First-time visitors
Start with the itineraries and the planning guide: what to book before you fly, how to pay for transit and how not to spend your week in queues.
About NYCTrove
The city, without the noise
An independent guide to New York City for people who want to understand the place, not just tick it off. We write the advice we wish someone had given us: specific, dated and honest about what we do not know.
What this is
A guide built the slow way
A travel guide to New York City — all five boroughs, the whole trip, not just the postcard sights.
You will find day-by-day plans for three, five and seven days, borough guides that treat all five boroughs as destinations, honest comparisons of passes and tickets, and the practical detail — transit, budgets, timing — that decides whether a good plan survives contact with the city.
We are not a booking site: if a page recommends something, we think it is worth your time or money.
Who it is for
Three kinds of reader, one city
Most people arrive here at one of three moments. The guide is written for all of them.
Second trips and slow travel
For people who have seen the Empire State Building and now want to know where to eat in Queens, or why the Bronx deserves a full day.
New Yorkers and their guests
Free things, rainy days and one perfect Sunday in Brooklyn, for the people who live here and the friends they are showing around.
Editorial policy
How we work
Four rules, applied to every page on the site.
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01
Independence comes first
The editorial side is not for sale. We do not accept payment for inclusion, ranking or a favourable review.
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02
We describe places we can vouch for
We do not invent restaurants, hotels or tours. If we cannot check a place, we describe the category and area instead.
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03
We show our working
Prices are written as "from" or "around", with the date checked. Hours and fares are checked against the operator's own page.
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04
We correct in public
When we get something wrong, we fix it. Corrections are the most useful email a reader can send us.
Money
How we make money — and what it does not buy
NYCTrove is free to read and has no paywall. It is funded by affiliate commissions and clearly labelled partnerships.
Some links to ticket sellers, pass operators and booking sites are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the partner pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you. The price is the same, and the recommendation is not for sale.
We do not run sponsored best-of lists or accept payment for a place to appear in an itinerary. Any paid collaboration is labelled before you read it.
The full disclosure sits in our terms of use; data handling is in the privacy policy.
Prices
How we keep prices current
Prices are the fastest-moving thing in any guide. Here is what we re-check.
| What | How often we check | What the page tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Attraction, pass and tour prices | Before each season and when an operator changes pricing | A from price, the date checked and a note that dynamic pricing can push the real cost higher. |
| Opening hours and closures | Monthly, and when a reader flags a change | Usual hours and known closures. Confirm on the venue's own site before a special trip. |
| Transit fares and rules | When the MTA or an operator announces a change | The current fare, the date it took effect, and cheaper alternatives. |
| Events and seasonal dates | At the start of each season | Dates we have verified, or a clear note that next year's are not announced yet. |
Prices are a starting point, not a promise. Confirm before you book — and tell us if we are behind.
Coverage
What the guide covers
Six sections, one trip. Start wherever your planning is least certain.
Itineraries
Three, five and seven day plans with travel time built in and one big thing per half-day.
Boroughs
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island — what each one is actually like.
Things to do
Observation decks, museums, landmarks and waterfronts, ranked by what they ask of your day.
Passes and tickets
Which pass pays off, which does not, and how to buy Broadway and Statue of Liberty tickets.
Plan your trip
When to come, where to stay, how to get around, what it costs and what to book ahead.
Food and drink
Bagels, pizza, pastrami and the neighbourhoods where each one is at its best.
Say hello
Questions, corrections or a trip you want us to cover?
We read every message, especially if something on the site is wrong or out of date.