How to spend 72 hours in New York City

Day 1

We kicked things off with the High Line, a former freight railway track turned elevated park running above Manhattan’s West Side. It’s a smart bit of urban design that stretches for around 1.5 miles, lined with wild-looking planting, public art, and some very good people-watching. We entered at the Meatpacking District entrance just before 10am on a Wednesday — just in time for one of the free guided tours, which run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. They’re led by volunteers from the High Line and are genuinely worth joining. Our guide, Barbara, was full of stories about the area, the architecture, and how the park was created. You don’t need to book in advance, but it helps to get there early.

The High Line leads you right into Chelsea Market, a busy, covered space that’s part food hall, part boutique shopping arcade. We ate Japanese-inspired tacos (excellent, with lots of veggie options), browsed through a brilliant chocolate shop, and picked up an art print from one of the independent stalls. It’s easy to lose an hour or two here without even trying.

That evening we’d booked tickets for the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village. If you’re visiting in summer, book as far in advance as you can — it sells out fast. Shows run nightly, often multiple sets a night, and feature a rotating lineup of five comedians doing short sets over 90 minutes or so. The room is small and intimate, which makes the experience even better, unless you sit in the front row and accidentally become part of the show.

Day 2

Breakfast was at Citizens of Soho. It felt a bit naughty eating at an Australian café in New York, but they were open at 7am which catered to our jet lag, and the Aussies just get it right. Service was fast and friendly and the food was delicious (try the cheddar biscuit brekkie sandwich).

We headed to MoMA after that. It’s a museum that even people who say they’re not museum people tend to like. You’ll see the big hitters — Van Gogh, Warhol, Rothko — but also some excellent temporary exhibitions if you time it right. MoMA offers free admission to New Yorkers on Fridays from 5.30pm so it can get busy – go early in the day if you want some breathing room.

We walked through Central Park in the afternoon, which is hard to describe without sounding like a brochure. It’s enormous, yes, but also constantly interesting. We saw buskers, dogs in jackets, a wedding photoshoot, people rowing in the lake, and someone doing tai chi near a man selling balloons.

Later, we headed downtown to Chinatown. I’d been expecting something closer to the version in London — mostly restaurants and tourist shops — but this felt completely different. There were groups of older people playing cards in the park, others playing instruments or singing, and the pace of the area felt slower and more local than a lot of Manhattan. From there we walked up Mulberry Street into Little Italy. It felt more touristy — red and white tablecloths, lots of signage — but still fun for a wander.

Dinner and live music that night were at The Django, a jazz club underneath the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca. The space is underground and dimly lit, with candlelit tables and a rotating lineup of jazz musicians. It’s got the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to order a cocktail with too many bitters in it and pretend you understand jazz theory. The food was great, and the live set was worth the cover charge.

Day 3

We started the day at One World Observatory. The lift to the top is fast and enclosed — not one for anyone who’s very claustrophobic— but the view when you get there is hard to argue with. You can see most of Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey and beyond. The experience is very polished, with timed entries and an optional guide app, but it’s a good way to get your bearings from above.

Just next door is the 9/11 Museum. It’s heavy, of course, but incredibly well put together and thoughtfully designed. I’d recommend going early — both to avoid the crowds and because it’s not the kind of place you want to rush through.

From there we took the subway to Brooklyn and got off at Dumbo — the area that stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. It’s full of small shops, cafés, and probably the most photographed view of the Manhattan Bridge in existence. We queued up at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria for a classic New York slice. The queue can be long but moves quickly, and it’s worth the wait. Coal-fired oven, paper plates, no messing about.

We walked back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. The walk is just under 2km and takes about 30 minutes, depending on how often you stop to take photos or dodge cyclists. It’s worth doing, especially in the late afternoon when the light starts to change and the skyline starts showing off.

We wrapped up our trip with a boat tour around the Statue of Liberty at sunset. There are loads of options, but we chose one that left from Battery Park and did a short loop around the harbour. Seeing the Statue from the water and watching the city light up behind it was a solid way to end the trip — no long queues, no audio guide headsets, just a calm hour on the water watching the skyline do its thing.

Where to stay

We split the trip between two hotels. The first was The Mercer in Soho. It’s discreet, well-located and has an understated calm to it, which was very welcome after long days out in the city. You’re close to good shopping, excellent coffee and easy subway links to most of Manhattan.

After that, we moved to Conrad New York Downtown. It’s down near the Hudson River and convenient for Lower Manhattan, including the 9/11 Museum, Battery Park and the Brooklyn Bridge. Rooms were spacious and quiet, and the breakfast was excellent, especially by day three, when energy to hunt for food was running low.

I'd also recommend checking out Casa Cipriani in Lower Manhattan, 1 Hotel Central Park for a seriously central location, Gansevoort Meatpacking for a rare outdoor pool and The Peninsula for a classic New York experience. 

Find more fantastic stays in New York City.

Some snapshots from my trip