Useful Information for NYC Visitors - Big Apple Visitors Center

Useful Information for Visitors
Time
New York City is located in the Eastern Standard Time zone. From the first Sunday in April to the fourth Sunday in October, the city observes Eastern Daylight Savings Time. (Spring ahead – one hour). From October to April, the city observes Eastern Standard Time. (Fall back – one hour).

If you're near Madison Avenue and East 57th Street, visit Tourneau Time Machine, 12 East 57th Street. It's recognized by Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest authorized purveyor of fine timepieces. Find over 100 brands and more than 8,000 styles. Outside, 23 different clock faces indicate the time in cities around the globe.

When it's Tuesday 10:00am in New York,
here is the local time in cities around the world.

City	Time Day
Athens	5:00pm Tuesday
Auckland	2:00am Wednesday
Baghdad	9:00pm Tuesday
Bangkok	9:00pm Tuesday
Beijing	10:00pm Tuesday
Berlin	4:00pm Tuesday
Buenos Aires	11:00am Tuesday
Cape Town	4:00pm Tuesday
Caracas	10:00am Tuesday
Chicago	9:00am Tuesday
Denver	8:00am Tuesday
Fairbanks	6:00am Tuesday
Hong Kong	10:00pm Tuesday
Honolulu	5:00am Tuesday
Jerusalem	5:00pm Tuesday
London	3:00pm Tuesday
Los Angeles	7:00am Tuesday
Mexico City	9:00am Tuesday
Montreal	10:00am Tuesday
New Delhi	7:30pm Tuesday
Rome	4:00pm Tuesday
Seoul	11:00pm Tuesday
Sidney	Noon Wednesday
Tokyo	11:00pm Tuesday
Vancouver	7:00am Tuesday

Business Hours
Generally 9:00am to 5:00pm with no lunchtime closing for most offices and stores. Most banks close at 3:00pm on weekdays. Museums are closed on Mondays however there are exceptions. Some museums extend their hours on one or two evenings.

Sightseeing Tips
It's best to concentrate your sightseeing in certain areas. Lower Manhattan one day, midtown another day. Check Nearby Places of Interest so you don't waste too much time shuttling between attractions.

Try to avoid rush hour. Weekday mornings, 8:00am to 10:00am; lunchtime, noon to 1:30pm; and 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

If you're searching for restrooms, it's best to find a large hotel, department store, or bookstore. Many restaurants restrict the use of their restrooms to customers only.

No Smoking Policy
Following the enactment of the New York City Clean Air Act, adopted in response to findings of the Surgeon General of the United States that passive exposure to cigarette smoke (second-hand or passive smoke) is linked to a variety of negative consequences. For overall health and safety concerns, it is illegal to smoke in almost all public places including subways, restaurants, office buildings, stores, museums, and theaters. The fines are stiff, $100 and up.

Tipping
15% to 20% is the normal gratuity. In restaurants, many New Yorkers simply double the tax as a quick and easy way to calculate the appropriate amount.

Telephones
Always dial 11 digits even for local calls. Start by dialing 1, then the area code, followed by the 7 digit phone number. Public Pay Phones are coin operated and take nickels (5¢), dimes (10¢), and quarters (25¢).
Ambulance, Fire, Police          911
Bus/Subway Information        1-718-330-1234
Dental                                1-800-400-1800
Directory Assistance             411
Locksmith                           1-212-369-4107
Time                                  1-212-976-1616
Towed Vehicle Info               1-212-869-2929
Traveler’s Aid Society            1-718-656-4870
U.S. Postal Information          1-212-967-8585 or 1-800-725-2161
Weather                              1-212-976-1212

Out-of-Town Newspapers
You'll find out-of-town and foreign newspapers at most branches of Barnes & Noble bookstores, Universal News Stand (234 West 42nd St) and Hotalings News Agency 1-212-974-9419.