So that you get an исключительно позитивный опыт from your trip to New York, get inspired by the city and love it for a long time, we have prepared a list of 5 mistakes travelers make in New York and information that will help you not to make them!
TOP-6 mistakes in New York
Cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and not the other way around
I admit, I also made my first walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in the wrong direction and crossed the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I constantly had to turn my head to watch the skyscrapers of the Financial District move away from me, admire Manhattan, and try to capture it on film and in my head.
I love Brooklyn! And lately, Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights, which are located right by the Brooklyn Bridge, have been developing, becoming more and more beautiful every day, their own skyscrapers are growing here, parks appear, attractions appear! However, these places still need to try and work a lot to become as iconic, beautiful, unusual and alluring as Manhattan!
Therefore, remember! The Brooklyn Bridge must be crossed from Brooklyn to Manhattan and no other way! Then you will fully enjoy that beautiful picture of the city, which will literally open its arms to you!
Carry a hundred-dollar bill
Going on vacation, travelers often take money in large banknotes with them. It is easier to count the money this way, they do not take up much space in the wallet, and in general, big bills are convenient! But not in the USA!
The thing is that Americans very, very rarely carry cash with them, and especially cash in the denomination of a 100$ bill. This is a very large amount to carry in cash. Therefore, even when the average American goes shopping and plans to spend a few hundred dollars, he takes a credit card with him and 20-30 dollars in cash just in case.
Why should you take money in smaller bills? Because in many stores, cafes and restaurants they may simply refuse to serve you! They will tell you: “We do not accept 100$ bills!” or point to a sign somewhere in the corner that says: “We do not accept 100$ bills.” Therefore, take money with you at least in 50 dollar bills. If you only have hundreds, it’s okay! Just exchange them in the hotel in advance, pay with hundreds for purchases from 50$. Here I note that the situation with 100$ bills described above is not everywhere. I very often had cases when with a purchase of 11$ I was given change from 100.
Buy single rides for the subway
Many tourists, due to the fact that they are tourists and are in the city for a short time, buy single rides for the New York subway. Like, we’re here for a couple of days, we don’t need an unlimited weekly pass and in general we will use the subway rarely. Of course, if you are in New York for 2 days, this makes sense. But if you arrived for at least 4 days, I recommend getting an unlimited pass for the whole week. The math is simple. One ride costs 3 dollars, a weekly pass is 32 dollars. Which means that buying single rides you will only make 10 trips, and with a pass you can make хоть 1025! Plus, you will not need to check the balance every time you enter the subway, look for money to top up the card, run to some store and exchange your 100 dollar bill, and so on.
Not read announcements in the subway
Travelers very often tend not to pay attention to various announcements in the subway because, as in the previous point, people are guided by the fact that they are in the city for a short time and it is unlikely that the repair of some station in Queens concerns them. My answer is: announcements must be read! Announcements look very simple and recognizable — this is a sheet of A4 paper which indicates the numbers or letters of the train line where repairs are taking place and information about when the repair work will be carried out and what you should do in that case. If you understand that you do not use this train and are unlikely to, because in 10 minutes you are leaving for the airport — we pass this information by. If you understand that it’s the opposite, this is your train, you use it from time to time or you simply allow that the situation may turn out such that you will have to use it — read the announcement! You are in New York, which means you never know where today will take you!
Buy a ticket for a tourist bus
If you are in New York for only one day and want to quickly see all the main attractions, then a tourist bus is a pretty good option. But if you are in New York for a longer period, walk on foot and use public transport! This way you will learn what New York street musicians are like, who perform in the subways, you will get into ethnic neighborhoods and познакомитесь with the culture of China, Italy, Mexico and India, you will feel like a hero of your favorite movie who walked down the very same street as you, you will get into other neighborhoods besides Manhattan, which are no less interesting, and most importantly — you will be able to get lost and find something interesting and unusual that guidebooks and travel guides do not write about. And traffic jams in a big city have not been отменял…
Rent a car
New York is a big city! Therefore, many travelers, for their own convenience, rent a car to quickly and comfortably cover long distances. In reality, everything turns out the opposite. They stand in traffic for hours, then spend another half an hour looking for parking, then pay for parking at a rate of 15 dollars an hour (if not more), and quick and comfortable turns into slow, inconvenient and expensive! I will say this: it is worth renting a car in Los Angeles. Because this city is very, very long, the метро runs only in the center and getting around by buses is just hell. But in New York there is a subway at every step, and a ride on it will be much faster!