Finding Your Way Around with a New York City Map

Tips on Finding Your Way Around with a New York City Sightseeing Map

With a New York City sightseeing map, you will enjoy your stay in the Big Apple more. You can you quickly get information and directions about the most popular sites but also many lesser-known locations without going out of your way or getting lost. Although tourists do most of the sightseeing in New York, residents also take advantage of everything this city offers, especially when family or friends come to visit.

Helpful Tips from New Yorkers

Thanks to tips from people who live in New York, following a sightseeing map is a breeze.

  • Odd and Even-Numbered Streets – When looking on a New York sightseeing map, you will notice that even-numbered streets run east and odd-numbered streets go west. Also, buildings situated on the north side of the street have odd numbers, whereas those on the south side have even.
  • Fifth Avenue – As you use a map for sightseeing in New York, you will also see that Fifth Avenue is what divides east and west streets in the city.
  • Subway Stops – You can use a map to differentiate subway stops. For instance, black dots signify local stops while white dots represent express stops.
  • Identifiable Icons – The best maps have icons that represent the most popular tourist sites. As an example, an animal pinpoints the New York Zoo, a massive church shows the location of the St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a clock tower is for Grand Central Station, an amphitheater for the Radio City Music Hall, and a bridge for the Brooklyn Bridge.

Additional Tips

Although a map will make sightseeing in New York City easier, there are a few other tips to consider.

  • Central Park Lampposts – Considering the size of Central Park, you may have concerns about getting lost. Fortunately, you can look at the embossed numbers on the base of the lampposts to get your bearings. These numbers correspond to the cross-streets throughout the park.
  • Manhattan Train Station – If you plan to take the train to different sightseeing destinations, remember that the downtown platform is on the west side of the street and the uptown platform on the east.
If you need help finding your way around the Big Apple beyond the help of a sightseeing map, you can always ask people for directions. Most New Yorkers are more than willing to help if possible.