New York City Travel Tips

  Here at Top Dog Tours, we love dogs of all shapes and sizes. NYC offers so much for dog owners from great pet shops, the best parks, and even pet friendly bars! One of the best opportunities city pooches have to socialize would be at one of many dog runs. Dog runs give dogs a chance to run, sniff, and play with one another in a safe, fenced-off enclosure. Since most NYC owners do not have a yard and leash laws are strictly enforced, the city offers many of these dog runs and it is a gift not just...

If you’re a fan of comedy, odds are you’ve heard of New York City. Well, if you’re a human on planet earth you’ve probably heard of New York City, BUT this fact doesn’t make the theme of this blog as clear. By your probable reaction of “oof” to that mediocre joke, you might have guessed that – yes – the next page or two is dedicated to comedy! More specifically, comedy in New York City. I would argue that New York City is one of two major comedy hubs in the United States – the other one being the Second...

As a Tour Guide and a New Yorker, I’m often asked which neighborhood in New York is my favorite. Typically, what someone is really saying is that they have a free afternoon and want advice on places to check out that aren’t classic tourist attractions. They want to experience a few new, unique, only-in-New-York experiences that cater to locals but are still exciting for someone visiting the city. Almost every time, my recommendation is the same: if you want to go off the beaten path, spend a lazy afternoon in Greenwich Village and just try to blend in. While you’re...

New York City gets a reputation for being noisy, crowded, and expensive. But there is one month of the year where that is not true. Although it may seem like a terrible time to travel to the North East, savvy tourists know February cannot be beat in terms of pricing and availability. If you want to have the place (almost) to yourself, you have to come visit this time of year. 1. It’s Waaaaay Less Crowded! Many tourists are scared to travel to NYC in the winter because of the cold weather. The average daily high temperature is around 32℃,...

  If you’re anything like me, you’ve come to New York for one thing, the food. But where do you even start on this delicious journey? There are so many options and between shopping at Herald Square, seeing a Broadway show, and paying your respects at the 9/11 memorial, you don’t have much time to scout out authentic cuisine. However, there is one cuisine, among all of the fancy tasting menus and the mouthwatering food cart halal, that you cannot leave New York without trying: New York City pizza! So below I have provided a small selection of pizza options...

  This weekend I spent an amazing afternoon exploring one of NYC’s most iconic spaces: Battery Park! At the southernmost tip of Manhattan sits an oasis of green grass, historical monuments, and incredible views of New York Harbor. You could spend an entire day wandering around and seeing all the park has to offer, but even a quick walk is a great break from the hustle and bustle of lower Manhattan. It was very cold out but it didn’t bother me or the many others out exploring one of the cities best parks! Here is just some of what you...

  Where to find your tour guide on her day off So you’ve been to all of the rooftop bars, spent more than you wanted on a NYC helicopter ride, eaten a 5 course tasting menu in midtown, but you still don’t feel like you’ve seen the real New York. Well that’s because you haven’t! Don’t be scared to explore the outer avenues of Hell’s Kitchen or to journey through the artsy alleyways of Greenwich Village. There you will find the real New York, the dive bars where the creatives and out of the box thinkers gather to sip on...

  The Polar Express Meets The Golden Age of Hollywood “One thing about trains: It doesn’t matter where they’re going. What matters is deciding to get on.” Now, this is not always the case – in fact probably never the case – for busy New Yorkers. You can thank the lovely writers of one of my favorite Tom Hanks movies – The Polar Express – for this dose of inspirational quote; but you can thank the New York Transit Museum for making the quote somewhat a reality for nostalgic and holiday-happy New Yorkers this season. That’s because it truly doesn’t...

  New York is a Mecca of great desserts with world class bakeries and cafes on practically every corner. However, there are a few iconic places that rise above the competition and become sought-after stops by New York locals and tourists alike. These bakeries are spread out across New York’s most popular neighborhoods, so trying to visit them is both a great self-guided New York tour and a dessert lover’s dream come true. Whether they rely on eye-catching, Instagram ready looks or just simple pastries made better than you’ve ever had them before, these five locations are the perfect stops...

One of the most common questions I get as a tour guide from both tourists and locals alike is about Broadway; more specifically how to score a good, but cheap seat. And honestly despite Broadway being one of our biggest industries in NYC, this is not an easy question to answer. There are so many avenues to choose from and it’s hard to know which paths are the right ones and which ones are laden with pitfalls and booby traps. However, I believe that despite it’s overwhelming nature everyone deserves to breathe in the “magic perfume” of a Broadway house...