In a city, you will be walking about and never know what you might encounter. Your battery might die on you. A sore throat might trouble you. Rain might surprise you. Experience has taught us what to always have on us when commuting to the City, so here is my list of some of my New York City Essentials:
Walking Shoes
NYC is a place where you will do a lot of walking. A normal walking commute is around a mile. Some walk much more than that. What is certain is that you’ll be walking the streets and the wind tunnel avenues. So it is important to make sure you are comfortable. Walking shoes make a lot of difference, and provide you with walking comfort. Don’t feel weird slipping them on, no matter what your overall outfit is.
Waterproof Backpack
A backpack is another important one because you want the weight of things evenly distributed. You also want to make sure you have proper storage for everything you might potentially need. I highly recommend a waterproof one, because you want to make sure your items are safe just in case it rains or snows out of nowhere during your commute.
Compact Umbrella
This one comes in handy because the weather is unpredictable. You never know when it will start to rain, and nobody wants to come home or get to work drenched.
Sanitizer/Wipes/Tissues
From the public transportation to the restaurants, a city is full of germs. You never know when you will need to wash up a bit. They may come in handy when you pop in somewhere and the place ends up missing toilet paper. You might be riding the subway, and struggle to find spots to wash your hands. So, it is very wise to just have these on deck.
Charger
I don’t know how many times at work I have had colleagues ask to borrow my charger. You will be using a lot of apps during the day for navigation, social media, and texts. Eventually, they will drain your battery, and nobody likes to see Low Battery pop up on their phone screen. So, better be safe than sorry and keep a charger with you.
Water Bottle
This is a debatable essential but one I find important. You are human, and humans are fueled by water. So obviously you need to hydrate, but how practical is it to carry a water bottle around? Not very much, I admit; however, there are ways you can carry it without it being a burden. You can even cut down on your general items and prioritize this. It’s up to you, but I would recommend this – after all, water is life!
Jacket/Out Layers
As helpful as weather forecasts can be, it is really impossible to gauge the weather. Often, we find it to be much colder than our expectations and end up being under-dressed. So, always have a jacket or some layers with you. It would be wise to opt for one that actually fits in your bag!
Mints/Gum
Always have some sort of mint, gum, or chewy candy on you. A good idea is Ricola or Halls and maybe some chewy Ginger Candy. You can use them to keep your mouth from drying. They can also be helpful if you get an unexpected sore throat. You can also use them to curb your hunger sometimes. They are a gem, and very handy to have on you.
Chap stick
This is mostly a winter essential but also in the summer you should chap stick to protect your lips with SPF. Nobody likes dealing with cracked lips. Just good to have on deck!
Headphones/Earphones
A good item to have especially for commuters. Most people in the city don’t bother you, but putting a set of headphones/earphones is a pretty full proof way to isolate yourself. They also help in making our commutes and walk feel shorter.
BONUS: A saying that I live by is “Every Leader Carries a Pen” so I always make sure to carry a pen in my bag.
You can obviously stuff your bag with a lot more things than this, but these are just some of my ideas on what I consider to be New York City essentials.
To check out other New York related posts check out this post.
What a great list! Comfy walking shoes are definetly a must!!
Completely agree about the shoes, and I’ve heard headphones are a good way to discourage scammers from approaching you. Great list!
Having ruined my feet by walking around NYC for a week, I can confirm that walking shoes at the very best things to pack! And layers too – great tips!
New York is Best seen walking, so this list is perfect 🙂 Whenever Im in NYC Im in such a rush to get out and explore that I often forget something so this list is great!! Thank you. Cant wait to get back to NYC and the MET 🙂
I am forever dreaming of living in NYC. This city just has it all! This post got me prepared for the day I might move there!
Seeing all of the essentials you have listed make me miss my walks through the city. Can’t wait to get back to it!
Great article. Truly highlights the basic necessities of life when living or visiting NYC. Thanks for sharing.
NYC is a great place that will certainly keep you on the go. You seem to have perfected the ideal daypack!
Great list. I love NYC! For the charger I would opt for a portable charger that doesn’t have to plug in to the wall if you’re a tourist especially or out and about doing a lot of sight seeing.
This is the perfect carry bag for NYC, however I also found it ironic it would also make a great hiking bag as well? Maybe that is saying something…. it’s a jungle out there, lol be prepared.
I loved your bonus. I always carry a pen, highlighter, and a small notebook to write down what I want to remember. My travel bag for cities is very similar–I usually add a guide book (or copied pages) and skip the headphones. If I’ll be walking a lot, I put in moleskin and an extra pair of socks.
Great list, the charger in particular is something one mustn’t forget
I love other people’s packing lists – There is always something on there I wouldn’t have thought of!
This looks like any city list! We all need this. Thanks for sharing
I love that you included a packing list! Very thoughtful. I look forward to a visit there next year!
This is such a great post! I’ve always wanted to go to NYC if I ever do I’ll take note of this list! Great guide for tourists! X
Great post, as a New Yorker I can say this is a great list!
Great post! Although these are New York essentials I would definitely use these in North Carolina as well. The good thing about all these essentials is that they are all light weight which makes it easy to carry. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi it’s Brenda from RubyHemMinistries.com These things are essential for any good day trip. They truly make life easier. Thanks for the reminder.
This is such a great guide. NY City has its life of its own. these are really great Essentials
I find this blog post showing the essentials for living in New York absolutely brilliant and fun and useful, very similar to someone like me who lives in Milan!
Great list! I’d imagine the weather can be really difficult to prepare for especially in fall and spring when the temp fluctuates so much. Glad you’ve made a guide to help people get prepared!