bethel tours new york

Always In Good Company

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Warwick Bethel

To organize this work, there are about 90 branch offices worldwide, all serving under the direction of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Governing Body is made up of spirit-anointed men who live and work here at Warwick. They have the responsibility to prepare...

Bethel Patterson

The 670-acre property at Patterson, New York, was acquired in December 1984. Its primary purpose would be to serve as an educational center. This complex of 28 Buildings includes school facilities, offices, support services, and residence buildings. ART DEPARTMENT. Under the...

Bethel Wallkill

In 1963 a farm was acquired in a rural area near the village of Wallkill, New York. In subsequent years, additional property was obtained, which significantly increased the size of the available area. For many years, these farms produced vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy...

Manhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, geographically smallest but most densely populated in the city. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the borough is conterminous with New York County, an original county of the...

Lower Manhattan & Brooklyn Bridge

Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York. Lower Manhattan or “downtown” is defined most commonly as the area delineated on the north by 14th Street, on the west...

"What do we do?"

We offer trips to visit the Bethel complexes in New York and offer sightseeing tours of New York city. We also will be offering other trips that do not involve a visit to a Bethel complex. We strive and hope to provide a safe and uplifting trip in the company of the friends worldwide.

Hello Everyone! Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, its been a while since we did our last Bethel trip. I am happy to announce that we are now working on our 2022 trips if things return to normal, we are able to book tours at the Watchtower facilities and it is safe to travel. Wishing everyone keeps safe and lets continue to trust in Jehovah! Greetings to everyone.

2022 Dates: New York City/Watchtower Bethel Trip (In planning stage) Places Visited: All three Bethel complexes, Wallkill Bethel, Patterson Bethel and Warwick Bethel, Times Square/Broadway, Empire State, Chinatown, Little Italy and other New York tourist sites.

I tinerary(sample from previous trips): Day 1- Fly from your hometown to Newark Liberty International Airport Day 2- Visit/sightsee New York City Day 3- Visit/sightsee NYC (am), Drive to Fishkill, NY Day 4- Visit Wallkill Bethel (am), Visit Patterson Bethel (pm) Day 5- Visit Warwick Bethel (am), Drive to Elizabeth, NJ Day 6- Visit/sightsee New York City Day 7- Visit/sightsee New York City Day 8- Fly back home from Newark Liberty Airport

For detailed itinerary please visit our “Upcoming Trips” page.

Prices (per person):  4 to a room= $595.00 per person, 3 to a room= $660.00 per person and 2 to a room= $775.00 per person. Deposit amount is $200.00 per person which is applied towards trip balance. Payments are accepted.  Prices included are for hotel & chartered bus package only. Airfare cost is separate and dependent on your city of departure. Mario A Ruiz Email- marioruiz@betheltrips.com Phone: (956) 290-1627, WhatsApp, Facebook (under Bethel Trips)

For other Bethel Trips.. . Visit our “Upcoming Trips” page for pricing and itinerary details. Trips Page

Or, drop us an e-mail at marioruiz@betheltrips.com

Our trips allow our friends to enjoy a guided tour of Bethel installations and also enjoy a visit of nearby tourist attractions.

We have been visiting the Bethel installations since 1998 and have made changes to our itinerary every year in an effort to improve and maximize your visit. We have adapted to what we consider is a better and more enjoyable itinerary.

We utilize Coach USA buses with drivers who have been with the company for many years thus providing the best experienced drivers and bus service.

Will you join us? Please visit our Trips page and find out what trips we offer and read up on future trips as well.

If you need any help or have questions, please Contact Us .

I have been taking groups to visit New York since 1998! That is over 20 + and counting.

I have gained some very valuable experience in planning trips to New York and have tweaked our itineraries along the way to maximize our time in the Big Apple.

We strive to provide you with a well-planned trip. Our air trips permit you to fly from anywhere and be in New York in a couple of hours.

This upcoming year will be our 22nd year visiting Bethel . Serving the friends since 1998!

Multi Media Bar

Part of our June 23-29, 2013 group on the last day of the trip, Saturday. Sylvester De...

At the American Museum of Natural Hustory

A view from Central Park

A view from Pier 17 towards lower Manhattan

My son David at Port Baltimore

Juan y Ruth Abastta

Juan Campos And Family

Juan y Samantha Abastta

At the White House

At Baltimore Harbor

At Baltimore, Maryland

At the nation’s capitol

Smithsonian Air and Space- Washington DC

2011 Group Picture

From top of Empire State Building

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• The Woman & Her Offspring - Phenomenon
• Bible Stories & Art for Children
• The Bible In American History
• Mankind’s Search for Light
• The Word of God Endures Forever
• One God Versus Many
• Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of Jehovah
• The Woman and Her Offspring – Eden to Egypt
• The Woman and Her Offspring – Assyria to Hysteria
• Providence in Prophecy

The Warwick Wagon

• The Golden Triangle
• The Horn and the Holy Ones
• The Most Beautiful of All the Lands

One day round trip coach bus trips to the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Warwick, NY, embarking from Brooklyn Heights, NY.

What is the Warwick Wagon?

Actually it is a luxury coach with WiFi, charging stations, restroom, and equipment to play our videos and CDs which are part of our special program en-route. Experienced Oasis guides accompany you the entire time and conduct the upbuilding and fun on-board program. You cannot tour Warwick without a special advance reservation and we make these arrangements with the Branch many months in advance as well as securing the coach. At times the number of participants on a certain date may be limited and not even cover the operating costs and yet we rarely cancel a tour so as not to disappoint anyone!

When does it go?

Please click the date you are interested in to generate an email to us about that date.   Please do not click multiple dates.   If you click multiple dates and send emails for each, we will delete all requests except for the original one.  Simply click the date that is your first choice and there, you can add alternate dates in the body of the email you send us.

NOTE: If you wish to do Warwick, Wallkill & Patterson , please click THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

What is the program like?

The departure time from Brooklyn Heights varies depending on the morning tour time Bethel assigns us, but typically it is between 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. You will be advised of the exact time about a week or two before. You can come early and have breakfast at the restaurant and use the restrooms. An encouraging and lively program is conducted on the bus on the way to Warwick and on the return.

After the 3-hour self-guided tour of Warwick, we will depart for either Warwick Village or Paramus Mall for lunch. This will depend on weather and the tour time slot we were given at Warwick. Warwick is a quaint little village with many shops and restaurants. The indoor Paramus Mall has a huge food court and dozens of stores to shop in if you prefer. Either way, both stops are enjoyable.

Typically, we return to Brooklyn late in the afternoon depending on traffic, etc., so it is best not to plan anything close to that time.

PLEASE NOTE:  Discounted parking for Oasis tour groups is available in Brooklyn Heights which you will be informed of.  If you would like a list of nearby hotels, many in walking distance, you may request a list from us.

What does it cost and what does it include?

The current cost is $75/per person (subject to change) , which includes the luxury coach with Branch recommended insurance, a mature brother who is a New York State licensed tour guide to accompany you and conduct a unique spiritually encouraging program on the bus, reserved tours for all Warwick exhibits and tours. 

We know that all of the brothers and sisters around the world who may like to visit the new world headquarters may not be able to come.  If you are able to make it, we are sure you will be enriched by the experience and be moved to “tell about it” to others who cannot come. (Psa. 48:13)  May Jehovah bless your efforts to that end!

This tour is currently unavailable. Please check back soon for availability.

In the meantime, please feel free to learn more about this tour.

Oasis Biblical Tours uses cookies to personalize your experience on this website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our cookie policy .

Gargy Tours - Watchtower Bethel Tours to Canada Bethel, New York Bethel, United States Bethels

Gargy Watchtower Bethel Tours offers fun and affordable bus tours and Bethel coach tours, to Canada and New York Bethel. You will also visit Canada Bethel, Walkill, Patterson Education Center, and tour the Watchtower Headquarters of Jehovahs Witnesses in Brooklyn New York.

Also enjoy unique Bible tours and theocratic history tours that were designed to be a source of encouragement for those who appreciate and desire such spiritual bible based programs. Enjoy Bible Tours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Call or text  +1  (817) 607-8019

Bethel vacations made easy ​

Free bethel trip planning..

Bethel Awaits! Reservations Included

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2025 Bethel Dates

5 days - US Bethel only + NYC Bus & Met Guided Museum Bible Tour

​The land package. Pre-registration  ​

CLICK ON TRIP DATES TO PREREGISTER

May 10-14, 2025

June 7-11, 2025

July 12-16, 2025

Aug 9-13, 2025

Sep 6-10, 2025

Nov 1-5, 2025

Includes breakfast, 1 group dinner, Bethel reservation, land transportation, and hotel lodging.

Visiting Warwick, Wallkill, and NYC.

6 days - US & Canada Bethel + Washington DC Museum of the Bible + NYC Bus Tour

​The land package. Pre-registration 

Mar 1 - 6, 2025

Apr 26 - May 1, 2025

Includes b reakfast, 1  group dinner, Bethel reservation, land transportation, and hotel lodging.

Visiting Warwick, Patterson , Wallkill,  Washington DC, and NYC

8 days - US & Canada Bethel, Niagara Falls, Washington DC Museum + NYC Bus Tour

May 17-24, 2025

June 14-21, 2025

July 19-26, 2025

Aug 16-23, 2025

Sep 20-27, 2025

Oct 18-25, 2025

Includes b reakfast, 1 group dinner, Bethel reservation, land transportation, and hotel lodging.

Visiting Warwick, Patterson , Wallkill, Canada Bethel + Niagara Falls + Washington DC, and NYC

2024 Bethel Dates

​The land package starts  at $93 0 per person.  Click the dat e below for the exact pricing

CLICK ON TRIP DATES TO LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 7-12, 2024 [AVAILABLE]

DECEMBER 20-25, 2024 [AVAILABLE]

5 days - US Bethel only +  NYC Bus Tour & Met Guided Museum Bible Tour

Land Package starting at $8 25 per person. Click the date below for the exact  pricing ​

*MAY 4 to 8, 2024 [WAIT LIST]*

JUNE 1 to 5, 2024 [WAIT LIST]

JULY 13 to 17, 2024 [WAIT LIST]

JULY 20 to 24,2024 [WAIT LIST ]

NOVEMBER 2 to 6, 2024 [ WAIT LIST]

Includes breakfast, 2 group dinners, Bethel reservation, land transportation, and hotel lodging.

*No Patterson Visit* May 4 to 8

​ Land Package s tarting at $1,450 per person.  Click the dat e below for the exact pricing

*MAY 11 to 18, 2024 [WAIT LIST]*

JUNE 8 to 15, 2024 [WAIT LIST]

JULY 20 to 27, 2024 [WAIT LIST]

AUGUST 10 to 17, 2 024 [WAITLIST]

*SEPTEMBER 21 to 28, 2024 [WAIT LIST]*

OCTOBER 19 to 26, 2024 [WAITLIST]

Includes b reakfast, 2 group dinners, Bethel reservation, land transportation, and hotel lodging.

*No Patterson Visit*  May 11 to 18 and September 21 to 28

Please Call:

585-313-9149 or text to leave a message. We will return your call.

5 Day Bethel and NYC Discovery Tour

   July 20-24 2024  (Spaces still available)

This Tour Departs from Newark NJ

We will visit Warwick, Wallkill and the Patterson Bethel Complexes (All Tours Approved!) 

Step into your theocratic history, driving through Brooklyn Heights (Stand in front of some of the former Bethel Buildings and relive History!) Experience some surprises along the way)  Visit Pier 57 overlooking the Hudson River in NYC.  Enjoy a classic New York dessert.

Breakfast is provided each day at the Hotels.

The Hotel shuttle will pick you up at the Newark, NJ Airport.  

 Sunday: Meeting in the morning either on the bus or other arrangements will be made for our group. 

 Visit NYC for shopping and to explore the city.

 Possible Bible Tour at the MET and visit Brooklyn

 The tour concludes on Wednesday evening

This tour package also includes:

• Transportation on a Modern Motor Coach
• Deluxe Hotel
• A Breakfast is included for 4 days
• One lunch and 1 dinner is included in this package.
• Classic New York dessert prepaid

Prices: Deposit: $150.00 per person

Payment Installments/Due Dates $150 non-refundable deposit required to reserve your seat

*At your option payments can be doubled or made early to meet the due date.

June 15, 2024 Final payment due

To reserve your seat for 2024, please fill out the form on the Reservations page using the tab above.

DOWNLOAD OUR BROCHURE FOR DETAILS ON ALL OF OUR TOURS

TOURS DESIGNED FOR JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

2018 – 2019 TOUR DESTINATIONS

May – October 2019

Bethel Vacations to New York (optional D.C.) – All tours include a visit to Warwick, the Educational Center at Patterson and the Printing Factory at Wallkill. Each tour includes a sightseeing tour of New York City with an option to visit Washington D.C. See More…

July 12-21, 2019

Bethel Tour to New York, Niagara Falls and Canada – This tour to Bethel includes visiting Warwick, Patterson and Wallkill plus you will spend two nights at Niagara Falls in Canada. You’ll also visit the Canadian Branch Office and then stay two nights in Toronto, Canada, before flying back to your hometown, instead of spending another full day traveling all the way back to New York. See More…

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Questions? Just send us a message!

JW Bethel Tours contact

As founders of JWBETHEL.TOURS we wish you a warm welcome.

We started arranging transport to and from Bethel in 2007.

Seeing the need for transportation when visiting Warwick and Wallkill, we saw the possibility to help. Thinking about all the work our friends already do worldwide we’d like to show our appreciation by taking care of your accommodation, pick up from and to the airport and transport to the Bethel branches while visiting us.

Of course it’s possible to rent a car and drive to the branches yourself, but why miss out on your brothers sharing some history and experiences about New York and Bethel, telling you about a few of the best places to eat and creating new memories with new friends.

We had a short break due to the peak of the COVID pandemic. But now that Bethel is open for visitors we want to take care of you. This way you can enjoy your stay and visits to Bethel to the full.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Bethel Coach Tours

Jw bible tours to bethel, choose your 'trip of a lifetime', us bethel trips.

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Europe Tours

Bible lands tours, other tours, london - paris tour.

Visit and explore the beautiful cities of Paris and London on a combination tour! Learn more about these wonderful cities!

Open for Delegates and Non-Delegates. Delegates can add before or after 2024 Special Convention!

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Why Choose BCT?

We do the work so you don’t have to

Traveling can be stressful sometimes. Let us do the work for you! We’ll reserve your Bethel tours, your hotel, your flights and more.

We have the connection needed to make it happen

As you might imagine, with over 35 years’ worth of traveling, we’ve made friends near and far. We offer the best to our guests!

You’ll be informed from start to finish

With your personal online travel desktop, you’ll be provided documentation and payment info whenever you need it – right from your computer or mobile device!

Our tour guides are trained professionals

What’s more, our guides are loving, fellow Witnesses. They will do everything in their power to make sure you’re informed, comfortable and at ease.

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Brian “q” quinn tells all about “last impractical jokers tour for awhile”.

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They may be called the Impractical Jokers but the fun-loving trio have become increasingly practical these past few years when it comes to their busy schedules.

“It takes a lot to build the show,” Brian “Q” Quinn told the New York Post in an exclusive interview. “We’re shooting season 11 now; then, we’re shooting season 12.”

That’s not all, though.

Q — along with his comedy bandmates Sal Vulcano and James “Murr” Murray — are currently on the road hitting arenas, symphony halls, theaters, casinos and performing arts centers all over North America as part of their ongoing ‘Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour’ named after an infamous stunt involving puppets.

That includes stops at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on May 5, Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort on July 13, Bethel’s Bethel Woods Center For The Arts on July July 19, Saratoga Springs’ Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 20 and Syracuse’s Empower FCU Amphitheater on Aug. 23 for the Staten Island natives.

Due to their Herculean workload, they may be retiring the live show for awhile.

“When this leg of the tour ends, I’m comfortable saying it will be years before you see us back on stage again,” Q explained. “It’s not a farewell tour because I’m sure we’ll be on stage again someday but if you want to see us together, this is the tour to come see.”

Even if they may be nearing the end of their touring lives for the time being, you won’t find a hint of melancholy onstage from the merry pranksters.

“Every night is fun,” Q smiled.

“We tell jokes and play videos we can’t show on television. Plus, this show (is) more interactive than the ones we had in the past.”

While Q couldn’t spill all the details, he did tease that the audience participation involves punishing Sal on stage.

“It’s a shocking punishment and we let a fan operate the buttons of pain. It’s the highlight of the show. Everybody’s crying laughing. Sal’s almost having a heart attack.”

If you want to get in on the fun — you could literally be part of the show after all —  tickets are available for all 23 upcoming shows .

Need more details?

Below, you’ll find a practical breakdown of everything you need to know and more about the Impractical Jokers’ 2024 ‘Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour.’

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Impractical Jokers 2024 tour schedule

A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found here:

Impractical Jokers Radio City history

The group has played the historic venue “six or seven times” according to Q.

Nothing made quite an impression like their first time at Radio City , though.

“It’s a union run venue and they take it very seriously,” he said. “You’re not allowed to step onstage if it’s not showtime. So, the first time we played Radio City, we weren’t even allowed to go on the stage and look.”

“The first time I saw Radio City from that perspective was when we came out. It was like two minutes of us just gawking and the audience applauding. There were tears in our eyes. It was pretty wild. That doesn’t happen a lot.”

Impractical Jokers celebrity stories

Over the years, Q has had quite a few run-ins with big names.

“One time, J.K. Simmons’ wife and son came to one of our shows,” Q noted. “They sat in the front row. She’s very pretty and I made a comment about how pretty she was. Nothing disrespectful or anything like that.”

Cut to the “Spider-Man” premiere.

“I felt a presence over my shoulder. I turned around. J.K. was growling at me going, ‘I heard you called my wife pretty!’ When a guy you’ve been a fan of for years starts busting your chops like that, it’s pretty fun.”

When we asked about his favorite memory from the show, Quinn didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Every time I think about it, I still get excited,” he smiled.

“They did a punishment where Bruce Campbell came in. He basically put me through the plot of the first ‘Evil Dead’ movie. I was filthy, covered in blood. They broke real plates over my head and put tarantulas on me. That didn’t even make the final cut.”

Other standouts include Brooke Shields (“her capacity for comedy is unbelievable”), Post Malone (“the nicest guy around) and John Mayer (“we were only supposed to have do him one day but he wanted to do a full episode”).

There hasn’t been a dud in the bunch though, according to Q.

“Everybody who’s come on has been awesome,” he told us. “We even had the Alf puppet on!”

About “Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive”

For those not in the know, the tour is named after a classic Q punishment.

“We let the fans name this tour ‘Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive,'” Quinn recalled. This came from an episode where he drove around Manhattan with singing puppets that crooned the same 30-second song over and over for 12 hours.

“It was insane and it was real,” he was quick to tell us. “There was no time trickery. Now I bring the puppets on stage sometimes.”

You can see the infamous video below.

Comedians on tour in 2024

Looking for more laughs in your life?

Here are five comics with Impractical Joker-like sensibilities you won’t want to miss this year.

•  Pete Davidson

•  Kevin James

•  Sebastian Maniscalco

•  Nate Bargatze

•  Jim Gaffigan

Who else is out and about? Take a look at our list of the 107 biggest comedians on tour in 2024 here to find out.

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A local’s travel guide to New York City: what to eat, see and do in three days

Top destinations in New York include a ferry ride, shopping for watches in Chinatown and a Brighton Beach bender

I first came to New York City by accident, after a miscommunication with my father led me to believe my (long-deceased) mother had been desperate to visit the city before she died.

Years later I found out that my mum had actually wanted to go to Paris. But I still had a great time in New York, and ended up moving here a couple of years later.

On that first trip I did all the main tourist things which, owing to the miscommunication, I had thought my mother had wanted to do: I went up big buildings, looked at big buildings, drank in bars beneath big buildings.

It was great and everything, but there’s much, much more to do here – especially if you like eating, riding about by subway and ferry, and bargaining for knockoff luxury goods.

Day 1: Boating and brownstones

A lot of people have heard of the Staten Island ferry , and for good reason. It’s free to travel on the big orange boats between the southern tip of Manhattan and Staten Island. The route goes right past the Statue of Liberty, and offers amazing views of lower Manhattan.

As a boat lover, I’d also recommend taking the NYC ferry . It has a flat fare of $4 and operates up and down the East River, passing under bridges and allowing riders to snoop at waterside buildings.

If you’re starting in Manhattan (which you probably are), take the southbound ferry from East 34th Street to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dumbo, which stands for “down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass”. It’s here where everyone with an Instagram account gets their shots of both the Manhattan Bridge and the (older, better-known) Brooklyn Bridge. Plenty of people will visit this area then turn their back on Brooklyn, but I’d recommend sticking around New York City’s most populous and, depending whom you speak to, trendiest borough.

Pop by Jane’s Carousel , an exquisitely restored 1922 ride which is plonked between the bridges, and then walk south through Brooklyn Bridge Park. You’ll go past several piers – once working docks now transformed into leafy picnic and sport areas. There are magnificent views across to Manhattan. It’s a nice spot to propose to a partner, as my little brother did last year. If you don’t want to do that, but do like to play soccer or basketball or roller-skate, you’re in luck.

After you hit Pier 6, where there’s a pleasant, if expensive, rooftop pizza restaurant called Fornino , walk up Atlantic Avenue for some shopping and coffee at Goose Barnacle , an independent clothing store with a hidden bar in the back. The owner, Dave Alperin, a fourth-generation Brooklynite, is very friendly and knowledgable about the area and can give you tips about everything from where to buy the best sandwich ( Lillo Cucina Italiana – try the Mamma Roma) to the location of a semi-secret basement speakeasy ( Le Boudoir ) nearby.

From there I’d take a bus or cab to Fort Greene, a very pretty neighborhood whose townhouses are the sort of Brooklyn thing you see in the movies, and grab dinner at Olea . If you make it before 6.30pm, there’s a great happy hour.

Day 2: Rude T-shirts and not-quite Rolexes

Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood has all the posh shops, so if you have money, or like looking through windows at expensive clothes and bags, walk east along Prince Street from West Broadway. There are nice buildings to look at around here too – the newly constructed towers that abound in the city are largely absent in this neighborhood. Stop in at Fanelli Cafe , a neighborhood stalwart that has been around since 1847, for a coffee or some food, then head south along Broadway to Chinatown.

There are lots of great dim sum places, including Golden Unicorn , whose large fancy dining hall is located on the second floor of a marble-esque building. From there I’d take a walk along Canal Street, dipping into sidestreets for cheap souvenirs – snow globes, little statues and that sort of thing – and bizarre T-shirts (many of which are very rude).

Chinatown also does a roaring trade in imitation watches and handbags. So if, like me, you will not and cannot spend $30,000 on a watch but have about $100 to spare, you can get (to my eye) a fairly good imitation. The food markets along Canal Street also sell real nice timepieces – they even work – if you fancy sticking it to big watch. You’ll find plenty of “designer” bags too.

Hopefully you’re hungry again, because Great N Y Noodletown is, per its name, great – especially the roast pig on rice.

From there I’d head farther south and stop in at Whiskey Tavern , the friendliest bar I’ve ever been to in my life (and I’ve been to a lot of bars). They print out personalized welcome signs that they will stick to your table or behind the bar, which sounds a bit naff – but isn’t. The real reason to come is to chat to locals and regulars. It’s also one of the closest bars to city hall, which means there’s a regular stream of “Just Married” couples doing shots of whiskey and eating chicken wings.

If you’ve still got energy, and like singing or shouting, go to Up Stairs , a karaoke bar tucked behind a nondescript doorway on Canal Street. Drinks are cheap, and it gets packed with revelers.

Day 3: Seaside shenanigans

If, like me, you’re a fan of once-glamorous seaside attractions that are now in a state of faded glory, then take the F train to Coney Island. People seem to overlook the fact that the city is surrounded by water, and while Coney Island isn’t the nicest beach for bathing (for that, try Fort Tilden or Jacob Riis Park), there’s loads to do.

Kick things off by watching a Brooklyn Cyclones game. The Cyclones are a feeder team to the New York Mets. They play at Maimonides Park, tickets are usually dirt cheap and easy to get, and you’ll be able to enjoy a nice view of the Atlantic Ocean. If you want a snazzy memento, buy a beer in a foot-long plastic baseball bat. Sometimes they let the crowd “run the bases” after the game, which is a lot of fun, especially if you’ve had more than one of the baseball bat beers.

After the exhilaration of taking in second-tier baseball, walk east towards the Cyclone , one of the oldest and, as far as I can tell, rickety-est rollercoasters in the US. The wooden ride – described as “pretty extreme” by Coaster Critic – will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027, and it sounds and looks its age. Buyer beware.

Once you’ve stumbled off the ride, go for a settling drink at Ruby’s , the oldest bar on the boardwalk. You can take in the black-and-white shots of Coney Island in its 1930s glory, and if you’re feeling brave, buy a cardboard box full of clams.

Every Friday night from late June to September there is a fireworks show on the beach, which draws a large crowd. You could take it in while eating borscht and sipping coffee or vodka at Tatiana’s , a Russian restaurant-cum-nightclub a 10-minute walk along the boardwalk from the Cyclone.

Side note: you don’t need to wait until summer to visit. I went a day after it had snowed, and it was brilliant.

Question time

How many days do you need to visit new york city.

Three would be fine. If you want to take in all the Instagram favorite destinations, then maybe four.

What’s the most-visited attraction? Is it worth it?

Times Square. And not really. But it’s near enough to other attractions that if you’re heading to a Broadway show then you might as well walk through it.

When is the best time to visit?

The peak of summer can be boiling hot, and winter can be freezing cold. May through early July and September through October are usually a safe bet.

How expensive is it?

New York City is expensive. If you’re staying in Manhattan you’d be (very) lucky to get a hotel room for about $200 a night – but bear in mind that there will usually be hefty taxes on top of that. A bog standard coffee will cost you about $5, a pint anywhere from $6 to $10. The subway fare recently went up: it’s $2.90 a ride now.

Adam Gabbatt is a writer for the Guardian and is originally from the north of England. He has lived in New York City for 13 years and now says “trash” instead of “rubbish” and “sidewalk” instead of “pavement” and his family hates him for it

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Q&A: James Taylor on his 2024 U.S. tour, the possibility of new music and his legacy

FILE - James Taylor performs at the 7th annual Love Rocks NYC concert in New York on March 9, 2023. Taylor kicks off his North American tour on May 29 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — He’s gone to Carolina in his mind and on tour for much of 2024.

Not long after his 76th birthday, James Taylor & His All-Star Band will take their show on the road in the United States, hitting 24 cities for 31 shows in five months.

Over Zoom from his studio in western Massachusetts, Taylor tells The Associated Press “It’s been September since the last time I’ve been out.” That, he says, is “a long time for me.”

The tour kicks off in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl on May 29 and ends at Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia, on Sept. 15.

The tour hits Salt Lake City; Morrison, Colorado; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis; Highland Park, Illinois; Noblesville, Indiana; Nashville, Tennessee; North Little Rock, Arkansas; Thackerville, Oklahoma; Clarkston, Michigan; Darien Center, New York; Syracuse, New York; Bethel Woods, New York; Bangor, Maine; Gilford, New Hampshire; Lenox, Massachusetts; Philadelphia; Wantagh, New York; Saratoga Springs, New York; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and Boston.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: Before the continental U.S. tour, you’re headed to Japan, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. What keeps it interesting?

TAYLOR: The audience, always. The event itself has never failed to supply the motivation and the energy that is required. You know, it’s very compelling to go a great distance and to find a crowd of people that have bought tickets to come see me and the band play again.

Over time, it’s something you learn to do, to keep your strength up, keep your health... also, I don’t do more than a couple of shows in a row without a day off. I’ll do more than that if I’m in one town, but generally speaking, we pace ourselves now.

AP: That’s good advice.

TAYLOR: I definitely burned myself out a few times.

AP: You’re performing at Tanglewood, in your home state of Massachusetts, 50 years since you first performed there. What significance does it hold?

TAYLOR: I was trying to figure out whether or not it was 50 years or 50 shows that I’ve been playing at Tanglewood, and it turns out it’s both. 1974 was the first time I played there. It averages out to one a year, although at one point we skipped a whole decade.

We had an episode where one of my crew members, in a fit of pique, drove a truck across the Tanglewood lawn and made a mess of it. He was told he had to get the truck off the lawn because it had been raining and it was making an imprint on it. As we were breaking down after the show, he was driving out there to unload the mixing board and stuff. But he put it in reverse, stomped the accelerator and tore a great trough, a great furrow in the Tanglewood lawn. And they never asked me back. It was only when (my wife) Kim came along and resurrected my reputation that I was allowed to come back.

It’s been a great privilege... It’s turned out to be a great thing for me, to play Tanglewood every year.

AP: Does an anniversary like that — 50 years — allow you to reflect on your career?

TAYLOR: This is the time of life when you feel like you ought to get in touch with a lawyer and make a will. You see, the older generation, the people that were your friends and mentors, sort of checking out one by one . It is a time when you feel as though things are being summed up a little bit and you start thinking about, the whole thing as a totality. You know, a line from one of my songs, “Copperline,” is “I’m only living ‘til the end of the week,” and I think that really does describe me.

But, you know, it is a period of time when you look back and see the whole thing, it’s important not to internalize that idea of being a big deal. It’s important to focus on what it is that you do — and that thing as a craft that allows you to have your place in the world.

AP: What has that allowed you to learn?

TAYLOR: As time goes by, I think it’s wrong for people to judge other people and even to evaluate them, and yet it’s something we constantly do, and we can’t avoid it. But we should mitigate it by knowing that when we judge someone, we’ve got it wrong. They know who they are, and not we. But, of course, in a million ways, all day long, we evaluate ourselves and other people and it’s complicated. It’s not up to me determine what my ultimate position in popular culture turns out to be 50 years from now.

AP: That’s a value judgment, too.

TAYLOR: I see people selling the rights to their catalogs. That baby boom generation musical expression, which happened between ’62 and 1980, that sort of 20 years of amazing activity that happened, I was in the center of it and actually got my start in London with the Beatles . So, I had a real sense of this generational phenomenon that the music that I was part of, was a big feature in the landscape and we were communicating to each other. We invented a kind of music there. It was predicted by rhythm and blues and folk music. And those two resurgences sort of fueled it and supplied it. It was big.

You see those people now, being in my sort of age group generally, selling the rights to their catalogs and sort of evaluating what their life’s output was worth. You know, David Bowie ’s went for like 250 million. I think (Bob) Dylan ... got like 300 million... (Bruce) Springsteen is said to have gotten more than that, like half a billion or something. It’s sort of like monopoly money.

AP: What do you hope people take away from your live show, and are you working on a new album?

TAYLOR: I feel like I’ve got another one in me — sounds like an egg — but I’m writing a little bit.

And as to what I hope people take away from live performances, I hope they take away a sense of connection. You know, live music — the thing that I’m so attached to about it, why I can’t let it go — is that there’s something (that) happens when people come together for a couple of hours for two or three hours and have a sort of collective experience.

It’s indescribable. You prepare for it, but when it happens, it’s spontaneous and, in a way, unique. I love it when that happens, and it does most nights.

AP: Give us a call if you consider selling your catalog.

TAYLOR: If someone comes sniffing around, I’ll get in touch.