Thither

The Essential NYC Bucket List for First Timers (Plus a Printable Checklist!)

Thither Staff

As a local, when someone comes to visit and asks what to do, this is the list I give them if it’s their first time visiting. The first 18 items on this list are things you should try your best to do with the amount of time you have. And if you’re here for a little longer, I’ve included an extended New York City bucket list so you can try to get to those things too.

For your absolute first time in New York City, here is the essential New York City bucket list for first timers. And don’t miss a printable checklist at the end so you can cross off things you’ve done as you experience them.  

18 Essential Things to Do in New York City for First Timers 

Choose a museum on the Museum Mile

The Museum Mile consists of the museums lining Fifth Avenue from 82 to 110th Streets. This includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Galerie, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, The Jewish Museum, Museum of the City of New York and  El Museo del Barrio. Each museum has something different to offer so choose to visit one according to your interest. I recommend the Metropolitan Museum of Art for first time visitors.

Read More: A Guide to the Best FREE (or Almost Free) Museums in NYC

Stroll through Central Park

No trip to New York City is complete with a stroll through Central Park. The park takes up a good portion of Manhattan from 59th Street to 110th Street and between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West. There is so much to do and see in the park. For first timer visitors to New York City, don’t miss Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, considered the heart of the park and a famous movie filming location. Other points of interest are Belvedere Castle, Strawberry Fields, Loeb Boathouse and dining at Tavern on the Green. 

See dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History

One of the most popular exhibitions at the American Museum of Natural History are the dinosaurs. The museum houses around 100 dinosaur specimens including a tyrannosaurus rex, allosaurus and stegosaurus. Other highlights at the museum are a giant sequoia tree, one of the most complete skeletons from millions of years ago named Lucy and a Rapa Nui (Easter Island) statue. This was also the museum that the Night at the Museum movies are based on. Tip: According to the museum’s website, you can pay what you wish for admission, which is available only at the ticket counter. 

Take in the lights at Times Square

As a local, I avoid Times Square whenever possible. But I make an exception when visitors come (or when I absolutely cannot avoid it!) It’s very, very crowded and busy. But that’s what makes Times Square worth visiting for a first time visitor to New York City. The lights from advertisements are on all day, but it’s worth visiting at night to feel the energy and excitement from people coming from all over the world. Make sure you get to the red steps by the TKTS booth which is where to get the best street level view of Times Square in my opinion. 

See a Broadway show  

If you’re into musicals, you absolutely cannot leave New York City without seeing a Broadway show. See a Broadway classic like The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera or Wicked or go to one catered to your interests. Purchase a ticket in advance or if you’re feeling lucky, you can enter into a lottery for shows on the day you enter. You’ll just need to pay around $10 to $49 depending on the show. See Broadway Direct to enter and test your luck. 

Go to the Top of the Rock or The Empire State Building

Experience New York City from above at either the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center or from the Empire State Building. Both offer views of Manhattan and beyond and are best visited during sunset to see the sun magically set across the city. If you’re debating whether to visit the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building, or both (or One World Observatory… we have lots of options!), check out my full review about each of the views. In a nutshell, I recommend going to the Top of the Rock because you can see the Empire State Building.

Read More: Which is the Best View of NYC? 

Take a photo in front of the Flatiron Building

One of my favorite buildings in NYC is at the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the Flatiron Building. It was built in 1902 and has been an iconic building of the city ever since. It’s a unique triangular building that makes for a great photo opportunity. Stand directly in front of the building or in front of the entrance of Eataly for a photo. Or walk into Madison Square Park to see the building from the side. Either way, you’ll want to have your camera ready. 

Stop by Rockefeller Center

If you’ve chosen to view New York City from the Top of the Rock, you would have visited one of the main attractions at Rockefeller Center. Besides being the location of the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Rockefeller Center also has plenty of shops, restaurants and nearby Radio City Music Hall, home of the Rockettes. It’s also home to NBC Studios, which you can tour and where Saturday Night Live is filmed. 

Explore the West Village

The West Village is in my opinion, the most photogenic neighborhood in New York City and there is so much to do. You can’t miss a walk through and people watching at Washington Square Park and seeing Washington Square Arch. The neighborhood is also home to several beautiful townhouses with stoops, many of which were used for filming TV shoes and movies, including Sex and the City and Friends. I can’t list everything you can do at the West Village here, so I’ve written a Self-Guided Tour of the West Village that you can follow to see as much as possible.

Read More: Things to Do in the West Village: A Self-Guided Tour

Remember at 9/11 Memorial

Ask any New Yorker and they’ll be able to tell you exactly where they were what they were doing on September 11, 2001. The 9/11 Memorial is a must visit to honor and remember those who were killed in the attacks. Two pools that sit on the former World Trade Center complex are surrounded by the names of each person who lost their lives. Pay your respects then visit the 9/11 Museum to learn about the history of 9/11 through stories, artifacts and interactive technology.

Walk on Wall Street 

The Financial District is where New York City started. So it’s here at the southern tip of Manhattan that you can find the oldest streets and a ton of history. Be sure to walk on Wall Street, which is home to the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall, where the American government was started before ultimately moving to Washington DC. Nearby in the area is the iconic Charging Bull statue. There’s way more that you should see while in the Financial District and Lower Manhattan so I’ve written a self-guided walking tour that you can follow so you won’t miss seeing some of the best spots around the neighborhood.

Read More: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lower Manhattan 

Eat a New York bagel 

You’ll find bagels all over New York City from random food carts to established joints that have been around forever. My personal favorite place for bagels is Ess a Bagel. I always see lines forming in the morning at their Third Avenue location, so it’s worth trying. (Their pumpernickel bagel with a quarter pound of lox cream cheese is my go to.) Other places worth trying bagels from are Black Seed Bagels, Murray’s Bagels and for a unique option, The Bagel Store in Brooklyn is the original maker of rainbow bagels. 

Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island 

Another iconic landmark and worth a visit for first time visitors to New York City is the Statue of Liberty. This statue was a gift from France to the United States in 1886. You can take a ferry to the pedestal of the statue and pay an extra fee for climbing up to the crown. Or you can also get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty while walking along the waterfront at Battery Park in the Financial District or taking the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry to the Statue of Liberty can also take you to Ellis Island, where over 12 million immigrants passed through before entering New York City. 

Eat New York pizza

Some say New York has the best pizza in the world. Have a slice and find out for yourself. There are countless places for pizza. One of my favorites is Sacco Pizza at 819 9th Ave. It’s a very small shop that you might have to wait to get a seat if you’re dining in. And another favorite pizza place with several locations around the city is Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. I may have been really hungry all the times that I’ve been, but I’ve found getting a dollar slice from any random storefront has also been really good.

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge 

New York City is made up of five boroughs. When visitors visit for the first time, they usually just visit Manhattan, where all of these essential bucket list items are located. If you have more time you should venture out to other boroughs, but for your first visit, just take a step into the borough of Brooklyn by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, which is about 1.1 miles long. You’ll also get a great view of Lower Manhattan from the bridge.

Walk The High Line 

Another walk to take is the length of the High Line. This 1.45 mile public park was built on an elevated rail structure, which was once used as a freight rail line on the West Side of Manhattan. See art installations as you walk along the path and take in the views where you can see across several avenues of Manhattan. The park also connects into Hudson Yards, the newest development in New York City worth a visit for shopping and The Vessel, a structure made out of 154 flights of stairs. 

Window shop along Fifth Avenue 

Fifth Avenue is home to several flagship stores of internationally recognized luxury brands, including Tiffany & Co, the Apple store, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Rolex and luxury department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Window shopping along Fifth Avenue is especially magical during the holidays when their windows are dressed up with lights and holiday decor.

Marvel at Grand Central Terminal 

Grand Central Terminal is a beautiful New York City landmark opened in 1913 that’s not just a transportation hub but also a market with several shops and places to eat. Look up while at the Main Concourse and see the constellations painted in gold leaf, information booth clock also at the Main Concourse and outside, the 14 feet in diameter Tiffany Clock and park Avenue Viaduct. Just while at the Main Concourse please don’t get in the way of commuters who are rushing to catch their trains. 

Read More: 7 Best Department Store Restaurants in NYC

If you have more time to spend in New York City, or don’t want to visit some of the above, you can switch out or add these other New York City bucket list items to your list:

Printable NYC Bucket List

Click here to download the NYC Bucket List.

More NYC Resources

//MY GOOGLE ADSENSE AMP SPECIFIC CODE - FOOTER