Top reasons to visit New York for business
According to surveys, New York is actually the most popular business travel destination in the world. Every day, thousands of people fly to the Big Apple for business. Sooner or later you will be one of them, and then you definitely want to be sure you know your stuff and can travel like a pro.
New York is the world’s leading financial city and is known for industries such as banking, finance and technology. But the creative industry is also booming, especially in the areas of digital media, fashion and advertising. The work-hard-play-hard attitude of New Yorkers makes the city a global magnet for corporate culture. There is also a huge range of sights and activities to choose from. From Broadway shows, to lively Wall Street in the heart of the financial district with impressive works of architecture (New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall) from the city’s golden age, to Fifth Avenue with many shops, museums and “Billionaire’s Row”.
Be sure to read this guide before you travel so you can make the most of your business trip to New York!
Insider tips for business travelers visiting New York for the first time
If you are traveling to New York for the first time, there are a few things you should consider as a business traveler first timer. The city is vibrant with a life and rules of its own. The best thing to do is adapt in all areas and stick to the do’s and don’ts.
There are many people in New York and they all have to go somewhere! If you walk closer to the street on the sidewalk, the shop entrances remain clear. And don’t wait at the traffic lights, follow the constant flow of the pedestrians, and just keep moving. What you should definitely not do is tell your taxi driver where you want to go before you get in. If they don’t like the destination, they might just keep going!
According to Business Traveler, an average business trip to New York costs $549 per day. This makes New York the most expensive city for business trips among the top global travel destinations. Your business travel budget should be correspondingly high. In our guide “Budget travel tips for business travelers” you will find out which tricks you can use to book cheap trips.
For more tips and tricks, check out our guide to business trips to the US.
Logistics of business travel in New York
Kinds of transportation
New York is a huge city and traffic is jammed no matter the time of day. The best and fastest way to travel in New York is to take the subway. Download the New York Subway MTA Map for access to directions, routes and travel times.
If you are staying in New York for several days, it is worth getting a MetroCard. This means you don’t have to stand in line for individual journeys and can switch from the subway to the bus with a free transfer. Keep your MetroCard when you leave New York! It is valid for about a year.
PRO tip
Uptown=North
Downtown=South
So if you’re on an up street (e.g. 44th Street) and want to go down a street (28th Street), you’ll take a downtown train. Be sure to find out if the express train stops at your station. If so, you can take the express train instead of the regular train connection, which will get you to your destination faster.
Taxis are also recommended for short distances. If you’re staying at a hotel, chances are the hotel bellman has a powerful whistle and the perfect arm movement to call you a cab. Many hotels have taxis outside to transport guests. There are also special queues for taxis at the airports.
Connections from stations / airports
There are three airports in New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
It takes about 50 minutes to get to the city from John F. Kennedy International Airport. The best option is the subway. This costs under $10. LaGuardia is a bit more difficult to get to. Here you have to take a bus and train to get to Manhattan for under $5. A taxi only takes 30 minutes but is slightly more expensive at $35-50.
There is an AirTrain from Newark that takes only 30 minutes into town and costs under $15. Or you can take the express bus for $17 and you’ll be there in half an hour. A taxi to the Newark airport is more expensive seeing as it is in New Jersey and not New York State. It rounds about $70-$80 depending on where you leave from and the time of day.
Things to keep in mind for each season
New York has a subtropical oceanic climate with steady rain throughout the year. The temperature difference between winter and summer is quite significant despite the coastal location. The average winter temperature ranges from -2°C (28°F) to 5°C (41°F), but summer, on the other hand, is quite hot with average temperatures ranging between 19°C (66°F) and 30°C (86°F) with high humidity.
Spring in New York is a fairly pleasant time of year, with temperatures exceeding 15°C (59°F) from March. However, there can also be water intrusions such as blizzards and sudden torrential rains until the end of April. Rainfall peaks in May at around 120 mm. A good rain jacket is therefore an absolute must during this time of year.
Summers in the Big Apple are hot and humid. Temperatures average 28°C (82°F), but quickly feel like 40°C (104°F). Only air conditioning or the beach can help. Incidentally, the Atlantic has a pleasant 22 °C (72°F) from June. In the summer, many New Yorkers flee to the surrounding countryside to escape the heat while the city is invaded by tourists.
Yellow leaves and autumnal affectations can be expected in New York from October. With temperatures between 10°C (50°F) and 18°C (65°F), you can enjoy a bagel or hot dog at the many street stalls and marvel at the natural colors of Central Park.
Snow can usually be expected from December, and in January temperatures drop to -3 °C (26°F). The ocean lets an icy winter wind sweep through the city, which reduces the perceived temperature even more. If you’re in town during this time of year, be sure to bring warm clothes.
The best hotels in New York for business trips
Like many other big cities, New York is absolutely huge. If you’re lucky, all of your meetings will only be in one part of town, but most of the time you’ll have to travel to different neighborhoods, or boroughs as they’re called in NYC. Try to find a hotel in midtown or downtown so that you can reach all meeting locations quickly and easily. Top downtown hotels for business travelers include the Millenium Hilton New York Downtown, New York Marriott Downtown, Moxy NYC Chelsea, and the Sanctuary Hotel New York.
Prices and hotel availability
Prices in New York are cheapest from January to March. In these 3 months, the flight and hotel costs are the lowest on average over the year. While hotels in the Big Apple are cheaper on average during these months, some major hotel districts that may serve business and convention areas aren’t necessarily bargain-priced on weekdays.
High visitor numbers can be expected during the holiday periods. From the end of July and throughout August, however, prices usually fall below average again. In the second half of November and the first two weeks of December, average hotel prices usually fall below the annual average.
How to book hotel accommodation in NYC
The best way to book hotel accommodation for business trips to New York is with a travel agency or travel management platform. You can find important tips for booking hotels for business trips in our guide.
Using a corporate travel management platform like GetGoing makes a lot of sense as it saves you a lot of work and ensures that all bookings are compliant with your company’s travel policy.
You can use the system to make very detailed booking requests so that you can quickly and easily find and book the perfect hotel for your purpose. The search filter function allows you to search for neighborhoods or specific addresses, so that the hotel is definitely close to the meeting location or event.
You can also automate your travel policy in the system so that searches only show options that are compliant with your travel policy.