New York, Whenever I visit a new city, I always want to know where are the most essential places you have to visit, So today, to help you out with New York City guide, I’m going to be sharing with you 12 things you have to do on your first trip to New York City. Let’s get to that list.

Eat A Slice Of Pizza

If there’s one thing New York City does better than anywhere in the world, it’s pizza. And you can’t say you’ve been in New York unless you’ve had at least one slice, but hopefully more.

New York has some of the best pizza in the world. It has different styles, flavors, and toppings that are all amazing. If you want classic Neapolitan, no problem. Get one of the three $5 pies from Castay. If you want cheap pizza, go to a place that sells pizza for $2 or less.

These places will give you a thin crust pizza with little to no toppings. Like my favorite Percys, this is only $1. Still shocks me. You honestly can’t go wrong with any of the famous places. But I still stand by my favorite slice in New York, the Nana Maria from Bleaker Street Pizza. I don’t care where you go, though, just eat at least one slice of pizza and you can thank me later.

Go To A Roof Top For the Best View Of The City

Skyscrapers are a fundamental part of the New York City experience and something that I think you need to get a closer look at.

One can only appreciate just how built up the Big Apple is from high above. And there are so many ways you can get this view. There are many great places to see the city from, but if you want the best view, I recommend Top of the Rock. I admit it’s touristy, and tickets start at $40, although you can find discount codes if you Google it. But the views up there are simply breathtaking.

And if you don’t mind spending the money, it’s well worth it. A runner-up won World Trades Observatory at $35. The view from up high gives you a sense of feeling like you own and control the city. However, it’s fully enclosed, which is why I put this as a runner-up to Top of the Rock. If money is an issue, you’ve got a few options.

You could go to a rooftop bar and order a beer or cocktail 230 Fifth has the best rooftop views for sure, and they allow children for Sunday brunch. Dear Irving is not too shabby either. If you’re on a budget and want to get up there, a cheap option is to take the tram to Roosevelt Island from Manhattan. Just swipe your Metro card and have quite an impressive view, I must say.

Walk The Brooklyn Bridge

You’re going to do a lot of walking in New York City, but this is one iconic walk that everybody’s got to try at least once.

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I encourage you to come early in the day to do this unless you like huge crowds, but there’s something special about walking slightly over 1 mile from Manhattan to Brooklyn. The views are fantastic, and the photo opportunities are endless. And when you get to the dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn on the other side, there’s plenty to do. This is definitely not something to skiff on your first trip.

Visit Times Square At Night

When you think of New York City, times Square literally may be the first image that comes to mind. Now, as a resident, I try to avoid the place at all costs. But if you’ve never visited before, you’ve got to go at least once. An extra credit to do it at night.

While most locals shudder at the thought of Times Square, there’s something so real about the bright lights and craziness of arguably New York City’s most famous destination. You’ve got to knock this out at least once.

If you’re a night owl, I recommend going right before midnight to see The Midnight Moment, the world’s largest digital art display, which most have never even heard of. When you’re visiting a place like this, it’s also important to just relax and enjoy the experience. And once you’ve done it, you really don’t need to come back unless you’re bringing some friends on your second trip.

Explore Central Park

It’s the most famous park in the world for a reason, and you could spend an entire day there. We’ll get started with that.

You’ve seen it in movies. Now it’s time to experience it in the flesh. But here are a few of my favorite things to do fishing in Harlem, total cost-free, or how about renting model sailboats? Don’t skip out on the Conservatory Garden. But from Strawberry Fields to having a picnic at Sheep’s Meadow, you could easily I repeat easily dedicate an entire day to Central Park and it would be a good thing.

Walk The Highline

It’s crowded, it’s touristy, but on your first trip to New York City, you’ve got a visit.

You’ve probably heard of it by now a one-and-a-half-mile elevated park almost hidden from the rest of Manhattan. While it’s crowded, I have no problem accompanying my friends who are visiting because it’s just so cool and the views are amazing. You could combine this with hopping around Chelsea Art Galleries on a Thursday night or visit Chelsea Market nearby and eat some delicious tacos at Los Tacos. Number one.

Wander Greenwich And West Village

I may be a little bit biased since I lived there, but walking around Greenwich and West Village in Manhattan to me, is a requirement.

I just love this part of Manhattan, which doesn’t give off that big city vibe at all. You’ll feel more like a local, and there are so many cute shops to pop into. There are many places to visit in the city! Have some coffee in Puerto Rico, relax in Washington Square Park and enjoy tons of live music.

This area also has some of the highest concentrations of pizza places in the world. If you like bookstores, three lives in Co gives off a really cozy vibe. But if you ask me, just wandering the West Village is about as relaxing as it gets in Manhattan, because there’s more than enough hectic to go around.

See The Statue Of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty may be the most famous icon of New York City, and there are a few ways that you can see it.

I’m honestly not going to tell you to spend your money to go on a crowded boat just to see the statue a little bit closer. I always tell people to take the free Staten Island ferry, sit on the right side, and get a pretty decent view from afar. But if this is on your bucket list, then you need to do it right. It cost just $21.50, and you can only get it from the National Park Service website.

The event is very popular, and it sells out quickly because it has only 500 tickets per day so, if you want to go, make sure to get your ticket early on. This is definitely one of the more unique things you could do in New York, and a photographer’s dream come true. In fact, save a ticket for me, because I’ve never even gotten inside.

Roam Grand Central Terminal

It’s not very common to suggest visiting a transit hub, but Grand Central Terminal is more than just a place to catch a train.

While nearly 1 million people walk through every day on their way to work, it’s also a popular attraction because of its architecture and history. We can start with admiring the world’s largest Tiffany clock on the exterior or looking at the Zodiac mural up above one of the city’s finest pieces of public art.

Here’s a fun one that has a cocktail from the Speakeasy s Campbell Bar, which is straight out of the Gilded Age. Talk to your friend on the other side at the Whispering Gallery and just wander around one of New York’s most famous landmarks. A little bonus tip the basement food court has some really great options, like Shake Shak and Magnolia Bakery.

Visit Museum

New York has not only some of the most famous museums in the world but also some of the most diverse options of them as well.

You could dedicate entire days just to visiting museums in the Big Apple. There are the really famous ones, and you should hit up at least one MOMA the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Natural History Museum.

Of course, if you want to go off the beaten path, there’s every type of museum imaginable, from City Reliquary, which houses all sorts of oddities in Brooklyn, to my personal favorite, the Transit Museum, where you can sit in old subway cars. But whatever your taste is, there’s a museum for you in New York.

Goto A Broadway Show

New York City has some of the best performers in the world living here, and you owe it to yourself to go to at least one show. I think that tickets can be expensive, but I think that it’s worth it to visit New York at least once.

If you want to save the most money, either visit one of the Tkts booths or use the app on your phone to see what shows have the biggest discounts. You could also buy directly from the app today ticks, which I highly recommend. But the performers are absolutely world-class, and going to a Broadway show is one of the highlights of many people’s trips.

Visit The 9 11 Memorial

To honor the history of New York City this is one memorial I’m going to recommend you pay your respects to. I admit visiting here is a sobering experience, but honoring the many men, women, firefighters, first responders, and police officers that gave their lives that day is, as far as I’m concerned, a requirement for visiting New York City. This is a beautiful Memorial. It has two really cool reflecting pools.

As an optional add-on, you can visit the Memorial Museum, located right next to the pools, to learn more about the tragic history of that day. You can visit the Tribute Museum to learn more about the 9/11 terrorist attacks or, you can take a guided tour with someone who lived through the experience and learns more about what happened on that day. I don’t think a trip to New York is complete without including at least one of these in your itinerary.