New York City, or as Alicia Keys would say the Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of, is America’s largest city – so large in fact that it has more than twice the population of the next biggest city, Los Angeles (8.1 million).
It should be no surprise then that the dilemma my friends and I had when planning to visit The Big Apple came down to time. So much to see, so little time. If there is one tip I can give to anyone visiting a big city like NYC, it is to plan. Plan each day in advance so that you don’t waste half your morning working out what you will be doing for the rest of the day.
If you’re planning a visit to NYC, then keep reading to find out my top 5 must do’s….
Live your own Audrey Hepburn moment…
Would a trip to NYC be complete without a shopping spree on 5th Avenue? Easily one of the most recognisable street names in the world, 5th Ave has everything a shop-a-holic (like myself) could dream of. From high-end fashion favourites like Burberry, Chanel and Prada to well known brands like Sephora, Zara and Anthropologie – there is a shop to fit all budgets. My favourite shop on 5th Ave would have to be Tiffany & Co. No, not because of all the sparkly diamonds (although they are reallllly nice…), but because of The Blue Box Cafe. Located on level 4 of Tiffany & Co’s Flagship New York store, you can treat yourself to breakfast, lunch or high tea (featuring Tiffany’s personal tea!). It was a highlight of my trip, but be warned you have to book 30 days in advance to live out your own Breakfast at Tiffany’s moment.
Bright lights and Broadway
My love for theatre and musicals makes seeing a show on Broadway an absolute no-brainer when visiting NYC. There is a show for you, no matter your taste. We had wanted to see the new Harry Potter play, but (as expected), this proved extremely difficult to get tickets for. Instead, we saw Anastasia which was one of my favourite movies growing up. We didn’t book our tickets in advance, but if you plan on seeing a Broadway favourite (for example Hamilton), then I suggest checking out ticket availability a few months in advance. Last minute tickets are sold and often at a (slightly) lower price on Time Square, but the queues for these outlets can be long and popular shows don’t always have availability anyway.
Manhattan from above
We were lucky enough to see Manhattan from above on 4 different occasions from 3 different points of the island. The first place we visited was also the newest. One World Trade Centre Observatory provides a great outlook of Manhattan island from Downtown and also across the Hudson to Brooklyn and Staten island. Next we visited the Empire State Building, one of the most recognisable buildings of NYC skyline. We had purchased a NYC Pass which included access to the observation deck but what really delighted us was to learn that we could go to the top again the same night! Seeing the lights of Time Square reflect on the buildings made it well worth the numb fingers! My absolute favourite moment of our time in NYC though was our morning at the Top of the Rock. We had somehow bagged ourselves tickets to the first entry of the day which meant when we got to the top, we were the only ones out there. It was breathtaking.
Trek across the Hudson
Our second last day in NYC was spent walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and exploring Brooklyn and Williamsburg, Thanks to the time of year we were visiting, the Bridge was not too busy and we were able to make plenty of stops along the way to take in the views of Downtown and Uptown Manhattan. The vibe across the Hudson is in contrast to the suits you left when crossing the bridge. Brooklyn is cool. We could have spent hours exploring the thrift shops and I was strangely excited to see a b-ball game in the local courts – just like what you see in the movies. We spent our evening watching the sunset over Manhattan from Westlight, a trendy rooftop bar. The drinks are not cheap but the view was priceless.
Find your inner Zen
There is nothing in NYC that is as iconic as Central Park. It forms part of the lives of NYC locals whether for exercise, a picnic or just to escape the hustle and bustle that Manhattan brings. We rode around the park and I am so glad we did, we would not have seen half the amount we did otherwise – Central Park is huge. It even has its own zoo! It was so beautiful. I also was surprised at how quiet and peaceful it was when riding around. I can understand why so many locals visit the park. If I ever return to NYC, Central Park will be top of my list.
Have you visited NYC? Let me know your favourite spots!
For more info:
Blue Box Cafe – https://www.tiffany.com/blue-box-cafe/
CityPASS – https://www.citypass.com/new-york
Westlight – http://westlightnyc.com/
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