What? Oh, all right. There’s something for everyone, depending on what kind of person you are. There’s food tours, and there’s geek tours and there’s free tours, and there’s nightlife, people-watching, festivals, family friendly attractions, shopping fests, fashion fests and God knows what else. Plus, even if you do want the exact same things as the 48 million other tourists who waltz into NYC every year, there’s still many ways you can ‘do’ the 10 must-visit things to do in New York mentioned above.

See, there’s New York vacations, and then there’s New York vacations. Where there’s a few tourists, there’s bound to be traps. And NYC has more than its fair share of tourist traps. What you need is some inside dope and some research to make sure you don’t end up in the ranks of people who visit the Big Apple and then cry about being taken for a ride.

Ok, here’s tip no. 1 – If you want to see the Statue of Liberty, you don’t need to stand in line and pay for your tickets and get jostled by Japanese tourist groups and European backpackers. All you gotta do is board the Staten Island Ferry. Its free, and the view of Lady Liberty from the Ferry as it passes Ellis Island is as good as watching it right up close. As a bonus, you also get to see the NYC Waterfalls and other attractions en route, not to mention the ones on Staten Island.

So, from the top 10 attractions list at the beginning of this hub, scratch off the Statue of Liberty and the NYC Waterfalls, and put in the Staten Island Ferry in their place.

Tip No. 2 – Normally, you gotta pay for admission tickets to the MET Museum, the Central Park Zoo, and the Empire State Building. What most tourists don’t know, though, is that most of the museums, zoos and gardens in NYC have pay-what-you-wish days.

The MET, the American Museum of Natural History and 32 other NYC institutions are part of the ‘Cultural Institutions Group’, which has a standing ‘pay what you wish’ admission policy on all days, at all times. The suggested admission fee is $20, but you can get in for a dollar or a few coins or just nothing at all, if you feel like it. Most tourists just assume you have to pay $20 and pay it. Not necessary. You see, the City provides 11% of the budgets for these Museums. You’re already a tourist, and you’re paying NYC a lotta money as it is, and taking very little in return, except maybe for some pictures and videos. Walk in free.

You don’t have to go to the top of the Empire State Building to get a good view of the Manhattan skyline. Walk up to the building, have a good look at it, take a few pics, and move on. There are other ways to get a good look at the Manhattan skyline, such as the many rooftop bars and lounges that sit atop many New York hotels. There’s a good list here. You buy a drink, enjoy the view, take a rest and walk out without the hassle of being a part of hordes of tourists at the Empire State Building.

Grand Central Station, Times Square, Broadway and Fifth Avenue are, of course, free. But other than Grand Central, the other three will end up fleecing you of more money than anything else on your trip. Simple word for it is tourist trap. Get out of Times Square as fast as possible without spending any money whatsoever.

Don’t do any shopping on Fifth Avenue (if you don’t want to finish off whatever’s left of your already battered investment portfolio), and off Broadway shows are more relaxed, and offer more experimental and edgy performances and shows than Broadway theaters, where the fare is pretty predictable. Same goes for pre-theater dinner. Any and all restaurants near the theaters in Broadway are usually crowded before shows and primed to treat customers like table numbers, instead of guests.

As for Grand Central, best way to see all of the wonderful architecture is to take the free Grand Central Partnership tour. There’s also a free Central Park tour, if you want.

End of the day, I believe more important than what you see, is how you see it. NYC has a lot to offer, some free and some you have to pay for. But the little things, like a cabbie who takes you on an unwanted tour of the city for a destination which is five minutes away, or the restaurant which charges tourists more than locals – these are the things that matter a lot. Be smart, and do some travel planning.

There’s plenty to see and do. You don’t need to restrict yourself to the top 10 attractions. There’s a lot more – Like the Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Brooklyn Bridge and the other islands – Roosevelt, Governors, Randall’s and City Island. There’s the New York Aquarium and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. You can hang out in the evenings in the MeatPacking District, go for food to Brooklyn and Little Italy and Astoria in Queens. So much to see and do…

These are the top 5 places (among thousands) you just have to visit:

TOP 1
TIME SQUARE is a huge commercial intersection located in Midtown Manhattan. This is the busiest area in New York City! Not only thousands of New Yorkers come and go by but also 39 million annual visitors! This is a place is great for a walking city tour. If you try you go by car, you’ll get a little bit desperate from all the traffic. When you visit Times Square, the only thing you want to concentrate about is the sights. The Crossroads of the World, a popular name for this place, is even more beautiful at night. Major companies like Coca Cola, Kodak, Chevrolet, Disney and lots of other corporations offer a great display of neon and illuminated signs that are incredibly beautiful to look at. Seating for dinner at Bubba Gump (inspired on the movie Forrest Gump) is an quite an experience itself, but it also makes a great first row seat to look at all the action going on in Times Square. Going to at least one of the many shows Broadway has to offer or Madam Tussauds Museum is also a must!

TOP 2
CENTRAL PARK is for New Yorkers a place to unwind from all the stress of living in a city like New York. It’s also one of the few places where they’re able to connect to nature. Even though I am lucky enough to have been to Manhattan twice, this park is so big I could never finish seeing it all! Central Park covers an area of 843 acres of greenery, featuring several lakes, courses to play the most varied sports, ice rinks and lots of lovely bridges and fountains, a zoo and also the best possible view of Manhattan’s skyline. Central Park is incredibly beautiful all year long, no matter the season. It will always be my favorite spot in this fantastic island!

TOP 3
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY on Liberty Island is THE landmark. There are tours going there and also visiting Ellis Island as often as every fifteen minutes. However, if you’re on a tight budget and would rather spend your money on something else (like surviving, as happened to me on my first trip) you can have a look at it from Staten Island Ferry, which is actually intended to help lots of people living in Staten Island and working in Manhattan (or the other way round) commute for literally no money (it’s free). Hold on to your camera! It gets windy outside. A peaceful walk over the Hudson River is a great way to relax, stop for a while and enjoy some sunshine.

TOP 4
BROOKLYN BRIDGE is a National Historic Landmark and also part of New York’s culture. It is an astonishing work of architecture and engineering. For tourists, it might be the best place to take pictures of the city’s skyline. Lots and lots of pictures.

TOP 5
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING OBSERVATION DECK is the highest observation deck in Manhattan and almost in America, only second to John Hancock Observatory (Chicago). Having only a few bucks in my wallet and too poor to go up there on my first trip, I decided I just had to see it on my second visit to the Big Apple. For about 30 dollars, you’ll get to go to the top of this amazing building and admire the awe-inspiring views of the entire city (a local will be able to help you spot the different boroughs) and also its neighboring cities. This is an exciting experience that will leave you speechless for at least some five minutes.

Places like Grand Central Station, the Museum of Natural History, the Rockefeller Center and lots of others make up an endless list of places you should visit in New York. Flights to New York arrive at three different airports (JFK, La Guardia and Newark) at all times. When are YOU arriving? It’s up to you, New York, New York!