One of the largest and best art museums in the world. The collection holds more than two million works spanning 5,000 years of culture, from prehistory to today. This is where the Met Gala happens, the most important celebrity event in the city. A photo on the MET steps is mandatory.

Liz: The MET steps are so famous they have their own nickname, "the steps". And admission is pay-what-you-wish for New York residents.

The most famous park in New York and the world: 4 kilometers long in the middle of Manhattan, a true green lung. It was built by hand in 1858: almost 5 million cubic yards of earth moved, 36 bridges raised and 500,000 trees planted. On Sundays New Yorkers fill it with picnics. On this route we only see it from the Fifth Avenue side; it deserves a full day of its own.

Frank: There are more than 9,000 benches in the park and many carry dedication plaques; reading them is a walk in itself.

Maybe it is time for a new phone, or just to see the newest tech in one of the five best electronics stores in New York. The glass cube is a famous design, it is open 24 hours and there is always someone who speaks your language.

Liz: The glass cube is 10 meters on each side and was built with only 15 panels of glass.

President Donald Trump's best-known skyscraper, on Fifth Avenue and his residence in the city. The photo at the entrance is a classic.

Frank: The pink-marble lobby and its 18-meter indoor waterfall are open to the public.

A Manhattan icon in the heart of Fifth Avenue. Popes, kings and leaders from all over the world have walked through this church. It is beautiful and free to enter.

Liz: It took 21 years to build (1858–1879) and its spires are 100 meters tall; when it opened it was the tallest thing in the neighborhood.

A complex of 19 buildings between 48th and 51st Streets, built by the Rockefeller family and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It has some of the city's most luxurious boutiques, Radio City Music Hall, the Top of the Rock observatory and, in winter, the ice rink and the great Christmas tree that draws millions every year.

Frank: The golden Prometheus statue by the rink is one of the most photographed in the world, and the Christmas tree is usually over 20 meters tall.

The highest outdoor observation deck in Midtown, at 369 meters. You go up in exterior glass elevators ("Ascent") that show the city shrinking below. At the top, more than 6,000 square meters of mirrored rooms, open-air terraces and glass boxes floating over Madison Avenue, with the Empire State and the Chrysler right in front.

Liz: Wear dark clothes if you can: the mirrored rooms reflect everything and photos come out better. Best time: an hour before sunset.

A world-famous historic landmark that is much more than a station: 60 shops, 35 restaurants and a full calendar of events under one majestic roof. Look up: the ceiling is a starry sky.

Frank: In front of the Oyster Bar there is a "whispering gallery": whisper into one corner and someone in the opposite corner hears you.

Free to enter and beautifully built. You will see people simply sitting down to read or rest on the steps, which are a spectacular photo spot.

Liz: The two lions at the entrance are named Patience and Fortitude. The Rose Reading Room is almost 90 meters long.

Right behind the Library. Free activities all year, a much-loved lawn, seasonal gardens and, in winter, a skating rink in a holiday wonderland.

Frank: Under the lawn there are millions of books: the Library's storage stacks are beneath the park.

The heart of New York and its best-known image: thousands of lights and giant screens that made it the symbol of the city.

Liz: About 50 million visitors cross it every year, and the New Year's Eve ball weighs almost 6 tons.

Sweet and chocolate happy hour. Around Times Square you will find Hershey's World, M&M's World and the famous Krispy Kreme doughnut shop. Go into all three to get a sugar rush from the smell alone, pick up a souvenir and take some lovely photos.

Frank: Krispy Kreme Times Square has a glaze waterfall and the biggest doughnut machine in the world.

Free to enter. Beyond the restaurant, the decor is spectacular; perfect for a break and great photos.

Liz: It sits in the old Paramount Theatre, where Frank Sinatra sang in the 1940s.

The best-known wax museum in the world, with the largest collection of celebrity figures. Headquarters are in London, but the New York one is beautiful and you can already see wax celebrities from the street.

Frank: Wax figures "wave" at Times Square from the facade balcony; at night it is a different photo.

A floating public park on 132 giant concrete tulips at the edge of the Hudson River. It cost 260 million dollars and opened on May 21, 2021, to the delight of the city after the pandemic.

Liz: The concrete tulips come in 132 different heights; the highest point is 26 meters above the river. Free, no booking needed.

Right next to Little Island. Free access to the rooftop of Pier 57, with small gardens and wonderful views of the island and the river. Ideal for a bite on a sunny day or a quiet moment by the Hudson.

Frank: It is the largest public rooftop in the city: 8,000 square meters, with views of Little Island and, far off, the Statue of Liberty.

The market we know since 2005, but before that it was the NABISCO factory from 1890, where Oreo cookies were made. Today it is a set of mid-priced restaurants, food shops and stores. Here you can taste something, recharge and find restrooms.

Liz: The Oreo cookie was invented here in 1912. Look for the hallway with the water fountain pouring from a pipe.

A working coffee roastery, one of very few in the world, where coffee masters prepare single-origin blends. The main bar serves coffee cocktails and, if you are lucky, tastings.

Frank: One of only a handful of Roasteries in the world; the New York one has 2,100 square meters and a coffee cocktail bar.

Of all the green corners of New York, this elevated park built on an old railway is one of the most surprising. It stretches more than 20 blocks and offers nature, public art and a different view of the Big Apple.

Liz: It was an elevated freight line until 1980; neighbors saved it from demolition and today 8 million people visit each year.

A seven-story luxury mall with famous restaurants, several with Michelin stars, and Mercado Little Spain by chef José Andrés and the Adrià brothers. There is also fast food, bakeries and cafés. The entrance to the Edge is on the fourth floor.

Frank: Mercado Little Spain is the only Spanish food "city" in New York, with churros, paella and hand-carved jamón.

Not the highest observatory in Manhattan, but the highest open-air one. The platform juts 20 meters out from the skyscraper and has a glass floor to look straight down. Vertigo!

Liz: At 345 meters up, the glass floor holds far more than a whole group. There is a bar at the top.

Thomas Heatherwick's monumental climbable sculpture: 154 staircases, 2,500 steps and 80 platforms with views of the Hudson, New Jersey and Manhattan. It was closed from 2021 and reopened in 2024 with new safety measures.

Frank: Its shape earned it the nickname "the honeycomb". Climbs are now guided and in small groups; book online.

The cultural center of Hudson Yards. Its structure expands or contracts on a system of wheels you can see from outside. Some days there are exhibitions and even concerts.

Liz: The outer shell weighs 3,600 tons and rolls on car-sized wheels in five minutes.

A walk along the lakeshore is one of the best things in the park: the Upper West Side buildings reflect in the water and the path around it passes nature and corners to sit and watch.

Liz: You can rent a rowboat at the Loeb Boathouse and see Bow Bridge from the water.

On the west side, a memorial to John Lennon, who was killed nearby at the door of the Dakota, where he lived. The mosaic with the word Imagine is a charming spot; there are always musicians singing his songs.

Frank: The Imagine mosaic was a gift from the city of Naples. Yoko Ono still lives across from the park, in the Dakota.

Buy something to eat and picnic on New Yorkers' favorite meadow, with skyscrapers in the background. If it is full, the Great Lawn is another perfect spot to lie down.

Liz: Real sheep grazed here until 1934; they were moved out during the Depression for fear they would be eaten.

A huge lake with a perfect running path that has appeared in countless films. It is named after New Yorker Jacqueline Kennedy. From its sides you see the El Dorado building with its two towers.

Frank: The full loop is 2.5 kilometers; Jackie Kennedy ran here almost every day.

The two prettiest bridges in the park and two gems for photography. Gapstow is a stone bridge from 1896 with the skyscrapers behind it; Bow Bridge is a romantic iron bridge over The Lake that appears in films like Manhattan.

Liz: Gapstow appears in Home Alone 2; Bow Bridge in Woody Allen's Manhattan and in Enchanted.

A small Victorian fortress at the park's highest point, Vista Rock, with panoramic views of the Great Lawn and Turtle Pond. Below it is the Shakespeare Garden, with the flowers mentioned in his plays.

Frank: Central Park's official weather station is here: when they say "the temperature in Central Park", it is measured at this castle.

The most famous fountain in the park and, along with the Trevi Fountain, one of the most filmed in the world, with the Angel of the Waters sculpture. On the lower level there is a set of arcades with decorated ceiling tiles.

Liz: The Angel of the Waters (1873) was the first major public artwork in New York made by a woman, Emma Stebbins.

The sculpture of Alice sitting on a mushroom with the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter, next to Conservatory Water where people sail remote-control boats. A favorite of kids and parents with cameras.

Frank: It was made to be climbed: the bronze has been polished by millions of kids' hands since 1959.

The walk under tall elms that begins at the Literary Walk, with statues of writers and Christopher Columbus, and ends at Bethesda Fountain. In fall, with the leaves coming down, it is unmissable. Sit on a bench with an ice cream.

Liz: It is the only straight line in the park and the largest stand of American elms in the country.

A 26-acre zoo, especially important for kids. Very close by is the ice rink (Wollman Rink) in winter and the Inscope Arch, the park's most famous arch, where films like Home Alone were shot.

Frank: The sea lions in the central pool are fed at 11:30 and 2:00; it is the most fun moment.

Since 1869 it has topped every ranking of the world's best science museums. Its collection of more than 35 million objects is the largest there is; for lack of space not everything is on display at once. Unmissable halls: biodiversity, minerals and meteorites and, above all, the dinosaurs with life-size fossils.

Liz: The blue whale in the Milstein Hall is 29 meters long and hangs from the ceiling. Night at the Museum was filmed here.

The most famous park in New York and the world: 4 kilometers long in the middle of Manhattan. The best seasons are spring and fall, for the colors of the leaves; in winter Wollman Rink opens. On Sundays New Yorkers fill it with picnics and sport. It was built by hand in 1858: 36 bridges, 11 overpasses and 500,000 trees planted.

Frank: In spring, the Japanese cherry trees by the Reservoir bloom for only two weeks; in fall The Mall turns gold.

A food hall ideal for a drink or to recharge before crossing the bridge. From the rooftop, great (and free!) views of the Big Apple.

Liz: The fifth floor has the most photographed view in DUMBO: the Manhattan Bridge framed by the buildings of Washington Street.

Construction began on January 3, 1870 and finished thirteen years later, on May 24, 1883. On the first day 1,800 vehicles and 150,000 people crossed it. It cost 15.1 million dollars and 27 people died building it. Today thousands cross it every day.

Frank: It was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened. A rooster crossed it first, for good luck.

A 3,200-kilo bronze sculpture by Arturo Di Modica in Bowling Green park. It represents the aggressiveness and courage of stockbrokers, but also prosperity and optimism. Wall Street is the most famous financial district in the world, home to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ.

Liz: The artist left it in front of the Stock Exchange one night in 1989 without permission; the city liked it so much it stayed. Touching the horns brings luck.

A free ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island. It leaves every half hour from Whitehall Terminal, next to Battery Park, covers 8 kilometers in 25 to 30 minutes and passes alongside the Statue of Liberty. To return you change ferries following the signs.

Frank: Sit on the right side going out and the left coming back: that side faces the Statue of Liberty.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum honors the victims of the 2001 and 1993 attacks, on the very site of the Twin Towers. Next to it is the Oculus, built as a symbol of peace, which houses one of New York's most important train stations and many shops. A lovely photo spot.

Liz: The two Memorial pools sit on the exact footprints of the Towers. The Oculus opens to the sky every September 11.

Formerly the World Financial Center, a complex of six buildings overlooking the Hudson and home to companies like American Express. It has shops inside and a beautiful terrace on the ground floor at the back, facing the river and the city.

Frank: The Winter Garden has 16 real palm trees under a glass roof; in winter it is a shelter with a river view.

Start the day with the most classic panoramic views of New York. Location: 20 W 34th St, between 5th and 6th. Tip: arrive between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. to skip the lines.

Liz: Its lights change color for special dates; the building has its own ZIP code (10118).

Breakfast or a premium coffee before the walk. Try the "Affogato Flights" (ice cream with espresso). A block away is Macy's on 34th, the most iconic department store and one of the first in Manhattan.

Frank: It is inside the Macy's building, the largest department store in the United States.

From 34th heading south, Broadway is full of boutiques, costume and handmade jewelry and charming cafés. Tips: The Little Cupcake Bakeshop (cupcakes and coffee), Lovisa or Metal and Stone (pretty, affordable accessories) and Paper Source (stationery and gifts). Perfect for souvenirs and a rest between stops.

Liz: Broadway is the oldest street in Manhattan: it follows a Native American trail older than the city.

One of the most photogenic buildings in the city. Have lunch at Eataly, with gourmet Italian food and the Serra by Birreria rooftop. Next door, Madison Square Park: a small oasis with temporary sculptures and the original first Shake Shack in New York.

Frank: The building is only 2 meters wide at the tip. Serra, Eataly's rooftop, changes its decor every season.

935 Broadway. A magical, interactive store, ideal for fans or for unique photos.

Liz: It is the largest Harry Potter store in the world, with three floors and a giant wand at the entrance.

Guided tour or an outside visit of the iconic sports and concert arena, above Penn Station.

Frank: It is the oldest arena in use in the NBA and NHL, and it was built on top of Penn Station.

A vibrant space with markets, artists and local shops. Around it: Sephora, Burlington, DSW, Whole Foods and more.

Liz: The Greenmarket (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) is the most famous farmers' market in the city.

End the day in a bohemian atmosphere with live music and photos under the arch at sunset. If you still have energy, explore MacDougal Street, famous for its bars, pizzerias and classic ice cream shops.

Frank: The arch dates from 1892 and honors George Washington. Beneath the park was a cemetery with some 20,000 burials.

230 Fifth Rooftop Bar: two floors, excellent cocktails and a spectacular view of the lit-up Empire State.

Liz: 230 Fifth has blankets and heated "igloos" in winter, so the terrace works all year round.