BASICS
A great place to begin exploring the city is at the NYC VISIT website. Sure, it seems a little tourist-y, but it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with what’s going on in the city. And best of all, you can look over the website from home and form a game-plan, so you can enter the city without ever looking like and “out of town-er.”
If you’re a step ahead the beginner stage, this book, appropriately named the “Not For Tourists Guide to NYC,” is crucial to enjoying the city’s hidden treasures. Its compact size is perfect for travel, and its detailed maps make getting where you need to go a sinch.
SHOPPING
For those you come to the city with shopping in mind, the Nolita & Soho Shopping Guide is the perfect companion. This travel size book is full of great places to shop and eat. Complete with directions, maps, store hours, and helpful descriptions, this guide is sure to help you make the most of the city-shopping experience.
ARTS
The NYC ARTS website is a wonderful place to begin researching the different museums, galleries, performances, etc. in the city. This website has a detailed calendar, making it simple to see what is coming up. For those with a “cultural sweet tooth,” this site is sure to satisfy.
For those with a taste for the modern, the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) is amazing. From its unique architecture to its exotic exhibits, the museum is unlike any other.
SPORTS
For those with sports on the brain, NYC has tons of great teams and fun arenas. There is always a game to watched somewhere! For a list of NYC teams divided by sport, this is a great place to begin. The website has links to all of the team’ official websites, as well as information about where they play. It’s an excellent jumping off point. SHAMELESS PLUG: NY GIANTS WEBSITE (Sure, they play in NJ, but they are still a part of the NY sporting experience. Oh, and they are my favorite too!)
MUSIC
New York City is a great city for music. It’s home to companies like SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT & WARNER MUSIC GROUP (both are responsible for many of the small labels).
Aside from the business aspect, the city has great places to see live music. Of course NYC is home to MTV & FUSE studios, where live tapings are always going on and people can often obtain tickets for free if they sign up in advance.
NYC is also great for concerts. There are venues of all sizes, which put on shows for people of all music tastes. Artists rarely schedule a tour without a NYC date, so buying tickets for a city show is a great way to ensure seeing your favorite performer. CLICK HERE for a complete list of venues, with information on each one (clicking on the venue link will give you information about upcoming shows, directions, & prices).