Things To Do in New York City

 

 

 

New York City is the most iconic U.S. destination, and it’s certainly one of the most fun! The city’s vibe is an endless hum of activity, from the commuters in the subway to the tourists in Central Park. There’s so much to do here all year round, and both kids and adults will be sure to find something to enjoy. We love New York City as a great quick getaway for our family! The holiday season is especially wonderful. There’s something about visiting New York for the holidays that makes the season simply magical!

Visiting NYC for Thanksgiving? Plan to get close look as teams inflate the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats in the streets near the American Museum of Natural History the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. You will be amazed at the incredible size and detail of each balloon.

Thanksgiving day is special in New York and we started by attending Thanksgiving’s most famous event: the Macy’s Parade! The music, the crowds, and the endless procession of performers made our morning absolutely incredible. Experiencing Macy's Thanksgiving day parade has been on the bucket list for a very long time and we are glad to have it checked off.

After Thanksgiving parade excitement died down, we headed to Winter Village at Bryant Park to check out the Christmas market and also for some ice skating fun at the 17,000-square-foot outdoor rink. We also browsed the Christmas Market during the afternoon and grabbed lunch. Later, we relaxed over dinner at the market and sipped hot cocoa and warm apple cider helped us warm up. The market had great energy and fantastic food options!

Bryant Park

The New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States, and fourth largest in the world with nearly 53 million items. It The public library next to Bryant Park is a great place to visit with family and they offer a free tour.

The library has lovely upstairs reading room with a view of the park’s skating rink.

This classic New York show is the perfect way to begin the holiday season. The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular is an amazing holiday performance! It included a fun twist of tradition and technology. If you visit New York around Christmas, be sure to do this with your family. See the world-famous Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall for their Christmas Spectacular. You will be dazzled by the sparkling costumes, perfect kick lines, and the famous toy soldiers scene.

Magnolias

After the show, we went to Magnolias Bakery to satisfy the sweet tooth. The cupcakes are delicious, and the bread pudding is to die for!

Visiting Time Square is the most tourist thing to do in New York. If you haven't been to New York, you must visit Time Square and you will soon figure out that this place is a zoo full of human tourists but it is a great spot for taking pictures. If you like the crowd, you will feel the energy here. If you are visiting with family, take quick snaps, maybe grab a bite to eat and find your way out.

While in New York, Visiting Central Park is a must. The park is lovely in winter! You can spend a good half-day wandering the park when you visit New York City. During the day, you can even ice skate here. If the weather is good, it’s fun to check out the Central Park Zoo or go boating.

Patsys

After our day at the park, we walked to Patsy’s Pizzeria for dinner. You can’t pass up this pizza when you visit New York!

LeVain’s​

For dessert, so we went a little crazy with cookies at LeVain’s. This tiny place makes a mean cookie and it is worth the wait in line.

Luke’s Lobster​

Finally, A lobster roll at Luke’s Lobster rounded out our meal. Kiran and I stopped by Luke's by accident few years back and we have been hooked. If you like lobster rolls, check out Luke's.

Shopping in New York during holidays is a lot of fun. We spent an evening window shopping and started at Macy’s on 34^th and 6^th Avenue, then up to 59^th on Fifth Avenue. It was fun to gaze at the goods in Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, and all the glittering jewelry displays.

The best part of our walk was a stop at Rockefeller Plaza A.K.A The Rock, where the Christmas Tree is brightly lit every November 29 through Christmas. If you want to see more Christmas spirit, you can head to Saks for holiday lights and music or Disney for a storytelling experience!

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial and the Oculus at the World Trade Center, which is at the site of Ground Zero is truly an emotional experience. New York has done a phenomenal job recognizing all the lost souls and focusing on rebuilding the site with a positive outlook.

After paying our respects, we stopped for lunch at a great food hall called Brookfield Place.

The Brooklyn Bridge connects two great New York City boroughs: Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can walk it, drive it, bike it or do cart wheels like Jenna . One way or the other, the Brooklyn Bridge is a must-visit when traveling to Brooklyn. There's a dedicated pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge, above the roaring car traffic and according to our guide extraordinaire Zafreen, it's a great place to walk at sunset.

On the way back from the 911 memorial, we stopped to snap some photos with the famous Fearless Girl facing the charging bull.

Grand Central Terminal is one of the country's great architectural achievements and New York City's unofficial meeting place with thousands of people choosing to meet friends and loved ones each day. Hailed as a temple to the everyday, this place is glorious. Meet you at the Clock.

As the most recognizable symbol of Liberty and Freedom, Statue of Liberty is a rewarding experience and a must see. Getting to the statue takes some planning and advance booking.

The famous Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper on Fifth Avenue. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nick name for New York. Empire State Building is the fifth-tallest skyscraper in the United States the 28th-tallest in the world.

The famous The Empire State Building is an immersive experience inside a world famous landmark. Visit the observation decks for the best views of New York City.

While we covered quite a bit in our trip, there is plenty more New York Things to do and here are few more options. Ooh.. if you happen to visit any of these places, take some good snaps and tag us. We would love to hear about it. Here we go:

Facing the New York Harbor, Battery Park is a public park located at the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City. Battery park is a great escape from the city and has plenty to offer to families with younger children.

New York City has one of the finest Children's museums. It is a great destination for families with younger children.

Just like “Night in the Museum" Natural history museum is great place and can be combined with a visit to Children's museum since they are both close to each other.

Soho is on our for the next New York City trip. This is a really cute part of town! Visit for shopping and restaurants.

Looking for lively place with outdoor performances ? then Washington Square Park is a great place for you. The place is usually lively and outdoor performances and songs during the day and night.

• Shake Shack. New York Thing to Do and they have awesome shakes.
• Kati Roll (Indian) 
• Pio Pio. Peruvian Chicken.
• The Smith. American.  
• Shake Shack. Good shakes.
• Han Dynasty. Schezuan within cab distance.
• Jaiya Thai. Because who doesn’t love Thai?
• Chote Nawab. Indian
• Sugar Fish. Best sashimi and nigiri Sushi ever! They don’t have rolls, but there also aren’t long waits.
• Tao. Fancy Asian.
• Ngam. Fusion Thai.
• Love Mamak. Asian.  
• Barn Joo. Korean BBQ.
• Honest Chops Burger. Halal burgers.
• Mehmoon’s Falafel. Yum!
• Do. Cookie dough for your inner five-year-old.  
• Thai Villa. Because you can never have enough Thai.
• Pondicherry. Diverse Indian food selection.
• Union Fare. Get the birthday cake croissants!
• Totto Ramen.  Stop here for chicken-based ramen broth! No pork here. 

Additional Food Options that were recommended

• Pio Pio. Peruvian Chicken.
• The Smith. American.  
• Han Dynasty. Schezuan within cab distance.
• Jaiya Thai. Because who doesn’t love Thai?
• Chote Nawab. Indian
• Sugar Fish. Best sashimi and nigiri Sushi ever! They don’t have rolls, but there also aren’t long waits.
• Tao. Fancy Asian.
• Ngam. Fusion Thai.
• Love Mamak. Asian.  
• Barn Joo. Korean BBQ.
• Honest Chops Burger. Halal burgers.
• Mehmoon’s Falafel. Yum!
• Do. Cookie dough for your inner five-year-old.  
• Thai Villa. Because you can never have enough Thai.
• Pondicherry. Diverse Indian food selection.
• Union Fare. Get the birthday cake croissants!
• Totto Ramen.  Stop here for chicken-based ramen broth! No pork here. 
• Xian Famous Foods (Chinese), 
• Poketeria 
• Pokespot 
• Urbanspace Vanderbilt (Food hall)