry if you arrive in the Big Apple with a big appetite. Before you sweep your palate away to 5-star restaurants, try quintessential Manhattan favorites, like a steaming hot dog or a slice of cheese pizza so big you have to fold it in half. Yes, you could eat these simple snacks anywhere, but when you nosh in New York, you’re sharing a great New York pastime with countless students on lunch breaks, business people rushing to meetings, and children on their way to Central Park Zoo. So get the mustard and savor the moment.
But don’t stop there; the city is simmering with international cuisines. Watch traditional dim sum carts roll by in the Chinese restaurants of Flushing, Queens. The quiet clamor of spinning wheels and sliding plates is a lively backdrop to this savory treat and you’ll agree that one steamed pork bun can’t possibly be enough. That said, we implore you, traveler, for the love of dumplings, save a little room for pierogis in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. And if all the comfort food makes you long for a cozy night’s sleep, rent a room in New York’s outer boroughs and dream of future entrée adventures.
Green Spaces Galore
NYC may be the epitome of “urban jungle,” but sprinkled among the high rises and brownstones, green spaces abound. The most iconic is Central Park—home to a zoo, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and its very own castle (the Belvedere). Meander by The Lake and settle in with a cup of coffee and a good book in Sheep Meadow, a sprawling lawn on the south side of the park. This is where New Yorkers come to pause in the midst of all the motion: where Jay Wright wrote, “The water's jade edge plays against corn-colored picnic baskets, rose and lemon bottles, red balloons.” Breathe in the fresh air, right in the heart of a city that’s constantly on the move. Stay in this atmosphere of revelry and relaxation in NYC hotels nestled along the park.
Day Trips from NYC
New York is a cultural center as well as a hub for some of the loveliest day trips on the East Coast. For a tranquil escape, all you need is to choose a direction and drive. About 100 miles north of the city, the Hudson Valley lures wide-eyed city slickers to its peaceful countryside for as far as the eye can see. Roll by dairy cows put out to pasture and stop for a day in the life of one of the local farmers. When night falls, drive back to the city under a cover of stars as bright as the lights on Broadway.
Time for a New York Minute
There’s a long list of hotels in New York City and Travelocity can help you find the best place to stay on your next getaway. Whether you long for the glamor of Uptown, the constant commotion of Midtown, or Brooklyn’s mural-splashed streets, you’ll get the best deals on your dream getaway if you decide to bundle and book a New York vacation package. Don’t forget to bring your stationary and an open heart—you just might fall in love.