Why is New York City worth a visit?

Why New York City is worth a trip doesn’t really need to be explained at length. The breathtaking skyline, the world-famous sights, the phenomenal museum landscape, the fantastic shopping opportunities, the outstanding gastronomic scene, the diverse entertainment program and the legendary nightlife are just a few of the reasons why The Big Apple is always worth a trip. Plus, life in New York City spins so fast that there’s something new to discover month after month, year after year.

Here are our top 10 reasons to travel to New York City:

1. In terms of the number and height of skyscrapers, New York City is now surpassed by Hong Kong and Dubai. Nevertheless, the Manhattan skyline is still probably the most fascinating city skyline in the world.

2 New York City is a paradise of architecture. No other city in the world was the scene of so many architectural experiments as NYC.

3. New York City wrote and still writes history. As one of the oldest cities in the U.S., there are plenty of historic sites and landmarks to discover here.

4. New York City has one of the best museum landscapes in the world. The city’s art, science and other museums are among the best in the world.

5. Although New York City is a huge metropolis, the city has plenty of greenery. The gardens and parks of NYC are undoubtedly among the most famous, interesting and beautiful in the world.

6 New York City’s cultural offerings are unparalleled in the world: whether theater, musicals, opera, concerts or other performances – the city’s calendar of events leaves nothing to be desired.

7. New York City is heaven on earth when it comes to shopping. There is definitely nothing in the city that you can’t find.

8. New York City has a fabulous gastronomic scene. Whether it’s fast food or Michelin-starred restaurants, you can eat fast or upscale in NYC, and in every culinary direction imaginable.

9 New York City is an incredibly diverse city. Each neighborhood has its own character and charm to discover.

10. New York City is cosmopolitan, liberal and funky. No matter what you’re passionate about or how quirky you are, NYC makes you feel welcome.

For whom is New York City worth a visit?

Sightseers: 

Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, Rockefeller Center, UN Headquarters – if you are looking for a city with many world-class attractions, you will hardly find a better destination than New York City.

History buffs:

By American standards, New York City is an old city that has quickly developed into a world metropolis. Accordingly, there are many historically interesting things to discover in the city.

Architecture buffs:

New York City is a mecca for architecture enthusiasts. Hardly any other city in the world has seen and continues to see as much construction as New York City. New skyscrapers are still shooting out of the ground year after year. And what’s more, the architects here are allowed to be experimental. In no other city in the world can you find so many unusual buildings.

Skyscraper fans:

In terms of the number and height of its skyscrapers, New York City is now surpassed by Hong Kong and Dubai. Nevertheless, the Manhattan skyline, with its world-famous buildings such as One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, is still probably the most fascinating in the world.

Museum visitors:

Few cities in the world can rival New York City when it comes to museums. With the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the American Museum of Natural History, NYC is home to some of the biggest, best and most famous museums in the world.

Musical fans: 

No other city in the world has anywhere near as many musical theaters as New York City. The Theater District around Broadway and Times Square is the undisputed center of the musical world.

Theater and opera fans:

New York City’s theater and opera scene is huge and world-class. The city’s stages, especially the Metropolitan Opera, are among the best in the world.

Park lovers:

With Central Park, New York City has the most famous and certainly one of the most beautiful parks in the world. But Central Park is only the tip of the iceberg. Many of the other parks and gardens of New York City are also worth a visit or walk.

Fast food lovers:

In New York City, everything has to move a little faster. That also applies to food. Fortunately, the city’s fast food program is not limited to McDonald’s and Burger King, but is supplemented by countless (some excellent) hot dog stands, delis and other fast food outlets.

Gourmets:

But it’s not just fast food that has a high status in New York City; the physical well-being of gourmets is also catered for in the city. The number and culinary range of upscale restaurants is unmanageable.

Shopaholics:

New York City is shopping heaven on earth. In the city’s huge department stores, pompous flagship stores, exclusive designer boutiques and small independent stores, you can really find everything you can imagine.

Families and children:

Last but not least, New York City is definitely worth a visit for families with children, despite its gigantic size. The New York museums almost all have great children’s areas, the city’s parks are very child-friendly and the zoos like the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo are also worth a visit.

Best time to travel

With its incredible variety of sights and attractions, New York City is of course worth a trip all year round. However, if you are more sensitive to the weather, it is best to travel to NYC in spring (April, May) or fall (September, October). Then the temperatures in the city are the most pleasant and especially the spring blossoms in the many New York parks are a real experience. Summers in New York City can get very hot and also humid – not necessarily the best conditions for sightseeing. In winter, on the other hand, it can sometimes be quite frosty in NYC and a bone-chillingly cold wind can blow through the skyscraper canyons.

Getting there

By car:

New York City is one of the largest transportation hubs on the U.S. East Coast. Accordingly, NYC is well connected to the interstate and other road networks.

By train:

Ney York City is one of the few cities in the US that is well connected to the rail network. From NYC there are many (and in some cases even fast) connections to the states surrounding New York and metropolises on the U.S. East Coast.

By plane:

New York City has two airports: John F. Kennedy and the La Guardia Airport. JFK Airport is clearly the larger of the two airports, where all international flights also take off and land. From Germany there are daily connections from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main and Munich to New York City. From Switzerland, there are daily flights to and from Geneva and Zurich. And in Austria, there are flights to Vienna.

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Food and drink

Finding a good restaurant and the right bar in New York City is not that easy – the choice is simply too great. In no other city in the world the gastro scene is so huge and so varied. The hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have come to New York City throughout history have taken their national cuisines with them to NYC. No wonder the city is teeming with Chinese, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Mexican and Russian restaurants. Just about every international cuisine is represented in New York with its own eatery.

New Yorkers are known to be almost always in a hurry. Accordingly, the offer of fast food is large. On every street corner, you’ll find the usual suspects of the international fast food scene, quick-service pizza restaurants and the hot dog street vendors so typical of New York City. A typical New York institution in terms of fast food are the so-called “delicatessen stores” (usually just called “delis” for short). These usually offer fresh and varied food relatively inexpensively. From soups to bagels and sandwiches to salads, the selection is large.

The so-called “diners” are also typically American. Here you can get a big breakfast at unbeatable prices. However, many diners offer cuisine around the clock. In contrast, most restaurants, especially the more upscale ones, close between lunch and dinner.

Last but not least, here are two important practical tips for dining out in New York City. First, unlike most restaurants in our latitudes, there is no free seating in NYC, and you’ll have to deal with an American institution at the entrance: The so-called “maître de table” (often just called “maître d” for short). He assigns the tables to the guests. Secondly, in the U.S., waiters and waitresses generally cannot live on their wages – they depend on tips. Therefore, even in New York City, it is more or less obligatory to leave a proper tip on the table. As a guideline, it is recommended to tip at least twice the sales tax, which is about 17%. Those paying by credit card enter the tip on the line provided. If you pay cash, you get the full change back and leave the tip appropriately on the table.

Sights