Family travel

Yes NYC is expensive but if you eat mostly in Chinatown you will save a lot of money for good eats! Highly recommend using public transportation to get around. It is a bit hard to figure out at first if you’re not from a city with this level of public transportation. But it is definitely so so worth it to take in the city and also save money on private rides that end up in traffic anyway.

Group travel

If you have only one day in NYC, book it now! There no other city like it in the world, and I would highly recommend. I stayed at the Modernist Hotel in Long Island City, and while the hotel was expensive ($400/night), it was worth it to be in a good location and near the train.

Solo travel

I did couch surfing and stayed there for only three days but I wish I had stayed there longer. It was a beautiful city, full of life. My favourite part is going to the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Bridge. I didn’t explore much on food as I was travelling all the time and had limited budget. Used metro card for travelling around. Such a beautiful experience. The people I met were really kind and helpful. I would suggest to check weather and carry essentials before going. And if you love biking then you will find plenty of city bikes. But you need to have a card. I was travelling with just cash😅.

I feel genuinely safe in New York. There’s always a crowd somewhere, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night, and that constant energy makes me feel comfortable walking around the city on my own.

Safe in Manhattan. Just be vigilant around Times Square, the Garment district, and Lower East side. Otherwise, very safe. If you plan to go to raves, keep an eye on your phone. There has been a lot of pick pocketing.

My first experience in New York was disastrous in terms of safety, to the point where I left the city and went to Philadelphia. In the space of three weeks, a drug addict threw an umbrella at our heads and chased us, men stopped their cars to throw a mortar at us and then drove off, drug addicts came to bother us, and to top it all off, a man was killed two minutes walk from where we were. (November/December 2024). I went back there this summer (June 2025) and my experience was much better. I didn't encounter any problems!