The best things to do in New York

1.Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building

Two classic observation decks. Top of the Rock has the better view, because the Empire State Building is in it.

Tip: Book a timed ticket for about an hour before sunset and stay until the lights come on.

2.Times Square at nightFree

Overwhelming, crowded and worth seeing once, after dark when the screens light up the whole square.

3.A Broadway show

Forty-odd theatres within a few blocks of Times Square, from long-running musicals to new plays.

Tip: The TKTS booth under the red steps sells same-day discounted seats; digital lotteries can be cheaper still.

4.Grand Central TerminalFree

The Beaux-Arts station with the celestial ceiling, the Whispering Gallery and the Oyster Bar downstairs.

5.Rockefeller Center and St Patrick's CathedralFree

The Art Deco complex with the skating rink and, in December, the Christmas tree, opposite the city's great Gothic cathedral.

6.The Museum of Modern Art

Van Gogh's Starry Night, Monet's Water Lilies and Warhol's soup cans in a manageable few hours.

Tip: Book a timed ticket online and start on the fifth floor.

7.Central ParkFree

Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Strawberry Fields and the Reservoir, across 340 hectares in the middle of Manhattan.

Tip: Rent a bike or walk the southern half from Columbus Circle to the Met in two to three hours.

8.The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Five thousand years of art, from the Temple of Dendur to Rembrandt and Vermeer, on the edge of the park.

Tip: Admission is pay-what-you-wish only for New York State residents; everyone else pays the full price. Go late on Friday or Saturday.

9.American Museum of Natural History

The dinosaur halls, the blue whale and the planetarium, a favourite with families.

10.9/11 Memorial and Museum

Two reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers; the museum beneath tells the story of the day.

Tip: The memorial is free; the museum needs a timed ticket and at least two hours.

11.The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

The official ferry from Battery Park stops at both islands; allow most of a day.

Tip: Buy only from the official Statue City Cruises site. Pedestal and crown tickets sell out weeks ahead.

12.Staten Island FerryFree

A free 25-minute ride past the Statue of Liberty with a view back to the Manhattan skyline.

Tip: Stand on the right-hand side on the way out for the best view of the statue.

13.The High LineFree

A park on an old elevated railway, from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards, past art and gardens.

Tip: Walk it north to south, ending at the Whitney and Chelsea Market.

14.Greenwich Village and Washington Square ParkFree

Tree-lined streets, jazz clubs, comedy cellars and street performers under the arch.

15.SoHo shopping

Cast-iron buildings and cobbled streets full of flagship stores and small boutiques.

16.Chinatown and Little Italy

Dumpling shops, bakeries and markets on Mott Street, next to what's left of Little Italy on Mulberry Street.

Tip: Come hungry and eat your way through several cheap places rather than one sit-down meal.

17.Lower East Side food

Katz's pastrami, Russ & Daughters' bagels and the Tenement Museum's stories of immigrant New York.

Tip: Book a Tenement Museum tour; they're small and sell out.

18.Walk the Brooklyn BridgeFree

The 1883 bridge's wooden walkway, with views of Lower Manhattan and the harbour.

Tip: Start early, walk from Brooklyn towards Manhattan for the skyline, and finish in DUMBO.

19.DUMBOFree

The famous view of the Manhattan Bridge down Washington Street, plus Brooklyn Bridge Park on the waterfront.

20.Williamsburg

Bars, vintage shops, rooftop views and the Smorgasburg food market on summer weekends.