New York City
The counterintuitive move: the best views of Manhattan are not from Manhattan.
- Best forCulture seekers · Nightlife · Foodies
- In August28°C · 12 rainy days
- Ideal stay4–5 nights
- Approx. flying time~5h 20m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyUSDUS dollar
- LanguageEnglish
- Local time06:175h behind the UK
- PlugsType A / BBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+1
Why go
The scale is the point. Manhattan is a dense vertical grid of neighbourhoods that change character in a single block, and the outer boroughs hold most of the food, the music and the people. There is a museum for every appetite, a park large enough to get lost in, and a subway that runs all night. You will walk further than you planned and see about a tenth of what you meant to.
Four or five nights gives a sensible first pass: one or two big museums, a couple of neighbourhoods walked properly, a night out and one long park afternoon. May, June, September and October are the kindest months, with January cold and August heavy. Costs are high across the board, so budget for the room and be relaxed about the rest. It rewards the curious over the box-tickers.
- Ideal stay
- 4–5 nights
- The vibe
- Fast, vertical, endlessly awake
From our guides
The city that revived the cocktail still sets the pace, and the East Village and Lower East Side hold the densest constellation of great rooms — Death & Co, Attaboy and their many descendants within stumbling distance. Most don't take bookings: put your name down early, then drink somewhere unambitious until the text arrives. One structural tip: bartenders here genuinely enjoy 'make me something' briefs, and tipping well makes round two better.
Featured in Ten rooftop-bar cities for golden-hour drinks and Ten cocktail cities for a very grown-up bar crawl
Things to do
-
Central Park
340 hectares of designed landscape in the middle of Manhattan, with a reservoir loop, the Ramble's woodland paths and a boating lake. Enter at 72nd Street and wander.
-
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Encyclopaedic and genuinely overwhelming, from Egyptian temples to European painting. Pick two wings and accept you will miss the rest.
-
The High Line
A disused elevated freight line planted as a linear park, running from the Meatpacking District up the west side past the Whitney and Hudson Yards.
-
Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo
Walk the bridge from the Manhattan side towards Brooklyn for the skyline in front of you, then drop down into Dumbo's cobbled streets and waterfront park.
-
East Village and Lower East Side
The densest concentration of small bars, record shops and old tenement architecture in the city, plus a tenement museum that explains how it all got here.
-
The Staten Island Ferry
A free commuter ferry that passes the Statue of Liberty in both directions. The cheapest good view in New York, running around the clock.
Getting there
-
Fly to
New York (JFK)
Nearest airport to New York City, about 21km away as the crow flies.
-
Then
To New York City
LaGuardia (LGA) is about 30 to 45 minutes by taxi or ride-hail to midtown depending on traffic, or a bus and subway combination for a fraction of the price.
-
On the ground
Getting around
The subway runs 24 hours and gets you between Manhattan, Williamsburg and Dumbo in minutes, and the neighbourhoods themselves are walking territory.
Public transport: Excellent: a 24-hour subway, buses and the East River ferry, which is also the prettiest way to reach the Brooklyn rooftops.
Flights
Los Angeles New York City, USA
Fly from anywhere — search 4,000+ airports worldwide.
Roughly 5h 20m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
Check dates and prices
Pick your departure date, then your return.
Search flightsNot sure when? Compare fares across a whole month.
Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 5°C in January to 30°C in July. Driest February and September to November; wettest in July, with rain on about 15 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
August28° · rain 12 daysWarm and often wet.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Everything from hostel bunks and micro-rooms to design hotels and the grand old names, plus legal rentals mostly in Brooklyn. Space is the thing you are paying for.
-
Best base overall
Lower East Side and East Village
The densest cluster of good bars, walkable to Soho and the bridges, with hotels smaller and often cheaper than midtown. Streets are noisy late, and the subway here is less comprehensive.
Find stays in Lower East Side and East Village -
Best for nightlife
Williamsburg and Dumbo
Brooklyn rooftops with the skyline view, plus a bar scene of its own. Getting back to Manhattan late means the L or a long car ride, so plan the return.
Find stays in Williamsburg and Dumbo -
Closest to the sights
Midtown, around Bryant Park
Every subway line, the theatres and the museums within reach, with the biggest supply of rooms. It is charmless in the evening and the rooms are famously small.
Find stays in Midtown, around Bryant Park -
Best with children
Upper West Side
Beside Central Park and the natural history museum, residential and calm, with larger rooms and family-friendly restaurants. It is a long ride down to the bars.
Find stays in Upper West Side
Worth knowing before you book: September and the run-up to Christmas carry the highest rates of the year, and most hotels add a destination or facility fee to the quoted price.
Search everything else in New York City by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Getting around
- The subway runs 24 hours and takes contactless cards at the gate. Check which trains run express before you board, as they can skip a dozen stops.
- Tipping
- Around 18 to 20 per cent is standard in restaurants and bars, and the menu price never includes tax. Budget roughly a third above the listed price.
- Booking
- Popular restaurants release tables online at set times weeks ahead, and many bars take no reservations at all. Put your name down and go elsewhere while you wait.
- Timing
- Late spring and early autumn are the best weather. Rooftop bars close or dome over in winter, and August is hot and sticky.
- Cash or card
- Cards work almost everywhere, but a few bars, food carts and older delis are cash only. Keep twenty dollars in your pocket.
Similar places
Further afield
Quebec City
Canada · 715km away →
Chicago
Illinois →
Nashville
Tennessee →
Volcano Bay
Orlando, USA →
Universal Orlando
Florida, USA →
Memphis
Tennessee →Elsewhere in the USA
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit New York City?
Daytime highs run from about 5°C in January to 30°C in July. Driest February and September to November; wettest in July, with rain on about 15 days.
How long should I spend in New York City?
Our suggestion: 4–5 nights.
How do I get to New York City?
LaGuardia (LGA) is about 30 to 45 minutes by taxi or ride-hail to midtown depending on traffic, or a bus and subway combination for a fraction of the price.
Do I need a car in New York City?
No. Excellent: a 24-hour subway, buses and the East River ferry, which is also the prettiest way to reach the Brooklyn rooftops.
What currency and language are used in New York City?
Currency: US dollar (USD). Language: English. Plugs: type A and B.
Who is New York City best for?
Best for culture seekers, nightlife and foodies. In a phrase: fast, vertical, endlessly awake.