Neighborhood Guide: New York

Explore the best of what New York City has to offer by booking an NYC hotel and exploring the city with our neighborhood guide. You’ll find this bustling international hub truly is a city that never sleeps. But no matter what time of day you’re out and about, you’re bound to find New York a magnetic and friendly place—made better by your street-level view of these famous New York neighborhoods.

Downtown/Financial District

One of the world’s most important economic centers, the Financial District is home to high rises and high blood pressure during the day, but calms down to a quiet, historic hamlet in the evenings. Throughout the day, tourists flock to One World Observatory and the 9/11 Museum at Ground Zero, site of the former World Trade Center. Another highly photographed site is the Charging Bull, which also pays tribute to American perseverance. Step onto Stone Street, a 17th-century cobblestone alleyway steeped in history. Here, at the tip of Manhattan, you also can view, or walk across, the Brooklyn Bridge. Then, mosey over to Battery Park, where you can catch the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (just remember to buy your tickets in advance—they sell out fast).

Midtown Manhattan

Midtown is the iconic, crowded, never-a-dull-moment New York neighborhood that guides are most likely to point to when you’re looking for things to do in town. Some of the world’s most famous skyscrapers are here—like the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. Rockefeller Center offers an incredible view from its “Top of the Rock,” too, and is equally famous as the home of NBC and Radio City Music Hall. Give your regards to Broadway’s theater district and Times Square. And, if you still have the energy, shop ‘til you drop at Herald Square, where Macy’s flagship department store is the largest in the country.

Chelsea/Meatpacking District

Combining the “haute” of uptown with the “hot” of downtown, the Chelsea neighborhood and Meatpacking District have transformed over the past 20 years to create a place that’s loved by locals and tourists alike. World-class galleries and important design houses blend with a bumping nightlife and fun indoor/outdoor activities. Chelsea Market, housed in a former cookie factory, features 35 different eateries and shops. Chelsea Piers is a sports and entertainment haven for kids of all ages. Make sure to stroll the High Line, truly beloved by New Yorkers for its gardens and views. Then, stop by the Whitney Museum of American Art for an incredible art experience.

Upper East Side of Manhattan

In Manhattan, “upper-crust” means the Upper East Side, well known for its pricy real estate, prep schools, designer boutiques and stroller-moms in yoga gear. Some of the most prestigious addresses are just steps from famous Central Park. Along famous Fifth Avenue, you'll find the area known as Museum Mile, anchored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Art Museum. If viewing expansive art collections gives you the urge to buy something beyond the gift shops, world-class shopping is just a block away, along Park Avenue.

Greenwich Village

Loved by locals, “The Village” once featured a bohemian vibe that simply oozed from its nightclubs, storefronts and brownstones in the ’50s and ‘60s. CCreativity is still its calling card, but today you’re just as likely to run into a film crew, college students and tourists meandering the quaint tree-lined streets while shopping at a designer boutique or waiting for a table at a busy restaurant. Washington Square is where you’ll always find a few street performers putting free shows. It’s at one end of the ever-expanding New York University, where some of tomorrow’s best business minds are preparing for their futures. Make sure to stop in at the Stonewall Inn, too, for a taste of 20th-century history—it’s considered the epicenter of the gay rights movement in the U.S. If you have additional time during your trip, check out our New York travel guide.