The Best Way to See New York City

When taking that first step out of Penn Station and staring up at the monstrosity we call New York, my jaw dropped to the dirty sidewalk, and it became obvious that I was not going to have enough time to see and do everything that one should do in New York. My husband and I had just moved an hour away from the city and we wanted to see everything. In the end, it took us one year to see most of the major attractions and a few smaller things along the way. Most of our trips into the city were on foot until we got brave enough to brave the subway system. After that first year I learned that it is possible to see everything in New York City in less than a year. In fact, you can see it all in one day.

If you have been to New York then you may be familiar with the red, double deck buses that can be seen everywhere in the main tourist areas of Manhattan. The official tour is called "New York Sightseeing" and it is ran by the Gray Line company. The program they have created for tourist takes all of the worry out of seeing everything, getting lost, and trying to find your own transportation.

You can get tickets in advance, but it is not necessary. The Gray Line company places employees on the sidewalks at each and every stop on their list. These employees can be identified by the bright red vests that they wear. To purchase a ticket simply talk to them. You can pay with cash, debit, or credit.

This tour is a hop-on hop-off tour. This means that when they make a stop you can get off, look around, and then get back on the bus in the same exact spot. This allows each tourist to get the most out of their trip and see the things they are most interested in. The tour stops at every major New York City attraction that you could possibly want to see.

There are several different tours available and the employees will try to up sell. We fell into this trap one time and it won't happen again. There is one tour that allows you to see most of the major attractions without purchasing the other tours. The Downtown Loop Tour buses go past the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Ground Zero, The Plaza, The Empire State Building, Times Square, and more. It takes you through popular neighborhoods such as Soho, Greenwich Village, and China town. All of which you can get out and look around. It is possible to take your time, visit the attractions, and see everything on this tour in one day.

When you purchase this tour they will also try to sell you the Uptown Tour and the Night Tour. This was the package we made the mistake of purchasing. By the time we completed the Downtown Tour we had no desire to take the Uptown Tour the following day. There simply weren't enough attractions on that tour that caught our attention after such an amazing Downtown Tour the day before. We took the Night Tour in hopes that we would capture some amazing images of New York at night. To our disappointment most of the photos turned out blurry due to the bus moving and the way our camera captured the lights. In the end we got off early and walked back to our hotel. During our walk we captured some amazing photos. Save yourself some money and stick with the Downtown tour. If you want to see New York City at night, go for a walk. You can see so much in a couple of blocks. If you do plan on walking, get a hotel near Times Square. They are not always more expensive than other hotels in the city. Shop around online to save money.

Another benefit of taking the Downtown Tour is the educational value. The tour guys are amazing and constantly tell you little details about buildings and events that took place in the city. You learn the best places to eat, where movies were filmed, how buildings were built, and the history of each district. I learned so much from the tour guides and it gave me a whole new view on New York City.

The only downside to this method of viewing the city is the cost. The Downtown Tour sells for $40. That price was a little steep for us and kept us from doing it. The truth? It is worth more than $40 for what you get. Taking a taxi a few blocks is expensive, the subways are confusing, and you will waste time by these methods of transportation. The Gray Line Tour is educational and you are guaranteed to see all the hot spots in one day. In the end, you spend less time in the city and less money on hotels.

Hope you have a great time in the city, just look for the people in the red vests. You can't miss them.