Best things to do in NYC now (the NEW and IMPROVED travel guide)

are you visiting new york and don't want to waste time on tourist traps and over-hyped attractions well you're in luck i'm sarah a licensed tour guide and lifelong new yorker and i've made nearly 100 videos about visiting the city alone so if you're planning on visiting please subscribe because those videos will help you out a lot now my last guide is outdated and nobody has time for that so in this guide i'm going to share the best things to do in new york city today it is a no-nonsense straight to the point guide that will make sure you have the best trip of your life when you're visiting new york so these are all things that i would recommend to my friends and family and i think about you guys like that because i don't want you wasting your time on nonsense either by the way if you haven't picked up my free three-day guide to new york that will be linked below and it will give you a step by step of how to plan your trip so you see the best of new york in the most efficient manner with that let's get to my list of things that are 100 worth it when exploring new york seeing the city from above is so important when you're here and there are many observatories that claim to be the best ones of them all but after visiting all of them over the years i can tell you my personal favorite is the edge this is one of the newest ones and the reason it's so special is because the walls are completely made of glass so if you go at night it seems like there are no walls which is kind of freaky i'm on the top of the edge right now this is 1 100 feet up in the air or 345 meters you can see a 360 view of the entire city right here all the way stretching 80 miles out it is stunningly beautiful there is a glass floor here so you can look down many many floors below see taxis below you it's kind of like you're floating in the air it's really phenomenal wow i feel like this is wrong this is crazy on the 101st floor they actually have a signature restaurant and bar and one of the things that i really appreciate is that when you come out here you can go right to the bar grab a nice cocktail grab a nice glass of champagne for the best view of the city from a restaurant head to peak it is on top of the edge this spot you can come for dinner or lunch i recommend coming for lunch the prices are a bit lower which is always nice and you still get that view another great observatory is top of the rock at top of the rock you're going to get that iconic new york city photo with the empire state building so this is the view i'm talking about and taking a photo here is that iconic photo that you get in all the postcards and all the books the best time to come is actually in the morning because that is when the light is hitting the city directly another great time to come is during sunset but you can't visit new york without going to one of the observatories they are an absolute must [Music] i love new york so much that i actually started doing my own tours here and it's been such a pleasure getting to meet all of you that watch my videos so i love going out and meeting viewers on my tours and giving them i offered three tours in new york my secrets of new york to reveal hidden gems and secrets of the city's origins my nyc foodie feast tour takes you on an edible journey through dumbo's world-class food scene where you'll get to enjoy five dishes and then lastly i do my private tours which is one-on-one experience where i get to meet you personally and i take beautiful high-res photos of you around the city and create a custom experience it's just been such a pleasure being able to turn this youtube channel into something more where i actually get to interact with you guys in real life so thank you for that now there are so many fabulous parties and events in new york i can't even get into them all but let me do some quick highlights for you the mckittrick hotel has some epic parties around halloween and new year's eve picnic is a summer party where you have to dress in pink and it's all about rose wine i have a whole video dedicated to different parties in new york that you need to check out if you're into that scene and if you like going out to clubs i have a whole video all about that but the tricky part about parties is that they're future events and there hasn't really been a great way for me to share events with you guys in the past but that has all changed with q q is a free app that makes calendars social and to make sure that you know the best thing to do each day in each borough i've created a calendar of the most interesting happenings and to get my hand selected list all you need to do is download q search for sarah funke and then follow my calendars my nyc happenings content calendar shares events dining experiences parties and more simply click this button here and add the experience to your personal calendar so that you can have the best time in the city and you can also follow my content calendar while you will learn in advance the videos that i'll be sharing before they're even posted and this is exciting because you will have the opportunity to influence what i feature in future videos every event in queue has a real-time chat so you can actually join the event that you're interested in and ask questions or chat with the rest of the community in real time so if you have a favorite restaurant message me on cue let me know about it and i'll consider including them in my upcoming video so download qv the link in my video description below and never miss the best things happening in new york [Music] probably one of the things that i talk about the most in my videos but there's a reason for it is classic hardware line cruises i just love them i love them so much that i actually go on them probably once a month there's tons of different options here you can take food trips and all different types of stuff like that and you get to see these iconic views i like doing the sunset one because it's incredibly romantic you go under the brooklyn bridge under the manhattan bridge you see all different sides of the city and i think personally the best way to see the city is from the water so what better way to do it than with a classic harbor line boat if you're an adventure seeker then you must try jet skiing on the hudson river do it with see the city jet ski located in jersey city to get there take a quick ferry ride across the river and boom it is time for some fun they offer one hour and two and a half hour tours and if you want to circle the whole island and see all the sights book the two and a half hour tour and no matter which tour you get you'll get up and close and personal with the statue of liberty in all her glory wear a bathing suit because you will get wet during this experience and to save ten percent use my code funk ten [Music] [Applause] enjoy by far the thing i do most in new york is go to speakeasies and rooftop bars and we're here at one of my favorites this is garfunkles the cool thing about garfunkel's is the way you enter it you go through the burglary which is a delicious burger spot all the way to the back there's a vault like a bank vault and you go through you have to know the passcode which if you make a reservation you'll be told the passcode you come upstairs and here you are in this beautiful 1920s style speakeasy this spot actually has a really unique history it used to be a corrupt bank run by criminal fugitives garfunkel and tauser they were bankers turned criminal fugitives they stole people's money right here in this location so when you come here the great thing is they make some amazing custom cocktails for whatever you enjoy so let's say you're like me you like drink smoky and sweet they can make a custom drink right for you i couldn't even tell you what this is called because it's customized for what i want in the moment so let's give it a shot it's very beautiful i have never been disappointed at garfunkel's i have to tell you like i've come here probably over 20 times it's intimate it's delicious it's beautiful now the other thing i enjoy doing is rooftop bars there are tons of rooftop bars in the city and many of them will claim to be phenomenal but they're not so here are the ones that i have tested and i know they're good the thing about rooftop bars is a lot of the time they're going to charge you exorbitant prices for drinks even though they're not that good so the ones that are worth going to is the skylark is a midtown rooftop bar they have indoor seating and outdoor seating so it's great for all times of year and they have some amazing shots of the empire state building over here and it's also one of the only rooftop bars and you can see the new year's eve ball perfectly right from here west light which is in brooklyn this is at the william vale hotel on the rooftop and the views are absolutely ridiculous it perfectly frames the empire state building right in the center and on the roof they have turf and corn hole so you can play that game it's a perfect way to spend time with friends and harriet's rooftop which is in dumbo brooklyn they serve healthy cocktails if you're on a diet good option great spot to watch fireworks by the way for fourth of july you're here for fourth of july and that one has a great view of the brooklyn bridge and also the cocktail so check those out when you're here and uh cheers there are so many great local restaurants here in new york that you shouldn't be going to the over-hyped ones like uh and don't hate me for saying this but carlos bakery serendipity the places that all the tourists go to but no locals go to so here's some local spots that the best of new yorkers go to and you gotta go cause they're delicious so i have three restaurant recommendations we're gonna start from the lowest cost and go to the highest cost now if you like bar food if you like a really laid back atmosphere i recommend going to corner bistro this is a place that anthony bourdain often visited they're known for really great pub food so this is where you order a greasy delicious hamburger topped with tons of cheese and bacon and french fries this place has been open for many many many years and there's a reason why they've stayed open that long it's because they're incredible so if that's your vibe check out corner bistro now let's take it a step up one of my favorite restaurants in the city is vinegar hill house this is located in vinegar hill brooklyn they serve new american food and all of their ingredients are locally found they are the highest quality possible they also have an outdoor space in the back and behind the outdoor space there's a private event area that has a wine cellar and then on the upstairs you can actually do events for up to 40 people i actually recommend the roast chicken here i don't normally order chicken at restaurants but they do such a good job with this they have a little courtyard in the center it feels like you're dining at like your grandma's house it's just like very very cozy and welcoming environment a little bit more expensive than corner bistro now let's go up to the next level this is the most expensive level the grill that's located in the sea grant building this is a very high-end american chop house aka the grill it's designed to look very mid-century this is where you will go on a really nice date night or an anniversary you're going to be spending a lot of money here but it will be worth it the food is absolutely incredible the drinks are spot on the atmosphere is fabulous this restaurant is the precursor of the new york steakhouse so they kind of celebrated when things were still intricate and elegant and they have great dishes from land and sea obviously you want to order steak when you come here so those are three restaurants that i highly recommend i have a whole guide on restaurants if you want even more tips and suggestions so check that out but go to the local spots don't go to those overhyped touristy destinations please now if you're a bit more adventurous you must try doing a helicopter tour of new york you can do this with fly nion but there are many helicopter companies it is very expensive just prepare yourself for that but nowhere else will you see sites like this you can fly over central park around the statue of liberty you'll see the city from above but much closer than you would if you were in a plane it is absolutely magical again i would recommend doing this one at sunset it's going to be a bit more expensive at sunset but if you're going to spend the money you might as well just do it at sunset bring your camera you can do a doors off one if you're bold if you're really adventurous hang your feet over the edge and just take in the views it is probably the best thing to do in new york besides my tours of course you know i had to do the shameless plug here you guys but yeah check out a helicopter tour [Music] one of the best things to do in summer is have a picnic of course the weather's beautiful and i like to come here to gantry state park now i know that might be a little scandalous to say because i'm not saying central park right but the central park have this view i don't think so so what i like to do is just order some food i'm a sushi lover so i just get a big plate of sushi and enjoy the view you can also play games they have a bar on the side you can take the ferry right over from manhattan it's super easy and super beautiful so i highly recommend checking this spot out when you're here in the summer or if you live here of course [Music] and that's it those are the best things to do in new york after a lifetime of living here now i really hope to see you on one of my tours but until then hit subscribe give this video a like and i will see you next time [Music] bye [Music] you

Channel: Sarah Funk

Views: 185,671

Keywords: things to do in nyc, new york city, new york travel, nyc travel tips, new york travel guide, new york, travel guide nyc, things to do in new york, things to do in new york city, here be barr, nyc things to do, nyc travel guide, what to do in nyc, travel tips, life in nyc, what to do in new york city, nyc 2021, best things to do in nyc, nyc now, sarah funk, restaurants nyc, bars nyc, attractions nyc, sightseeing nyc, tourist attractions nyc, tours nyc, what to eat nyc

Id: c392Y-J-Fns

Length: 15min 21sec (921 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 18 2021