Best Time to Visit New York City - Weather Year Round

New York City is so big and offers so much for visitors to see and do, it's difficult to say what is the best time to visit the city. Whether it’s cold or hot, and whether it’s raining or the sky is blue, there is always something for everyone in New York City. Springtime brings cool and sometimes light rainy weather and blooming flowers - many consider this as the best time to visit New York City. Summertime is warm to hot with sunny days and occasional breezes in places near the water. The fall weather is pleasant although it can get chilly. Winter is cold and sometimes snowy, but there are plenty of days with blue skies to enjoy during your carriage ride around Central Park. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.

Best Time to Visit New York City - Weather Year Round

• New York City Weather & Temperature by Month, Photo: Courtesy of moussa81 - Fotolia.com
• Getting to New York City, Photo: Courtesy of emilio44j - Fotolia.com
• Getting From the New York City Airport, Photo: Courtesy of Vojtech Herout - Fotolia.com
• New York City Visitor Information Centers, Photo: Courtesy of kmiragaya - Fotolia.com
• Getting Around New York City by Bus and Subways, Tram , Photo: Courtesy of vacant - Fotolia.com
• Getting Around New York City by Taxi, Car, on foot, bike, ferry, helicopter or cruise, Photo: Courtesy of Natalia Bratslavsky - Fotolia.com
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• New York City Neighborhood Guide, Photo: Courtesy of luciano mortula - Fotolia.com
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• Where to Stay in New York City, Photo: Courtesy of Ulrich Müller - Fotolia.com
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More Ideas: Statue of Liberty

In one of the greatest cities in the world, New York City, stands a symbol of freedom for the people of the United States of America: the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is not merely a large statue of a woman standing in the middle of a body of water, it embodies the idea that the people of the United States of America have freedom and a voice in their own country.

History

The full name of the Statue of Liberty is Liberty Enlightening the World and it was presented to the United States as a gift from France in 1886. The original sculptor was Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and the gift was proposed by French President Edouard Rene de Laboulaye. A significant female icon in the eyes of the American people was the goddess of freedom, who was commonly represented in ancient Roman mythology. The decision to use the goddess of freedom, Lady Liberty, as a symbol for freedom was not initially accepted with great enthusiasm, but over time politicians and government officials grew to like the idea. The construction for the statue began in France and pieces were brought to the United States to be assembled on Bedloe's Island, today known as Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty was first opened to the public for viewing on October 28, 1886. In 1984, UNESCO named the Statue of Liberty a World Heritage Site.

Physical Characteristics and Restoration

Standing over 111 feet and 6 inches tall from the heel to the top of the statue's head, this symbol of freedom needs a lot of care and attention to maintain its beauty. From the ground up, the statue actually stands at 305 feet and 1 inch, and was the tallest structure in New York when it was unveiled. Originally over 450,000 pounds, the statue has become eroded due to bad weather conditions and so restoring parts of it has been absolutely necessary. The torch held in the right hand of Lady Liberty was restored in 1986 and completely covered in 24k gold to accent the greenness of the statue. There are many inscriptions on the Statue of Liberty, the most well-known being the one on the tablet held in the left hand of the statue, namely the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world, uniting Lady Liberty with the world, while the shackles located at the base of the statue’s feet are broken in order to signify freedom from oppression. A tablet held near the Statue of Liberty has the inscription of the designer's name, Bartholdi, as well as an inscription that reads “the Alliance of two Nations in achieving the Independence of the United States of American and attests their abiding friendship” to forever commemorate this amazing gift from the people of France to the American people.

Between 1984–1986 and 2011–2012, the Statue of Liberty was conserved and restored. During these years, the statue was cleaned, polished, and restored as much as possible to bring it back to its original glory. Unfortunately, due to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Statue of Liberty was closed off to visitors. The island reopened that year, but access to the pedestal was restricted for the next 3 years and the statue remained off-limits for a further 8 years. In October 2016, construction began on the Statue of Liberty Museum, also located on Liberty Island. This museum is set to open in 2019, and will include a theater where an aerial view of the statue can be seen.

Events

Although events in the world today have left public monuments more susceptible to terrorist attacks, the commissioners for the Statue of Liberty have tried to keep events ongoing at Liberty Island. Free ranger-guided tours are available at Liberty Island on a daily basis. Statue cruises are also available through ferry services. Night tours of the Statue of Liberty are only available by ferry, held once a week during the spring and summer months. Private events can be held at Liberty Island, but require prior approval from the NPS.

What’s Nearby

Since the Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, the only access is by ferry. Battery Park in New York City and Liberty State Park in Jersey City offer ferry rides that run on a daily basis.

More Things to Do in NYC

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More Ideas: National September 11 Memorial and Museum

Located at the former site of the Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York City, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum is a nonprofit-run tribute to the 2,977 victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as the six victims of the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993.

History

The memorial and museum commemorates the September 11 attacks, a sequence of four connected attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon orchestrated by the al-Qaeda terrorist group. In 2003, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation held an international contest for the design of a World Trade Center memorial, honoring the attacks' victims and commemorating the lost Twin Towers of the WTC complex. After a lengthy juried selection progress, in January 2004, Michael Arad and Peter Walker's Reflecting Absence design was chosen as the winner. The design features two large reflecting pools at the base of the former Twin Towers, surrounded by trees. A museum sits underneath them, below ground level.

Construction began in the spring of 2006, after consultations with victims' families and local business. The construction took just over 5 years to complete, installing waterfalls and large concrete metal pools, planting hundreds of trees, and constructing a museum below ground level, displaying exhibits and artifacts from the World Trade Center. During construction, some of the future museum artifacts were taken on a national awareness tour, visiting over two dozen cities in the fall of 2007.

The memorial opened with a large ceremony on September 11, 2011, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the attacks. In its first three month of operation, it hosted over one million visitors. From its opening day until May 24th, 2014, the memorial functioned in an interim operation period, with the museum slated to open several times but repeatedly pushed back by funding delays. On the museum's sold-out first day of operation, the gates that had surrounded the museum site were taken down for the first time since the 2001 attacks.

Permanent Exhibits

The two twin reflecting pools of the memorial are an acre in size and surrounded by walls. Twin waterfalls, the largest manmade waterfalls in North America, flow into the pools. On the parapets of the walls are 76 bronze plates inscribed with the names of the victims of the September 11th attacks and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, arranged by company, location, or affiliation. Victims' company names are not listed on the plaques, but first responders are listed with the name of their unit and the passengers of the four planes are listed under their plane's flight number.

Over 200 trees were planted at the site of the memorial, including the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree that was originally planted in 1970 and rescued from the rubble following the attacks. Although the tree was badly damaged in the attacks and was not expected to survive, it made a full recovery, earning it its moniker. Until 2010, the tree was hosted under the care of the Arthur Ross Nursery, before being brought back to the World Trade Center grounds in December of 2010. Today, it stands over 30 feet tall and is seen as symbol of perseverance and endurance.

The museum is located 70 feet underground, beneath the memorial. It is accessed through a deconstructivist-designed pavilion, made to echo a partially collapsed building in tribute to the fallen Twin Towers. The museum houses artifacts from Ground Zero, including wrecked emergency vehicles, two tridents from the Towers, metal from the buildings, photographs of the destruction, audio recordings of first responders and 911 calls, and photographs of all of the attacks' victims. The museum also holds the unidentified remains of over 1,000 victims in its bedrock.

The museum's many multimedia displays, archives, and collections chronicle the story of the attacks. The centerpiece of the chronicle is the Historical Exhibition, detailing the leadup to the attack, the attack itself, and its aftermath. The Memorial Exhibition focuses on the lives lost in both the September 11th attack and the 1993 bombing. At the Witness at Ground Zero exhibit, visitors can see a collection of over 500 photographs taken in the five days immediately following the attacks. Cover Stories displays 33 New Yorker covers, showcasing depictions of the Twin Towers before and after the attacks, and Rendering the Unthinkable contains a collection of artwork reacting to the attacks, featuring paintings, sculpture, and mixed media.

Ongoing Programs and Education

The memorial and museum offers tours for school groups, focused on age-appropriate curriculum-based teaching of the September 11th attacks. On the anniversary of the attacks, a free webinar is held, connecting classrooms around the world to the museum. The museum also provides age-appropriate materials for all children visiting the museum, including interactive art activities and a guide detailing how to talk to children about terrorism. Additionally, the museum presents a series of talks and programs from experts on contemporary topics. Recordings of these programs are available online.

180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007, Phone: 212-312-8800

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More Ideas: New York City Subways and Buses

With all the traffic and large crowds that you would have to deal with, getting around the Big Apple can be such a daunting endeavor. New York is a great place to visit, but getting around can be a daunting experience, especially when you’re going alone.

The thought of getting lost in a crowd and being stuck in traffic can be scary, but it’s nothing you can’t get used to. It’s only a matter of knowing where you’re going and what you need to do to get there. With a bit of practice, you’ll be commuting like a typical New Yorker.

Getting to Know New York’s Subways and Buses

New York City’s public transport generally falls to two types: subways and buses. Once you know how to use them, they become by far the most practical way to get around the City. Generally, you’ll be taking the subway especially when you’re going around Manhattan and some of the suburbs. Otherwise, you’ll be taking the buses, especially at the far ends of Manhattan.

New York Bud and Subway Fares

Most single trip tickets for both the subway and buses are $2.75 per way. The ones that go farther, such as those that take people to and from the outskirts cost about $6 per way. The MTA used to have a “Fun Pass” which gave unlimited subway and bus rides, but these have been discontinued since.

Getting to Know the MetroCard

A MetroCard is a thin plastic card that is used to pay for bus and subway fares in New York City. You can buy them at a kiosk inside of nearly any subway station. They are also sold at some newsstands as well.

MetroCards are either unlimited or charged per ride. Both accounts, however, can be maintained on the same card, in which case the prepaid balance will be consumed first before the unlimited balance is used.

If you’re visiting for a couple of days and plan on going around a lot, you can get the unlimited MetroCard that’s good for a week for only $31. If you plan to stay for a month, you can get the monthly MetroCard worth $116.50. They last until the midnight of the 7th or 30th day of usage.

You can get these MetroCards at the stations where they are used. They can be purchased with cash, credit, or debit. Each purchase, whether per ride or unlimited, costs an additional fee of $1.

MetroCards are pretty useful in a sense that they are a hassle-free way of paying for your fare. This is because buses can only accept exact change. In some cases, you have to pay your fare in advance before boarding the bus. This is usually done along major routes in the Bronx or Manhattan where there are a lot of passengers. This system is known as the “Select Bus Service” where passengers pay their fare via a nearby kiosk.

Some MetroCards are auto-refillable, although they are more useful for residents who will eventually run out of their balance from time to time. However, if you feel that you will be using up your MetroCard a lot, this is good information to know.

Fares

As mentioned before, rides cost $2.75 per ride. However, topping up a balance of $5.50 or more will get you an 11% bonus, which means more consumable balance for you. So make sure that you always top up with that amount, since the bonus only accrues with every purchase that fulfills that requirement. Those who top-up on a pay-per-ride basis can share the card with three other people, allowing for four to benefit from a single card. Passengers simply need to keep swiping the card as each of up to four persons pass the turnstyle.

Unlimited fares are available for a set period of time. However, they cannot be used more than once within an 18 minute period. This was designed to prevent multiple people from using one card, as the unlimited MetroCard is only meant to be used by one person.

Children are given special rates. An adult can bring up to three kids not taller than 44” for free on either a bus or subway. Infants can be brought with an adult riding the express buses for free so long as they sit on the adult’s lap.

Tip: You might want to buy your MetroCards via ATM or Credit Card, as they would be insured against theft or loss. In case you lose your card, you can take steps to claim any unused credit with a new MetroCard.

Checking Your Balance

If you’re using a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, you will be able to see the balance on the turnstyle as you swipe the card. There are also MetroCard readers available at various booths. To check your balance or how much time you have left, just scan your cards there.

Getting Around New York City

Getting a MetroCard is only the beginning. Once you know where you want to go, you’ll want to start familiarizing yourself with the subway and bus systems. The best way to do this is to study the subway map and bus route index, both of which can be viewed and downloaded from the internet.

You will then want to learn about the trip schedules, which can also be found online. New York’s subways generally run every two to five minutes when it’s rush hour and five to fifteen minutes for the rest of the day. During midnight until 6:00 AM it only runs once every 20 minutes.

Be mindful of the regular service interruptions that happen on the subway as this might get in the way of your travel plans. Once you figure out which areas are subject to service changes allows you to avoid them and plan your trip accordingly.

Just like any other trip, knowledge and planning are key to a successful visit to New York. By knowing how to take the subway and the buses, you can pretty much go anywhere you like.

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