17 hours is a bit tight, and there are so many things to see in NYC if you did want to explore a bit, but this is far enough away from JFK (like it'll literally take you 2-3 hours if you rely on the subway only), that I wouldn't recommend it for your layover! But there's plenty of stuff in Manhattan. :-D

If you do find yourself in NYC toward the tail-end of winter, it'll look like it does my photos— I took these photos in the very beginning of April this year, so not much was in bloom quite yet. The super colorful images are from inside the Conservatory, which houses loads of warm-weather flora all year round.

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