How to spend 2 days in New York - itinerary and honest review

I know that two days in New York may sound short, but you can see the main sights in that time and you don't have to keep up a fast pace. Most of the attractions are relatively close together, and the city's extensive subway system makes it easy to get around.

The itinerary below is for two full days. We visited New York as part of a road trip. We arrived in the city by train from Philadelphia at 10:30am on the first day and left for our next stop after breakfast on the third day, for a total of two nights. Except for the Statue of Liberty and Chinatown, we saw everything we wanted to see. By the way, New York is a real metropolis, much bigger than any other city in Europe, so you quickly get saturated with the hustle and bustle.

2-Day Itinerary

• Day 1: Park, Greenwich Village, Rockefeller Center, Times Square
• Day 2: Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, iconic buildings walk.

Snapshots from New York - Photo gallery, click on image to enlarge

Things to see and do in New York

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge over the East River is perhaps one of the most photographed places in New York. The bridge has its own pedestrian walkway that crosses over the vehicular traffic. Walk across and get a bird's eye view of Manhattan, the East River, the Statue of Liberty and downtown Brooklyn. It's worth crossing the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan for a better view. On the Brooklyn side, there are several subway lines near the bridge, but you have to walk about 600-900 meters from each one to the bridge. The pedestrian walkway (Brooklyn side) starts at the intersection of Tillary Street and Boerum Place. You can also access it from the Washington Street underpass.

Picnic and cycling in Central Park

Central Park is an 843-acre (3.41 km²) green space in the heart of Manhattan, between the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side. If you're looking for some peace and quiet after the crowded streets, this is the place to be. There are more lively, bustling parts, but there is also a chance to find more secluded corners. You can time your sightseeing to include lunch in the park.

The size of the park makes it worth renting a bike to get around, otherwise you can spend a day wandering around. We used the Citibike app to rent a bike. There are storage facilities in several locations around the city where we can pick up our bikes. A regular bike is $4.49 for 30 minutes and an ebike is $12. We picked it up at the MET and dropped it off at the Plaza Hotel, a trip that took about 30 minutes. I would not recommend biking outside the park due to the heavy traffic.

High Line Park

The 2.3 km long park is located on the west side of Manhattan. It is unique in that it runs above street level and was built on the site of the former West Side Line subway, with many of the old tracks remaining. The park extends from the intersection of West 14th Street and Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street. If not all of it, be sure to walk a short section. It's worth combining it with a stroll through the charming streets of Greenwich Village, as that's roughly where the High Line starts. The park's green and bench-lined walkway offers a great view of the city streets and the Hudson River.

Skyscrapers and views

TDid you know that more than 100 buildings in New York are over 600 feet (183 meters) tall? If you want to see the city and its iconic buildings from above and don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a helicopter ride, the observation decks at the top of the skyscrapers are a great alternative. There are several observation decks to choose from:

• One World Observatory: The observation deck at the top of One World Trade Center is the tallest in New York, but it's located in the lower Manhattan business district, so it's quite far from other attractions.
  
• The Edge: a special feature is the glass floor, where you can see what's under your feet, or rather what's not, from a height of 100 metres. It also has the advantage of being less crowded than the others. The disadvantage is that you don't have as good a view of the Empire State Building.
  
• Summit One Vanderbilt: a true Instagram spot. It's not just a lookout, but also a work of art. The mirror installation gives the place a really special atmosphere. The downside is that there's no open part, you can only look down from an enclosed space, and it's very crowded.
  
• Empire State Building: It is the most iconic building in New York and until 1972 was the tallest building in the world. Built in a beautiful Art Deco style, the lobby is definitely worth a visit. The only problem with choosing this one is that you can't see the Empire State Building from the top, even though it completes the skyline of New York.
  
• The Top of the Rock: This is the lowest of the lookouts on the list, but it has the best location. From the top, you have a great view of both the Empire State Building and Central Park. And from a distance, this building doesn't add much to the New York skyline, so you can see all the iconic skyscrapers.

We chose the Top of the Rock at the top of Rockefeller Center and we don't regret it. The view from here was beautiful. I think the pictures speak for themselves. I recommend you also to get a sunset ticket so you can watch the sunset from here and if you wait, the evening lights too. There is no time limit, so you can stay as long as you like. We spent a good 2-3 hours here, we were so captivated by the view.

You should purchase your ticket in advance for the observation deck of your choice! You can do this by following the links below:

Gastro adventures

In New York, you'll find a place to eat in every square metre of the city, with little exaggeration. Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, pastry shops and street vendors abound. Don't miss the bagels, hot dogs, pastrami sandwiches and New York pizza. For Chinese food, visit China Town or Little Italy for Italian food. You can also take a guided gastronomy tour, where you can combine sightseeing with local food.

And now it's time for my honest and not very positive opinion of New York.

New York is the kind of city everyone should visit at some point in their lives. But while the rest of America is really like in the movies, the atmosphere in New York is nothing like the romances. The only movie that can be compared to the streets and the people who hang out there is Men in Black. A lot of the characters really seem like they are not from this planet, and not in a good way. The streets are full of garbage, drug addicts, homeless people and crazy people.

Everyone associates America as the land of opportunity, but it goes both ways. There is the opportunity to go very high and there is the opportunity to go very low. This dichotomy is very apparent in New York. Even though everyone is very nice and friendly in the country, there is no sign of that in the big cities. You just step over the people on the ground. The lack of a social safety net has sunk a large part of society to a depth from which it is difficult to come back. We only moved within Manhattan, we didn't visit the ghettos (and I warn everyone not to), but even here I had a feeling of fear on the streets in many places that I had never experienced before. And not only at night, but also in broad daylight. And this feeling is not helped by the thick smell of marijuana on the streets due to its legal use, the uncontrolled gun ownership, and the tinted front windows of cars.

The other problem with New York is that it's very expensive. Lodging, transportation and programs. For example, a subway ticket costs $3, and the more normal accommodations in Manhattan cost about 150 $ per night. This is not surprising, considering that it's one of the most expensive cities in the world.

I will always remember New York, but not only in a positive way. Honestly, those two days were enough for me. I don't want to discourage anyone from visiting New York, because it is worth seeing at least once in your life, but I recommend combining it with other attractions. The small towns in the countryside, the incomparable nature and the other big cities in the area will give your trip a completely different feel. And they'll give you a more complete picture of America.

To see more of my travels follow my Instagram and Tiktok account.

Safe travels!

Heni

Accommodation

We stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott New York Manhattan/Times Square It is in a great location, close to the subway and within walking distance of many attractions. And the view from the room is very spectacular. I always use booking.com when booking. You can find more accommodation at the link below:

More programmes

If you have more days available, it's worth visiting the Statue of Liberty a little further out of town. You can also enjoy a helicopter ride over the city or a cruise on the East River.