New York
The grid, the skyline, the park and the boroughs, walked block by block.
New York is Manhattan's grid of avenues and its skyline, and it is also the boroughs around it: Brooklyn across the bridge, Queens with its food, the Bronx and Staten Island by ferry. Central Park sits in the middle, the Hudson and the East River on either side, and the subway underneath all of it.
Why go
For a city that looks the way it does in the films, and still surprises on foot: the High Line above the streets, the Brooklyn Bridge at dawn, a slice on a corner, the museums along Fifth Avenue, the view from a roof at night.
And for the neighbourhoods, each a city of its own — the West Village, Harlem, Williamsburg, Astoria, Flushing — with the food, music and energy that the whole world sends here.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Central Park
The rectangle of lawns, lakes and woods in the middle of the island, walked from the Mall and Bethesda Terrace to the reservoir, with the skyline above the trees.
02The Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo
The walkway under the cables from City Hall to Brooklyn, then the waterfront park and the Manhattan Bridge framed between the warehouses of Dumbo.
03The museums
The Met, the Natural History Museum and the Guggenheim along the park, MoMA in Midtown, the Whitney by the High Line, and the Frick's mansion of old masters.
04Midtown: Times Square, the Empire State and Grand Central
The lights of Times Square, the observation decks at the Empire State, Top of the Rock and Summit, and the constellation ceiling of Grand Central.
05The High Line and the West Side
The elevated park on the old railway from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards, with Chelsea's galleries and the Whitney below.
06Lower Manhattan and the harbour
The 9/11 Memorial and its museum, the Oculus, Wall Street and the free Staten Island ferry past the Statue of Liberty; or the boat to the statue and Ellis Island.
07The boroughs and the food
Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn, Astoria's Greek and Egyptian tables and Flushing's Chinese food in Queens, Harlem's jazz and soul food, and the bagels, delis and pizza everywhere.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Midtown
The hotels around Times Square and Fifth Avenue, central to the theatres, the towers and the trains.
The West Village, Chelsea and SoHo
Downtown's brownstone streets, galleries, restaurants and boutiques, walkable and lively.
The Upper West and Upper East Side
The park on the doorstep and the museums, quieter and residential.
Brooklyn: Williamsburg and Downtown
Across the river with skyline views, the waterfront and the borough's restaurants and music.
Lower Manhattan
Near the harbour, the memorial and the ferries, with converted office towers as hotels.
When to go: New York
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Crisp, clear and colourful in the park, with the cultural season in full swing. The season most would choose.
- SpringApril and May
- Blossom in the park, warm days and terraces opening. Comfortable for walking.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot and humid, with free concerts, outdoor cinema and the beaches at Rockaway and Coney Island. The subway is warm.
- WinterDecember – March
- Cold and sometimes snowy, with the holiday windows and the tree in December, and the quietest museums in January and February.
Getting there
Airports
Three airports in our search serve New York. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- JFKJohn F. Kennedy International
- EWRNewark Liberty International
- LGALaGuardia
Distance from
- LHRLondon5,550 km
- CDGParis5,840 km
- DXBDubai11,010 km
- BOMMumbai12,540 km
- JNBJohannesburg12,850 km
- SINSingapore15,330 km
- SYDSydney15,990 km
Getting around: New York
The subway runs all night and reaches four of the five boroughs, with the free ferry for Staten Island; a contactless bank card taps in at the turnstile. The AirTrain and the subway or the LIRR link JFK; an AirTrain and NJ Transit trains serve Newark; LaGuardia is reached by bus or taxi.
Manhattan is walked, avenue by avenue, with the numbers as a map. Yellow cabs are hailed in the street; the ferries along the East River are a fine sightseeing ride.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- United States
- Currency
- USD · United States Dollar
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- Eastern Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +1
The atlas
New York in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in New York, month by month
- Jan4°
- Feb4°
- Mar7°
- Apr12°
- May17°
- Jun23°
- Jul26°
- Aug26°
- Sept23°
- Oct18°
- Nov12°
- Dec7°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: June to October.
Mean highs run from 4°C in January to 26°C in July, with about 1,313 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for New YorkModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBNew York
11,010 km
13 hrs 40 mins · Estimate
From AUHNew York
11,040 km
13 hrs 45 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near New York
From the journal
Related reading
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The best time to visit New York, month by month
New York's mildest months are May, June, September and October; the hurricane season peaks around 10 September. Central Park's normals, school recesses and big dates.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 7 min read
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In pictures: New York
Plan this trip: New York
Open the trip builder with New York already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
