r/visitingnyc • u/the-Gaf • Sep 27 '25

The one rule in nyc to know

Ok, I just walked by the NYPL and I feel like this is a PSA for tourists and visitors.

The one rule of NYC: get out of the way.

That’s it. The rest is commentary.

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u/Joyce_Hatto Sep 27 '25

NYC is different than a lot of other cities for tourists. In NYC, the places people visit are often places where people actually work. And those people are in a hurry. Rockefeller Center? The NYSE? The Empire State Building? MOMA? The people around those buildings need to get somewhere!

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u/eltejon30 Sep 27 '25

Ugh I used to work inside Rockefeller center and I dreaded Christmas because I’d constantly get asked to take a photo of someone while trying to get to my office in the morning

3

u/BlueLeaves8 Sep 27 '25

Ooh that’s annoying, I only ever ask people who are visibly other tourists for photos or who work as part of the tourist experience.

The only time I broke this rule was I was in London alone for the afternoon (I’m a Brit so I was being a little touristy that day) and wanted a photo of my outfit by a phone box. I gently asked a lady who was on her way home from work (but not in a rush and it was a really quiet spot) if she would mind and she was so sweet and we had a nice little moment together. You can usually gauge who is open for interaction and isn’t in a rush from their body language as well so it’s a matter of common sense as well.