We’re excited to feature Jeffrey Tanenhaus as today’s guest writer. Jeffrey brings New York City’s attractions to life as a double-decker bus guide.
He’s also the author of the best-selling New York City Essential Guide, available in Apple’s App Store. (Scroll down for a free download of the guide).
We met Jeffrey this summer at a travel tweetup in Manhattan. A few days later, we were delighted to run into him on the street while he was leading a tour of the Bowery. Read on for Jeffrey’s top tips for those who are new to town.
Top 5 NYC travel tips
#1. Look like a local
Nobody wants to stand out as a tourist, and fortunately you don’t have to. The city is so diverse that it’s easy to blend in as long as you avoid common missteps. First, don’t navigate with the free subway map. Unfolding it will instantly blow your cover. So will shopping bags from M&M’s World, Abercrombie & Fitch and Forever 21.
New Yorkers love to take pictures, so a fancy camera won’t draw undue attention. But standing in the middle of the sidewalk forces locals to break their stride. If you need to stop for a picture, pull over to the side and let the foot traffic zoom by.
Finally, please don’t ever say “the Big Apple.” The moniker – whose origin requires a three-part explanation – is acceptable in written form, but play it safe and call it “the City.”
#2. Take small bites
You can’t see it all your first time, or even your first lifetime. Rushing around to check off a dozen famous sites in two days will leave you exhausted and unsatisfied. Consider exploring fewer areas in depth. A walking tour is the best way to see the city. Dozens of operators are reviewed on TripAdvisor, including those specializing in neighborhoods, food or TV/film locations. Comfortable shoes should be a priority on any packing list.
#3. Venture underground
“How many of you have used our subway?” I ask that every tour, and at most 20% of hands go up. A double-decker is great to get the lay of the land, but the bus won’t take you everywhere. The subway can, and an unlimited 7-day pass is only $29. Weekday ridership tops 5 million, and with an average of six crimes reported per day, the system is considered safe even at night.
#4. Leave Manhattan
Postcard-perfect skyline views await just one subway stop from Manhattan. Two waterfront favorites: Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens and Brooklyn Bridge Park are green reincarnations of industrial areas.
#5. Don’t eat in Times Square
The most frequent question after my tour is where to eat nearby. Locals already know to avoid Times Square traps. Passable options include Carmine’s for family-style Italian and Junior’s for cheesecake. Stage Deli and Carnegie Deli are New York traditions since the 1930s, but head to Hell’s Kitchen (a neighborhood, not a devilish restaurant) along Ninth Avenue for affordable, diverse cuisine beyond the glow of chain restaurants.
Bonus tip: Go digital!
In the city that never sleeps, paper guidebooks can’t keep current. It seems that 1 out of 4 New Yorkers has an iPhone. Smartphone apps make trip planning and city navigation easier, especially underground.
I rely on two free transit apps. For quick reference, KickMap Lite makes the I’m-not-from-around-here jumbo paper version obsolete. NYC Mate goes a step further to provide service alerts, bus routes and inaccurate train arrival times – but at least you can verify which lines are operating from a given station and the frequency of trains.
Lonely Planet, Frommer’s and Fodor’s have digital apps that cost less than their printed counterparts.
Independent guides also exist, ranging from free to $5.99. However, those on the lower end often siphon content from Wikipedia, which is not the best resource for concise and current reviews.
An informative app will keep you in the know and, best of all, looking local.
Exclusive discount
Jeffrey is offering special promotion for readers of Downtown Traveler. The first ten people who contact him will receive promo codes for FREE downloads of the New York City Essential Guide, which works on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
To get your free code, write to jeffrey [AT] essential-nyc.com or contact him through the website www.essential-nyc.com.
Follow Jeffrey on Twitter (@essentialNYC) for more New York City travel tips.
Learn from local and pro! 🙂 Great. Tweetup truely brings you some great meetings! 🙂 Can’t wait for out tweetup! Woot woot!
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Thanks Juno! I would love to meet up in South Korea or NYC. I feel like I know you so well from Twitter and your blog 🙂
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great tips! now all that’s left is to book a flight over;)
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Wow, this is awesome! This is going to shock you but I have never been to NYC! I follow some of these tips whenever I travel (taking the subway/metro, getting away from the tourist areas, look like a local) but for NYC these are really very good. Love the free download as well!
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Thanks Jeremy! Now that you have these insider tips, I hope you make it out to NYC. I see a tweetup in our future 😉
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Great article I have been to both Carmine’s (their food is amazing- very big proportions!) and Junior’s for cheesecake (best cheesecake ever!- one time we bought a whole cake just to eat at home). Junior’s is right next to the Lion King (which is where we went after we saw an amazing broadway play)!
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hermoso y glorioso new york
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Si, New York es una ciudad halucinante!
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Great tips and guest post. haha I kind of agree don’t eat at Time Square, not that it has bad food. There are a lot great restaurant besides Time Square and less expensive. True*
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If I dress in tights with a pair of athletic shorts over them will I look like a local or a tourist?
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Yeah, I’d skip that look in NYC! Although it’s not to different from a bike messenger’s wardrobe…
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Great advice! Especially the whole don’t look like a local thing.
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When I was in high school, we used to walk around gawking at the tall buildings and trying to look like tourists. That was then, this is now,
One thing I would advise visitors to do is WALK. NY is a great walking city from the Battery to the north end of Central Park. It’s especially wonderful on a late spring Sunday. There are so many distinct neighborhoods and each has its own character.
Also, the museums are a must and I think Ellis Island should be on everyone’s list.
If you have to leave Manhattan, I’d take in the view from the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights and ride the Staten Island Ferry. Personally, if I had a short time in the city, I’d spend it in Manhattan. Don’t miss the quaint streets of the West Village. And, explore the wonderful ethnic restaurants that are in enclaves all over. From Chinatown to Little Italy to Washington Heights.
I just made myself nostalgic for NY and I haven’t been for years.
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Great tips for Manhattan visitors! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Also, can’t forget that mistake so many tourists make: Houston Street is pronounced HOWsten, not like the city in Texas.
I would also suggest that visitors to NYC visit Union Square. It’s got great character and hosts local artists selling their wares and a wonderful farmers market.
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Thanks Aaron! Excellent tip. Union Square is a great place to meet local artists and buy inexpensive artwork.
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Thanks – good tips. They come very handy, I’m flying to New York in less than 2 weeks!
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Let me know when you are in town! I’d love to meet up 🙂
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Great info Leslie! Though you won’t catch me near a double-decker bus in any city, Jeffrey provides some valuable tips here! I completely agree with him about looking elsewhere to eat besides Times Square! Those places tend to be overpriced, crowded & rife with poor service and food! It reminds of Fisherman’s Wharf here in San Francisco and how I don’t even venture to that part of the city with out-of-towners. Nice post again! Hope you guys are finally thawing out of that brutal cold! 🙂
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Yeah, I’m always perplexed by tourists who eat at the theme restaurants in Times Square when there are local restaurants a block away. If travelers listen to Jeff they won’t make this mistake again! 😉
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All useful tips – seeing as my daughter and I are flying out from Australia to NY on the 18th May – very handy (gonna be hard NOT to look like a tourist tho).
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Have fun in NYC! Summer is a great time to visit– there are lots of free cultural events in the parks.
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Thanks for this great info on New York City! Appreciated! And may I ask about the hospitality?
I am a South African blogger visting NYC mid June 2011. Any New York Bloggers care to meet up with me, show me some of the City, and shoot the breeze?
My email address is stevenjonesltd@gmail.com
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There are many NYC travel bloggers and no shortage of tweetups and events! Shoot me a tweet when you come to the city. I’m @LeslieTravel on Twitter 🙂
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Fantastic overview of “the City” my friend! Love the “take small bites” of the big Apple!! This article brought back wonderful memories when NYC was in my backyard!
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Thanks! There’s so much to see and do in NYC– especially beyond the tourist path 🙂
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Great tips….the only way we navigate any city is by subway, and I’m sure to use an iPhone app for my map:)
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Headed to NYC in July with my daughter. Can’t wait–her first time there. Thanks for the tips!
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Glad you found them helpful! There’s so much to see in NYC– I’m sure you will have a wonderful time 🙂
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Really nice tips for New York tour. I find this post quite interesting. Thanks for sharing…!! 🙂
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