New York City - Best Time To Go & When to Go

Sunset times: Many enjoy seeing The Big Apple from above, especially from the top of NYC's two main observatories, the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock, or a bar or restaurant such as Penn Top Bar, The Rainbow Room or The View. To find out when dusk and sunset occurs throughout the year, check out this website:

Forecast: To find specific weather forecasts for your upcoming trip, try out these popular weather forecast websites:

January, February

Weather: Cold, wet, probable snow or mixed frozen precipitation. Temps can range from 10-40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it's usually between 25-35. With a wind chill, it can get below zero. When the white stuff hits, wait until it ends and break out a good set of boots.

What to Wear: Dress in layers because stores and restaurants will likely keep things warm. Bring an umbrella, warm coat, scarf, hat, gloves, and some good weather resistant shoes. Watch out for big puddles in subway station entrances.

Cost: The cheapest time of year to go because of the weather. Flights cost less. Hotel prices drop on Jan 2. Here's a hint - find the TKTS booth at the South Street Seaport instead of the Times Square booth for shorter lines. And of course the first week or two of January usually means post-holiday sales.

Seasonal things to do: Ice skating in Central Park. Feast on comfort foods (brunch!) in the West Village. Shop all the post-holiday clearance sales. Get to a Knicks basketball game if you like to see a losing team, or try a New York Rangers hockey game. Restaurant Week falls at the end of the month, but be prepared to make reservations well ahead of time. Lunar New Year in Chinatown is also an experience. Stay indoors & hit the museums. Attend the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. Get married on the observatory at the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. Enjoy the world's best bagels and pizza.

March, April

Weather: March is not so frigid as February, but you'll still need a nice warm coat. March temps can range from 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit, and you're more likely to see 40's as a high. April is more likely to be in the 45-65 range; consider yourself blessed if it gets beyond 70, which can and does happen, but usually means a thunderstorm following. An April "heatwave" is one of the best times to be in NYC.

What to Wear: Bring an umbrella, warm coat, and maybe gloves. It probably won't snow, but it has been known to snow in April every few years. Still watch out for big puddles in subway station entrances. Wellies are a plus in avoiding puddles that collect at streetcorners as one can plow right through them without getting their feet and trousers drenched.

Cost: Flights & hotel prices certainly go up as the weather improves, but this is still off-peak to shoulder season. Winter clearance sales happen as spring clothing hits the racks. You still have better than average odds at getting same day half price Broadway show tickets at TKTS booths.

Seasonal things to do: Ice skating in Central Park if it's still cold enough, otherwise, get out to Central Park and stroll around for great people watching and bear in mind that spring flowers arrive by the end of April, so investigating the leafier gardens is worth it. It's generally packed on the first warm weekend (50 degrees). Attend the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 17 along with hundreds of thousands of NY'ers who become Irish & call in sick that day. Take in a Knicks game or Rangers game, and if either are in the playoffs, you might be able to scalp some tickets. Catch a New York Mets or New York Yankees home game. Go to the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The Tribeca Film Festival begins at the end of the April, but book ahead.

The circus - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey - comes to town in early April; each year the news covers the grand entrance of elephants walking through the Midtown Tunnel. If you're adventurous enough to head to Brooklyn, you can see NY's version of a sakura festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens right near Prospect Park. This is also the common time of year in which Easter comes to New York City, so stop by a bakery to enjoy the customary chocolate bunny or even the seasonal pastries, some run by immigrants from Greece or Italy and some, like Veneiro's in Manhattan, have gone head to head against the best in Rome and won.

May, June

Weather: Spring in New York City is the best time to be in the city without doubt. Spring usually means less humidity and temps between 50-80 degrees. June occasionally sees a 90 degree day.  An occasional humidity soaked heatwave can strike, but it usually feels nice the first time around. Spring is all about eating al fresco and enjoying the low humidity. 

What to Wear: Bring an umbrella (always bring one - it's a walking city and you don't want to get caught in the rain), and bring layers. In May, a light spring jacket or a mid-weight sweater is probably the heaviest thing you'll need. You won't need these in June. Bring some shorts/skirts and hope for great weather. Otherwise, you can always buy anything warmer that you'll need. If caught in heavier rain, remember that many pharmacies in Manhattan sell plastic rain ponchos for twelve dollars or less: you may not like the color but at least you'll be dry.

Cost: Flights & hotel prices head north in the spring, but the heaps of tourists don't descend upon the city until summer. That doesn't mean things are a bargain, not by far. You have average odds at getting same day half price Broadway show tickets at TKTS booths.

Seasonal things to do: Roaming Central Park is absolutely essential. Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge (and hopping a subway back) is fantastic on a sunny day.  The Tribeca Film Festival extends into May.  Fleet Week occurs the week before Memorial Day weekend.  Definitely catch a Mets or Yankees day game. Head to the Belmont Stakes in June and hope a Triple Crown winner is still possible. Watch/experience the National Puerto Rican Day Parade down 5th Ave in June.  Mid-June features the Museum Mile Festival on the east side of the Park. Late June features the Jazz Festival at multiple sites (Carnegie, Bryant Park, etc.), as well as Lesbian & Gay Pride Week, which culminates in the largest parade of its kind in the world. 

July, August

Weather: Hot, humid, sticky, sometimes oppressive. And that's outside, nevermind the subways. Temps range from 70-95 and can get north of 100 occasionally, but highs are usually in the mid to upper 80's. Anticipate 20 degree temperature spikes in the subways. It's rather disgusting down there, and the heat brings out the worst subway odors. Don't underestimate the concept of humidity: it can make a warm day feel much hotter.

What to Wear: Bring an umbrella and anticipate torrential downpours. Otherwise, wear light clothing: natural fibres are best, especially cotton, and be sure that the sleeves are short. 

Cost: Expensive, but residents scatter for the beaches (Hamptons!) on the weekends, which means that prime restaurants are more available on the weekend (though some might close Sunday nights because of this). They're not cheap. It just means you can probably get in without reserving weeks in advance. You can be disappointed trying to get same day half price Broadway show tickets at TKTS booths. Book ahead instead. 

Seasonal things to do: Potential visitiors are often intimidated by the weather in New York at this time of year, but it is a shame that they are: this is the time of year when the most activities are available, indoors and outdoors.

The highlight of the summer is most certainly Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show, when the sky lights up like a million candles.  The best place to view the show is from the FDR Drive from ~14th to 40th or from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade area across the water (think River Cafe), but if you're stuck out in Queens, just hang out on an elevated subway platform in Long Island City.  Roaming Central Park is essential.  Sheep Meadow becomes a sunbathers' paradise and other smaller places like Madison Square Park are no slouches for sun-worshippers either.  Get yourself some Shakespeare in the Park tickets for a genuine NYC experience, or just as well get to Central Park SummerStage.  On the west side of Manhattan, get to River Rocks or River Flix at the Hudson River Park.  Harlem Week paradoxically runs through the month of August.  There's still Mets and Yankees games, though a night game is probably better to avoid baking in the sun.  There are boats and ferries out on the harbor so making an inquiry about a captained fishing trip is a good way to spend a quieter day. Enjoy an ice cream cone from vans marked Mr. Softee for a cheap, cooling treat. Check out the movie theatres to see summer blockbusters that may not be available in Europe or Asia for some time after your visit .

The U.S. Open Tennis Tournament kicks off in late August out in Flushing, Queens. Get to the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden out in Astoria, Queens on the way back. It's the city's largest outdoor beer garden, and beer is cheap by NYC standards at ~$12 a pitcher for imports! Additionally, if you are roasting like a hot dog at a barbecue, try taking a cab from the city out to Coney Island or Rockaways (a beach in Queens) for a nice time sitting on the beach, eating a picnic lunch, and playing in the water. If you prefer something more for families take the kids to the Bronx Zoo: it is nice and shady even on the hottest days, it is one of the largest zoos in the nation with exhibits that should interest everyone, some attractions are air conditioned, and there are plenty of places to dip your hands in water.

Also for families, hiring a car or consulting a site like hopstop for a day trip may be in order: a large amusement park called Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson NJ is a short car ride away, about an hour outside of Manhattan. This park is an extremely popular summer attraction for locals. It features a water park, plenty of children's rides, and for big kids no less than 13 different roller coaster rides, including the current world record holder for tallest and fastest: Kingda Ka.

September, October

Weather: Starts off hot, humid, sticky, & uncomfortable., but ends a bit chilly. From Sep 1 - Sep 20, bring summer clothes and anticipate 70-80 degree weather. From Sep 21 - Oct 10, expect 70 degree highs, so a jacket and some cooler weather clothes might be necessary. Beyond that, expect the highs to be in the 50-70's. Halloween has been known to be in the upper 30's or lower 60's.

What to Wear: Bring summer clothes with an extra layer or two depending on how close to Halloween you come. If you're coming in the back half of October, don't expect to wear shorts, and you might not always need a jacket, but you should probably have one. And oh yeah, bring an umbrella because you'll be walking a lot.

Cost: Prices tend to drop once the school year starts.  It's a good time to be in NYC because there are less tourists, but the theater season does officially start, so NYC residents are likely to scoop up most tickets.

Seasonal things to do: Labor Day weekend is rather quiet in the city. The San Gennaro festival in Little Italy is the place to be in early September for fantastic food. September 11 is indeed a solemn day in the city. The morning usually features a memorial service to the fallen victims and heroes of that day. The night is usually marked by the Tribute in Light, during which large banks of spotlights are shined into the night sky close to where the Twin Towers used to stand. There's great viewing anywhere within several miles of the city, but the best views are from across the rivers either in Brooklyn or New Jersey (Hoboken or Jersey City).  The back half of September and first half of October plays host to the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. The Columbus Day Parade happens around Columbus Day, as one might anticipate. If the Mets or Yankees have made it to the playoffs, try to get out to see a game, or in late October, football season begins, so maybe head to the Meadowlands for a Giants or Jets game. October goes out with a bang with the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, with hundreds of folks dressing up in outrageous costumes. (There's always a parade in NYC in case you haven't noticed.)  Late October is also the start of Fall foliage season, so take a car or ferry ride up the Hudson and do some leaf peeping. 

November, December

Weather: Expect highs in the 40-50 range in November and 30-40 range in December. It can be freakishly warmer or colder here and there, but it's not likely.

What to Wear: Bring a heavier jacket and leave the shorts at home. Consider a hat, scarf, and gloves. Bring an umbrella because you still have to walk to and from subway stops and it's much harder to catch a taxi in the rain, so if you're going to be standing around trying to hail one, you might as well be dry.

Cost: Airfares and hotel prices drop except for the holidays. Between Thanksgiving weekend and the week before Christmas, bargains can be had, but forget about Christmas to New Year's. Airfares and hotel rates go through the roof.  So long as you have an umbrella, feel free to stand around in line for Broadway show tickets at TKTS booths and feel confident you'll get tickets.

Seasonal things to do: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starts well before Christmas sometime in November, so go early and capture the Christmas spirit. The marathon happens at the beginning of November.  There's yet another parade on Veteran's Day, but the bigger parade is Thanksgiving Day.  The biggest parade might be that of stampeding shoppers on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, in all the retail stores around New York. Many have early morning sales that lead to large lines that rush through the doors before dawn. Rockefeller Center gets its tree at the end of November.  Weather permitting, ice skating beneath it starts. And then there's this little thing to close out the year called New Year's Eve in Times Square. A few people have been known to show up now that the word has gotten out.  Football season is in full swing, so catch a Giants or Jets game. Basketball season starts, so maybe a Knicks or Nets game is on the menu.