Guides Shelf reviewed September 30, 2026
New York, decided
The service desk: visitor and resident decisions — passes, trains, tickets, moving trucks — priced honestly and reviewed on a schedule. Separate from the reporting, by design, and every dollar figure carries the date we checked it.
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The Village Halloween Parade in 2026: the route, how to march, and how to get there
Fifty thousand costumed marchers walk up Sixth Avenue and anyone in costume can join for free. Here is the lineup, the best place to stand, and the subway.
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The New York City Marathon in 2026: where to watch, how to track a runner, and how to get around
Tens of thousands of runners, five boroughs, and a finish line most people cannot get into. Here is where the public can stand, which train gets you there, and what is not announced.
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JFK, LaGuardia, Newark to Manhattan: every way in, priced honestly
Four real ways in from each airport, and the right one depends on exactly three things: your luggage, your group, and the hour.
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Do the math before you buy: NYC attraction passes, honestly compared
A pass is a bulk discount on sightseeing. Bulk only saves money if you were buying in bulk anyway — here's the actual math.
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Where to stay in New York: the neighborhoods, the real nightly cost, and the Airbnb rule
Pick the subway line before the hotel. Seven bases compared, the 14.75% in taxes the headline price leaves out, and the Airbnb law that rules out most whole apartments.
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Five decks, one skyline: which NYC observation deck is actually worth it
They all sell the same skyline. What you're really choosing is the photo, the height, and what's in the frame — here's the honest sort.
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Broadway for less: every legitimate discount, ranked by effort
Full price on Broadway is a choice. Between TKTS, lotteries, rush, and the box office itself, almost every seat has a cheaper door.
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What moving to New York actually costs in 2026
The single best financial news for NYC renters in years: the fee stack that used to ambush every lease signing got cut nearly in half by law.
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Seeing New York from the water, from free to fancy
The best cheap seats in New York float. Two of the best skyline rides in the city cost $4.50 or nothing at all.
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NYC congestion pricing: the hours, the toll, and the zone
One toll, once a day, on Manhattan streets below 60th. The only three things most people need are the hours, the rate for their vehicle, and whether their road counts.
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Getting between JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, and into the city from each
Three airports, six directions, and one honest table for each. The airport-to-airport trip is the one everybody underestimates: JFK to Newark is a $160 cab.
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How to register to vote in New York City, and the deadline that matters
New York's registration deadline is 10 days before an election, October 24, 2026 for this year's general election, and you can register online in minutes through NYC's own portal or the state DMV.
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Getting an IDNYC card, the city's free ID, and what it actually does
New York City's IDNYC card is free for anyone who applies through December 31, 2026, asks nothing about immigration status, and lasts five years once you're 16.
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Getting a New York driver's license or REAL ID, and what each one is actually for
Federal REAL ID enforcement began May 7, 2025, and New York charges no extra fee for a REAL ID-compliant license or ID, only $30 more for the Enhanced version that also crosses the Canadian or Mexican border by land.
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Filing for unemployment in New York, and how much it actually pays
New York raised its maximum unemployment benefit to $869 a week on October 6, 2025, the first change since 2019, but qualifying and getting paid both hinge on a weekly certification most first-time claimants don't expect.
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Disputing a New York City water bill, and the deadline that actually matters
New York's Department of Environmental Protection will manually verify a disputed water bill and answer in writing, but its Leak Forgiveness Program only applies if you request it within 120 days and the leak cost at least 200% of a normal bill.
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JFK to Manhattan: every route, priced
Two numbers decide your JFK trip: $11.75 on rails, or $70 before surcharges in a yellow cab.
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LaGuardia to Manhattan: the $3 airport run
LaGuardia is the cheapest airport run in New York, because the bus that gets you out of it is free.
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Newark to Manhattan: the AirTrain fee you can avoid
Newark is the only New York airport where the train fee disappears if you buy the right ticket.
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The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2026: the route, where to stand, and how to get there
The 100th parade steps off on the Upper West Side, the Herald Square finish is closed to the public, and the balloons are free to see the day before. Here is what is confirmed and what is not.
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The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in 2026: the date, the hours, and how to see it
The tree gets lit on a Wednesday, the plaza gets fenced off, and the best look costs nothing on any other night. Here is what is confirmed and what is not.
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NYC holiday markets in 2026: dates, hours, and which one is worth it
Four markets, four different jobs: one for the rink, one for the crowd, one for the weather, one for the park. Dates are confirmed for two and still pending for two.
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NYC holiday windows and lights: Fifth Avenue, Macy's, and Dyker Heights
Fifth Avenue is a one-night walk. Dyker Heights is a different trip entirely. Nothing is announced for 2026 yet, so this is last year's calendar with the gaps marked.
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Ice skating in NYC, priced: Rockefeller, Bryant Park, Wollman and the rest
The famous rink is the most expensive, the free one makes you bring skates, and the cheap ones are in Central Park and Brooklyn.
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New Year's Eve in Times Square: how it works, what to bring, and how to get home
You will stand in a pen for hours and cannot leave it. Here is how the night works, what the rules were last year, and the easier ways to see midnight.
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NYC holiday hours in 2026: transit, parking, trash, mail, banks and museums
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's: which days the subway runs a Sunday schedule, when you can skip the street-cleaning rules, and who is closed. Last year's pattern, labelled as such.
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NYC heat season: the temperatures your landlord owes you, and what to do when the radiator is cold
October 1 to May 31: 68 degrees by day when it is cold out, 62 overnight no matter what, and hot water at 120 all year. Here is how the rule works and what to do when the radiator stays cold.
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When it snows in New York: the shoveling deadlines, parking, schools and the subway
4 hours, 14 hours or 11 a.m.: the shoveling clock depends on when the snow stops. Here is that rule, plus what a New York snow day does to parking, school, the subway and the plows.
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The Radio City Christmas Spectacular in 2026: dates, tickets, and what to know before you go
230 shows between November 4 and January 4, 90 minutes each with no intermission. Here is what the tickets cost, when to get there, and which performances are made for kids who need a gentler room.
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NYC holiday light shows in 2026: the Bronx Zoo, Lightscape and the Holiday Train Show, priced
Three ticketed shows, three gardens and a zoo's worth of lanterns, all opening between November 14 and 21. Here are the dates, what each costs, and the train to each.
The editorial fence
Guides are the service desk: decisions with a price tag — which pass, which train, which mover. They are kept separate from the reporting on purpose. The briefs, storylines, explainers, and numbers never carry a commerce link, and a guide never doubles as reporting. No business pays for placement, no third-party tracking runs on these pages, and a guide with links that earn New York Explained a commission says so plainly, above its recommendations. Every dollar figure carries the date we checked it, and the shelf gets re-reviewed on a schedule — a price that moved is a correction, not a shrug.
The rules on this page change.
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