Martin St-Amant (format changed) / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Ultimate Urban Playground of Skyscrapers, Broadway, and Cultural Fusion
Table of Contents
A. About New York City
Nickname: The Big AppleNew York City is easily the most stimulating urban center in the US, being hugely influential in commerce, publishing, fashion, and finance.
With an estimated 2019 population of 8,336,817, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
Compared to other American cities, New York City has a unique atmosphere and vibe. From a tourist perspective, the city is by far the most popular and interesting in the US.
➕ Positive Aspects
Most of the metropolis is built on the three islands of Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island creating a very scenic setting.
With its many famous museums, its iconic skyscrapers (mainly the modern One World Trade Center, and the historic Empire State Building and Chrysler Building), the beautiful Central Park and distinct neighborhoods New York City is scoring high for its sights.
The largest city in the U.S. is also one of the best shopping destinations in the world and offers outstanding nightlife.
➖ Negative Aspects
New York City scores poorly in affordability and doesn't enjoy a very pleasant climate.
Furthermore, there are only a few pedestrian zones.
B. Top 10 Best Things to Do in New York City in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)
In total, we counted more than one hundred sights in New York City. The following sights and attractions contribute to an extremely high score of 7.90/10 in this category:
# Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) 9
With ease one of the supreme museums in the world "the Met" houses more than two million works of art from all over the globe.
As unmissable highlights, we recommend the fantastic collection of European Paintings and the extensive Egyptian art holdings including the Temple of Dendur from 10 BCE.
This is our selection of the fifteen best paintings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
(Click on images to open in lightbox)
1) The Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David (1787)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) View of Toledo, El Greco (Doménikos Theotokopoulos) (1596–1600)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) The Musicians, Caravaggio (1595)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Opening of the Fifth Seal, El Greco (Doménikos Theotokopoulos) (1608–1614)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
5) The Fortune Teller, Georges de la Tour (1630)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) The Harvesters, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1565)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
7) The Card Players, Paul Cézanne (1890–1892)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
8) The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai (1829–1832)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
9) Washington Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (1851)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
10) Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych, Jan van Eyck (c. 1430–1440)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
11) Madame X, John Singer Sargent (1884)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
12) Portrait of Juan de Pareja, Diego Velázquez (1650)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
13) Portrait of Mademoiselle Charlotte du Val d'Ognes, Constance Marie Charpentier (1801)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
14) Portrait of a Carthusian, Petrus Christus (1446)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
15) Portrait of Tommaso Portinari and Portrait of Maria Portinari, Hans Memling (c. 1470)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
This is our selection of the six sculptures and other highlights of the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
(Click on images to open in lightbox)
1) The Temple of Dendur (c. 10 BCE) by Jean-Christophe Benoist / CC BY-SA 3.0 2) Hatshepsut Seated (1473 to 1458 BCE) by Metropolitan Museum of Art / CC 0 3) Diana, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (c. 1894) by Postdlf / CC BYCC BY-SA 3.0 4) Benin Ivory Mask, Iyoba, Nigeria (16th-century) by Jörg Bittner Unna / CC BY-SA 3.0 5) Sleeping Venus Italica, Antonio Canova (c. 1822–23) by Wikimedia, Antonio Canova / CC0 6) William the Hippopotamus, Egyptian faience (c. 1961–1878 BCE) by Wikimedia, Metropolitan Museum of Art / CC0
Art and Archaeological Museum Gallery Space: 58,820 m2 [633,100 ft2] | Galleries: 280 | Artworks on Display: ca. 250,000 | Established: 1872 | Visitors [2017]: 7,350,000
# Central Park 7
Situated in the heart of Manhattan, this immense (3.41 km2 [843 acres]) rectangular park, created in 1857, is one of the world’s most famous green spaces.
Highlights include Belvedere Castle with its wonderful views from the castle terrace, the Loeb Boathouse, several lakes, fountains, statues, and monuments (including an Egyptian Obelisk), gardens, and thirty bridges.
Park Land Area: 3.41 km2 / 843 acres | Created: 1857
# Top of the Rocks Observation Deck 7
Although not the tallest skyscraper in New York, the panoramic view from the three levels of the Top of the Rocks observation deck of the Rockefeller Center is the best New York has to offer.
Admire Central Park and the Empire State Building in all its glory from the three levels (covered an outside terrace) of the rooftop observation deck at 259 m.
Skyscraper Total Height: 259 m | Observation Deck Height: 259 m | View Type: Glass Windows and Outside Terraces (glass-free) | Completed: 1939
# Empire State Building 7
Constructed in only 13 months in distinctive Art Deco style, the Empire State Building held the title of the world's tallest building with a height of 448 m (observation deck at 369 m) for more than forty years from 1931 until 1972, when it was dethroned by the Twin Towers.
Due to extremely time-consuming lines, unreasonable amounts of visitors, and high-priced admission fees, we would rather advise appreciating this awe-inspiring building just from outside. The views from the "Top of the Rocks" and (to a lesser degree) from the One World Observatory are more enjoyable and include the spectacular Empire State Building itself.
Skyscraper Total Height: 448 m | Observation Deck Height: 369 m | View Type: Glass Windows and Outdoor (behind a large metal fence) | Completed: 1939 | ⚠️ Pre-booking advised
by Eric Kilby / CC BY-SA 2.0
# Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 7
This famous museum in Midtown Manhattan displays significant works of modern and contemporary art.
Among the highlights of the collection are masterpieces by Van Gogh (“Starry-Night”), Picasso (“Les Demoiselles d'Avignon”), Signac (“Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon”), Chagall (“I and the Village”) or Henri Rousseau (“The Sleeping Gypsy”).
This is our selection of the eight best paintings of the Museum of Modern Art:
1) Starry-Night, Vincent van Gogh (1889)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) The Sleeping Gypsy, Henri Rousseau (1897)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) I and the Village, Marc Chagall (1911)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Pablo Picasso (1907)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
5) Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon, Paul Signac (1890)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali (1931)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
7) Christina's World, Andrew Wyeth (1948)
8) The City Rises, Umberto Boccioni (1910)
Museum of Modern Art Gallery Space: 11,600 m2 / 125,000 ft2 | Opened: 1929 | Visitors [2017]: 2,752,719
# One World Trade Center 7
This iconic modern skyscraper, equally known as Freedom Tower, is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex, which opened in 2015.
The observation deck from the tallest building in the United States (541 m) offers outstanding views over Manhattan and the Upper Bay at 386 m, although only from the interior.
Skyscraper Total Height: 541 m | Observation Deck Height: 386 m | View Type: Glass Windows | Completed: 2015
by Hakilon / CC BY-SA 3.0
# STATUE OF LIBERTY 7
New York’s only World Heritage Site has been standing majestically on Liberty Island since 1886.
This iconic 93 m (305 ft) tall copper statue was a gift from the French government for the 100th anniversary of America's Independence. Tickets to visit the pedestal and especially the crown of the statue need to be reserved well in advance.
Statue 🌎 World Heritage Site: since 1984 | ⚠️ Pre-booking always required
by William Warby / CC BY-SA 2.0
# Times Square 6
Located in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City at the junction of Broadway and 7th Avenue, this mostly pedestrian square is famous for its giant TV screens, numerous Broadway theaters, cinemas, and electronic billboards.
For the best experience visit Times Square in the evening.
# Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 6
Opened in 1959, the best part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building itself, a landmark work of 20th-century architecture with its spectacular main gallery encircled by a four hundred meter (0.25 miles) long spiral ramp.
The interesting collection of the museum includes modern artworks from Kandinsky, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, and Modigliani.
This is our selection of the six best paintings of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum:
1) Composition VIII, Wassily Kandinsky (1923)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) Red Balloon, Paul Klee (1922)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) Paris Through the Window, Marc Chagall (1913)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Knight Errant, Oskar Kokoschka (1915)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
5) Jeanne Hébuterne with Yellow Sweater, Amedeo Modigliani (1918–1919)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) Woman with Yellow Hair, Pablo Picasso (1931)
Museum Gallery Space: 4,738 m2 / 51,000 ft2 | Artworks on Display: ca. 6,000 | Established: 1959 | Visitors [2016]: 953,925
(Click on images to open in lightbox)
# Frick Collection 6
Opened in 1935, this small museum houses the exceptional collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919) in an opulent Neoclassical-style mansion. The nineteen rooms surround a beautifully covered court with tropical plants and a small central pond.
Among the highlights of the museum are three paintings by Vermeer as well as outstanding works by Ingres, Renoir, and Titian.
This is our selection of the ten best paintings of the Frick Collection Museum:
1) Louise de Broglie, Countess d'Haussonville, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1845) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 2) Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap, Titian (1510) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 3) St. Francis in Ecstasy, Giovanni Bellini (1478) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 4) Mistress and Maid, Jan Vermeer (1667) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 5) Girl Interrupted at Her Music, Jan Vermeer (1658–1661) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 6) The Four Seasons (Spring), François Boucher (1755) 7) Mother and Children (La Promenade), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1875–76) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 8) Officer and Laughing Girl, Jan Vermeer (1657) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 9) Saint Jerome, El Greco (c. 1590–1600) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 10) Harmony in Pink and Grey (Portrait of Lady Meux), James McNeill Whistler (1881) by Wikimedia / Public Domain
Art Museum Gallery Space: 5,500 m2 / 60,000 ft2 | Galleries: 16 | Artworks on Display: ca. 1,400 | Established: 1935 | Visitors [2017]: 330,000
(Click on images to open in lightbox)
C. Other Notable Sights in New York City
#11 | Brooklyn Bridge 6
The Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883, is a historic steel-wire suspension bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, renowned for its Gothic-style design and engineering feats.
The bridge has a pedestrian walkway above the traffic lanes, offering stunning views of the city.
by Suiseiseki / CC BY-SA 3.0
#12 | National History Museum 6
The American Museum of Natural History in New York is a vast institution with millions of exhibits, renowned for its dinosaur halls, ocean life displays, and planetarium.
The museum's iconic architecture includes the Beaux-Arts façade facing Central Park West, designed by John Russell Pope.
by Breakyunit / CC BY-SA 3.0
#13 | Grand Central Terminal 5
Grand Central Terminal, a historic landmark in Midtown Manhattan, opened in 1913 and remains a crucial transportation hub for the Metro-North Railroad.
The terminal is renowned for its grand Beaux-Arts architecture and its iconic celestial ceiling in the Main Concourse.
by Metropolitan Transportation Authority/ CC BY-SA 3.0
#14 | Bronx Zoo 5
The Bronx Zoo, located in New York City, is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States.
Spanning 265 acres, it houses over 6,000 animals representing around 700 species. Notable exhibits include the Congo Gorilla Forest, the Butterfly Garden, and Tiger Mountain.
by worldcitiesranking.com / CC BY-SA 3.0
#15 | The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5
The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City commemorates the victims of the 2001 attacks with reflecting pools and a museum containing artifacts and exhibits.
Exhibits in the museum include pieces of the World Trade Center, personal items from victims, and multimedia displays that explore the impact and aftermath of the attacks.
by Dave Z / CC BY-SA 2.0
E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in New York City (including close-by excursions)
To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting New York City for at least three entire days: