What to Pack for New York City for Spring and Summer

We just had an amazing sisters weekend in New York City a couple of weekends ago. Playing NYC tour guide for my sisters and sister-in-laws was exhausting but so much fun. I always love showing off one of my favorite cities! Thank goodness they loved it and had a great time. Prior to the trip, my phone was going off with numerous text messages from all the sisters regarding what to pack for New York City. They wanted to make sure they came prepared and were dress appropriately for the weather and New York City day and nightlife. If you have never been to New York City before, than this guide to “What to Pack for New York City for Spring and Summer” will be so helpful.

If you a planning to trip to New York City to explore and do all the fun tourist things that the City has to offer, plan to bring comfortable and breathable clothing. There is a lot of walking and standing, and most newbies under estimate how exhausting it can be exploring the Big City. Your feet will be hurting by the end of the day. Also, plan to wear the same outfit all day long. Most of NYC traveling groups I have been with never have enough time to head back to the hotel to change from their casual day clothes to an evening outfit. There is simply too much to explore in a day! Also you may not be near your hotel to make the switch. So wear an outfit that is comfortable enough to walk the streets, but polish enough to walk into a broadway play or nice restaurant. If you really want to make an outfit switch, then carry a change of clothes in your day pack. But keep in mind, you can really get away with wearing whatever you want to broadway plays and restaurants in New York City because there are so many variety of people coming off the streets.

Also when packing for New York City, I also suggest to pack similar clothes with complementing colors so you can crossover outfits. In the spring, skinny jeans and cotton pants work great. In the hot summer months, avoid jeans because it can get quite humid. I love wearing shorts, skirts and dresses.

Here are some New York City Street smart clothes for Spring and Summer:

Top:

Bottoms:

Dresses and Jumpers:

Another thing I suggest when packing for New York City is good walking shoes. Ditch the heels and wedges, unless you have a planned event that requires you to dress up. Your feet will be hurting if you wore those. There are so many cute street style tennis shoes. Bring shoes that provide arch support and won’t fall apart. I wore my Nike tennis shoes all weekend, and they saved my feet! Also, I wore them with jeans, skirts and dresses. So yes! You can dress up a pair of tennis shoes. In the summer months, pack comfortable sandals that you can get mileage out of.

Here are a few street style tennis shoes.

Here are a few sandals

Bring a jacket or blazer even in the hot summer months! Remember New York City is on the coast and that ocean breeze can get cold during the evening. Also the City is unpredictable with weather and can change from day to day. When my sisters came, it was supposed to be in the high 70s and then dropped to the low 60s with rain. We were cold! But then the last two days it was in the 80s and sunny!

Here are a few jackets and blazers:

Since you will be on the road walking alot, carry your belongings in a small, stylish backpack, fanny pack or cross-over bag. Over the course of the long weekend, I wore my leather backpack the most because it could hold a bottle of water, umbrella, camera, snacks, makeup for touchup and a jacket.

Backpacks and Fanny Packs:

Crossover Bags:

Some other things you want to consider bringing in your backpack is portable chargers with cord–your phone will run out of batteries. Hand sanitizer because New York is filled with germs. An umbrella is definitely needed in the spring time and later summer with afternoon showers.