Planning your first trip to New York City comes with plenty of questions. Where should you stay? How many days do you need? Is the subway as confusing as it looks? And how are you supposed to fit everything on your list into one trip?
The good news: you don't have to see it all. Plan around the things you absolutely don't want to miss, leave some room to wander, and get to know a few NYC basics before you arrive.
How Many Days Do You Need in New York City?
For a first visit, three to five days is a good place to start. That's enough time to see plenty of the classics without turning your vacation into a race across Manhattan. Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, a Broadway show and a trip downtown can easily fill a few days. Stay a little longer and you'll have time to explore neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chelsea or Brooklyn at a more leisurely pace.
Resist the urge to schedule every hour. Some of the best parts of New York tend to happen between whatever you originally planned.
Where to Stay in NYC for Your First Visit
Location can make a big difference in how you experience New York. For first-time visitors, Midtown Manhattan makes an especially convenient home base, with many major sights within walking distance and easy subway access to the rest of the city. The Moderne Hotel sits on West 55th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue, right between Times Square and Central Park. Broadway theaters, Carnegie Hall, Columbus Circle, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue and the Museum of Modern Art are all nearby. That means less time getting from place to place and more freedom to simply head out the door and explore.
Getting Around NYC: Walking, Subway & Taxis
New York is made for walking, and the subway will get you almost anywhere you can't comfortably reach on foot. The subway is easier than it looks, too. Simply tap into the system using OMNY with a contactless card, phone, smartwatch or OMNY card. In Manhattan, uptown generally means north and downtown means south. Keep an eye out for local versus express trains, and check for service changes before traveling on nights or weekends.
For shorter distances, walk whenever you can. It's often the quickest option and one of the best ways to discover the coffee shops, restaurants, architecture and little corners of the city you weren't looking for. And when your feet have had enough? There's always a yellow cab.
What Should You Book in Advance in NYC?
You don't need to plan every minute, but if there's something you'd be genuinely disappointed to miss, book ahead. Popular Broadway shows, observation decks, special museum exhibitions and sought-after restaurants can fill up, particularly on weekends. Get your must-dos on the calendar, then leave the rest of your itinerary flexible.
The same goes for dining. Make reservations for restaurants you have your heart set on, but leave room for a morning bagel, a quick slice or somewhere you discover while exploring. Guests at the Moderne will also find plenty of restaurants and bars around Midtown and Hell's Kitchen, including several offering exclusive hotel guest perks.
Is Times Square Worth Visiting?
Absolutely, especially on your first trip to New York. Times Square is one of the city's most recognizable destinations, and seeing its famous lights and billboards in person is a quintessential NYC experience. Visit after dark to see it at its best, then take advantage of its central location to explore more of Midtown. Broadway theaters are all around you, while Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, MoMA, Carnegie Hall and Central Park are all within easy reach.
The Best NYC Neighborhoods to Explore Beyond Midtown
Midtown is a great home base, but don't let it be the only part of New York you see. Spend an afternoon wandering Greenwich Village and SoHo, walk the High Line through Chelsea, head downtown to Lower Manhattan or cross the Brooklyn Bridge to explore DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights. Rather than trying to check five neighborhoods off your list in one day, pick one or two and give yourself time to wander. New York can feel completely different just a few subway stops away.
NYC Tips Every First-Time Visitor Should Know
A few unwritten rules will make navigating New York a little easier. If you need to check your phone, step to the side of the sidewalk rather than stopping in the middle. Let people off the subway before you get on, and look both ways before crossing, even on a one-way street. And if every subway car is packed except for one mysteriously empty car, there's probably a reason..
Beyond that, don't worry too much about looking like a tourist. Everyone has been new to New York at some point, and there's nothing wrong with stopping for a photo, asking for directions or taking your time to figure out where you're going.
Make Your First New York Trip Your Own
There's no single right way to see New York, and no first trip is going to cover everything. Make time for the landmarks and experiences that brought you here, whether that's Central Park, a Broadway show, Times Square or a favorite museum, but don't feel like you need to check everything off a list. Leave some room for the things you didn't plan, too. An unexpectedly great meal, an afternoon spent wandering a neighborhood or a place you stumble across on the way somewhere else can easily become a favorite part of the trip.
With the Moderne Hotel as your Midtown home base, many of New York's classics are within walking distance, with easy connections to explore the rest of the city. And whatever you don't get to this time gives you a reason to come back.
