Taxes and Tips

Travelers from out of town may not be familiar with the way taxes and tips affect New York City price tags.

Tipping
Let’s face it. It’s not always fun to tack a few extra bucks of your hard-earned money onto a bill. But since New Yorkers in the service industries (hotels, restaurants and transportation) have tips factored into their wages, tips are expected and greatly appreciated. You don’t have to go overboard, but be sure to show the love for great New York City service. Here’s how much you should tip:

• Hotel doorman: $1 for hailing a cab.
• Porters and bellhops: $1–$2 per bag.
• Housekeeping: $1–$2 per day of your visit, or as much as $5 per day.
• Waitstaff and bartenders: 15–20% of total bill.
• Taxi drivers: 15–20% of total fare.
• Hairdressers: 15–20% of total service cost.
• Tips for other service personnel, such as theater ushers, tour guides and coat-check staff, are always appreciated.

One more thing: if you’re having drinks at a bar, bartenders typically expect at least a $1 tip for every drink they serve you. Later on, when the bar gets crowded, you’ll be glad that the bartender remembers you!

Sales Tax
Buyer beware: while the price tag may say one thing, prices marked typically don’t include tax. New York City sales tax on goods and services is 8.875%. But there are a few exceptions:

• No sales tax on food items purchased at grocery stores, or on prescription drugs
• No City or State sales tax on clothing or footwear under $55, and no City sales tax on clothing or footwear under $110. (New York State charges 4.375% sales tax on items priced over $55.)

 

(info from nycgo.com)

Useful Numbers

Here are some important phone numbers to keep handy during your NYC visit.
• Emergencies (police, fire or ambulance): 911
• NYC government agencies and any questions or requests about City services (nonemergency): 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (639-9675)
• Directory assistance: 411
• Multilingual visitor information counselors: 212-484-1222
• Printed NYC literature: 800-NYC-VISIT (692-84748) or 212-397-8222

Local Police Precinct Midtown South Precinct

357 West 35th Street, New York, NY, 10001
(212) 239-9811

Contact Information

Precinct: (212) 239-9811
Community Affairs: (212) 239-9846
Community Policing: (212) 239-9805
Crime Prevention: (212) 239-9846
Domestic Violence: (212) 239-9863
Youth Officer: (212) 239-9817
Auxiliary Coordinator: (212) 239-9836
Detective Squad: (212) 239-9856

 

(info from nycgo.com and NYPD’s website)

NYC Mobile Apps

They don’t call it the Big App-le for nothing!

Want to navigate the City, scout out great food—and, of course, find public restrooms? There are apps for that. Here’s our roundup of some useful mobile tools that help make NYC more manageable than ever.

Whether you’re looking for a bite to eat or the nearest (and cleanest) public restroom, smartphone applications can help you explore New York City with ease. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite NYC-centric apps so that, wherever you are, you can have the City at your fingertips. And don’t forget to visit nycgo.com’s very own mobile site for great info on attractions, dining, shopping, events, deals and more.

Below is a comprehensive list of the mobile apps available. This small menu allows you to skip to the area of most interest (will open in new window-nycgo.com)

Navigation
Attractions
Dining
Museums and Art
Miscellaneous

Navigation
Making your way through the streets of New York has never been easier thanks to these navigational apps, which provide detailed street and subway maps, transit information, the best corners for hailing a taxi and more.

CabSense NYC
Use with: Android
CabSense NYC analyzes data from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission and other sources to help users find the best nearby street corners to hail a taxi based on the day of the week, the time and their location. The app even comes with a built-in “cab hailer”—simply shake your phone and it will whistle and display a flashing message.

iTrans NYC Subway
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
In a rush? This app finds the fastest route between any two New York City subway stations, taking into account current schedules and service changes. iTrans NYC Subway provides users with detailed maps and walking directions, and even works off-line (or underground).

MyCityWay 
Use with: iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry
Find yourself longing for the nearest wireless hotspot, craft beer bar or pharmacy with late-night delivery? MyCityWay combines urban reference apps and app platforms with important City info and its own user community to bring you a super-loaded City navigating tool.

New York City Compass
Use with: iPhone and iPad
This minimal app provides users with one simple but vital piece of information for efficient urban orienteering: whether they’re going uptown, downtown or crosstown (east or west).

NYCMate
Use with: Android and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Suburban commuters can now breathe easier; not only does this app contain the official NYC subway map and every neighborhood map and bus maps for each borough, it also comes with maps of the Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit and PATH trains.

UpNext 3D Cities
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch (Android coming soon)
This fun app gives users a real-time 3-D map of the City, as well as tappable buildings, detailed venue and site information, reviews and personalization options.

WayFinder NYC
Use with: Android
This award-winning augmented reality app helps users identify the subway or PATH train stations that are closest to their current location. Using GPS and your phone’s camera, WayFinder locates your position on any street and offers step-by-step directions to the nearest transit stops.

Attractions
Whether you’re a lifelong local or a first-time visitor, there’s always plenty to discover in NYC. These apps provide key information on the City’s top tourist attractions as well as on lesser-known destinations that might not have been on your radar.

Central Park
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
The official mobile guide to one of New York’s most popular green spaces, this app from the Central Park Conservancy provides users with a wealth of information about the many attractions and activities in Central Park. View a fully interactive map, read up on the park’s history, get the latest news on concerts and other events and much more.

Citysearch
Use with: BlackBerry and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Find out where everything is in your current neighborhood or elsewhere in New York City with this app, which gives users information on restaurants, bars and shopping in NYC. Citysearch also includes local business listings, reviews and ratings and maps.

Explore 9/11
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
The official mobile app of the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan offers information and insight regarding the tragedy. Users can view a timeline of the day’s events or take a walking tour of the area around the World Trade Center, accompanied by audiovisual narration and first-hand reports by first responders, rescue workers, volunteers and others. The app also includes an augmented reality mode, which overlays images taken by survivors and witnesses on your phone’s camera view.

myNav: Central Park
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Considering its size—over 800 acres—it can sometimes be difficult to navigate through the sprawling green spaces of Central Park. Worry not with this app, which provides users with an accurate and interactive map of the Park’s pathways, destinations, amenities and surrounding neighborhoods streets and subway locations, as well as realtime directions to destinations.

New York: Condé Nast Traveller City Guide
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This all-inclusive app has everything you need for a trip to NYC: GPS; hundreds of searchable restaurant, bar, hotel, shopping and attraction listings; off-line maps; and exclusive recommendations.

NYTimes The Scoop NYC
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This app from The New York Times provides users with the paper’s staff picks on places to go and things to do in the City. Browse a variety of restaurant, café, event and shopping listings, as well as compilations of “New York experiences” and day trips around the five boroughs.

Time Out New York
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Time Out‘s app provides up-to-date event listings as well as reviews of art exhibitions, concerts, bars and restaurants. Listings can be further broken down into the Critic’s Picks and Free & Cheap categories. Users can also save their favorite venues and locations and send listings to their friends.

VanDam NYC ShopSmart
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This app features a helpful shopping guide that provides information on hundreds of the City’s best stores, in addition to an interactive map and top attractions.

VanDam NYC StreetSmart
Use with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
With so many attractions to visit in New York City, planning a trip can sometimes feel daunting. This app provides users with a guide to the top 120 New York sights, complete with clear and detailed maps that let you zoom in quickly and search off-line.     

Dining
With some 18,000 restaurants and countless bars located within the five boroughs, New York City has a dining destination suitable for every budget and taste. With these apps, you can browse some of the City’s finest eateries, find reviews by critics and locals and more.

New York BlackBook
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Get the lowdown on New York’s hottest shops, hotels, restaurants, bars and nightlife with this app, which gives users information on noteworthy venues nearest them at any given time. BlackBook also provides exclusive discounts, deals and VIP access at certain spots.

OpenTable
Use with: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, Nokia, Palm webOS and Windows Phone
The perfect app for the foodie on the go, OpenTable allows users to search for restaurants, see menus and reviews and make reservations. Users can also earn Dining Rewards Points redeemable for “Dining Cheques” good at any restaurant on OpenTable.

Real Pizza of New York
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
New York City is truly a great pizza town, so you don’t want to waste time filling up on mediocre slices. This app provides recommendations for New York pizzerias that would get the stamp of approval from discerning local pie aficionados. Real Pizza of New York also includes the history of select pizzerias as well as all the information you need to go on self-guided pizza tours.

Tweat.it 
Use with: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Hunt down your favorite gourmet food truck with this easy app that offers a real-time food-truck map. It follows vendors’ tweets to mark their locations and share the day’s specials, secret discounts and more.

Urbanspoon
Use with: Android, BlackBerry and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
With this app, you can search for and browse nearby restaurants and read ratings and reviews from newspapers, bloggers and other diners. Still can’t decide where to eat? Depending on the type of mobile device you own, just shake your phone or press the app’s “spin” button and the Urbanspoon slot machine will choose for you.

Yelp
Use with: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, Palm Pre and Windows Phone
This app allows users to search for nearby restaurants, bars, businesses and stores and also provides photos and—as you’d expect—plenty of opinionated user reviews of venues.

Museums and Art
The importance of New York’s role as a center for art and culture cannot be overstated; with hundreds of world-class museums, galleries, concert halls and theaters to choose from, there’s something for everyone. These apps can help you navigate and explore some of the best cultural attractions New York City has to offer.

Carnegie Hall 

Use with: iPhone, iPad; an Android version is forthcoming
Celebrate the 120th anniversary of the legendary music hall with exclusive content from the Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, a Tchaikovsky walking tour and more, with new content added throughout the season.

CultureNOW: Guidebook for the Museum Without Walls
Use with: Android, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Some of New York’s best art isn’t found in the Met or MoMA—or within the walls of any museum, for that matter. This app showcases the vast number of public works of art to be found throughout the City streets. Users can find information on artists and individual pieces, browse photos, take neighborhood tours and listen to podcasts featuring artists, architects, historians and curators.

Explorer: The American Museum of Natural History
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This app serves as a personal tour guide through the halls of this world-renowned museum, providing users with customized information and step-by-step directions to exhibitions. Users can also share their discoveries with family and friends via email, Facebook and Twitter. The American Museum of Natural History also offers some exhibition- and collection-specific apps, which you can find at amnh.org.

ILoveNYTheater
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
With this app, you can browse current and future Broadway productions, as well as see show info, curtain times and ticket prices. Users can also find hotels and restaurants in the Theatre District.

MoMA
Use with: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android
The next time you’re planning a visit to The Museum of Modern Art, use this app to plan the best way to navigate the museum’s permanent collection and current exhibitions. You can thumb through thousands of works, take multimedia tours or learn about featured artists. This app also allows users to take a photo via MoMA Snaps to send to family and friends.

Museum of Jewish Heritage
Use with: iPhone, iPad and Android
The museum’s first app offers a free mobile app walking tour that expands on its latest exhibition, Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles. Explore 19 historic New York sites, from Lower Manhattan to Chelsea, through the eyes of the 19th-century poet who penned the famous lines memorialized at the base of the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . .”

New York Philharmonic
Use with: Android and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
With this app, you can listen to the New York Philharmonic’s weekly radio broadcast, hosted by Alec Baldwin, and also access podcasts, videos and event information.

Miscellaneous

Best Parking 
Use with: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
The bestparking.com app hunts down the cheapest and most convenient parking lots and garages near you.

Bookzee
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This helpful app allows book lovers to search for titles and see the branches of the New York Public Library closest to them that stock the works.

iParks NY
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This app provides users with a searchable off-line database of the thousands of City, state and private parks throughout New York. Users can filter searches by category (large parks, parks with playgrounds, etc.), browse park events and read about and see photos of NYC’s best parks.

Leafsnap
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Leafsnap is perfect for the amateur botanist. The first in a series of electronic field guides from Columbia University, the University of Maryland and the Smithsonian, this app uses recognition software to identify tree species based on photos of their leaves.

Night Light NYC
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Have you ever wondered why the lights atop the Empire State Building change color? This app provides the meaning of each color change, as well as the events they represent.

NYC City Hall
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This app is your key to the City. Get the latest New York City news—mayoral announcements, photos and videos—and connect to the NYC 311 app.

NYC Tip
Use with: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
This simple app allows users to calculate the tip for meals or services and includes standard tipping percentages.

Rama 
Use with: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
This digital guide allows you to take fascinating history tours of the City on your own schedule. Relive the construction of the Statue of Liberty, explore the Jewish heritage of the Lower East Side and more. Or try one of the free tours—of Union Square, Chinatown and the Brooklyn Bridge.

SitOrSquat
Use with: BlackBerry and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
When nature calls, you’ll be glad you have this app. SitOrSquat will pinpoint your exact location at the press of a button—or you can enter an address, intersection or zip code—and the app will find the nearest public restrooms. Users can even see which bathrooms are currently open and which have changing tables, as well as browse ratings to find the cleanest facilities.

Sportaneous 
Use with: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Find and join a nearby pickup game of all sorts of sports, or propose and start your own. Sportaneous has been featured in publications like The New York Times, WIRED and ESPN The Magazine.

(info from nycgo.com, image from orbitalconnect.co.uk )

Staying Connected

 

 

Here’s a guide to WiFi and other Internet connections in NYC. Remember that power sockets in the United States deliver 120 volts at 60 hertz, and you may need a converter to use your apparatus here.

Whether you need to send a quick email or are visiting NYC and need to contact loved ones back home, you’ll have no trouble keeping connected in the City. If you’re staying at a hotel, chances are that it has a business center with computers and printers available for guests. Internet cafés are another option for getting online. Anywwwhere Internet Café Services, for example, can be found at more than 150 retail sites (some of which have printers) throughout the metropolitan area.
If you have a laptop with you, wireless Internet is available throughout NYC, including in many hotels, coffee shops, parks and libraries. At some locations, you have to pay for WiFi. At others—like Starbucks and theNew York Public Library—you can surf the web for free. At the library, you can use either on-site computers or your own laptop. Explore the two maps below to learn about parks and coffee shops that offer free WiFi. NYC is always expanding public WiFi coverage. With AT&T, the City recently added service at Joyce Kilmer Park (Bronx), Thomas Jefferson Park (East Harlem) and The Battery (Lower Manhattan). The partnership will yield service at a total of 20 parks by summer’s end, available to anyone with a wireless device. If you’re planning on spending time downtown, visit the Downtown Alliance website for a list of spots with free wireless Internet in Lower Manhattan. And those visiting Brooklyn’s DUMBO are really in luck—all of the neighborhood’s parks, plazas and streets are now hotspots.

Remember to use caution at wireless hotspots. For a good starting point, visit microsoft.com for safety tips that can help safeguard your private data.

 

(info from nycgo.com)

Seasonal Events and Attractions

 

There’s guaranteed to be something fun happening duringyour visit. To see what it is, visit our calendar of events or our annual events listings. Our overview of holidays in the City also provides essential information as well as details about how locals celebrate.

 

(info from nycgo.com, image from dailymail.co.uk)

CityPASS, Explorer Pass, The New York Pass and Freestyle New York

CityPASS, Explorer Pass, The New York Pass and Freestyle New York
Find out which deal best suits your visit to NYC with this guide to New York CityPASS, Explorer Pass and The New York Pass.

Save on admissions to New York City attractions with the New York CityPASS, New York Explorer Pass, New York Pass and Downtown Culture Pass.

Whether you’re exploring Museum Mile, taking in the breathtaking city scenery on a ferry or experiencing the rich history and culture of Lower Manhattan, passes are the perfect and most economical way to experience New York City.

With so many options available, it’s easy to find the pass that’s best for you. Each offers a different experience, but all give you substantial savings.

Explore the options below, click to purchase tickets and start planning your perfect NYC vacation today.

Multi-Attraction Passes

New York CityPASS

Skip the lines! The New York CityPASS gives you access to six top NYC attractions and museums, including the Empire State Building Observatory, the American Museum of Natural History and The Museum of Modern Art. Valid for nine days.

price: $79 ($59 for children ages 6–17)

you save: 49% off admission prices

great for: First-time visitors to NYC who want to hit all the biggies

New York Explorer Pass

The Explorer Pass is a customizable savings card. Simply choose how many attractions or tours you want to see—three, five, seven or 10—and have the flexibility to visit them when you wish, within a 30-day period. Choose from 45 attractions and tours.

price: $69.99–$189.99 ($47.99–$114.99 for children ages 3–12)

you save: 45% off admission prices

great for: Tour lovers and visitors who will be in NYC (or in and out of NYC) for up to a month

The New York Pass

The New York Pass can be customized according to number of days you’re here (up to seven) for access to over 70 NYC attractions. Passes also entitle bearers to discounts on Broadway shows, shopping and dining, and are accompanied by a pocket-sized guidebook published in English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian.

price: $80–$200 ($55–$160 for kids ages 4–12)

you save: Savings varies according to number of attractions visited; potential savings of over $400

great for: The fast mover who wants to see as much of NYC as possible in a short time

Downtown Culture Pass

The Downtown Culture Pass gives you three days of unlimited admissions to eight downtown museums, gift shop discounts, plus a walking tour.

price: $25 ($15 for children ages 13–17 and $5 for children ages 6–12)

you save: 67% off admission prices

great for: Visitors who wish to experience the diverse cultural attractions of Lower Manhattan, all within walking distance

(info from nycgo.com, image from nyprint.org)

Official NYC Information Centers

Official NYC Information Centers are the places to get NYC facts, figures and tips, along with maps, guides and everything else you’ll need during your stay.

 

Official NYC Information Center–Midtown
810 Seventh Ave. (bet. W. 52nd and W. 53rd Sts.)
North of Times Square
212-484-1222
Subway: B, D, E to 7th Ave.; 1 to 50th St.; N, Q, R to 49th St.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 8:30am–6pm; Sat.–Sun., 9am–5pm; holidays, 9am–3pm

Tavern on the Green Visitor Center & Gift Shop 
67th St. and Central Park West
212-874-7874
Subway: 1 to 66th St.; A, B, C to 72nd St.

Official NYC Information Center–Times Square Alliance
Seventh Avenue (bet. W. 46th and W. 47th Sts.)
212-484-1222
Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R to 42nd St./Times Sq.
Hours: 9am–7pm daily (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day)

Official NYC Information Center–Harlem
The Studio Museum in Harlem
144 W. 125th St. (bet. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Malcolm X Blvds.)
212-222-1014
Subway: A, B, C, D to 125th St.; 2, 3 to 125th St.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., noon–6pm; Sat.–Sun., 10am–6pm (closed holidays)

Official NYC Information Kiosk–City Hall
Southern tip of City Hall Park on the Broadway sidewalk at Park Row
212-484-1222
Subway: 2, 3 to Park Pl.; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall; R to City Hall; A, C to Broadway/Nassau St.; E to World Trade Center; J, Z to Fulton St.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 9am–6pm; Sat.–Sun., 10am–5pm; holidays, 9am–3pm

Official NYC Information Kiosk–Chinatown
212-484-1222
At the triangle where Canal, Walker and Baxter Streets meet
Subway: 6, N, Q, R, J, Z to Canal St.
Hours: 10am–6pm daily; holidays, 10am–3pm

(info from nycgo.com)