Best Time to Visit New York

Short answer: late April to early June, or mid-September to early November. The weather is right for walking all day, the parks look their best, and you avoid both the summer heat and the Christmas crush.

Spring

March can still be cold and grey. By mid-April the cherry and magnolia trees are out in Central Park and at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and May brings temperatures around 20°C (the high 60s °F), rooftop bars reopening and long evenings. It's a popular season, so hotels don't come cheap, especially around Memorial Day at the end of May.

Summer

July and August are hot and humid, often above 30°C (the high 80s and 90s °F), and subway platforms feel like saunas. On the plus side, there are free outdoor concerts and films in the parks, Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater, and the beaches at Coney Island and the Rockaways are a subway ride away. Many New Yorkers leave on August weekends, which makes restaurants easier to book.

Autumn

Our favourite season. September is still warm, October is crisp and clear, and the leaves in Central Park turn from late October into early November. Two things to plan around. In the second half of September the UN General Assembly brings world leaders, road closures around the East Side and very high hotel prices. The New York City Marathon, on the first Sunday in November, fills hotels too. Thanksgiving week brings the Macy's parade and big crowds.

Winter

From late November to New Year the city is at its most festive: the tree at Rockefeller Center, the department store windows on Fifth Avenue, skating rinks, holiday markets in Bryant Park. It's also packed and expensive. January and February are the opposite: cold (often below freezing, with the odd snowstorm), quiet and the cheapest time of year for hotels. Broadway and the museums don't care about the weather, so a winter trip built around indoor sights works well. NYC Restaurant Week, usually in late January and again in summer, adds good-value set menus at well-known restaurants.

Pack for the season with our what to wear guide, and book the Statue of Liberty early in spring and summer.