The 10 best Hotels Hostels in New York

About New York

New York is the Big Apple, the capital of the world. It's made up of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, each one of them with its own charm and personality. To ever get to know this huge and lively city you should move here and, yet, you won't get to know all of it. Here you'll enjoy jazz music, go to a musical, feel like a big shot in Financial District, see and be seen in Fifth Avenue or cross the Brooklyn Bridge walking. New York has been, is and always will be the scenario of many movie stories and the inspiration for endless songs. Its streets have witnessed King Kong climbing the Empire State, Audrey Hepburn watching the windows of Tiffany's, Ghostbusters in action in the New York Public Library or the main characters of Friends taking lots and lots of cups of coffee. Just like in a movie.

Moving around

Either the bus or the subway (the biggest of the world) run 24 hours, 365 days a year. Both have local and express lines. Local lines stop in every station while express lines stop only in the main ones. The Staten Island Ferry connects Manhattan with Staten Island, is free and runs 24 hours. It's a cheap way to take a close look at the Statue of Liberty. The cheapest way to use public transport is with MetroCard. There are two different types: Pay-per-Ride, you have to recharge the card with the amount of rides you're going to use; or Unlimited Ride to enjoy unlimited rides.

Out & About

There's so much to see and do in New York that it's difficult to choose a starting point. The great island of Manhattan is divided in three main areas: Downtown (from Battery Park to 14th Street), Midtown (between 14th Street and 59th) and Uptown (from 59th Street to Harlem). In Downtown, you'll find the most famous neighborhoods: in Financial District you'll face New York Stock Exchange or ground zero; watching the food stalls in Chinatown you'll doubt whether you're in New York or in some Oriental city; in Little Italy you'll enjoy the typical Italian atmosphere of this authentic neighborhood; in the Village you'll breathe the bohemian ambience of the city (beat generation during the fifties was set in the East Village); Meatpacking District is the place to be right now thanks to its clubs, art galleries and shops. Midtown concentrates the most distinctive views of Manhattan: the Empire State Building (with its amazing views), the UN, Chrysler Building, Times Square, Grand Central Station, the Rockefeller Center or the New York Public Library. Here you'll also find Broadway which gathers the best of theater and music with plenty of concerts and musicals. Some of the best museums of the city are located Uptown: the Metropolitan, the Guggenheim or the American Museum of Natural History. Here you'll also find the Lincoln Center, a big cultural complex. In the biggest neo-Gothic cathedral of the world, St. John the Divine, painting exhibits, music recitals or readings are organized. In this part of the island you'll also find the most famous park of the Big Apple, Central Park. In it, there's a zoo, theaters, lakes, paths, sports fields... After John Lennon's assassination, the city dedicated a little space to his memory called Strawberry Fields, because of the song. This corner is just in front of the Dakota building, where the couple used to live. The building is shrouded in mystery and plenty of dark stories. For example, Polanski shot there his movie Rosemary's baby. North of Uptown, there's Harlem, a neighborhood with its own character where you can enjoy gospel in one of the many Baptist churches. From Financial District you can cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot while enjoying the great views. Once on the other side, explore the neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights, and its amazing views of Manhattan's skyline. Other interesting areas to visit in Brooklyn are Prospect Park, a huge and beautiful park; Williamsburg, with its art galleries, and Dumbo, the hip neighborhood in Brooklyn. The Bronx is located in the northern part of town. Here you'll find the Bronx Zoo or the Yankee Stadium. Queens is the biggest district of New York. Here is the Met's stadium and two of the three airports of the city, JFK and LaGuardia. You can get to Staten Island anytime during day or night and for free thanks to the ferry. It's a cheap way to take a closer look of the Statue of Liberty. From there, you can also admire beautiful Manhattan.

What's going on in

The biggest parade of the year is organized on the 17th March to honor Saint Patrick. During this celebration, the city dresses up in green, the Irish color. Tribeca Film Festival is celebrated from the end of April to the beginning of May. The 4th of July is the celebration of the Independence Day with a fireworks show over the East River. In mid-September, San Genaro is celebrated in Little Italy. It's a very lively festivity where processions are organized and when you can taste better than ever the great Italian gastronomy. The first Sunday of November takes place the famous marathon of New York which gathers runners from all over the world. The fourth Thursday of November the traditional Thanksgiving Day is celebrated with the typical parade and dinner. First Wednesday after Thanksgiving is the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony. Sometime later, the multitudinous New Year's Eve party in Times Square arrives.

Shopping

New York is full of shops and malls. In Soho there are plenty of shops and in Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue designer boutiques predominate. In the department store Macy's you can take advantage of a tourist discount if you show your passport. Other famous store, but a little bit more expensive, is Bloomingdale's. If you don't want to spend your entire budget in your shopping, you should go to Chinatown. Canal Street and Mott Street are the paradise of forgery. You'll find anything. You may have to search through a lot but, if you have the time and the patience it takes, you shouldn't miss Century 21, in Financial District. In this outlet store you'll find every brand and designer at low prices. New York is the paradise for shopping so don't worry, you'll find many shops, shoe shops, etc. in every corner. Many of them offer discounts from time to time, even if it's not the sales season. Many people come to the city to buy electronics at very low prices. In the Financial District area, for example, you'll find many stores that the technology lovers will adore.

What's cooking?

Any moment, any place is good to grab a bite. The city is full of fast food restaurants and food stalls on the streets so you can fill your stomach with a hot dog, burritos or a pretzel. It's the cheapest choice. For breakfast, the best thing to do is enjoy a bagel filled with cheese cream or a huge muffin. Brunch has become a tradition and many restaurants offer it. It's a mix of breakfast and lunch that includes bacon, waffles, omelets and other delicious stuff. You also have to eat the amazing Cheesecake, New York style. There are many exquisite cake shops scattered around the city. If you go to Harlem, you can't miss the chance to taste the delicious soul food. Besides, New York is the perfect place to taste the gastronomy of almost every corner of the world. There are great Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Thai, Peruvian or Mexican restaurants, amongst others.

Weather

In New York, winters are cold and it usually snows, temperatures often go below zero. Summers are usually hot and wet. The best time to visit the city is during spring or autumn, when the sun is shining and temperatures are nice.

Practical information

To enter the United States, you need your passport and visa. The maximum stay is 90 days. Before travelling, don't forget to deal with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The official currency is the Dollar and the official language is English, though Spanish is spreading more and more. Don't forget to bring an adaptor for plugs because in New York they have three pins. When you buy electronic goods, keep in mind that the American system is different from the European. The same thing happens with DVDs, you won't be able to use many of them in European players. The sale and purchase of alcohol is prohibited to persons under 21 and, regarding smoking, it's prohibited in public places, including parks and other public areas. Tips, almost compulsory, are the base of waiters' salary. It ranges between 15 and 20%. In some cases, it's included in the bill but not always. Make sure if it's included or not before you leave. You should also leave a tip to taxi drivers.

So...

Start spreading the news, you're going to New York, the city that never sleeps, where dreams come true, they say. Mix up with New Yorkers in the streets of the Big Apple and get dazzled by the lights in Times Square, be part of this magical city to the rhythm of New York, New York.