Guides
How New York actually works: getting around, what things cost, where to go for free, and a few arguments worth having.
Everything written on this site is free: every guide, every review, every self-guided tour.The only things we charge for are custom trip planning and in-person guided tours.
Seasons & events
The Best Time to Visit New York City
Late September to early November, and it is not close. What every month actually feels like, when hotels are cheapest, and the two weeks we would tell a friend to avoid.
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights 2026: How to Do It Right
The Dyker Heights lights go up around Thanksgiving and stay into early January. The best blocks, when to go, the subway, and how to be a good guest.
Macy's Balloon Inflation 2026: The Best Part of the Parade
The Macy's balloons are inflated Wednesday, November 25, 2026, around the Natural History Museum. Free, no tickets. The entrance, the hours, and tips.
NYC Christmas Markets 2026: Which to Go To, and When
NYC's four big holiday markets run on different dates. Bryant Park opens October 28, 2026. When the rest open, and which one is worth it.
Things to Do in NYC in December 2026
December 2026 in NYC: the tree lighting December 2, Hanukkah from December 4, the markets, windows, Dyker Heights lights and New Year's Eve.
Things to Do in NYC in November 2026
November 2026 opens with the marathon and peak fall color, and ends with the 100th Macy's parade. Every big date, what's worth your time, and the weather.
Things to Do in NYC in October 2026
October is New York's best month. Comic Con, Open House New York, the Halloween parade, the weather, and what has changed this year.
Times Square New Year's Eve 2026: What It's Really Like
The ball drops at midnight on Thursday, December 31, 2026. Free, with no tickets, no bathrooms and no re-entry. When to arrive, and better options.
Village Halloween Parade 2026: Where to Watch, and How to March
The 53rd Village Halloween Parade is Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 7pm on Sixth Avenue. The route, where to stand, and how to join it in costume for free.
NYC Marathon 2026: Where to Watch, and How to Actually See Your Runner
The 2026 NYC Marathon is Sunday, November 1. The best places to watch in each borough, when the leaders pass, and how to see one runner twice.
Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting 2026: How to Actually See It
Confirmed: the 2026 Rockefeller tree lighting is Wednesday, December 2, with the tree lit just before 10pm. It arrives Saturday, November 7. How to see it without the crowd.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026: Where to Actually Stand
The 100th parade is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Where the public can stand, when to arrive, the balloon inflation the night before, and if it is worth it.
NYC Fall Foliage 2026: When It Peaks and Where to Go
Peak fall color in NYC is forecast around November 1, 2026, the same day as the marathon. Where the best color is, and how to plan around the race.
NYC Holiday Windows: The Walking Route That Actually Works
The best free evening in New York in December: every major holiday window, the Saks light show and the tree, in one walk with no backtracking.
Getting around
JFK, LaGuardia and Newark: How to Actually Get into Manhattan
What each airport transfer really costs and takes, from the $11 train to the $115 cab, and the one person at every arrivals hall you should walk straight past.
The Staten Island Ferry Scam, and How to Walk Past It
The Staten Island Ferry is free, and nobody near it needs to sell you anything. How the Battery Park ticket hustle works, and how to walk past it.
Biking in NYC: Read the Safety Part First
How to ride in New York without getting hurt, which Citi Bike pass to buy, when the ebike is worth it, and the calm rides to start with.
The NYC Ferry Is the Best Cheap View in the City
A harbor cruise for the price of a ferry ticket. Which NYC Ferry routes have the best views, what a ride costs, and the one boat that's free.
The NYC Subway for First Timers
How to pay with OMNY, read the lines, survive express trains and weekend changes, and not be the person blocking the doors.
Museums
How Long Should You Spend at the Met?
Three hours is the right answer for most people. How to spend 90 minutes, three hours or a full day at the Met, and when to go.
Met vs MoMA: Which One Should You Actually Pick?
If you only have time for one, pick the Met. When MoMA is the better call, how the two compare, and the museums that might beat both.
Outdoors
East Village Community Gardens: When They're Open and What Each One Is For
Thirteen volunteer-run gardens tucked between East Village buildings. Which to visit, when each one is open, and the walk that links them.
Central Park: The Greatest Hits and the Deep Cuts
A half-day route through Central Park's famous south end, then the forest, waterfalls and history above 96th Street that most visitors never find.
Prospect Park: The Greatest Hits and the Deep Cuts
A half-day loop through Prospect Park's landmarks, then the waterfalls, forest and Revolutionary War battlefield that most visitors walk right past.
Citi Bike the Hudson Greenway: The Battery to the GWB (and Into the Bronx to Eat)
A full day on one bike path: twelve miles up Manhattan's west side, under the George Washington Bridge, and into the Bronx to eat.
NYC Beaches Are Underrated (And They're Free)
New York has real Atlantic beaches, and every one of them is free. Which to pick, how to get there by boat, and why the Jersey Shore charges for sand.
Free & cheap
NYC on a Budget: The City Is Cheaper Than It Looks
What a day in New York actually costs, and how to have a great one for very little: the free half of the city, and where to eat for under $15.
Free and Pay-What-You-Wish NYC Museums
Which New York museums are always free, when the big ones let you in for less, and the library card that gets you into the rest.
Food & shopping
NYC 7-Eleven Is Not the 7-Eleven You Know
Same sign, completely different store. Why New York's 7-Elevens disappoint anyone who knows the Tokyo version, and where to go instead.
NYC Grocery Stores Are Not European Grocery Stores
Bodegas, tiny supermarkets, taxed sandwiches and sweet bread. How grocery shopping in New York actually works, and where to shop for less.
City life
NYC Observation Decks Compared: Which One Is Actually Worth It?
Five decks, one answer: the Empire State Building, the only one in the middle of the island. When each of the others wins, and how not to overpay.
NYC on a Rainy Day: The City Is Better Wet
Do not rearrange your whole trip. Where to go when it pours, why every museum is a trap that day, and the one place New York is genuinely better in the rain.
3 Days in NYC: An Itinerary That Isn't Exhausting
Three days is enough to see New York properly if you stop crossing the city twice a day. One neighborhood per day, with the timing that dodges crowds.
First Time in NYC: What Nobody Tells You First
How New York works on a first visit: the subway, the money, the walking, the hustles, and which famous things are actually worth your time.
NYC With Kids: The Days That Actually Work
New York with children is easy if you plan around parks, bathrooms and nap times. What works by age, what to skip, and the best free days.
Where to Stay in NYC: Pick the Neighborhood First
The neighborhood matters more than the hotel. Which part of New York suits a first trip, a family, a couple or a budget, and the catch with each.
Where to Take Photos in NYC: The Low-Key Spots Locals Use
Almost every candid moment in New York is a photograph. For the landscape shots, these are the spots worth the trip, most of them free.
Is One Day in NYC Enough?
No, but one day is absolutely worth doing. How many days you really want, and a one-day plan that doesn't waste your time on trains.
Times Square: How to Actually Enjoy It
Where to sit, how to shut down every hustle, what never to buy, and when to go, so Times Square is your experience and not someone else's.
The NYC Public Bathroom Guide
New York is short on public toilets, so every New Yorker carries a mental map. Here's that map, ranked by how reliable each option is.
The big lists
Built from every place we have reviewed, and updated whenever we add one.