36 Hours In New York City

36 hours in new york
Louise
Louise 
Updated
| 5 min read

New York City, also called the Big Apple, is a gorgeous major city in the United States of America. It is characterized by marvelous sky-scraping buildings, glittering city lights, a vibrant art scene, luxurious boutiques, and iconic parks that have been featured in famous Hollywood Movies. Lots of people from around the world want to visit the place, if not live in it. From watching a broadway show to buying some Louis Vuitton Bags on Fifth Avenue, to dining in exquisite restaurants, New York City offers almost all of life’s mundane pleasures. If you are traveling to New York City any time soon, and you only have 36 hours to spare, How are you going to spend it? To give you a fantastic idea, here is an article about how to spend 36 hours in New York City, USA. Check it out below.

Day 1

Afternoon: Sample some American fare at Cookshop

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

When you first step foot in New York City, you might be really hungry from your long flight or the bus ride. So, what you should do is regain strength so that you have the energy to explore the city and take it by storm. New York City has lots of excellent restaurants. A testament to that is the charming Cookshop, located on 10th Ave. It showcases a lovely interior design that is casual and chic, with lots of natural light and casual vibes. What better food to try in New York than American food, right? While in Cookshop, be sure to try their bestsellers such as Greek Salad, 100% Grass-fed Beef Burger, Albacore Tuna, Eggplant Lasagna, and more. Plus, you might want to pair it with a cocktail drink or a glass of fine wine.

Cookshop

Address: 156 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA

Website: Cookshop

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 11pm; Sat: 10am - 11pm; Sun: 10am - 10pm

Visited this place?

Evening: Stroll along The High Line

Highline NYC
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user bbaunach used under CC BY 2.0

After a sumptuous meal at Cookshop, you might want to explore the city, see some sights, and marvel at the beauty of this modern metropolis. First stop is The High Line. This is a bustling district and an elevated linear park on the west side of Manhattan. Here, you’ll see charming homes, lots of greenways, and chic and laidback cafes. When it starts to get dark, you’ll see the area come alive as city lights start to brighten the area. Have your camera ready as you will want to take as many souvenir pictures as possible.

High Line

Address: New York, NY 10011, USA

Website: High Line

Opening hours: 7am - 11pm (daily)

Price: Free admission

Visited this place?

Night: Stop by Broadway to catch a show

Broadway
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Beyond My Ken used under CC BY-SA 4.0

On your first night in New York City, what would you like to do? Do you want to try more eats? Check out the nightlife? Or dive into the vibrant art scene of the Big Apple? If your choice is the latter, your New York experience will really not be complete without catching an entertaining show in the iconic Broadway. This center for theatre arts features a total of 41 professional theatres, and all of them can accommodate up to 500 guests per show. Most of the legendary musicians, singers, and performers have experience performing on the Broadway Stage. Check out their website to see the list of upcoming shows and schedules.

Broadway

Address: Manhattan, New York

Website: Broadway

Visited this place?

New York City Tour Guide

Hiram Jacobs

Hiram Jacobs

I am a licensed New York City Department of Consumer Affairs Tour Guide and a native New Yorker. Over the years, I acquired considerable experience organizing solo tours of the major European and East European capitals of the world, Canada's largest cities and Australia's most popular cities, Washington, DC, Atlanta, New Orleans, and San Francisco. During my international travels, I participated in tours organized by private tour companies to China, Russia, South America, India, the Canadian Rockies, Israel, Japan's major cities; USA: Alaska, Arizona and Utah's scenic national National Parks . I received my Master of Arts in Political Science (Urban Administration) from the State University of New York, College at Brockport, Brockport, New York in 1978. Since my recent retirement from the MTA, New York City Transit Authority, after 39 years of service as an Associate Transit Management Analyst, I hope to share with my fellow Travelers my observations, insights and personal experiences relating to Manhattan’s iconic neighborhoods, landmarks and popular attractions that make New York City such a vibrant and dynamic city to visit. I will strive to make your New York City Experience memorable. Tour Cancellations - Please provide at least 24 hours notice prior to the tour date in order to cancel your booking and to receive a full refund.

Tours by Hiram

New York City Tour Guide

Stephanie Eley

Stephanie Eley

I'm a graduate of ITMI, International Tour Management Institute and 17 years as a licensed Tour Director and Program Director. My expertise began in NYC and Washington, DC where I'm a licensed guide and has expanded to Europe, South America, Cuba and the Western / Southwestern National Parks of the US. I'd love to introduce you for a day or a week to Denver, Colorado and the 4 corners region of the US: Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona! Let's GO!! stepheley@gmail.com

Tours by Stephanie

Day 2

Morning: Head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sracer357 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Surely, watching an inspiring show in Broadway will give you an excellent night’s sleep. What would you like to do next? How do you plan to spend your first morning in New York? Here’s an idea, after breakfast, wear your comfiest clothes but the most fashionable ones for the Gram. Make your heart cry happy tears as you explore the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met. The Met is considered one of the largest museums of art in the whole world. It features different art forms that depict cultures of various countries and cities around the world, from the pre-historic times to the modern age. On record, it is believed that the Met represents 5000 years of art.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA

Website: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 10am - 5:30pm; Fri - Sat: 10am - 9pm

Price: From 12 USD

Visited this place?

Afternoon: Have a picnic in Central Park

Fountain in Central Park, New York city
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user sightalks used under CC BY-SA 4.0

After having your breath taken away by stunning art pieces of the Met, have a delicious lunch in any nearby restaurant or cafes. New York City has a multitude of them. Now, to make your second afternoon in New York City a memorable one, spend some quality time and have a picnic at Central Park. Located in the heart of Manhattan, surrounded by luxurious retail brands, exquisite restaurants, and other top-visited businesses, lies an urban park that is a favorite setting of lots of Hollywood movies and TV shows. Here, you can do lots of things, aside from picnic and picture taking. You can watch a live performance of a band at the Summer Stage, marvel at the beauty of Belvedere Castle, smell the roses at the Conservatory Garden, and a lot more.

Central Park

Address: New York, NY, USA

Website: Central Park

Opening hours: 6am - 1am (daily)

Visited this place?

Evening: Swing by St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St. Patrick's Cathedral - New York
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Carlos Delgado used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Your New York City visit will not be complete without visiting one of the many stunning churches in the city and offering a few prayers of thanks and well wishes. Before dinner, you might want to swing by St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Ave. This marvelous Roman Catholic Church is one of the most visited churches in New York for its excellent location. It boasts a stunning Neo-Gothic-style that is definitely an architectural masterpiece. Considered the largest place of worship in the city and one of the most magnificent buildings, St. Patrick’s Cathedral is surely worth a visit.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Address: 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022, USA

Website: St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Visited this place?

Night: Slip into one of the stylish bars in East Village for a drink

East Village Second Avenue
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Postdlf used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Now, for your last night in New York City, because you’re done dipping into the art scene and you’ve had enough of park visits and city walks, you might want to check out the party scene and the vibrant nightlife in the city. Your destination must be the East Village if you want a glimpse of the authentic party culture of New York. Known for its happening nightlife, East Village has a plethora of fantastic cocktail lounges, music venues, hip restaurants, laid-back cafes, and even tattoo shops and vintage stores. While in East Village, try the vibes at Death & Company. This high-end bar showcases a luxurious New Orleans-ish kind of interior design with an impeccable dimly lit set-up that adds romantic vibes to the place. Its centerpiece is the stunning and lengthy bar area with a presentation of premium drinks from all over the world. Enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine and socialize.

Death & Company

Address: 433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009, USA

Website: Death & Company

Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 6pm - 2am; Fri - Sat: 6pm - 3am

Visited this place?

Day 3

Morning: Breakfast at Black Seed then a visit to One World Observatory

New York - Views from One World Observatory
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Rudolphous used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Hangover and satisfied? Drink a mimosa and make the most of your last hours in the concrete paradise. After a delicious breakfast in your hotel, go out and grab a hand-rolled bagel for dessert from Black Seed, just like any regular American. Lots of locals swear that Black Seed has the best bagels in the city and definitely a must-try. With your warm bagels on hand, head over to the One World Observatory and get to see the city from the 100th floor of the iconic World Trade Center. This is an experience that will surely be one for the books. Let your breath be taken away by the beauty of the city and let your thoughts wander freely. Before leaving the building, you might also want to browse through the art exhibits on-site or try some eats in the building’s restaurants.

Black Seed

Address: 176 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10009, USA

Website: Black Seed

Opening hours: 7am - 5pm (daily)

One World Observatory

Address: 285 Fulton St, New York, NY 10006, USA

Website: One World Observatory

Opening hours: 8am - 10pm (daily)

Price: 32 USD

Visited this place?

A wonderful 36 hours in New York City

Bright-New-York-City
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Deckso Gamez used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Surely, New York City has very diverse offerings. From a vibrant art scene to a charming nightlife, gorgeous parks and recreational areas to luxurious retail brands and high-end restaurants, 36 hours in the city might not be enough. However, with this article, those 36 hours will surely be filled with memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. Use this as your guide when you visit New York City.

Visited this place?
Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

She is a lover of life and a very optimistic person. She thinks of herself as a vessel of a billion possibilities, which can harness limitless potential. Trying new experiences, going places she's...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore New York City
Looking for accommodation?
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.