NYC Deep Dive Week

Arrive in Manhattan — Lower Manhattan and the bridges

Start at the tip of the island and work north over the week. Battery Park, the 9/11 Memorial, and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Come back to Manhattan via the DUMBO waterfront in Brooklyn.

Afternoon

Activity

9/11 Memorial and Museum

The two reflecting pools where the towers stood. The museum is below grade — 3 hours minimum. Emotionally heavy but essential. Reserve timed entry tickets in advance.

3h~$33

Tip

Get an OMNY card and tap to ride everything

The NYC subway runs 24/7. OMNY contactless taps from any credit card — no MetroCard needed. The 7-day unlimited pass ($34) pays off by day 3 if you are riding 4+ times daily.

Upper East Side museums

The Met is the anchor — budget a full day. Guggenheim, Neue Galerie, and the Frick are all within 10 blocks on Museum Mile. One day, one museum, no rushing.

Morning Excursion

Half Day

Metropolitan Museum of Art

One of the five great art museums in the world. The American Wing, the Egyptian collection, and the Impressionist galleries are the highlights. Go on a weekday before noon.

6h~$30

Brooklyn — food and neighborhoods

Williamsburg for vintage and coffee. Carroll Gardens for quiet brownstone streets. Red Hook for the container food vendors. Prospect Park for the green space. Smorgasburg market on Sundays at Prospect Park.

Afternoon

Meal

Smorgasburg or the Brooklyn food halls

Smorgasburg runs April-November on Sundays at Prospect Park (and Fridays in Industry City). 100 local vendors, no chains. Di Fara Pizza on Avenue J is cash-only and the best pizza in the borough.

~$30

Harlem and the Bronx

Harlem: Studio Museum, Apollo Theater, and the best soul food in the city. The Bronx: Yankees Stadium tour, the Bronx Zoo (largest urban zoo in the country), and the Little Italy on Arthur Ave.

Evening

Activity

Apollo Theater tour or show

The Apollo Amateur Night on Wednesdays has launched more music careers than any stage in the country. Buy tickets 2 weeks out. The daytime tour covers the history at your own pace.

2h~$35

Central Park and the West Side

A full day in and around Central Park. Bow Bridge at dawn, the Ramble for birds, Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle. Then the American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West.

The High Line and Chelsea

The High Line runs 1.45 miles above the West Side rail yards. Chelsea galleries open 10am-6pm Tuesday-Saturday — 100+ contemporary art galleries in a 10-block radius. Eataly for lunch on 23rd Street.

Queens and final night

Flushing, Queens has the best Chinese food in the US and a vibrant Korean neighborhood. The Queens Night Market (May-October, Saturdays) covers 75 countries of street food. Best final night in NYC.