New York: New York state is often mistaken as the New York City as the city and the state both share the same name. Of course, New York City is a must-see in New York State; it’s one of the US’s most popular tourist attractions. But besides that, there’s a lot more to see and explore in New York State. Here is my New York travel guide outlining major New York attractions! 

To make it easy for you to navigate the content, I have organized my New York travel guide into two sections. (1) A brief introduction to New York, a little history, some geography, commute, and weather. (2) Major New York attractions, if you wish, you can skip the introduction and move on to the next section, New York Attractions. 

History: New York was admitted to the union as the 11th state on July 26, 1788. The state was named by the British to honor the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of England’s King Charles II. The exact origin of the state’s nickname, the Empire State, is unknown. Some say it’s because of its wealth and resources; some relate it to the Empire State building; and some give credit to George Washington, who referred to New York state as “at present the seat of the Empire,” in December 1784.

Geography: New York is bordered by Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Canada in the north. In the south, New York is bordered by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the Atlantic Ocean. On the east, it’s bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; and on the west, it’s bordered by Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Canada, and Pennsylvania. The geography of New York is diverse, with spectacular Niagara Falls, the rugged mountains of Adirondacks, the Hudson River, and several lakes. 

Getting There

Flight: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark International Airport (EWR) are the three major airports in New York, serviced almost by all airlines.

Drive: If you live in any of the neighboring northeastern states, you could drive to New York but keep in mind the traffic is horrible in New York, especially in New York City, I would instead suggest you fly or take a train to New York.

Train: Amtrak offers several rail service in New York, including Cardinal (New York-Washington, DC-Charleston-Cincinnati-Chicago), Crescent (New York-Atlanta-New Orleans), Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston-Buffalo-Chicago), Palmetto (New York-Savannah), Silver Meteor (New York-Miami), Silver Star (New York-Tampa-Miami), Adirondack (New York-Albany-Montreal), Carolinian (New York-Richmond-Charlotte) and Ethan Allen Express (New York-Albany-Rutland, Vermont)