So you’re set to touchdown in the concrete jungle soon. Take a bite out of the Big Apple. Explore the City that Never Sleeps. Long story short, you’re going to visit the best city on Earth and you need to know how to do it right. So let’s talk New York City Guide & let’s start with the basics…

Here’s the deal with this New York City Guide… You will:

A) learn how to get from the airport to the city, including cost and public transportation info.
B) discover the best areas to stay in NYC, whether you want Nightlife, Culture, Tourism, Something Cheap, etc.
C) learn what it’s going to cost for food and drink (and we’ll share our secrets on how to do it cheaper).
D) that’s all. please enjoy.

How Do You Get to Manhattan?

From Laguardia:

Don’t bother with public transportation, it’s too much of a hassle from here. Unless you touch down in the throes of rush hour, an Uber will only cost you about $40 tops and Uber pool will usually be less than $20 to Manhattan. (The majority of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx would cost even less.)

**December 2016, I paid $18 for an Uber Pool from LGA to the Lower East Side and $40 for my own car on the way back during a peak time.

From JFK:

If you have a choice of arrival airport, JFK is your cheapest option. And it’s relatively easy. You simply…

Airtrain to Subway: $5 (+$1 to buy MetroCard you’ll be reusing for the Subways anyways) then…

Subway to Manhattan: $2.75

You can either take the

A: if you’re going to lower Manhattan below 14th street or
E: anything above 14th street.

From Newark International:

Note: When you take NJ Transit to Manhattan make sure you’re getting off at New York Penn Station. Some nob thought it would be a good idea to name both Newark and New York’s main train terminals “Penn Station”.

If you’re staying in New York:
Airtrain to NJ Transit to New York Penn Station: $13

From NY Penn Station you’ll be able to connect to a range of subways to reach your destination anywhere in NY. But if you’re taking a cab from Penn please, for the love of skyscrapers, don’t wait in the long line outside the station. Walk a block away and hail a cab.

(It’s also worth checking Uber prices to the city, it isn’t far distance-wise so depending on traffic and where you’re staying it may cost the same as the train.)

If you’re staying in New Jersey:
Check out Uber prices, for sure. I recently paid $6 for an Uber Pool to Hoboken. Otherwise, get off NJ Transit at Newark Penn and you can connect to the PATH if needed.

Where Should You Stay?

If you want to be in Tourist Central…

Anywhere between 23rd and 59th is going to put you close enough to Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway, and the like. There are a lot of good hotels in Chelsea– like the Hilton NY Fashion District Hotel (approx. $180 per night) that has Rare View, an awesome, enclosed rooftop bar for Summer or Winter.

If you want to be in The Heart of Nightlife…

The majority of nightclubs are found in the Meatpacking District (and there are some off the beaten path bars and rooftops worth checking out there too,) but staying anywhere that calls itself Meatpacking, Chelsea, Highline, West Village, is going to put you close enough to the clubs to stumble home safely.

If you want to be Artsy and Cultural…

The Natural History Museum, MET, and MOMA are all above 53rd street. Staying anywhere in Midtown or on the Upper East or Upper West will put you in easy reach. These areas (UES and UWS) are also more neighborhoody and will give you a more relaxed and local vibe (interspersed with crazy New York-ness, naturally).

If you want to be able to Afford Accommodation…

Hostel options in New York are relatively limited but you can find dorms for as low as $16 a night in Harlem or Brooklyn. However, you can also find decent hostels in Manhattan for only $20-$40 per night. Chelsea International Hostel is in an amazing location, has good reviews, and dorms start at $23 per night.

What are Food and Drinks Going to Cost You?

These are our very unscientific (but based on 7+ years of living in Manhattan) estimates…

Food: $15-$35 per entrée at most restaurants
Beer: $7 draft
Wine: $11 glass
Cocktail: $14 each
BUT.. you can do it cheaper…

• 99 cent pizza places are all over the city, open all hours, undeniably the world’s best drunk food, but also worthy of eating soberly.
• Halal trucks are also widespread and delicious (the original & best Halal Guys is at 53rd and 6th) and will cost you about $5-$7 for a hefty portion.
• Breakfast sandwiches, from all the food trucks (or delis), are one of my favorite foods of all time. Egg and cheese on a roll with ketchup and hot sauce + a coffee = less than $5.
• Happy Hours are all over the city – many are M-F, but a lot extend into the weekend as well. You can find everything from $1 PBRs at divey hipster bars to $4 craft IPA at awesome places like Cask Bar and Kitchen in Murray Hill. Unlimited boozy brunch deals are the way to go on Saturdays and Sundays.

Keep in Mind

• Metrocards cost $1 each, but they’re refillable so hold on to them!
• Bars usually close between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
• The subway runs 24 hours
• PATH to Jersey City and Hoboken runs until 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday