New York City is one of the most exciting, interesting, and visited cities in the United States and the world. And we can see why. From stunning sights and landmarks to meeting different kinds of people in crowded streets alone, there’s never a dull moment in the Big Apple. That’s why it’s also often considered a tad intimidating for first-time visitors. Who could catch up with its fast-paced energy? You possibly can! Just keep in mind the top six handy travel tips as you navigate the iconic empire city.
1. Set up Apple Pay (for Apple users)
Contactless is the way forward for NYC’s tech-savvy future. Apart from its restaurants and fashion boutiques, even its public transportation transit has recently started supporting contactless payments. In case Apple users haven’t done it yet, we highly recommend setting up Apple Pay on your devices, primarily on iPhone and/or Apple Watch, prior to visiting the big city. It’s accepted on subways and buses throughout the city. So convenient!
2. Resy could be your next best friend in NYC
New York City has gained quite a bit of an exclusive image in haute cuisine, and snagging into one of its hottest restaurants is unsurprisingly hard to land. But if dining into the likes of Carbone, 4 Charles Prime Rib, and other often-booked establishments is one of your NYC checklists, then your best bet would be using Resy. It’s an American Express-owned restaurant reservation booking platform that instantly lets users know when a reservation becomes available at a completely booked restaurant through the NOTIFY feature.
3. Walk before 5:30 P.M.
As an alternative to using Resy, walking or lining up at a restaurant before 5:30 P.M. is another ideal way. New Yorkers tend to eat at all hours but dinner is very popular between 7:30 to 10:00 P.M.
4. You can drink tap water
Bottled waters cost anywhere from $1-2 in a store and more in restaurants. No surprises there since, well, it’s New York City. But thanks to the city’s world-renowned drinking water quality, you can save more money by refilling your water bottles from the city’s finest water tap stations. And hey, you’d also save the environment by not consuming and disposing of plastic bottles.
5. Don’t get into an empty subway car
One big caveat in an NYC trip is its daily road and foot traffic. From the millions of New York City population and the annual influx of tourists, it’s no secret why streets are crowded, restaurants and hotels are fully booked, and transits like subways are busy. And in case an empty subway car stops at your station, we strongly advise you not to get inside it. It could only mean that the air conditioning isn’t working, there’s spilled bodily fluid, or other possible reasons why passengers from previous stations didn’t board.
6. Skip the chain restaurants
Speaking of restaurants, you certainly don’t want to miss NYC’s unreal selection of culinary delights in favor of a chain. Unless it’s a proven, 5-star restaurant chain, some of the fondest dining experiences you’d definitely remember would be in community fave local eateries. Our top recos include Shuka, Bar Goto, Buvette Gastrotheque, and many more.
