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Are you traveling to New York City?
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And there're just so many things to organize:
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How to get from the airport?
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Where to stay?
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When to go?
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And then what to visit?
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How much do you pay for your cocktail,
accommodation, transportation?
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How to get around the city?
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Which apps to use?
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Then this travel guide is perfect for you.
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This video is based on our exciting trip
to the Big Apple.
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Don't forget to like this video, subscribe
to our channel, and enable notifications.
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And share your own experience and recommendations
or ask a question in the comments below.
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Here are 15 essential tips to know before
you visit New York City.
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NUMBER 15: WEATHER AND CLIMATE
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New York City has a humid subtropical climate.
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Winters are cold and damp, with temperatures
ranging between 27 and 52 °F or -3 and 11 °C.
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Temperatures can even drop to 10 °F or
−12 °C several times in winter.
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You will most likely see snow in January
and February.
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Summers are usually hot and humid.
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Temperatures range between 61 and 84 °F
or 16 and 29 °C.
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In spring and fall, the weather is unpredictable,
typically mild with low humidity
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but ranges between chilly and warm.
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Temperatures are between 36 and 81 °F
or 2 and 27 °C in spring,
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and between 32 and 77 °F
or 0 and 25 °C in the fall.
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Rain is very common in New York City year-round,
so be sure to bring an umbrella.
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However, these are all just averages.
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The weather and temperature can be different
at the time of your visit,
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so remember to check the weather
forecast before you travel.
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NUMBER 14: BEST TIME TO VISIT
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The best time to visit NYC is in spring, from
April to June, or in the fall, from September
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to early November, when the weather is mild,
and the tourist crowds are relatively small.
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The cheapest time to visit is from
mid-January to the end of February.
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But don’t worry, NYC is one of the most
vibrant and exciting cities in the world,
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so you’ll have a great time regardless
of the season.
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And how can you figure out the best days and
hours to see the attractions?
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Just check Google to see how crowded a specific
location is at a particular time of day.
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Of course, we recommend going early during
the week and in the morning.
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NUMBER 13: LENGTH OF YOUR STAY
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We recommend staying in NYC between
three and five days.
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This way, you’ll be able to see most
of its main attractions.
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Watch our video on the perfect one-day itinerary
or check our travel guide for 1, 2- and 3-day
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itinerary suggestions with multiple maps.
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NUMBER 12: WHERE TO STAY
AND COST OF ACCOMMODATIONS
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Attractions in NYC are spread out,
especially in Manhattan,
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so basically anywhere you stay, you’ll
probably be close to at least one attraction.
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If this is your first time in the city and
you want to do a lot of sightseeing,
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you can choose accommodation
somewhere in Midtown.
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If you want cheaper accommodations,
stay in Lower East Side.
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For nightlife, stay in East Village.
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For families, the best neighborhood
is Upper West Side.
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If you want to save money, you can stay in
other boroughs such as Brooklyn or Queens.
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However, be sure to check if there is a subway
station nearby so you can easily reach Manhattan.
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For a hip experience,
stay in Williamsburg - Brooklyn.
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And one thing to know:
this is already the state of New Jersey
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and is not served by NYC public transport.
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So do have that in mind if you stay here,
as you’ll have to commute to Manhattan every day.
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Rates for New York City hotels range from
reasonable to outrageous.
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The average price of an inexpensive hotel
room is 200 USD and can easily go higher.
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Of course, that depends on the type of accommodations,
as well as the location and season.
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Of course, you can find better deals if you
take the time to research multiple online
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booking platforms and if you are flexible
with the dates.
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Check out our video on the best apps for booking
your stay.
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NUMBER 11: LINES AND CROWDS
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With over 8 million people
in a relatively small space,
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NYC is obviously a very crowded place.
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Even if you can't avoid all the crowds,
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you can do certain things to make your trip
to NYC a more pleasant experience.
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You can, for example, avoid peak seasons,
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avoid taking the subway during rush hours,
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get up earl y in the morning to explore the city without the crowds
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use Google Maps or similar apps to check
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how crowded a specific location is
at a particular time of day.
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NUMBER 10: TRANSPORTATION
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To get to and from From John F. Kennedy
International Airport in Queens, you can use:
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AirTrain | MTA Subway, and Long Island Rail Road
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City bus
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Shuttle buses
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Taxis
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Private car, limousine, and van transfers
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Uber and Lyft
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and car rentals.
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Check out our travel guide for links and additional
information on all main New York City airports.
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Our mobile-friendly travel guide covers the
top 20 things to do in the city, including
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maps, opening hours, links to buy tickets,
itinerary suggestions, and other information.
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By purchasing our travel guide, you are also
helping us sustain this channel,
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so a big thank you for that!
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Arriving by train
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The two major train stations in New York City
are Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station.
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Grand Central is in Midtown on the East Side,
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while Penn Station is just below Midtown
on the West Side.
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Many subway and bus lines serve both stations.
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Arriving by car
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You can use Google Maps to get
driving directions to NYC.
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You’ll also want to know where
to park in advance.
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An app like SpotHero will help you find and
reserve parking locations in the city.
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We don’t recommend this option since you have
so many other choices for getting around the city.
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Getting around the city
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NYC is well-covered with public transportation.
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However, you’ll still have to do a lot of walking,
so bring comfortable shoes.
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You can use MTA, New York City’s public transportation,
which includes subway and buses.
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It is inexpensive and a great way to see the
sights throughout the five boroughs,
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plus it operates 24/7.
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The cost of a single ride is $3
or $2.75 if you use MetroCard.
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The price of a weekly MetroCard is $33.
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You can even buy a ticket with your phone.
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And just a quick note: there can be two types
of subway lines on the same track: local & express
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The local stops at every single station, while
the express train skips certain stops.
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Taxi, Uber, or Lyft
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There are many other means of transportation in NYC,
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such as ferry, water taxi, boat rides,
Hop On Hop Off buses, bike rentals, etc.
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NUMBER 9: BEST APPS TO USE IN NEW YORK CITY
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Your phone can be your best buddy in New York City.
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Here is the list of useful apps.
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NYC Transit, MyTransit NYC, New York Subway Map, etc.
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Google Maps or Apple Maps for walking, public
transportation, driving, etc.
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Google Maps also lets you download maps, which
is a great option if you don’t want to use roaming.
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Uber or Lyft for getting around the city.
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TodayTix for Broadway theater tickets.
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OpenTable for free table reservations.
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Citi Bike for bike locations, real-time availability,
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and route planning if you want
to explore the city by bike.
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TripAdvisor and Yelp for reviews of restaurants,
hotels, museums, tours, etc.
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Eatwith to book an experience
or dinner with locals.
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Viator for booking your tours.
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Check out our travel guide for links to download
these apps on iOS and Android
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and for more app suggestions.
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NUMBER 8: GENERAL INFORMATION
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Drinking Water:
It is totally safe to drink tap water in NYC.
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There are many free drinking
water fountains throughout.
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Toilets:
While there are public restrooms in NYC,
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finding one close to you may be
a little challenging.
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However, you can use the toilets at the museums,
department stores, and coffee shops you visit.
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There are also toilets in parks, Grand Central
Terminal, and ferries providing transportation
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to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
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Free WiFi:
You may be surprised at just how easily you
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can find many locations with free WiFi – for
example, subway stations, parks, coffee shops,
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museums, tour buses, WiFi kiosks, etc.
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NUMBER 7: FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS
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If you come from the U.S., skip this chapter
and continue to Number 6.
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Travel adapters:
If you’re coming from outside the U.S.,
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you will probably need a special U.S. travel
adapter to charge your phone and other devices.
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This is what U.S. power plugs look like.
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If you travel a lot, consider buying a universal travel
adapter that you can use in other countries too.
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Always bring some cash:
While most hotels, stores, and restaurants
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in NYC accept major credit cards like Visa
or MasterCard,
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it is wise to always have some
dollars in your wallet.
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Money exchange:
To get U.S. dollars, you can withdraw from ATMs.
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You can even consider using prepaid cards
that don’t charge fees for ATM withdrawals.
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Use a bank or a service such as Revolut to
withdraw specific amounts of money
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free of charge even when you are abroad.
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You can also exchange your foreign cash for
U.S. dollars at currency exchange offices.
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Prepaid SIM cards:
You can purchase a prepaid SIM card to access
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the Internet on your phone at providers such
as local carriers include T-Mobile.
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Alternatively, you can consider renting a
pocket WiFi or mobile hotspot.
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Tipping: You should always tip
at restaurants and bars in the U.S.
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The standard rates are between 15 and 20%
pre-tax for waiters at restaurants,
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and 1 to 2 dollars per drink or 15-20 % off the
bar tab for bartenders.
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You should know that servers in the U.S. are
usually paid minimum wage
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and rely heavily on tips.
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Legal drinking age:
In all U.S. states, you must be at least 21
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to purchase and consume alcohol.
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NUMBER 6: SAFETY
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New York is one of the safest big cities in the U.S.,
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with an overall crime rate lower
than the national average.
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Still, petty theft is common, given that NYC
is the most visited city in the country.
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There are also some rough neighborhoods that
are not recommended for tourists.
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Also, pay attention to scammers, especially
the ones on Times Square.
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Usually, people dressed in costumes or someone
trying to sell you fake or overpriced show tickets, etc.
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And typical for all major cities around the
world, beware of pickpockets,
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especially close to major attractions.
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Watch your valuables and use common sense.
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For emergency services, dial 911.
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NUMBER 5: THE MAP OF NEW YORK CITY
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The most crowded and densely populated city
in the U.S. is divided into five boroughs:
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Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens,
and the Bronx.
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Manhattan is surrounded by the Hudson River
on one side and the East River on the other.
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If you want to know more about where the main
attractions in NYC are located,
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watch our video about the map of New York City,
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where we explain where exactly
the New York City attractions are on the map.
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The link is in the description or just click
the next video at the end of this one.
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Typically, you’ll arrive in New York at
one of the following airports:
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John F. Kennedy Airport - New York’s largest
airport located in Queens
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Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey
and LaGuardia Airport, which is also in Queens
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and is mainly used for domestic flights.
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New York is a big city.
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To get a better sense of distances, a 2.6 mi.
or 4.1 km walk from one side of Central Park
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to the other along upper Fifth Avenue
takes about 50 minutes.
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If you walk and take the metro,
it takes about 20 minutes.
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Also, it takes about 1h 15 minutes to walk
from Times Square to the 9/11 Memorial,
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or about 25 minutes if you walk
and take the metro.
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NUMBER 4: CITY TOURS
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A great way to discover New York, walking tours
are organized by professional guides
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who know a great deal about the city’s rich history.
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Some providers even offer free
or pay-what-you-wish tours.
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See our travel guide for links to websites
of tours of NYC to directly book them.
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NUMBER 3: CITY PASSES
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To save money on attractions, you can purchase
one of several city passes,
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such as CityPASS, The New York Pass, Go New
York Explorer Pass or Sightseeing Pass.
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Each pass offers several different bundles
of attractions and other activities.
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Make sure that the pass you choose includes
attractions that you want to visit.
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NUMBER 2: FOOD & DRINK PRICES
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On average, a coffee costs between $1 and $2
at cheap cafés
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and $5 at Starbucks.
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The average price of an inexpensive meal with
a sandwich, pizza, salad, or an ethnic dish
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is $10 to $15.
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However, if you want to sit down at a restaurant,
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the price can easily go up to $20
per person or more.
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Dinners range between $20 and $30 per person.
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A glass of wine costs between $4 and $6,
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a beer between $6 and $8,
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cocktails between $10 and $20,
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and a soda between $1.50 and $3.
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You’ll pay from $1 to $4 for a donut.
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The traditional plain bagel with cream cheese
costs somewhere between $2 and $6.
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And you can get a hot dog from an iconic hot
dog card from $1 to $3.
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We suggest using Yelp or TripAdvisor to find
a nearby place with good reviews.
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To save money, avoid sitting down at restaurants
next to major attractions such as Times Square.
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There are some great cheap eats in NYC.
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See our guide for a list of the best inexpensive
dining places, such as 99 Cent Fresh Pizza
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in Midtown, where you can have a slice of
pizza for just $1,
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and Los Tacos No.1 at Chelsea Market.
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NUMBER 1: BEST FREE VIEWS OF THE CITY
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You can enjoy several amazing and totally
free views of New York City
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from one of the following locations:
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Staten Island Ferry
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Brooklyn Bridge or Brooklyn Bridge Lookout
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Gantry Plaza State Park
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Central Park and many others.
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Check out our travel guide for more places
with free and paid views of the city
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and maps to easily locate them.
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And continue to watch our Top 10 things to
do in New York City.