Statue of Liberty
The copper statue on Liberty Island, a gift from France in the 1880s, long seen as a symbol of welcome. Ferries from Manhattan or New Jersey take visitors across the harbor.
New York City
Among US cities, New York City gets the most overseas visitors, and it is known for Broadway, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square.
Attractive locations
Empire State Building
A 1930s Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan and one of the city's best-known landmarks. Observation decks near the top give wide views across the skyline.
Ellis Island
The former immigration station where millions of newcomers arrived in America. Its museum uses records, photos and objects to tell their stories, and it is reached by the same ferry as the Statue of Liberty.
Central Park
A huge green space in the middle of Manhattan, with lakes, meadows, footpaths, a zoo, bridges and open lawns used by walkers, runners, cyclists and picnickers all year.
Brooklyn Bridge
A stone-towered suspension bridge from 1883 linking Manhattan and Brooklyn. A raised walkway for pedestrians and cyclists gives views of the skyline and harbour.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the largest art museums in the world, on the east edge of Central Park, with collections from ancient Egypt and Greece to European paintings, armour and American art.
Museum of Modern Art
A leading museum of modern and contemporary art in Midtown, with works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol, along with photography, design and film.
Times Square
A busy junction in Midtown lit by giant video screens and signs, surrounded by Broadway theaters. It is crowded and loud at all hours, and it is best experienced after dark.
Rockefeller Center
An Art Deco complex of skyscrapers, plazas and shops in Midtown, with an observation deck at the top, a sunken plaza with a skating rink in winter and a famous holiday tree.
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
A memorial and museum in Lower Manhattan honoring those killed on September 11, 2001. Two large reflecting pools mark where the Twin Towers stood, and the museum below tells the story.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
A modern art museum on Fifth Avenue in a distinctive spiral building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, where visitors walk a gentle ramp past changing exhibitions.
Grand Central Terminal
A railway terminal from 1913 with a grand main concourse under a ceiling painted with stars. Its marble halls, shops and dining areas are worth a visit even without a train to catch.
Airports
LaGuardia Airport LGA
It is about 13 km in a straight line from New York City.
Newark Liberty International Airport EWR
It is about 14 km in a straight line from New York City.
John F. Kennedy International Airport JFK
It is about 21 km in a straight line from New York City.
Getting around
From JFK Airport
The AirTrain at JFK links the terminals to the Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica station and to the subway at Howard Beach-JFK Airport station. The airport says the trip from Penn Station or Grand Central Madison to the AirTrain takes about 20 minutes, and the AirTrain needs its own fare. Licensed taxis wait outside each terminal and charge a fixed rate to Manhattan, shown on the meter and receipt; a second stop begins a new trip. A Port Authority Welcome Center in each arrivals area offers official help.
- Source: JFK Airport: Public transportation (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: JFK Airport: Taxi service (checked 4 Nov 2026)
From LaGuardia and Newark
At LaGuardia, Terminals B and C are served by the Q70 LGA Link bus, which links to subway hubs at Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue and 74 St-Broadway. At Newark Liberty, the AirTrain goes to Newark Airport Train Station, where a NJ Transit train on the NEC or NJCL line completes the trip; the airport puts it at about 30 minutes to Midtown Manhattan. Licensed taxis wait outside each terminal at both airports.
- Source: LaGuardia Airport: Public transportation (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Newark Liberty Airport: Public transportation (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Newark Liberty Airport: Transportation (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Subway and buses
New York's MTA subway operates 24 hours a day, every day. Trains are identified by letters or numbers, and the colours indicate the Manhattan trunk line a train uses rather than the type of service. Within Manhattan, south is downtown and north is uptown. Signs on platforms often say Uptown & The Bronx or Downtown & Brooklyn, but the destination shown on the side of the train is the one to check. Local buses are boarded at the front door, where the reader is.
- Source: MTA: How to ride the NYC subway (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: MTA: Tap and ride (checked 4 Nov 2026)
OMNY tap and ride
Fares for the subway and buses can be paid with an OMNY Card, a phone or wearable, or a contactless card, tapped on the reader at turnstiles, AutoGates and buses. For a free transfer, tap the same card or device on both halves of a trip; for the weekly fare cap, use it on every ride. Before a new card or device can pay for other riders, it may need approval from the bank. OMNY Cards, sold at stations and select shops, can be loaded with cash.
- Source: MTA: Tap and ride (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Yellow and green taxis
Only yellow taxis are licensed to pick up street hails anywhere in New York City, whereas green taxis may only be hailed in the outer boroughs and northern Manhattan. Any other for-hire car must be booked through a licensed base or app. The meter is supposed to run throughout the trip. A licensed car has the driver's licence on display, a TLC decal, and T&LC embossed on its licence plate. Keep the receipt, which carries the licence number.
- Source: NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission: Your ride (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission: Illegal rides (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission: Passenger FAQ (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Unlicensed rides and touts
Illegal rides carry no insurance and unlicensed drivers often overcharge, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which treats an approach by a driver as a warning sign, particularly at hotels, Broadway shows, attractions, events, train stations and airports. JFK Airport likewise tells travellers to ignore solicitors in the terminals, saying many are unlicensed and uninsured. Stick to official pick-up areas, check the licence details, and call 311 to report illegal street hails.
- Source: NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission: Illegal rides (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: JFK Airport: Taxi service (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan1.1 °C99 mm
- Feb1.4 °C95 mm
- Mar4.2 °C113 mm
- Apr9.1 °C107 mm
- May14.3 °C101 mm
- Jun19.9 °C115 mm
- Jul23.7 °C114 mm
- Aug23.7 °C114 mm
- Sep20.6 °C97 mm
- Oct14.9 °C124 mm
- Nov9.3 °C101 mm
- Dec4.5 °C133 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Sep. Wettest months: Jun, Oct, Dec.
Festivals and events
festival
Thanksgiving & holiday season
Every year this is among the largest events in the country. Prices go higher and hotels fill up, so plan early.
festival
New Year's Eve in Times Square
Hotels in Midtown sell out for the well-known ball drop.
sport
US Open tennis
Queens is where this Grand Slam tennis event takes place.
festival
Thanksgiving & holiday season
Every year this is among the largest events in the country. Prices go higher and hotels fill up, so plan early.
festival
New Year's Eve in Times Square
Hotels in Midtown sell out for the well-known ball drop.
Who can help
Emergency
911 for police, fire and ambulance.
local government
Emergency number 911
Helps with: The nationwide US emergency number. USAGov says to dial 911 immediately in an emergency; for an emergency in another area, contact the local law enforcement agency there.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the United States who is in an emergency.
Phone: 911
local government
Brand USA (Visit The USA)
Helps with: The nation's destination marketing organization. Its VisitTheUSA.com site gives trip-planning information and links to visa and entry requirements. It lists no helpline on the pages read.
Who qualifies: Anyone planning a trip to the United States.
local government
NYC311
Helps with: New York City's main source of government information and non-emergency services. Reachable on 311, or (212) 639-9675 from outside the city, by text to 311-692, or by TTY.
Who qualifies: Anyone in New York City, residents and visitors. For emergencies call 911 instead.
Phone: 311