10 memorable NYC experiences

Heading to the Big Apple? Here's the ultimate itinerary for you.

By Ben Groundwater
Published: Friday, January 12, 2018

Forget Times Square. Give Lady Liberty the flick. If you’re heading to New York City and want to have a truly memorable experience, this is the itinerary for you.

1. Hang out at Rockaway Beach

Though it’s hard to impress an Australian with a beach, New York’s Rockaway has a flavour all of its own, and is the perfect destination on a warm summer’s day. Hit the water or taco stands – or both.

2. See a baseball game at Yankee Stadium

There are few sporting venues in the world that are more famous than Yankee Stadium, and an afternoon here is one very well spent. If you happen to miss baseball season, catch a Knicks basketball game at Madison Square Garden, or see the New York Rangers ice hockey team at the same venue.

3. Spend an afternoon in Central Park

Central Park is a colossus: 843 acres of green space, an area that includes a zoo, a theatre, a castle, an Egyptian obelisk, and memorials to Duke Ellington and John Lennon, among others. You could spend days here and not get bored.

Aerial view of Central park theater in autumn
Aerial view of Central Park's theatre.

4. Eat a pastrami sandwich at Katz’s

This is the classic NYC meal, and with good reason. A Katz’s pastrami sandwich is a thing of monstrous beauty, an almost comical amount of meat piled between a few slices of bread, dressed with a little mustard, and served to the masses. Don’t miss it.

 5. Visit MOMA

New York is a city blessed with plenty of world-class museums and art galleries, and the pinnacle of them could well be the Museum of Modern Art. Here you’ll find works by Picasso, Cezanne, Dali, Kahlo, Matisse, Monet, and so many more.

6. Visit the 9/11 memorial

This memorial and museum is an excellent tribute to those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks on New York, and is a must for those hoping to understand the resilience of the city.

9/11 memorial
Take some time out to reflect on those who lost their lives on 9/11.

7. See live jazz in Harlem

Classic venues such as Shrine, Minton’s and Bill’s Place regularly host live jazz shows in the NYC suburb of Harlem. Some of the world’s greatest musicians have got their start in these bars, and there’s every chance you might witness the next one.

8. Walk the High Line

The High Line is a 2.5km elevated walking track – built on a former rail line – than runs through the west side of Manhattan. The track opened in 2009 and already receives more than five million visitors annually, who enjoy a unique perspective on the city.

NYC High Line
The High Line is a 2.5km elevated walking track.

9. Eat the city’s best pizza in Brooklyn

Where is NYC’s best pizza? Ask 10 different New Yorkers and they’ll give you 10 different answers. One of the under-the-radar greats, however, is L&B Spumoni, a low-key joint in Brooklyn that pumps out some seriously good slices.

10. Go to a Broadway show

It almost doesn’t matter what’s playing. A night out seeing any Broadway show is one of the world’s great experiences, and well worth the sometimes considerable expense.

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