As a tourist, I generally try to avoid visiting the same city twice. Unless, circumstances dictate otherwise. In May 2026, the return airfares to Bengaluru from USA were quite high, about 2.5 times the onward fare. New York City(NYC) offered comparatively lower fares and I chose to fly out of NYC. My last visit to NYC was way back in 2008 and I thought it might be a good idea to visit the Big Apple again. Whenever one thinks of NYC, what comes immediately to mind is the Manhattan skyline. Today, there are cities that have an equally dense concentration of skyscrapers as Manhattan. And the tallest building in the US, the One World Trade Centre in NYC, ranks 7th in the world! Even then, the Manhattan skyline is still kind of iconic and stunning to watch.
Skip the regular tourist circuit on second visit
This time around, I was sure I would not visit the regular popular attractions that I had anyway visited earlier. My plan included watching a Broadway show and a baseball match, exploring one borough other than Manhattan, visiting NYC’s most famous museum, The Met and one or two day trips. But looks like history does repeat itself. As in my first visit, I faced inclement weather for 2 days. Consequently, I could not tick off all the items on my list.
Where to stay during the second visit to NYC
For the first timers, Mid Manhattan is possibly a great option even at a higher price point. But for subsequent visits, one can easily save $100+ per night by staying a bit away. As both my domestic inbound and international outbound flights were out of Newark Liberty International Airport, I thought it would be best to stay nearby.
Jersey city is a great option if travelling through Newark airport
Though Newark hotels were cheaper, I liked Jersey City for its very scenic waterfront and fantastic views of Manhattan skyline, besides easy availability of vegetarian food. The taxi fare to Newark airport was ~$50 by Uber XL and took just 30 minutes.
Within Jersey City, Exchange Place, Newport or Hoboken are good options. All are served by PATH rail system that connects to Manhattan or Light Rail Train serving Jersey City. I stayed at Sonnesta Simply Suites that was located very close to the riverfront as well as Light Rail and PATH stations. A car rental company(Enterprise) was located onsite that made renting cars very convenient.
The other major international airport is JFK that is located in Queens Borough. If travelling through JFK, Brooklyn or Queens will probably be a better option for stay.
Accommodation costs can be crazy during peak seasons
May is off-season for NYC and I paid $220 per night for a room at Sonnesta Simply Suites. It was quite spacious with one bedroom, living area, bath and kitchen. No breakfast though and no amenities that one typically finds in a hotel. The same room was quoting between $500-600 per night in June! Good hotel rooms in mid and lower Manhattan were available for $300+ per night but the rooms were comparatively smaller.
What did I do during my first visit in May 2008
-Rented a limousine from the JFK airport to my hotel in Times Square(just for the experience!);
-took Hop on hop off for two days(both Downtown and Uptown route, passing by major spots such as Grand Central, UN Building, Wall street, China Town and so on);
-Night tour (it was just out of the world at that time);
-Shopping at Macy’s;
-Times Square(the neon lights and big billboards were hugely impressive);
-Empire State Building viewing platform(loved the views);
-Statue of Liberty by boat;
-Central Park.
What did I do during my second visit in May 2026?
1. Attended a Broadway theatre show
New York City is the ‘Theatrical capital’ of US with Broadway shows being famous all over the world. There are 41 official Broadway theatres in Theatre District, near Times Square. While tickets for some of the shows were available for $55 or so per person, average minimum was ~$70.
Popular shows get booked weeks in advance but since I was only looking for an experience, I was not fussy about what to watch. The shows are broadly classified into Musicals and Plays. I chose to watch Aladdin, a musical show, at the New Amsterdam Theatre that opened in 1903. The balcony seating area was a bit cramped and I had to get up from the seat to allow people to pass. One person on the row in front chose to sit on the edge of her seat, blocking a part of my stage view.
Fantastic overall experience
But the theatre was almost full and the show just fantastic. The sets, the costumes, the performances, the music…all top class. The show lasted ~2 hours, plus a 20 minute break. Outside food and drinks are not allowed but water is. Alcoholic drinks were priced upwards of $15.
Balcony seats are cheaper
Balcony is the cheapest, other classes include Mezzanine and Orchestra, which is closest to the stage. There are private boxes as well. I paid $78(non-refundable) for a balcony seat, 3 days before the show. The next day, the rate had jumped to $120! And this for a show running since March, 2014 and scheduled to run till 2027! Premium seats can cost well over $250. I bought the tickets at the theatre and I was told it is a slightly cheaper option when compared to online.
Beyond Broadway, there are theatres in many of the boroughs where the tickets are said to be relatively cheaper and then there is Lincoln Square, for both theatre and musical/dance performances(opera, classical, ballet etc.).
2. Missed Baseball match, visited Madison Square Garden
NYC has few iconic sporting arenas including the Yankee stadium, Madison Square Garden and Flushing Meadows. I was very keen on watching a baseball match at the Yankee stadium but the weather played spoilsport, resulting in postponement of the match beyond my date of departure! So I settled for off events visit to the self-styled ‘the World’s most famous Arena’, namely Madison Square Garden. The arena certainly has lot of interesting history and hosts both sporting and non sporting events. The evening after the day of my visit, MSG was hosting a show by Diljit Dosanjh and the available tickets were priced upwards of $300.
3. Visited one of the boroughs, Brooklyn
NYC comprises 5 boroughs, namely, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. Manhattan is the wealthiest borough, but only 20% of New Yorkers live in Manhattan. Since most of the attractions are in Manhattan, it is visited by every tourist. But if you want to experience the true diversity of NYC, culinary, cultural or otherwise, you have to visit the other boroughs. I had initially planned to spend a full day at Brooklyn but inclement weather over 2 days curtailed my visit. I eventually spent only 3 hours in Brooklyn, walking through Cadman Plaza to Brooklyn/Manhattan Bridge. The entire riverfront from Manhattan Bridge till Brooklyn Bridge Park is very nice with some great views of Lower Manhattan skyline. But there is no doubt the Manhattan(both lower and mid) views from Jersey City are much better.
DUMBO is a lovely area with cobblestone streets and warehouses converted to trendy boutiques, cafes and restaurants. I did not have time to walk across either the Brooklyn Bridge or the Manhattan Bridge.
4. Explored Jersey City
Like NYC, Immigrants constitute ~40% of the total population of Jersey City. Though located across the Hudson river from Manhattan, Jersey City is part of New Jersey state. And so is Newark.
Hudson River waterfront walkway– just couple of minutes from my hotel, the walkway provided excellent unhindered views of the Manhattan skyline, day and night. The walkway extends all the way from Exchange Place to Hoboken and was lovely.
Liberty State Park – Another popular spot with great views of the Manhattan skyline, statue of Liberty(top portion only), free ferry to Statue of Liberty, 9/11 memorial and a bridge to Ellis Island. The historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, that was built in 1889 and abandoned in 1967, now houses ferry ticket counters amongst others. Renovation work was on when I visited.
The Liberty Science Centre, just opposite Liberty Park is rated well but I did not visit.
Historic downtown – I visited Newport Centre(a mall with one good south Indian restaurant), Grove Street, Franklin Street where I witnessed Autonomous Robots deployed by Uber Eats delivering food and India Square on Newark Avenue which is full of Indian shops and restaurants.
Other than Manhattan skyline views, visit for cultural diversity
There is enough to do over two full days in Jersey City alone. But none of them are a ‘must see’, except the views of Manhattan from either the riverfront walkway or Liberty State Park. But the real reason to visit Jersey City is to experience the diversity, just like the NYC boroughs.
5. Missed visiting The Met
On my first visit, I did not even think of visiting any museum. But on the second visit, I had planned to visit the most famous museum in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art(The Met) but ran out of time! The American Museum of Natural History too is quite popular but was not on my list as I had visited Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman.
6. Enjoyed a drink at NYC’s largest roof top bar
While I have to be circumspect in visiting popular restaurants because of my dietary preferences, there is no such restriction when it comes to bars!
After the tour of Madison Square Garden, I headed to NYC’s largest roof top bar – 230-Fifth located in the Flatiron district. Even at 5.30pm, the big outdoor area was full while the indoor area was totally empty. The cocktails I tried were good, including frozen cocktails. There were just couple of vegetarian snacks items on the menu and few more if one is willing to order a platter. On an average, the cost was ~$15-$17 per drink/vegetarian snack item, excluding tips. The amounts had to be paid upfront when ordering. There is no table service for drinks but food/snacks are delivered to the table. Expect to spend $45-55 per person for couple of drinks and a snack item.
The rooftop bar is on the 20th floor and provides clear views of the Empire State Building. The bar encourages walk-ins and reservations can be done only for groups of 10 or more people. IDs are checked at the entrance.
Worth visiting once but this is not for those who are looking for a relaxed intimate lounge or an upscale bar. And yes, this is not the only roof top bar in NYC.
7. Attractions re-visited
Only Times Square. It was bustling as always and the 3D billboards quite cool, in Gen Z language!
8. New attractions
The Vessel – This honeycomb structure is quite nice but I don’t think it is must see. Given the extensive use of glass, it offers a 360° view from any place inside the structure. On the upper levels, the open areas were covered by mesh and couple of floors were not accessible. I later learnt that several people have committed suicide by jumping from the top, hence the safety measures. Entry fee is $15 plus taxes;
The Highline – very good concept, converting abandoned elevated rail lines into a green walkway. It is 2.33 kms long and can make for an enjoyable stroll. Free entry.
Both these attractions are located within walking distance from Madison Square Garden. In Hudson Yards.
One World Observatory – Lovely views from a height of 1250 ft. but it was no where as exciting as the first visit to the Empire State Building viewing platform. I paid $168 for 3 adult tickets, inclusive of taxes and processing fee. The 9/11 memorial was a bit touching and the Oculus, a transportation hub cum shopping mall is an architectural landmark.
For views from the top, there are other options such as Edge Immersive Observation Deck(open air) which is just round the corner from The Vessel and Top of the Rock Observation Deck that is close to Rockefeller Centre.
9. Day trips
There are quite a few options ranging from hiking trails(such as Bear Mountain State Park), charming towns, beach getaways, the Las Vegas of the East Coast, Atlantic City and cities like Philadelphia and Washington DC. Honestly, it was hard to decide as nothing really looked like a must visit or required an overnight stay such as Washington DC and Atlantic City. Eventually, I chose to drive to Philadelphia.
Commuting in New York City
Subway is the best option followed by buses that run on dedicated lanes and hence likely faster than taxis. Renting a car for local commute was out of question given the difficulty and cost of finding a parking spot. As always, I preferred a taxi for commute to and from airport.
One way ride on subway cost a flat sum of $3(on PATH train, it is $3.25) and I used my credit card to pay(Tap and Go system). For the Light Train, I purchased tickets from the vending machines at the station that had to be validated before boarding. Only once I travelled by Bus from Times Square to Newport in New Jersey. Buying a ticket from the vending machine and then finding the right bus bay was not as straightforward as I expected. My credit card did not work and the cost was much higher than subway.
I did not find any concessional passes for commuting. Hop on, Hop off buses are a good option for the many landmarks that need to be only viewed from outside.
Sightseeing pass
I do not know if the New York Pass is helpful for the tourists.
Vegetarian food
The variety of cuisine available in NYC is unbelievable. Visit any borough and you will have plenty of options, including vegetarian. Jersey City has an ‘India Square’ on Newark Avenue with plenty of Indian restaurants and shops. I once ordered parathas($10-12 per piece) through Door Dash and I must say they were quite tasty. One other restaurant I loved in Jersey City was Balaji Bhavan, serving pure vegetarian south Indian cuisine. Each dish cost $12-17 and beverages were priced between $3-5. Average cost per person was $25-30, with tips.
The serving size can vary and it is better to enquire before ordering.
Joe’s Pizza is stated to be the gold standard in the classic, no frills New York style pizzas. Very different from the deep dish pizza of Lou Malnouti in Chicago. I visited Joe’s Pizza outlet near Times Square, stood in the queue for half an hour and chose one of the 2 varieties of pizza available with a vegetarian option. It was tasty no doubt while it was warm but not my kind really. I prefer pizzas with less cheese and plenty of vegetable toppings. For vegetarian pizza, I don’t think it is worth waiting in the queue with every possibility that you will have to stand and eat. The 6 slices cost $36, without drink.
Cash payments and tips
While credit cards are widely accepted, few restaurants, including the Indian restaurants I visited, added a fee of 4-5% for credit card payments. The Indian restaurants also offered a discount of 5-10% for cash payments. While I stuck to an average of 10-15% tip, swiping machines typically provided options of 18%, 22%, custom and no tip. Tipping is not mandatory but clearly expected.
Is New York expensive?
New York City is ranked among the top expensive cities to live in. And it can be expensive for tourists as well. Visiting during off-season can save tourists a very decent amount as compared to visiting during the peak season. Having said that, the city is huge and there are options to explore the city on a budget. For a couple on an average, about $450-600 per day would ensure a very comfortable stay in mid range hotels during off-season. Plus the cost of getting in and out of NYC, including local commute from/to airport.
When to visit New York City
NYC is a round the year destination. Avoid the summer season of July-August and the holiday season of November end to December end that can be very crowded and expensive. I visited in the month of May and it is actually a good month with good accommodation in mid range hotels available at very decent rates. But half the month experiences rain and when that happens, it does get a bit cold. Autumn too is said to be a good time(September, October) but accommodation on an average is more expensive than April and early May.
Is New York worth a second visit?
This is going to depend entirely on what you wish to see and do. To me, the Manhattan skyline still looks stunning. But deep down, the skyline and prominent locations such as Times Square were no longer as impressive as they were during the first visit. But as I found out, there is still enough to do in New York City without re-visiting the usual tourist circuit.
I think the City is surely worth a second visit, ideally during off-season when good accommodation is more affordable.
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