Midtown

Transportation

If you’re arriving in New York from Newark Airport or JFK, there are several options for getting to Midtown. Firstly taxi or a car hire services can be booked from the airport (prices will vary).

The preferred travel method is the AirTrain. Both Newark and JFK have their own AirTrain service. It costs around $15 USD and is a comfortable, efficient, and quick service into Midtown, which allows you to skip the traffic, thus reducing the time of your journey and associated stresses.
 
You can also take Amtrak trains to Grand Central Station and this will put you right in the heart of Midtown.

Ideal Times to Travel 

In general, any time of year is a good time to visit NYC. Winter flight prices are generally cheaper (after the New Year of course) due to the cold wintery conditions. There are great sales and plenty of things to see and do in January, just be sure you bring a good pair of boots and plenty of warm layers. The warmer seasons in NYC are very enjoyable and offer many great free outdoor events, festivals, and rooftop dining among other things.

Top Attractions 

Midtown is where many of New York’s most famous and well known landmarks can be found. Big shopping destinations can be found here including Bloomingdales, Tiffany’s, and Saks 5th Avenue. Times Square is one of Midtown’s main attractions.
 
Culture seekers will be pleased to find the St. Peter’s Cathedral Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Television and Radio, the International Centre of Photography, Carnegie Hall, and The New York Public Library. Midtown is also home to the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the very famous and beautiful Grand Central Station.
 
Midtown is a great place for architecture enthusiasts as it is home to some of the most spectacularly designed skyscrapers in the city. Architectural tours are available.

Murray Hill is a peaceful residential district near the Midtown tunnel and is a pleasant neighbourhood to visit full of iconic NY Brownstone buildings, great for a stroll or some good photo ops. It is also not far from Roosevelt Island (as seen in the recent Spiderman film). Many very rare manuscripts can be found at the Morgan Library on 36th street.
 
Shopping 

Rockefeller Center, one of Midtown’s most famous places, features 22 acres of stores and office space.
 
America’s largest department store, Macy’s is a great place to kick off your shopping as it offers everything from clothing to furniture and cosmetics.
Bloomingdales is another Midtown staple and offers both luxury and affordable fashion items. This was the original store which grew to be a national brand.
 
For something a bit different, try Barneys, known for clever and creative window displays, this store is very popular among celebs and “ladies who lunch” and it’s great even just to wander through. You’ll find nine floors of luxury fashion items, cosmetics, jewellery and more.
 
Bergdorf Goodman is a divine shopping experience located in the grandiose old Vanderbilt Mansion; it is a very high-end department store featuring couture luxury merchandise. Even the changing rooms are posh, and some offer views of Central Park. The Penthouse floor features a salon where you can get a manicure, have your hair cut, coloured, or just styled and come out looking and feeling gorgeous for a night on the town.

But of course we can’t forget Tiffany & Co a place of many wedding proposals and home to beautiful diamond and sterling silver jewellery and FAO Shwarz where Tom Hanks played the giant piano in the classic Hollywood film, Big.
There are of course many other shopping venues and options in Midtown and all over NYC, but these are some of the highlights.

What’s On? 

November brings Thanksgiving and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is one of the biggest and most popular parades in the US. Come early as the best viewing points fill up fast!

Christmas at Rockefeller Center usually offers ice skating (depending on the weather), and the iconic giant Christmas tree for all to enjoy throughout December and into the first week of January.

New Years Eve in Midtown is very busy and a delight, full of endless opportunities for a great party and plenty of entertainment. Millions watch and wait for the famous ball of lights to drop and the fireworks to explode as the New Year begins. This is considered one of the best New Years parties in the world, Times Square on New Years is very busy but a real treat. NYC has more parties than just Times Square though; Bryant Park and restaurants around Midtown each have unique parties to ring in the New Year. No one does it like New York!

Early June brings the Taste of Times festival, an outdoor event in Times Square featuring live music and international cuisine from top restaurants. The cities best street performers come out to take part and popular restaurants will give out tastes of their most prized dishes. The end of the Summer brings Restaurant Week when many local restaurants offer discounted dining and a chance to taste some of the high end culinary treats that New York has on offer.

SummerStage hits NY and Midtown bringing the world’s largest free performing arts festival to the streets! This is definitely worth checking out. Numerous other festivals happen during the summer including the Midtown International Theatre Festival.
 
Each September Broadway becomes the setting for musical numbers with Broadway on Broadway, a free concert put on by current Broadway stars with previews of currently running and upcoming shows performed right on the street!