Kirsten & Ahmed
Things To Do
Museum of the City of New York
Kirsten & Ahmed's favorite museum in the city! Fun Fact: Ahmed's work is featured in this museum!! Bonus points to anyone who finds his name on the wall!!
Queens Museum & Unisphere
Okay, THIS is our favorite museum! It has an amazing 9000 square foot model of New York City that alone is worth the journey to get there. It's also next to the Unisphere, one of our favorite sites (and sights) and the grounds for the 1964 World's Fair
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
This National Park includes access to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Try to budget as much time as you can at Ellis Island. The newly redone museum is extremely extensive and well-done! Make sure you buy ferry tickets from Statue Cruises. Buy directly online to avoid scammers! Ferry tickets will take you to both Statue Island (site of the Statue of Liberty) and Ellis Island. See here for more info: https://www.statueofliberty.org/visit/tickets/
Brooklyn Bridge
Kirsten's happy place. Fun Fact: John Roebling, the original architect of the Brooklyn Bridge and the founder of Roebling Sons Company, created the steel wire used in the construction of the cable-stayed suspension bridge. The same company later supplied the steel for the original Slinky in 1943. Additional Fun Fact: The first (of hopefully many) bridges in NYC to take a lane of car traffic and convert it to a two-way bike lane!
Central Park
Spend a day wandering and getting lost in the park. Every inch of this park is amazing. (And kept us sane during the height of the Pandemic, for which we are eternally grateful.) the southern end has more of the scenes that you have seen in the movies. Make sure you go to Bow Bridge and Bethesda Terrace. The center of the park's focal point is the Jackie Kennedy Reservoir, which is a wonderful walk with views that will make you completely fall in love with the city. The northern part of the park is much more "natural" with forests, streams, and waterfalls to explore. Feel like you have left the city, with none of the inconvenience of leaving the city!
Empire State Building
Perhaps the only tourist attraction that truly lives up to the hype. Try to time your visit right before sunset, so you can see both daytime and nighttime skyline views. We recommend only getting tickets to the 86th Floor, not the "deluxe" package that includes the 102nd Floor. The 86th is the outdoor viewing platform and it's the highlight. The 102nd Floor is not worth the added price, in our opinion.
The Skyscraper Museum
Small but mighty museum in the Financial District (Lower Manhattan). If you're interested in urban planning or architecture, this is your place! And if you're not... you will be by the time you leave! Who DOESN'T want to learn about how the 1916 Zoning Code transformed the City into what it is today?!
The High Line
New York's 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail. It's a gem of the city. Grab a coffee and go for a walk. You won't regret it! Fun Fact: One of Kirsten's projects is managing the construction of the extension of this park over Port Authority property!
Broadway Shows
You cannot go wrong with a Broadway show! You can buy tickets directly from the shows' websites, or find deals. We use the TodayTix app. It works great and prices are usually much more affordable.
New York Botanical Garden
For visitors who want to step foot in all five boroughs, this is a great Bronx activity! The rose garden and outdoor scenery is wonderful, and the observatory is a fantastic rainy day activity.
Ferries
Take the Staten Island Ferry for a free ride that gives you excellent views of the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. Take the New York City Ferry for $2.75 for truly unbeatable views of the entire island of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Coney Island
Great for families! It has a beach, a carnival (ride the Wonder Wheel!), an aquarium (New York Aquarium), and hot dogs... What's not to love?!
Brookfield Place / Battery Park City
Waterfront park along the World's Busiest Greenway, and stop and see Ahmed's Ferry Terminal! World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum are also across the street.
American Museum of Natural History
Great for families and adults! It's easy to spend the entire day here. Wear comfortable shoes.
So Many Art Museums
So many great options, depending on the type you want to see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) – If you don’t know what you want to see. This museum has everything; you could easily spend an entire day here. Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) - Modern art, but generally pretty accessible; you don’t need to be an art critic to love what you see at the MoMa. The Guggenheim – If you want to see the site from Men in Black where Will Smith runs up the ramp and first meets an alien on the rooftop (and also modern art). The Whitney - Modern art, generally more abstract and “edgier” that the MoMa. We don’t usually understand what we see here, but it's very fun and has a great rooftop terrace with an amazing view.
New York Public Library - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
The most beautiful library in America. After visiting, walk to the rear of the building to enjoy Bryant Park! (Keep walking east to see Kirsten's beloved Port Authority Bus Terminal)
Governors Island
The entire island is a park (car-free!) complete with hammock groves, food trucks, a playground, bike rentals, art galleries, and more! Great place for adults and families, alike! The ferry is free in the morning, and $2.75 after 10am.
Little Island
A truly amazing park built on the Hudson River. It's one of the newest parks in the city, and is one of best executions of landscape architecture since Central Park (Fredrick Law Olmsted would be proud!). It has a lot of interesting features on a very small footprint, with excellent views.