NYC Travel Hacks: Insider Tips on How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck

The New York City Tourism Board has stirred up conversation by revealing tips on how to experience Cost-Effective New York.

The NYC Tourism Board held the 2023 New York Sales Mission in Seoul for two days, on the 13th and 14th. This event was held to revitalize tourism in the five boroughs of New York City – The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island – and was attended by nine popular local tourism companies.

The New York City Tourism Board announced that 56.7 million tourists visited New York City this year. This is a recovery to 85% of the number of tourists in 2019, before the pandemic. Also, it is expected that 369,000 Korean tourists will visit this year.

With the steady recovery, the NYC Tourism Board has unveiled its new brand identity, New York City Tourism + Conventions. This encompasses visits for both travel and business purposes, signifying a commitment to providing a more diverse travel experience.

Makiko Matsuda Healy, Senior Vice President of Tourism Development, shared some insider tips for NYC tourism at the event. She said, “Manhattan has many customers visiting for business, so hotel prices actually drop on weekends.” She added, “Similarly, hotel prices are lower on national holidays when business districts are closed.”

1. The Four Must-See New York City Viewpoints That Have Become More Thrilling

Four of the nine companies that participated in the event represent some of the best viewpoints in New York City, accounting for nearly half of the total.

When many tourists think of New York, they naturally picture the city’s dazzling urban landscape, making viewpoints a key attraction of the city.

Built in the 1930s and still renowned as a viewpoint, the Rockefeller Center, a 70-story high multi-cultural space, has garnered attention this year by opening its first Korean office. At the top of the Rockefeller Center is a viewing deck called Top of the Rock, which spans three floors – the 67th, 69th, and 70th.

The Rockefeller Center is preparing various changes from this year to next year. First, at the end of November, it announced the opening of the VIP Lounge, which offers multiple benefits such as a welcome drink to visitors.

In December this year, an amusement facility called Skylift, inspired by the 1932 photo Lunch Atop a Skyscraper taken at the construction site of the Rockefeller Center, will open. This ride takes you about 30 feet higher from the top floor, the 70th, and rotates 180 degrees. On the Mezzanine floor, connected to the Rockefeller Center viewpoint, they have added interactive exhibits that respond to the viewers’ movements, enriching the overall experience.

The Empire State Building, one of the top sightseeing spots in New York, has undergone a $165 million renovation of its observatory over the past four years since 2019.

The Empire State Building has also newly established experiential exhibition areas on the 2nd and 80th floors.

On the 86th floor, the highest outdoor observatory in New York City, you can enjoy a 360-degree view. At the top 102nd floor, the tallest indoor observatory in New York, all devices obstructing the view, such as air conditioners, have been removed. An elevator with glass from floor to ceiling was also installed to present a new landscape.

Hudson Yards is a district New York City has been developing from 2012 to the present. Edge is where you can overlook the emerging tourist attraction, Hudson Yards.

Edge is the highest observatory in the West Hampshire area, characterized by a ‘glass floor’ that seems to be open at the bottom and a ‘glass wall’ slanted at 6.5 degrees. The world’s highest outdoor building climb, ‘City Climb,’ is also in operation. After climbing, you can climb the top floor stairs, entrust your body to the rope, and take a thrilling certification photo.

Summit One Vanderbilt emerged like a supernova in Manhattan in 2020 and cannot be overlooked. It is the fifth observatory to enter Manhattan, with a height of 427m, making it the highest observatory in Midtown.

To enter the observatory, which opened in October last year and is made of mirrors and glass, sunglasses and pants are required during the day. In the Cloud Room, the stainless work Clouds by Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama is exhibited to add charm.

2. The ‘place’ that BTS V shouted ‘I love’… Diverse New York Museums

There is a New York landmark that BTS V loved. It’s the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Im Se-jung, a PR manager at the New York Museum of Modern Art, introduced MoMA with a video of V shouting, “I love MoMA!” on a U.S. talk show.

MoMA owns more than 200,000 works from the 1880s to the present. It is also where you can see world-famous masterpieces such as Monet’s Water Lilies and Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

MoMA has been providing Korean-language audio guides and trying to attract Korean visitors for a long time. Recently, it has launched a Korean blog on Naver to reach out to Korean tourists more intimately. It also shared lesser-known information such as the presence of ‘The Modern,’ a restaurant within the museum that has received two Michelin stars.

There’s no place in New York’s museums more beloved by Koreans than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a gallery dedicated to Korean art, The Met Art of Korea Gallery. In honor of the gallery’s 25th anniversary this year, it is collaborating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea to host the Lineages: Korean Art at The Met exhibition. The exhibition will run from November 6, 2023, to October 20, 2024.

In other exciting news, the Hip-Hop Museum is finally coming to New York, the birthplace of hip-hop. The New York Tourism Bureau announced that the museum is currently under construction, and various events will be held in the Bronx this year to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop history.

3. “Just a few year-end and New Year’s events”… New York is serious about welcoming tourists

New York City has prepared a variety of events to attract tourists for the upcoming year-end and New Year.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held on the 23rd. Visitors can see Broadway troupes marching with giant balloons of famous animated characters like Snoopy, Pikachu, and SpongeBob.

One of New York City’s signature Christmas events, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, will occur on the 29th. Enjoy a spectacular performance at the ice rink before the first-floor Christmas tree. The tree in front of the center will be on display until mid-January next year.

The New Year’s Eve celebration New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop will occur on December 31. Last year, J-Hope of the Korean idol group BTS participated in the New Year’s Eve performance, attracting attention. In addition, the New Year’s marathon event NYRR Midnight Run in Central Park and the unique festival ‘Coney Island Polar Bear Swim,’ where people jump into the Atlantic Ocean on January 1, will also be held.

The city has also prepared the New York City Winter Outing program, a discount event for winter tourism.

The New York City Restaurant Week, an event where you can taste food at renowned New York restaurants at a reasonable price, will be held from January 15 to February 4.

From January 16 to February 4, the New York City Broadway Week will be held, where you can book two Broadway shows for the price of one.

The New York City Hotel Week, where you can stay at a hotel discounted by 24% from the original price, is also planned. It applies to stays at certain hotels in New York City from January 3 to February 4 next year.

The annual event, New York City Must-See Week, where you get one more ticket for every ticket purchased to famous New York City tourist sites, is back. The event period is from January 16 to February 4 next year. Detailed event information can be found on the New York Tourism Bureau’s website.

Finally, the New York Tourism Bureau also announced the launch of the free online education program Travel Trade Academy (TTA), which includes Korean subtitles. TTA is a learning platform where you can acquire essential travel knowledge about New York City in about three hours.

By. Kim Hye Sung