2 or 3 days in NYC- A Tutorial

Having just spent 4 days in New Orleans, I know a short-term trip in a totally unfamiliar city (especially one was complicated as NYC) can be daunting, because there is so much to see, and it's hard to A: Decide what to prioritize and B: figure out how to get everywhere quickly, when public transportation is the only way of getting around that makes sense (yes, you can take taxis/ Uber if you have the $, but for longer distances or crosstown during daytime, cars can take forever. Even rich people take the subway when in a rush!).

Therefore, below are some of my hints on what might make a short visit easier and help you hit the highlights without having a panic attack!

NYC BASIC: WTC, Brooklyn Bridge, 34th Street. Met. Museum, Empire State, Brooklyn Bridge

I probably have 4 different posts on this site about basic NYC directions and how-to-do-it-quicker hacks. But there seems to always be something new that comes up, so herewith a list of visitor-hacks for some popular NYC sights-to-see:

NYC Basic: Downtown NYC, including: WTC, Statue of Liberty views (west side of downtown tip of NYC), and South Street Seaport/ Brooklyn Bridge (east side of downtown tip of NYC)

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Downtown NYC (tip of NYC): To the west is the Hudson River, where the Statue of Liberty is. To the East is the East River where the South Street Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge is. 

The tip of Manhattan is not so wide across--you can usually walk from West to East in about 20 minutes or less. If you’re in good shape you can walk from the WTC/ Esplanade/ Statue of Liberty area east towards South Street Seaport and Brooklyn Bridge.

NYC BASIC: Statue of Liberty visit- or just the view

Before you begin-consider how much time you have: The estimated time for visiting both Liberty Island AND Ellis Island, including wait time for ferries, etc., is about 5 hours. For visiting just Liberty Island, including wait time for ferries: 3 hours. The actual ferry ride to Liberty Island is only 15 minutes--but the wait on line to get on ferry can be over two hours on a hot summer day. And if you have tickets for the Statue platform, crown etc., you will be spending pretty much all day just getting there, taking the tour, and coming back. So adjust time accordingly. Security is tight for inside the SOL and can take up even more time.Thus the 3 hours estimated time for visiting the SOL itself. 

I would say pretty much everyone who comes to NYC wants to see the Statue of Liberty. And rightfully so. After almost 40 years in NYC,  I still get goosebumps when I see it. But with popularity comes effort—and, as with the Empire State Building, it can take a long time to actually get into the physical location. You need to allow a great deal of time for actually visiting both these structures, because they are heavily visited (especially in summertime), and it takes a great deal of time to navigate the ferry access or the building access.

The fact is, if you are willing to forego actually being on Liberty Island, where the Statue is located, you can still enjoy the view of it from the water, and still get the joy and the photos--but you don't have to deal with the massive crowds and herding that are involved with getting in and around these two most heavily tourist-ed sights. 

Here is how to enjoy the SOL from both up-close and afar: 

River to River Festival- FREE music and more in downtown NYC

The River to River Festival takes place from June to August each year in various public downtown NYC spots--Chambers Street down to the Battery Park/South Street Seaport. They have a series of FREE events: concerts, ranging from opera to hip-hop; and other events, such as the Public School Dance Contest, special events for kids, etc. Here are a few interesting, free upcoming events (go to the website for full schedule):

• Movie Nights On The Elevated Acre: The Seven Year Itch -July 6 8PM-55 Water St. (Multiple nights for movies)

• EAT: World Financial Center Restaurant Showcase- July 9 -Winter Garden-11AM

• Seaport Music: Casiokids, The Wave Pictures and Slow Club-Aug 7 6PMCasiokids (Norwegian electro-troupe playing afro-beat, techno and out-and-out pop), The Wave Pictures (“sweetly, simply soporific”), and Slow Club (“UK’s answer to The White Stripes”)... FREE 6PM South Street Seaport Pier 17

• Richie Havens- Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock- July 23 7PM Castle Clinton National Monument, Battery Park / State Street and Battery Place / 212.835.2789Tickets will be distributed 2 per person outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00PM on the day of the show.

• Arlo Guthrie-Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock- July 30 7PM (see above for tickets and location)

• John Kelly Sings The Joni Mitchell Songbook: "Songs for a Shiny Hot Night" Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock- Aug 6 7PM Castle Clinton-tickets will be distributed 2 per person outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00pm on the day of the show. FREE. his is a HOT ticket.