How To Spend A Weekend in New York City

Two days may not seem like a lot of time to explore NYC, but in the City That Never Sleeps, you’d be surprised at what you can fit into a single weekend.

Day One

Start your first day in the Big Apple in trendy Greenwich Village. This leafy neighbourhood is full of uber-cool coffee shops where you can grab a quick breakfast. Try Think Coffee for affordable Fair Trade brew paired with a breakfast pastry, oatmeal, bagel, or parfait. After breakfast, strap on some walking shoes and head south to Battery Park, passing through Nolita, Little Italy, and Chinatown along the way. The walk should take about an hour.

Take a ferry from Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty, one of the most iconic symbols of the United States. After you’re done here, take the ferry back to Manhattan. Grab some lunch and catch the subway to Midtown where you’ll find yourself at the most famous intersection in the world – Times Square! Enjoy the sightseeing here and in nearby Rockefeller Centre and Radio City Music Hall. If you’re still up for it, visit the Museum of Modern Art.

After an exceedingly busy day, enjoy dinner at Del Frisco’s Steakhouse; is located within Rockefeller Centre. The well rated eatery oozes NYC sophistication and offers everything you’d expect from a traditional American steakhouse. After dinner if you’re still standing why not catch a show on Broadway? If tickets are too expensive, go to an off-Broadway or improve show for great entertainment at a more affordable price!

Day Two

Start day two at Sarabeth’s on glamorous Madison Avenue. The contemporary American restaurant has a brunch that is wildly popular and is the perfect way to start your day. After brunch, walk a block or two up to Central Park. There’s plenty to see within the park, so just take a leisurely stroll and see what piques yours interest. After some time in the park, make it a point to visit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Art lovers will certainly also want to visit the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art.

After a few hours of cultural enrichment, it’s time for some retail therapy! Luckily you’re in the right place. Fifth Avenue and all its famous luxury shops is just a short walk from the museums bordering Central Park. A lot of visitors come to Fifth Avenue just for the window shopping, but there’s nothing wrong with splurging every now and again. Of all the famous retailers who claim flagship stores on Fifth Avenue, none are more New York than Bergdorf Goodman. Bergdorfs, as it’s known to locals, is the last of the great New York department stores to stay exclusively in the city.

Once your shopping spree is complete, head down Fifth Avenue towards midtown until you reach the iconic Empire State Building. Perched 1,250 feet above the street, the view from the observation deck is unparalleled. If you time your visit around dusk, you can capture an image of a sparkling Manhattan skyline against the setting sun. There are numerous restaurants in this area to choose from for dinner. After dinner, take the subway or a taxi to the Meatpacking District to party away your last night in NYC!

The key to getting most out of a short trip to the Big Apple is to keep things varied. NYC is a very dynamic city, so don’t fill your itinerary with solely tourist activities. Make it a point to walk the streets, and take detours into different neighbourhoods to see what you can find. There are some good deals on flights at this time of the year, so why not take the plunge and make a trip to New York City!