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When considering RV destinations, RVing n the Big Apple doesn't usually come to mind. But you can add camping across the harbor from Manhattan to your list of must-see camping experiences thanks to the proximity of one RV park. Liberty Harbor RV Park, located in Jersey City on the Hudson River, offers a no-frills camping experience, conveniently located near the water ferry, Port Authority Trans-Hudson, and light rail lines, which makes traversing the NYC urban jungle easy to access and easy to conquer. Though you could spend a lifetime seeing, experiencing, and eating your way through New York City, there are a few must-dos for first-time visitors and some fun, quirky things to add to your list if you've visited the city several times and are looking for something new to try.

New York city is enormous, and that is putting it mildly. Covering more than 300 square miles, more than 8.8 million people call New York City home. Five boroughs make up NYC—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx—each has its unique feel, traditions, and scenery. Most people typically think of Manhattan when visiting NYC. It's home to what many consider the iconic sights that make New York City, well, New York City. However, visiting one of the other boroughs can be easily added to your Manhattan RVing get-a-way.

New York's history runs rich and deep, dating back to 1524 when the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano's written accounts of the area were discovered. However, the Dutch were the first to settle on the land as early as 1608 near present-day New Albany. Then, in 1624, Dutch settlers landed on the Southern tip of what is today Manhattan and, in 1626, named the new settlement New Amsterdam. In 1664, the city was renamed New York after the English took control of the city and granted the land to the Duke of York. Just nine years later, in 1673, the Dutch retook control of the town and changed New York to New Orange for a mere one year and three months before returning to the name New York.

Now that you've decided to add New York City to your list of places to visit, where do you start? See the iconic sites and buildings for which New York City is known: the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Met, to name a few. Find a hot dog cart on a busy street corner and grab an authentic New York City hot dog as a mid-day snack. Then find a great place to sit and watch the city and its people go by. Get a big slice of New York-style pizza from a pizzeria or a walk-up window and fold it in half to quickly eat as you traverse the city streets.

After visiting the city several times, we've found that dividing Manhattan into day trips is the easiest way to ensure we get to see all we want. The New York Pass offers free and highly discounted entries to more than 115 top attractions. You can purchase the pass for single-day use or up to 10 days. If you have a list of sites you want to see, the best thing to do is research the cost of entry compared to the cost of purchasing The New York Pass. For example, accessing the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building is just under $50 a person, and a one-day New York Pass is around $150 per person (less for children). Be sure to check their website for the most up-to-date pricing information. If there are many things on your list, The New York Pass is more cost-effective than purchasing single entries for the different attractions. The New York Pass offers tours and attractions that might have yet to reach your radar. After reading about them, however, you'll soon want to add them to your list.

After a day or two of seeing the iconic sites and attractions, you may enjoy adding other tours and attractions you may not have planned. Below is a sampling of our most recent trip to NYC and the tours and attractions we had on our list. We decided on a three-day New York Pass. We arrived late on a Wednesday evening and spent Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday exploring the city before leaving early on Monday morning to head home. We stayed at Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City and used public transit to and around Manhattan. We divided the city up by the different sites and attractions we wanted to see and do to best maximize our time. Buckle up! It's going to be a busy ride.

www.newyorkpass.com

DAY 1

Our first day began with the NYC TV & Movie Tour, which was approximately two and a half hours long. This narrated bus tour snakes through the busy streets of Manhattan to see shooting locations of various TV shows and movies. They make several stops along the way for tour-goers to get up close and personal with some famous buildings for great photo ops, like the firehouse from the Ghostbusters movies, the Washington Square Arch, and the apartment building from the TV series Friends. At the end of the tour, stop at The Original Soup Kitchen, made famous by the TV series Seinfeld, and grab some seriously delicious soup. This is where paying attention to the signs and instructions posted is most helpful to ensure you get your bowl of soup. After grabbing two bowls, we stood along the edge of a quiet street and enjoyed our treats amongst the horn honks and construction noises before heading across town for our next tour.

The Superheroes of NYC Tour sounded entertaining; it was that—and so much more. While we enjoy the many comic-book-based movies that have graced the big screen over the years, we aren't diehard comic-book fans, so we entered the tour with no expectations. The two-hour walking tour zigged and zagged through the city, stopping at buildings (like Grand Central Station) used in comic-movie adaptions and structures that were part of comic-book history. The tour guide did a fantastic job detailing stories, movie plots, comic heroes, and even how war propaganda used comics throughout history. Seeing the various locations up close and personal was fascinating and fun.

Our day was still ongoing as we headed to Pier 83 in Midtown for the Circle Line Harbor Lights Tour around the harbor. This extremely popular cruise is a fantastic way to catch a stunning sunset over the Jersey side of the harbor while seeing the city lights twinkle as the sun dips below the horizon. The tour is approximately two hours and takes guests along the Hudson, by the Statue of Liberty, and under the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges before taking another pass by the Statue of Liberty, then cruising back to the pier. Our night ended with a fantastic, and authentic, dinner at Nittis Italian restaurant in Hell's Kitchen.

DAY 2

We hit the streets early to explore some Catacombs by Candlelight under St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. This Cathedral is the second Catholic Cathedral in New York City (built between 1809 and 1815) and was the seat of the archdiocese until the current St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in 1879. The Old Cathedral holds the remains of some interesting folks, like Thomas Eckert, the president of Western Union, and Pierre Toussaint, a former slave-turned-hairdresser. After the fire of 1815, Toussaint paid for half the church's rebuild due to his generous tithing to the church. Visitors can walk through the darkened corridors under the Cathedral lined with burial tombs. The Eckert family tomb is open for visitors to glance in and see the lightbulb installed by Eckert's close friend, Thomas Edison.

After the catacomb tour, we headed to Chinatown for lunch filled with dumplings at the Congee Village. Unassuming from the outside, the inside is ornately decorated in green and burgundy marble and serves an outstanding dim sum. After lunch, we walked through Chinatown, enjoying the sights and sounds of the many markets and storefronts lining the streets.

We walked down to the waterfront from Chinatown to capture some unique pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge before renting bikes to bike across. Located near the Brooklyn Bridge, Blazing Saddles Bike Rentals offers both bike rentals for self-guided tours as well as fully guided tours. With a map and driving instructions, we headed across the Brooklyn Bridge to explore the Brooklyn shores. This bridge is more than a mile from the Manhattan side to the Brooklyn side. It has an elevation gain of more than 85 feet, which is something to keep in mind as half of the trip across the bridge requires effort peddling up before enjoying the easy descent to the other side. We biked through the Brooklyn Bridge Park along the waterfront and enjoyed some beautiful views of Manhattan from the pier. Paths are clearly marked through the park for both pedestrians and bikers so be sure to pay attention to signs.

Before heading back to Manhattan, we stopped for ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, a staple in the community.

Back in Manhattan, we crossed the city via subway to visit Times Square and Radio City Music Hall, where we grabbed an NYC hot dog and hot pretzels from a food cart before our last tour of the day, the Ghost of the Greenwich Village Tour. This two-hour evening tour wound through the streets of Greenwich Village as the guide brought to light some of the darker stories of residents’ pasts. We walked past the Jefferson Market Library (once the courthouse), where in 1906, they held the “Trial of the Century” for Stanford White's scandalous murder. We passed the building that Aaron Burr used to own. Built in 1767, One If By Land, Two If By Sea is considered NYC's most romantic restaurant, albeit many believe is haunted. The most interesting stop was at the former home of Mark Twain, though he only lived in the home for one year. It's commonly called Greenwich's House of Death and holds a bloody past.

DAY 3

We had one goal for this day: to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. We recommend arriving early and allowing for several hours to see all that it holds. If you do visit, please be highly respectful as many people lost their lives on the grounds, and many families that lost loved ones consider the Memorial site a final resting place for the many people who were never recovered. I recommend everyone to visit the Memorial and Museum; it is a day that, I believe, we should never forget. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum does an incredible job of bringing that day and the many months that followed back to life. It's a very emotional experience, so please be prepared. There are many items from the towers, as well as videos, live accounts, and voicemails from 9/11. Emotionally, it can be a lot to process. After spending several hours at the memorial site and museum, we were emotionally drained and spent some time together remembering that day and paying our respects to the lives lost.

Trinity Church on Wall Street is a few streets over from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is the final resting place of some truly notable historical figures like Alexander Hamilton, Francis Lewis, and John Jacob Astor IV, to name a few. Tall, mature trees surround the church, and this swath of grassy land is seemingly out of place amongst the towering buildings and asphalt.

Wanting to hit up Central Park but running out of time, we opted for a rickshaw tour to see some highlights of the park. Keep in mind that Central Park is huge, with 843 acres covering the North End, Mid-Park, and South End. There are so many iconic sites in the park, and taking a bike tour, rickshaw tour, or horse-drawn buggy is a great way to see many of the areas quickly. Rentals for all three can be found at most of the park's main entrances, and many will negotiate on prices if you want to haggle for a cheaper excursion. We had 30 minutes to spare for a rickshaw tour, and our rickshaw driver made a custom tour to accommodate our tight time schedule. He raced us around the park, pointing out key locations, and sharing the history of the park, and he doubled as our photographer as he stopped to take pictures of us at many of the famous sights. He was worth every penny we paid and added to a truly memorable experience.

Our evening ended with dear friends over an incredible steak dinner at Catch New York on 9th Avenue. The service was outstanding, and the food was terrific. The twice-baked potato with Ossetra Caviar is something we, and our friends, still talk about to this day; it was truly spectacular.

DAY 4

For this trip, we opted for a three-day New York Pass, leaving our fourth day open to do with as we pleased. We had brunch near Chinatown and then walked through the surrounding streets, enjoying the sights and sounds. Knowing it was our last day, we decided to go out with a bang and catch a Broadway show. Deciding on which show to see was the most challenging part. New York City is the epicenter of theater talent, and you can't go wrong with any play or musical you decide to see. Shows run several times daily, so finding a date and time that works in your schedule is relatively easy. Keep in mind that the more popular shows sell out in advance, so plan a week or two in advance if there is a show you want to see, though we were able to get tickets for decent seats just a couple of days ahead of time.

We opted to see Disney's The Lion King, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway in November 2022. Disney's The Lion King is not only the king of Broadway but also the king of some truly impressive stats. More than 110 million people have seen one of the 28 productions of the show over the past 25 years, and it's been performed in nine different languages. Winning six Tony Awards in 1998, it also earned 70 significant art awards over the years. More than 115,000 people per week see The Lion King production across three continents; we were two in that count. The story is well known, and we've seen the original cartoon and live adaptation movie many times. Still, seeing the live production on stage was spellbinding. The talent, theatrics, stage props, and design were second to none. We were exhilarated, brought to tears, and overjoyed at this production. If you do nothing else during your visit to New York City, seeing a show on Broadway will be a trip well spent.

SUMMARY

The enormity of New York City and its 8.8 million inhabitants is what makes this town so diverse and unique. It's a melting pot of culture, people, food, traditions, and communities. Nowhere in the world can you experience so much diversity, all mixed up into one fantastic city. It's gritty, noisy, and congested yet offers refuges of peace, open spaces, and beauty. It's home of the American Dream, and that dream can be seen and felt on every street and alley and seen in the faces of the people who call this city home. New York City is a place to be visited at least once in your lifetime, but you may find yourself dreaming of another New York day shortly after you leave.

The city is loaded with hotels, and finding a hotel room is relatively easy outside of major events and holiday celebrations. But, for those who pull or drive their second home across the country, RVing offers a truly unique New York experience. RV parks are extremely limited; just one is located a stone's throw from Manhattan. There are a couple of parks that offer tent camping only—Camp Gateway on Staten Island and Camp Gateway in Brooklyn—but for those in need of something more than a tent space, Liberty Harbor RV Park, across the harbor from Manhattan, is the only option. Liberty Harbor RV Park offers little in the way of amenities. All sites are water and electric only, though a dump station exists. The RV Park is barren of trees or grass and offers asphalt and gravel sites that get you up close and personal with your neighbors. But you don't come to this RV park to sit outside next to a campfire; you come to this RV park to bring your home away from home with you while visiting New York City. This park is all about location, location, location— and it can't be beat. It's conveniently located near the PATH train, water ferries, and the light rail, making accessing Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs a breeze. Be sure to follow driving instructions to the RV park from their website. It's imperative because GPS systems will take you down streets that you cannot access with an RV or camper trailer.

No need to ensure your pantry and fridge are fully stocked; food delivery services abound, and restaurants in Jersey City and Manhattan are beyond plentiful. Deciding what and where to eat will be your biggest challenge. There are a few staples that should be had: for example, food from a food cart. Some carts are so well known that patrons line the sidewalk hours in advance, waiting for the food cart to appear. Remember to grab a hot dog, a slice of pizza, and a meal from an unfamiliar restaurant. In this city, you can't go wrong with any food choices.

Though this is a city trip, photo opportunities are endless. There are so many famous buildings from movies and TV shows and architecturally unique buildings that have stood the test of time.

Sunsets over Jersey City across the harbor are stunning, and seeing the city by night brings a different perspective to your images. Some open decks/piers on the Jersey side afford extraordinary views of Manhattan. Central Park offers trees, squirrels, landscaping, water features, flowers, fountains, tunnels, and graceful bridges stretching across tranquil waterways. Picture opportunities here alone are limitless. Try your hand on a quiet evening, snapping an image of a long path lined with park benches and lights. Though the subway can seem scary at first, it can offer some beautiful photographs, and the grime adds to the depth of the images you can capture under the streets.

Traversing the city is accessible with public transportation. Though the subway can initially seem scary, it is easy to navigate. You can purchase multi-day and multi-trip tickets at kiosks at the subway stations. Most phone navigation systems do an outstanding job detailing which lines to take and where to find subway stations. We used Google Maps and put in our end destination, chose our starting location, and selected the subway/ train icon for directions. Google even managed to track our location while we were underground, counting down stops for us and alerting us when to exit the train.

NYC is a city where you need to enter with a plan of what you want to see and do so you don't find yourself walking the streets trying to figure out where to go and what to do next. Spend time sitting and watching the city go by; you will be satisfied by all that she provides in her sights, smells, and sounds. Be prepared to pay more for food, entertainment, shopping, and attractions; New York City can be expensive so plan accordingly. There are ways to save money, however, and the New York Pass offers decent savings if you visit many attractions and museums.

New York is a city that never sleeps and hums with activity day and night. There is so much to see and do, making each trip to NYC different and unique from the last. It's a city that will grab you, hold you, and beg you not to leave. Now that you can add this vibrant city to your list of RV destinations, what are you waiting for? Do you have the NYC itch yet? It's time to take a bite out of the Big Apple.