New York guides
New York fits famous sights into walkable blocks, from Grand Central's painted night sky to Central Park's bridges and the galleries of The Met and MoMA. Three big airports serve it, and each connects to Manhattan by train or bus.
Layover guides for New York
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) layovers
6 hoursHow to Spend a 6 Hour Layover in New York: LaGuardia to Astoria
A 6 hour layover in NYC from LaGuardia fits a Greek Astoria outing one bus ride away: Astoria Park's river views, a long meze lunch at Agnanti and a pastry box from Artion Bakery.
8 hoursHow to Spend an 8 Hour Layover in New York: LaGuardia to Flushing
Eight hours at LaGuardia is time to head east to Flushing, NYC's biggest Chinatown, for the 1964 World's Fair globe, a quiet botanical garden, soup dumplings and a basement food court.
10 hoursHow to Spend a 10 Hour Layover in New York: LaGuardia to the Bronx
A 10 hour layover in NYC from LaGuardia reaches the Bronx for the New York Botanical Garden's glasshouse and forest, then a deli lunch and cannoli on Arthur Avenue.
12 hoursHow to Spend a 12 Hour Layover in New York: LaGuardia to Museum Mile
A 12 hour layover in NYC from LaGuardia covers the Upper East Side: a formal garden in Central Park, the Guggenheim's spiral, an egg cream at a 1925 luncheonette, the Frick and Bemelmans Bar.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) layovers
6 hoursHow to Spend a 6 Hour Layover in New York: Newark Airport to Koreatown
Six hours at Newark Airport leaves room for two things worth the train ride: a homemade tofu lunch at Cho Dang Gol in Koreatown and the free Museum at FIT near Penn Station.
8 hoursHow to Spend an 8 Hour Layover in New York: Newark Airport to Grand Central
An 8 hour layover at Newark Airport is enough for Midtown's great public rooms: Moynihan Train Hall, Grand Central and its Oyster Bar, the New York Public Library and Rockefeller Center.
10 hoursHow to Spend a 10 Hour Layover in New York: Newark Airport to Lower Manhattan
Ten hours at Newark Airport is time to ride PATH into Lower Manhattan and walk from the 9/11 Memorial and Trinity Church to Fraunces Tavern and the free Staten Island Ferry.
12 hoursHow to Spend a 12 Hour Layover in New York: Newark Airport to the High Line
A 12 hour layover in NYC from Newark Airport covers the High Line, Chelsea Market and the Whitney, then the West Village for Stonewall, a Joe's slice and Washington Square Park.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) layovers
6 hoursHow to Spend a 6 Hour Layover in New York: JFK to Jackson Heights
A 6 hour layover in NYC from JFK works best as a food trip close to the airport: Jackson Heights serves momos, Indian snacks and a famous Colombian arepa a short walk from the subway.
8 hoursHow to Spend an 8 Hour Layover in New York: JFK to Chinatown and Katz's
An 8 hour layover in NYC from JFK leaves time to ride to the Lower East Side for pastrami at Katz's, then walk through Little Italy to Chinatown for dim sum and a golden Buddha.
10 hoursHow to Spend a 10 Hour Layover in New York: JFK to DUMBO and Williamsburg
A 10 hour layover in NYC from JFK makes a Brooklyn day: skyline views from the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park, coal-oven pizza at Juliana's, then a ferry to Domino Park and Williamsburg.
12 hoursHow to Spend a 12 Hour Layover in New York: JFK to Harlem and Uptown
Twelve hours at JFK covers Harlem and the Upper West Side: soul food at Sylvia's, the Studio Museum, the giant Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the Natural History Museum.
Short trip guides for New York
East Village Lower East Side
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in New York: St Marks Place and Tompkins Square
Three hours in New York covers a classic East Village loop: Peter Stuyvesant's old church, an egg cream at B&H Dairy, a slow walk down St. Marks Place and a bench in Tompkins Square Park.
4 hoursHow to Spend 4 Hours in New York: A Lower East Side Food Crawl
Four hours in New York is just right for a Lower East Side food crawl, from a century old knish bakery and lox at Russ & Daughters to retro candy, Essex Market and barrel pickles.
6 hoursHow to Spend 6 Hours in New York: Little Ukraine, McSorley's and Alphabet City
Six hours in New York lets you cross the East Village from pierogi at Veselka and the Ukrainian Museum to an 1832 rowhouse, ale at McSorley's and a squatters' museum on Avenue C.
8 hoursHow to Spend 8 Hours in New York: An East Village Day from Bagels to Beer
Eight hours in New York makes a full East Village day: Avenue A bagels, Tompkins Square Park, Sichuan lunch at Uluh, the Strand, a film under a landmark ceiling, Italian pastry and beer.
Upper Manhattan
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in New York: Hamilton Grange and City College
Three hours in New York buys a 1 train ride uptown to Hamilton Heights for City College's Gothic towers, Alexander Hamilton's country house and coffee in a back garden.
4 hoursHow to Spend 4 Hours in New York: The Met Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park
Four hours in New York takes the A train to Fort Tryon Park's gardens and river lookouts, then into The Met Cloisters for medieval chapels, herb gardens and the Unicorn Tapestries.
6 hoursHow to Spend 6 Hours in New York: Little Red Lighthouse to the High Bridge
Six hours in New York explores Washington Heights: the Little Red Lighthouse, Bennett Park at Manhattan's highest point, a Dominican lunch at Malecon, the High Bridge and Sylvan Terrace.
8 hoursHow to Spend 8 Hours in New York: Inwood Forest to Harlem Barbecue
Eight hours in New York runs down upper Manhattan from Inwood Hill Park's forest to The Met Cloisters, a mofongo lunch, the West Harlem Piers and dinner at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
Brooklyn
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in New York: NYC Ferry to Greenpoint
Three hours in New York gets you across the East River by ferry to Greenpoint for a skyline pier, a Polish lunch at Karczma and a donut at Peter Pan.
4 hoursHow to Spend 4 Hours in New York: Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Heights
Four hours in New York takes the subway to Prospect Heights for pancakes at Tom's, the Brooklyn Museum, the gilded Central Library and Grand Army Plaza's triumphal arch.
6 hoursHow to Spend 6 Hours in New York: Green-Wood Cemetery and Sunset Park
Six hours in New York heads to south Brooklyn for the hills of Green-Wood Cemetery, lunch at Japan Village in Industry City, the skyline from Sunset Park and a banh mi.
8 hoursHow to Spend 8 Hours in New York: Coney Island and Brighton Beach
Eight hours in New York takes the subway to the ocean for a Nathan's hot dog, the boardwalk, sharks at the New York Aquarium, a Central Asian market and dinner at Kashkar Cafe.
Midtown
3 hoursHow to Spend 3 Hours in New York: Grand Central, Library Lions and Bryant Park
Three hours in New York is plenty for Grand Central's star-painted ceiling, the marble library guarded by the lions Patience and Fortitude, and a slow loop of Bryant Park behind it.
4 hoursHow to Spend 4 Hours in New York: Morgan Library and a Korean Lunch in NoMad
Four hours in New York covers J. Pierpont Morgan's private library, a Korean home-style meal at Her Name Is Han and a stroll through Madison Square Park, where Shake Shack began.
6 hoursHow to Spend 6 Hours in New York: Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge and The Met
Six hours in New York lets you walk Central Park from the Literary Walk to Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge, watch the model sailboats, then spend the afternoon inside The Met.
8 hoursHow to Spend 8 Hours in New York: East River Tram, MoMA and Top of the Rock
Eight hours in New York fills a Midtown day: the Roosevelt Island Tram to Four Freedoms Park, St. Patrick's and MoMA, dusk from Top of the Rock and a toast at the King Cole Bar.
Fitness guides for New York
FitnessNew York Roosevelt Island to Astoria Run and a Sportspark Drop-In Pass
From the Sportspark, run up Roosevelt Island, cross the Roosevelt Island Bridge to Ravenswood, go north on Vernon Boulevard to Astoria, return along the Socrates Sculpture Park waterfront, then cool off in the pool.
FitnessNew York East River Run to Randall's Island and an Asphalt Green Pass
Run north from Asphalt Green on the East River Esplanade, cross the 103rd Street footbridge, loop Randall's Island along the Harlem River and past the Hell Gate, then swim in a 50 meter pool.
FitnessNew York Riverside Park Run and a CrossFit NYC Upper West Side Drop-In
Run from Lincoln Center to the Hudson, follow Riverside Park and the Cherry Walk north to West 125th Street, come back along the bluff past Grant's Tomb, then shower at CrossFit NYC on Columbus Avenue.
FitnessNew York Prospect Park Drive Circuit and a Harbor Fitness Guest Pass
Jog up from Fifth Avenue to Bartel-Pritchard Square and run Prospect Park West to Grand Army Plaza. Then follow the car-free drive clockwise around the lake and finish with the sauna back on Fifth Avenue.
FitnessNew York Hudson River Run to Pier 40 and a Manhattan Plaza Day Pass
Run the Hudson River Park waterfront south from Pier 84 to Pier 40, loop back north through the West Village and Chelsea, then recover at Manhattan Plaza Health Club in Hell's Kitchen.
FitnessNew York Central Park Clockwise Loop Run and a Mid City Gym Day Pass
Run up Eighth Avenue to Columbus Circle, circle the whole of Central Park clockwise past the Reservoir and over Harlem Hill, then shower at Mid City Gym in Hell's Kitchen.
About New York
Most short visits happen in Manhattan, a narrow island where Midtown's train terminals, museums and towers sit within walking distance of Central Park. The subway runs around the clock and takes contactless cards and phones at the turnstile, so you'll rarely need a taxi. Newark is across the Hudson in New Jersey and runs trains to Penn Station. JFK carries most long-haul international flights and connects to the subway and the Long Island Rail Road by AirTrain, while LaGuardia, the closest to Manhattan, links to the subway by bus. Beyond Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens reward the ride with waterfront parks, the Coney Island boardwalk and some of the city's best immigrant cooking, from Jackson Heights momos to Flushing soup dumplings.