CityPASS NYC: 5 THINGS YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST DO (2023)

CityPASS NYC made my trip with my daughter to New York City a very fun, informative, and adventurous experience. At first, I thought to myself, do I really want to take a 3-year-old to do these activities, will she even remember this in the future, will she enjoy it, will she be bored ….etc etc etc. If you know me I am an overthinker and that is exactly what I did, however in the end I decided why not!

I decided to get this cute foldable chair that I could literally bring in my bag. Or you can use one of those umbrella strollers. My daughter was fine though as in between we stopped and of course, got food and relaxed. I mean its NYC so many places to stop and grab a quick snack or a full on meal.

NY CityPASS REVIEW AND MORE!!

CityPASS: TOP OF THE ROCK OBSERVATION DECK

Top of the Rock is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, it is actually located on top of the Rockefeller Center. Rokefeller Center is known for quite a few things, maybe mainly the NBC Studios. I was somehow hoping I would run into Jimmy Falon, but we didn’t.

This trip was done around Christmas time so there were a few other highlights such as the skating rink and the Christmas Tree. Now to find Top of the Rock, the main entrance can be found on 50th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. You can’t miss it because there is a big red carpet where you will also come across the security checkpoint. Their regular hours are every day from 9 am to 11 pm, however, always double-check to confirm.

The journey to the top is one of beauty as they have a breathtaking chandelier in the center as you make your way to the elevators. I honestly thought it would have been super crowded when I got there but it was quite empty and I visited during the Thanksgiving holidays. You don’t need more than 45 minutes there to get your photos and views in. My daughter enjoyed the view, there were many ooooohsss and ahhhhhs…lol.

CityPASS: EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

The CityPASS NYC that we had also allowed us to visit the Empire State Building, we decided to do this on the same day we visited Top of the Rock. The Empire State Building has soooo much rich history to it. I am writing this blog but I don’t wish for it to be a spoiler. I want you to take that trip and get the information and see the astonishing views.

The Empire State Building is located at 20 West 34th Street, New York. The usual opening hours are from 11am – 9pm, however always check before going for any possible time changes. They too have timed tickets for entrance which makes things a little easier, so no long ass line!

FUN FACT & TIP: The building has 102 floors. My recommendation: when in the elevator to go up, it’s quick, but my ears took a hit going up, so maybe chew on gum or something. Can’t say I didn’t warn ya! Also if morning is not your thing go in the night and see the NYC lights and take some great photos. Again my daughter enjoyed this. Except for the picture below where she said she was hiding from the men….🤣😂

CityPASS: CIRCLE LINE SIGHTSEEING CRUISES

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises is located at different locations. The one I visited left from Midtown the address is 83 North River Piers West 43rd Street and, 12th Ave, New York, NY. This was quite the experience because we almost missed the ride because of course I got lost…nothing new there…Went in the complete opposite direction for like 5-10mins..(so embarrassing) ….butttt we made it there for sure.

We sat downstairs because upstairs (which was outdoors) was full when we got there, plussss aint no way I was going to stay out there and the place was freezing cold so we stayed downstairs which was indoors where it was nice and toasty. They usually open all week from 9am-7pm, however the cruises start at different times so pay attention to that.

They had snacks and drinks available as you took the tour. They offer different tours so its good to see what you want to experience and then go for it

CityPASS: INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

CityPASS NYC also took us to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. I must say I was worried about taking little miss on this one if she would be bored and make a fuss out of the experience but to my surprise she didn’t. This turned out to be rather interesting and possibly the most interactive activity that we got the chance to do. We saw planes and went on a submarine to see what it was like on the inside (not for you if you are claustrophobic) but you were able to touch and see some of the pieces that were on show and that was good.

CityPASS: AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

This was the other option to visit. The American Museum of Natural History – we didn’t make it there because unfortunately I got extremely sick on the day we had planned on going and I left NYC the following day. It still is somewhere I want to visit in the future. The American Museum of Natural History is located at 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024 

CityPASS NYC AND MUST-KNOW AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. MAKE RESERVATIONS

Though you are getting the tickets from CityPASS NYC, I highly recommend that you make reservations for the different attractions. In all honesty, when I went there weren’t many lines, thankfully, especially with a toddler. The reason I do say this though is that I know it can become very crowded depending on the day and time of day. I went to most of these attractions as they opened, the most crowd I saw was at the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock and the level was still manageable and not overwhelming. It only takes a few minutes to make the reservations so I say …do it.

2. DRESS COMFORTABLY

Of course make sure that you wear clothes and shoes that are comfy, and dress for the weather. Especially for the places that are outdoors.

3. CITYPASS NYC – TICKETS VALIDITY

The tickets last for one year…but here is the thing – you only have 9 consecutive days to use them. So the day you visit the first attraction you have the next 8 days to visit them all. (I did them all in 3 days)

4. RULES

Some attractions have things that are allowed and not allowed it is important to review what is and what isn’t, especially if you are a content creator.

5. TICKETS

The tickets and the whole process can be done online, so my recommendation is when you get the tickets online ensure that your phone is fully charged when you go out, also I recommend saving them to your device and not keeping them in your e-mail until you get there just in case you come across connectivity issues.

Please note that the tickets are for a one-time entry, you can visit more than one attraction in a day, however, you can only enter the same one once.

6. CHOICES

You do not have to choose your attractions before buying the tickets, you can always do that afterward.

NEW YORK CityPASS TICKETS

Here is a full lineup of the offer I did with CityPASS NYC, they do however have others but I consider this one to be the best option.

1. Empire State Building
2. American Museum of Natural History
3. Top of the Rock Observation Deck OR Guggenheim Museum
4. Ferry Access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
5. 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Check out some of these remote work options if you want to start working from wherever you please.

So next time try CityPass NYC if you are in the area. CityPASS definitely offers an experience like no other, so go Explore and enjoy NYC!

CityPASS New York Reviews