How to spend 48 hours in NYC

We recently took a last minute trip to New York! With only 48 hours in New York City, you bet we acted like a typical tourist. If your visit is on a time crunch and you want to see the highlights of the city, this travel guide is perfect for you. It can be done all on foot, that’s what we did, but wear comfortable shoes! Or you can take the subway around like a true New Yorker.

Where to stay:

We stayed at the Moxy in Times Square. I would suggest staying anywhere in Manhattan for the main sightseeing, especially if it is your first trip to the city. Preferably the Chelsea, the meat packing district, and Soho neighborhood.

What to do:

Below is a list of the order we visited locations to sightsee. This path is set up like a walking tour so you can see most of the city on foot in this order.

Day 1:

  • Flat iron district
  • Empire State Building
  • Macy’s Store
  • Madison Square Garden
  • Penn Station– We stopped for breakfast at Friedman’s after.
  • The Vessel– Free to enter, but you will need a ticket for an entrance time. You can book your ticket in advance online, or you can show up the day of, but your entrance time may be later than the time you arrive. We showed up the day of at their opening time, 10am and received an entrance time for 45 minutes later.
  • The high line– A free public park, elevated above the streets built on a historic rail line. We used this walking path to get to our next stop.
  • Chelsea Market
  • Dog Pound Gym. You may spot a celebrity working out in the alley!
  • Hudson River waterfront: the greenway walk. We stopped at the city vineyard for lunch. They also offered free kayaking along the north end.
  • World Trade Center. 9/11 War Memorial & Museum.
  • Freedom Tower
  • Oculus. Terminal Station
  • Brooksfield Place. Walk through this mall to reach the water front. When exiting you can see a piece of the Berlin Wall.
  • Trinity Church. We saw many historical grave sites like Alexander Hamilton.
  • Federal Hall. This is where George Washington was sworn into office.
  • Wall Street. New York Stock Exchange. The Charging Bull.
  • Battery Park. If you have kids there is a fun aquarium themed carousel. From Battery Park, we could see the Statue of Liberty. We stopped for a drink at Pier A, it was fun meeting locals and having a drink on the water.

Day 2

  • Rockefeller Center
  • Radio City
  • Central Park. You could rent a row boat for 1 hour for $10 cash. There are also plenty of bicycles to rent. We stopped at Loeb Boathouse for a drink, we sat at the bar because the wait for brunch was too long, but we were still able to have a great view of the water.
  • The Great Lawn. We saw so many locals lounging around outside on the grass in swimsuits, reading books, playing baseball, having a picnic etc.
  • Natural History Museum and the MET. We went inside the MET, and If you’re not a museum buff, don’t bother actually purchasing a ticket and touring. It was neat because it is such a well known museum, but I would have rather spent that hour of our time exploring elsewhere.
  • Bryant Park. They offer free exercise classes, shows, music etc.
  • New York Public Library. Any sex and the city fans out there?
  • Grand Central Station.
  • Times Square. Red stairs. I would suggest going at night, yes it is crazy and so touristy, but in the evening with all the lights it truly felt like Times Square.

And if you have more time:

  • Visit the Brooklyn Bridge
  • Go to a game. Mets, Yankees, Knicks, etc.
  • Go to a broadway show.
  • Visit around Christmas time to go ice skating and see the tree at Rockefeller Center.

Where to Eat & Drink:

  • Friendman’s for Brunch. I had their chicken and waffles!
  • John’s Pizzeria. We had a margherita pizza and bruschetta.
  • Chelsea Market. Pick up some wine and food to have a picnic set up in Bryant or Central Park.
  • City Vineyard. Great patio and rooftop for lunch/drinks.
  • Nomad Bar
  • Harold’s for Brunch.
  • The Loab Boathouse. Food and drinks near Central Park.
  • Le Bain. Roof top bar for drinks near the Highline
  • Refinery Roof top. Drinks
  • Pier A– Drinks or food near Battery Park.
  • Bluestone Lane- coffee & avocado toast on the go.

By the time dinner rolled around, we were exhausted! We definitely just went to shake shack one night!

We made the most of our short weekend exploring NYC, although it was exhausting, I honestly feel like we saw so much NYC has to offer!

Stay Fearless,

Michelle Foster