You finally have the opportunity to visit New York. But there’s a catch: you only have one day.
You won’t be able to do it all, it would take years. But with the right program, a one-day visit can be a fantastic introduction to New York City (NYC).
To make the most of your day, it’s a good idea to focus on the borough of Manhattan. Although each of the 5 boroughs of NYC has its own personality and a multitude of things to see and do, Manhattan is centrally located and many of the sights are close together. Near the itinerary we suggest, you will find activities that are not to be missed. We want you to enjoy every minute of your day.
In the morning
Rockefeller Center
Start your tour at Rockefeller Center, a famous NYC landmark even for those who have never been to the city – it is constantly featured on American TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Today or during specials like the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. If you get there early enough, you can stand outside the Today Studio windows and take an amazing photo to show your friends back home. It’s a perfect way to start your whirlwind tour of Manhattan and capture the moment.
After your morning show, take the Top of the Rock lift to its panoramic terraces. This space opens at 8am and you’ll avoid the crowds if you get there at breakfast time, or late in the evening, as the doors close at midnight and the last lift goes up at 11pm. The terrace offers one of the best views of New York’s legendary skyline and skyscrapers; there are over 100 buildings over 150 metres tall, not to mention the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of the United States. Once you get back down the street, you’re only three blocks from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Here you will see one of the finest collections of contemporary art, including paintings, sculpture, film and live art.
Central Park
Then go to Central Park, a huge park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. It is a green oasis in the heart of the city and perhaps the most famous public park in the world. Its 3.4 km² of beautifully landscaped grounds include meadows, water features, 36 bridges and arches, about 20,000 trees, 93 km of walking trails, and every kind of outdoor entertainment imaginable: picnics, skating, concerts, baseball, lawn bowling, hiking and more.
This is a site that all visitors to NYC must see.
In the afternoon
Mile Museum
The Miles Museum is located on the east side of Central Park. It can house more culture per square meter than any other place in the world. Your time limit means you won’t have the opportunity to explore all eight museums on this stretch of Upper Street Fifth Avenue. Nevertheless, you must visit at least one to appreciate the incomparable value of the art collection the city possesses. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on 82nd East Street, you can see temporary exhibitions and the museum’s permanent collection, which consists of more than 2 million works of art spanning human history.
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum features many modern and contemporary masterpieces, including the building itself, as it was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Finally, the Museo del Barrio, on 104th East Street, is a showcase of Caribbean, Latin American and Latin American art. (Note that the Upper West Side neighborhood offers a plethora of interesting options, including the American Museum of Natural History, which will excite children, and the New York Historical Society, the oldest museum in the city.)
Underground ride and Lower Manhattan
Then take part in a remarkable New York experience: an underground ride.
Take the underground train closest to downtown, traveling the same way New Yorkers do. Find the stop closest to City Hall, which is one or two stops from Canal Street, depending on the underground line. You’ll see a structure with beautiful architecture; it’s one of the oldest civic buildings in the nation still in use. From City Hall, look east to see the Brooklyn Bridge; over 125 years old, it remains an architectural marvel.
Then stop at Federal Hall National Memorial, the site where George Washington was officially named the first President of the United States and where the Bill of Rights is located. The original building was destroyed in 1812; the current building was a Customs House that was built in 1842. A few blocks west, you can visit the 9/11 Memorial, with its twin ponds that follow the original layout of the World Trade Center towers, and the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which chronicles the events of the 9/11 attacks. Adjacent to the site, the new One World Trade Center stands at a height of 540 metres, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Your last stop is the National Museum of the American Indian housed in the historic Alexander Hamilton Customs House, where you can learn about the culture and history of the first native peoples of the Americas.
In the evening
Harlem
The last, but certainly not the least interesting, stop on your NYC day trip will take you to residential Harlem, one of the city’s most important neighbourhoods and a world capital of African-American history and culture. If you arrive a little early, enter the Harlem Museum Studio; it is open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays and closes at 6pm on weekends. The museum features black artists from the US and around the world.
Settle in to one of Harlem’s emerging art venues. The Apollo Theatre’s Amateur Night (every Wednesday at 7.30pm) is a long-standing institution. It has hosted stars such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Harlem is also home to many restaurants serving delicious food, which will do you a world of good after your whirlwind day trip to NYC. We recommend the famous Red Rooster Harlem where chef Marcus Samuelsson works and which Cecil Esquire magazine named America’s best restaurant in 2014.
Come back soon!
If you’re staying a little longer, be sure to check out our article on Visit New York in 3 days or Visit New York in 5 days.
