New York & East Coast

The Times Square is simultaneously one of the most famous and one of the most controversial places in the world. Locals avoid it like the plague — but as a first-time visitor, you have to have been here, even if only for half an hour. The sheer overwhelm of LED billboards that literally turn night into day, the crowds that flow through the intersection 24/7, and the acoustic cacophony of honking, street performers, and sirens — this is New York in its purest, most over-the-top form.

Named after the New York Times, which moved its headquarters here in 1904 (the One Times Square, now famous for the New Year's Eve Ball Drop), the square has transformed from the red-light district of the 1970s into a hyper-commercial tourist magnet. The transformation under Mayor Giuliani in the 1990s was drastic and not without controversy — but the result is undeniably safe and clean, albeit soullessly commercial.

Come in the evening, when the lights are most impressive, but don't expect an authentic New York experience. For that, you only need to walk three blocks — in any direction.

Central Park is the green heart of Manhattan — 341 hectares of nature in the middle of the most densely populated island in the western hemisphere. Designed in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it is a masterpiece of landscape architecture and perhaps the best example of how a city can preserve space for humanity. Every rock, every lake, every winding path was deliberately designed — nothing here is "natural," but everything feels that way.

The dimensions are vast: 4 km long, 800 m wide, with over 18,000 trees, 7 bodies of water, 36 bridges, 21 playgrounds, and its own police station. You could spend a week here and still discover new things. Highlights: the Bethesda Terrace (the iconic staircase with the angel fountain), Bow Bridge (the most photogenic bridge in the city), the Reservoir (1.6 km jogging track with skyline panorama), Strawberry Fields (John Lennon memorial opposite the Dakota Building), and the Central Park Zoo.

In the summer, free Shakespeare performances take place at the Delacorte Theater (Shakespeare in the Park — tickets from 12 pm on the same day, line up from 6 am). In the winter, the Wollman Rink becomes an ice rink with a skyline backdrop. In the fall, the park explodes in gold, orange, and red — one of the most beautiful Indian summer spots in the world.

The Empire State Building (1931) is not just a building — it is the epitome of the American dream. Built in just 410 days during the Great Depression, it was the tallest building in the world for almost 40 years at 443 meters (including antenna). The Art Deco architecture, the lobby with its golden ceiling murals, and the spire, which is illuminated in over 16 million colors — everything here screams of the New York of grand gestures.

The observation deck on the 86th floor (320 m) is the more iconic of the two: an open terrace with railings, wind in your hair, 360-degree panorama. On clear days, you can see up to 130 km — six states. The deck on the 102nd floor (373 m) is higher but glazed and smaller. Both are included in the top category admission price.

The Empire State Building has achieved iconic status through countless films: King Kong (1933), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Independence Day (1996). It became a symbol for New York itself — and although it is no longer the tallest building, it remains for many the most beautiful.

The Brooklyn Bridge (1883) is one of humanity's greatest structures — and that's no exaggeration. When it opened, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world and a technical marvel. The neo-Gothic stone towers, the steel cables that span the pedestrian walkway like a spider web, and the view of the Manhattan skyline make crossing it one of the most unforgettable experiences in New York.

The pedestrian walkway runs elevated above the car lanes and offers spectacular views in both directions. The crossing takes about 30-40 minutes without stops (about 1.8 km), but plan at least an hour — you'll constantly stop to take photos. The best direction: from Manhattan to Brooklyn, as you walk towards the skyline (which builds up behind you) and can arrive in DUMBO.

DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is Brooklyn's postcard neighborhood. The cobblestone streets, the old warehouses (now lofts and galleries), and especially the iconic view through Washington Street onto the Manhattan Bridge with the Empire State Building in the background — you've definitely seen this photo a hundred times.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches along the water from the Brooklyn Bridge to Atlantic Avenue, is one of the best city parks in America. The Jane's Carousel (historic carousel in a glass pavilion, $2), the Pebble Beach (pebble beach with Manhattan skyline), and the Pier 1-6 with playgrounds, sports facilities, and picnic areas are perfect for a relaxing afternoon.

DUMBO has transformed from a rundown industrial area to Brooklyn's most expensive residential neighborhood. The consequence: Everything here is immaculate, but also a bit sterile. For the real Brooklyn feeling, you need to move on to Williamsburg or Bushwick.

Williamsburg is the neighborhood that made the term "hipster" world-famous. What began in the early 2000s as a refuge for artists and musicians who could no longer afford Manhattan is now a neighborhood full of craft breweries, vintage shops, vegan restaurants, and boutiques. Gentrification is in full swing — luxury condos are displacing artist studios — but Williamsburg still has more character than most Manhattan neighborhoods.

The Bedford Avenue is the main street: here, cafés, bookstores, record stores, and restaurants line up. The side streets offer great street art, especially along Wythe Avenue and Berry Street. On weekends, Smorgasburg takes place — a huge street food market right by the water (April-October), which, with over 100 stalls, is one of the best food markets in the world.

In the evening, Williamsburg transforms into a paradise for night owls: live music in clubs like Brooklyn Steel or Music Hall of Williamsburg, cocktails on rooftop terraces with views of Manhattan, and craft beer in what feels like 200 breweries. The neighborhood has an energy that Manhattan has long lost.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is simply one of the largest and most significant museums in the world. Founded in 1870, it houses over 2 million artworks spanning 5,000 years of human history — from Egyptian sarcophagi to medieval armor and Vermeer paintings to contemporary art. You could visit the MET every day for a year and still discover something new.

The absolute highlights: The Temple of Dendur — a complete Egyptian temple (15 BC), saved from the Aswan Dam in the 1960s and rebuilt stone by stone in the MET. The American Wing with Tiffany's floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows. The European Paintings gallery with works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, and Van Gogh. The Arms & Armor department, where mounted knights in full armor fill an entire hall. And not least the Rooftop Terrace (May-October), offering one of the best views of Central Park and the skyline.

The MET is so large that you need a plan. Three hours is the absolute minimum for an overview — serious art lovers plan a half or full day. The free app offers excellent audio guides and interactive maps.

The Guggenheim (1959) is a museum where the building is the main attraction. Frank Lloyd Wright's last great work — a spiral, white concrete shell that looks like a giant coffee cup from the outside and like a temple of light from the inside. You take the elevator to the top and stroll down the gently sloping spiral ramp, past the artworks — a completely different museum experience than the classic "from room to room."

The collection includes masterpieces of modern and contemporary art: Kandinsky (one of the world's most important collections), Picasso, Chagall, Mondrian, Pollock. The temporary exhibitions are often spectacular and creatively utilize the building's unique architecture.

The American Museum of Natural History (1869) is the largest natural history museum in the world and, thanks to "Night at the Museum," also one of the most famous. The collection includes over 34 million objects — from dinosaur skeletons to the 563-carat sapphire "Star of India" to a 28-meter-long blue whale model hanging from the ceiling of the ocean hall.

The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, opened in 2023, is an architectural highlight: curved concrete walls reminiscent of caves and canyons, with a spectacular butterfly exhibition. The Dinosaur Halls on the 4th floor are the centerpiece: T-Rex, Apatosaurus, and Triceratops in full size. For children, this museum is paradise — but adults can also easily spend half a day here.

The High Line (opened in three sections from 2009-2014) is a disused elevated railway track transformed into a 2.3 km long park — making it one of the most successful urban development projects of recent decades. Between Gansevoort Street (Meatpacking District) and 34th Street/Hudson Yards, you meander 9 meters above street level through wildflower meadows, past art installations, and between buildings.

The design by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro is ingenious: original tracks protrude from the planting beds, wooden deck chairs invite you to linger, glazed viewpoints allow you to look down on the streets and across to the Hudson River. At the 10th Avenue Square, there is a grandstand where you can watch the traffic below like in an open-air theater.

At the northern end, the High Line leads into Hudson Yards, the largest real estate development complex in US history. Here stands the controversial Vessel (closed to visitors), the massive shopping mall "The Shops at Hudson Yards," and the Shed, an innovative cultural center with a movable roof.

The Chelsea Market (1997) is located in the former Nabisco factory — exactly where the Oreo cookie was invented. Today, it is a food hall of superlatives: over 35 food and drink stalls in a rough, industrial setting of brick walls and exposed pipes. From lobster burgers to fresh pasta and tacos to Japanese mochi — here you will find everything that culinary New York is made of.

Recommendations: Los Tacos No. 1 (the best tacos in Manhattan — the line is long, but it's worth it), Lobster Place (lobster and oysters straight from the tank), Doughnuttery (mini donuts, freshly baked, with crazy toppings), and Li-Lac Chocolates (handmade chocolate since 1923). There are communal tables in the middle of the hall for seating.

The New York Pizza is a religious topic. The thin, wide slice with the characteristically crispy yet pliable crust, a simple tomato sauce, and mozzarella — folded and eaten on the go — is the city's national food. The secret? Allegedly the New York tap water, which is particularly soft and gives the dough its unique texture. (New York pizza bakers who move to Florida supposedly have the water delivered.)

The eternal debate — which pizzeria is the best? — will never end. The classics:

• Joe's Pizza (7 Carmine Street, Greenwich Village): The gold standard. Since 1975. No frills, no craft toppings — just perfect New York pizza. $3.75 per slice. The line is long but moves quickly.
• Di Fara Pizza (1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn): 80-year-old Dom DeMarco has been topping every pizza himself since 1965 with imported buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil, which he cuts with kitchen scissors. Hours-long wait times, but many consider it the best pizza in the world. $5 per slice.
• Prince Street Pizza (27 Prince Street, SoHo): Famous for the "Spicy Spring" — a thick, Sicilian pizza with pepperoni cups that curl into crispy fat bowls. Not classic, but heavenly. The line often stretches around the block.
• Scarr's Pizza (22 Orchard Street, Lower East Side): The new generation. Scarr Pimentel mills his own flour and bakes in a coal-fired oven. Result: perhaps the city's most perfect crust. $4 per slice.

The New York Bagel is something entirely different from what is sold under that name in Europe. Crispy on the outside with a light crust, dense, chewy, and simultaneously fluffy on the inside — boiled in water (sometimes with malt) and then baked. Here too, New Yorkers swear by the tap water as the secret ingredient.

The classic order: "Everything Bagel with Lox and Cream Cheese" — a bagel with the "everything" seasoning (sesame, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, coarse salt), spread with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon, capers, and red onions. The perfect New York breakfast.

• Russ & Daughters (179 E Houston Street, Lower East Side): Since 1914. Not just bagels, but a Jewish-American cultural experience. The smoked fish (salmon, sable, whitefish) is hand-sliced before your eyes. The café next door (Russ & Daughters Café, 127 Orchard Street) serves the same products with table service.
• Ess-a-Bagel (831 3rd Avenue, Midtown): Huge, soft bagels with an absurd selection of toppings. The line often stretches out onto the street. Best to order while you wait.
• Absolute Bagels (2788 Broadway, Upper West Side): The insider tip among locals. Hand-rolled, oven-fresh, perfect. No tourist crowds, but loyal regulars who have been shopping here for decades.

Besides pizza and bagels, New York has a thriving food hall culture and legendary delis that have been a staple of city culture for generations.

• Katz's Delicatessen (205 E Houston Street, Lower East Side): Since 1888. Famous for the pastrami sandwich — hand-cut, smoked, and steamed beef between rye bread, stacked so high you can barely open your mouth. $28 for a sandwich (share it, the portion is absurdly large). The famous orgasm scene from "Harry & Sally" was filmed here — the table is marked.
• Zabar's (2245 Broadway, Upper West Side): Since 1934. A Jewish delicatessen paradise — cheese, smoked fish, olives, bread, coffee. The kitchenware department upstairs has a cult following.
• Urbanspace Vanderbilt (230 Park Avenue, near Grand Central): A food hall with 20+ stalls right next to Grand Central Terminal. Perfect for a quick, good meal in Midtown.
• DeKalb Market Hall (445 Albee Square West, Brooklyn): Brooklyn's answer to Chelsea Market — 40 stalls in Downtown Brooklyn, with a legendary branch of Katz's Deli (shorter line than at the original!).

A Broadway show is the highlight of a New York trip for many visitors — and rightly so. Nowhere else in the world is theater at this level so ubiquitous. In the Theater District (between 41st and 54th Street, around Broadway and 8th Avenue), there are 41 theaters with over 500 seats that are considered "Broadway." In addition, there are hundreds of "Off-Broadway" and "Off-Off-Broadway" stages throughout the city.

The current long-running hits: The Lion King (since 1997, the visual effects are breathtaking even after decades), Wicked (the backstory of the Wizard of Oz — brilliant music and stage design), Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop musical about a founding father — revolutionary, but tickets are extremely sought after and expensive), Chicago (the coolest musical, minimalist stage, maximum impact).

The prices vary greatly: Regular tickets $80-300, premium seats up to $500+. But there are ways to get in cheaper:

• TKTS: 20-50% discount on the same day (Times Square, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn)
• Rush Tickets: Many shows sell a limited number of cheap tickets ($30-40) on the day of the performance at the box office or by lottery (Digital Lottery via the shows' apps)
• Standing Room: For sold-out performances, there are sometimes standing room tickets for $30-40
• Wednesday Matinee: Wednesdays at 2 pm are the cheapest and least crowded performances

The New York nightlife is as diverse as the city itself — from hidden speakeasy bars behind false walls to legendary jazz clubs to rooftop bars with skyline panoramas.

• Speakeasies: New York has never quite forgotten Prohibition (1920-1933). Dozens of bars today disguise themselves as nostalgia homages behind hidden entrances. Please Don't Tell (PDT) — entrance through a phone booth in the hot dog shop Crif Dogs (113 St. Marks Place). Attaboy (134 Eldridge Street) — no menu, the bartender mixes according to taste. Employees Only (510 Hudson Street) — the best cocktail bar in the city, accessible through a fortune teller at the entrance.
• Rooftop Bars: 230 Fifth (230 Fifth Avenue) — direct view of the Empire State Building, with igloos on the roof in winter. Westlight (111 N 12th Street, Williamsburg) — the best skyline view of the city, as you look from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The Top of the Standard (848 Washington Street) — glamorous, expensive, above the High Line.
• Jazz: Village Vanguard (178 7th Avenue South) — since 1935, the holiest jazz club in the world. Tiny, acoustically perfect, legendary. Blue Note (131 W 3rd Street) — most famous jazz club, but touristy and expensive ($30-45 cover + drink minimum). Smalls Jazz Club (183 W 10th Street) — the insider tip: small basement, great musicians, $20 cover, fair drink prices.