New York City is without a doubt the most iconic city in the US. With more than 8 million residents and nearly 67 million visitors each year, the Big Apple offers an abundance of things to do, see, and eat while in the city. You could honestly spend a year there and never fit it all in, so planning a single day in the most visited city in the US can be quite a daunting task! But if you’re a time-crunched traveler like us, then you’ve come to the right place, because that’s exactly what we’ve put together… A one day in NYC guide! For this itinerary, we’re going to be starting the day just on the other side of the East River in the small Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo. From there, we’ll work our way north with Central Park being our northernmost stop, and we’ll be hitting all sorts of memorable stops along the way making for one epic day in New York City! So if you’re ready to dive in, let's get to it!
*Be sure to check out our “A Day in New York City” travel vlog for a closer look at our time in the Big Apple!
7:00am: Start your day in the neighborhood of Dumbo and take a stroll across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan
8:30am: Coffee/Breakfast
It doesn't get much more quintessential New York than bagels for breakfast, and thankfully there is an abundance of options throughout the city, so take your pick! We actually tried a couple on our trip, and even though Zucker's is what made it into the vlog and blog, our favorite was Best Bagel & Coffee which was near our hotel.
Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish (where we went - 125 Fulton St)
La Parisienne (9 Maiden Ln)
Best Bagel & Coffee (225 W 35th St A)
Ess-a-Bagel (Multiple Locations)
Tal Bagels (Multiple Locations)
9:30am: Visit the World Trade Center Complex
The World Trade Center Complex is a sprawling 16 acre mixed-used environment composed of 5 iconic office towers, an 8-acre Memorial Plaza, over half a million square feet of shopping and dining, and The Transportation Hub (Oculus). I will forewarn you though, the experience at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum can be very difficult. The heaviness of what took place there on September 11, 2001 is very real. If you do nothing else in the World Trade Center Complex at least make a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and pay your respects to the 2,983 victims of the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks.
9/11 Memorial (180 Greenwich St)
9/11 Museum (opens at 10am - 180 Greenwich St)
One World Trade Center (the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere - 117 West St)
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