On May 2nd, I embarked on one of the best trips of my life. Getting to know New York was one of the biggest dreams of my life, and I can assure you that the city met all of my expectations. It was 11 days of a girl’s trip – me and my mom – experiencing NYC.
We went to museums, did some shopping, met a lot of different places and parks, went through some very crazy adventures, and, of course, ate a lot of good food – something that me and my mom personally love. New York is that place that awakens your curious, adventurous and free side, where everyone can be happy, doing different things for each liking. It was definitely one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
The perfect lunch with the best view
Having lunch in Bryant Park was one of the best experiences that I had as a tourist in NYC. It’s kind of a break from the chaotic every-day life. The park has this atmosphere of quietness in contrast with the city noise. It’s incredible for itself, but when combined with one of the best natural and healthy food places that I’ve ever discovered – Sweetgreen -, became one of the best programs that I did during my trip.
You have many options of food in the restaurant, like protein plates and bowls, but what I loved the most is that you can create your own – and that’s what I did. It’s such a delicious option for lunch – and a cheap one compared with the others in New York -, and it’s literally in front of the park. This combination it’s like a gift from the heavens. It’s even more incredible if you go on a weekend -, because that’s when the Makers Market happens, a fair located at Bryant Park with over 175 vendors, full of handmade items that you won’t find in any store.
an entire day at Central Park is a must
Central Park really is all of what we see in the movies. It’s kind of like an oasis in the middle of the – good – chaos of the city. There is so much to see in the park that you can spend an entire day walking around and you still won’t see all of it. There are some delicious restaurants for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or just a coffee there.
In case you get a little tired of all the nature, you can take a walk through the Upper East Side, a very beautiful neighborhood with lots of stores and beautiful architecture. There, you’ll also have the best cookie of your life. Just a few minutes from Central Park is Levain Bakery, they don’t have many options, but all of them are worth a try – my personal favorite will forever be the dark chocolate with peanut butter one -, if you don’t go, you’ll definitely be missing out.
A day having the dream student life in Village
If you wish to travel to NYC, you probably have dreamt of studying at NYU. Well, the university campus is basically all the Village region, a quite nice neighborhood to explore. You can go to Washington Square West, a very nice place to relax, read a book and listen to some street music – once there’s always a street artist playing or singing some music.
After, you can visit the college buildings and see in real life a little of the routine of the New York student. There’s also a lot of different stores – Boyar Gifts, Stoney Clover Lane and Mure and Grand are some of them – that you should check out. If you are a Taylor Swift fan, you can visit the famous Cornelia St, and one of the past houses that our favorite blondie has lived in. One of the things that you’ll find most at this region are coffee shops, so, if you really like a sweet treat or an iced matcha, or coffee, you should definitely try one of them.
If you like matcha, this one’s for you
There’s nothing else in this world than the Joe & the Juice Iced Blueberry Matcha. It’s literally the best matcha latte that I had in my life. So, if you are a fan, don’t think twice and go try it. There are several coffee shops of this chain scattered in the city, with a variety of juices, protein shakes, breakfast and lunch options, cold and hot drinks, so, even if you are not the matcha fan, you should try something on their menu.
The Museum of Natural History is indeed an incredible experience
I can say truthfully that the Museum of Natural History in New York was one of the best museums that I’ve visited. It truly is an amazing trip through time. If you are a historian girly, you’ll definitely love it even more. It’s all of what you’ve seen in the history books, but in real life. There is SO much to see there, so you should definitely spend an entire morning, or afternoon, in the museum.
The coolest neighborhood of NYC is definitely worth the hype
If you like shopping, discovering new things, art and architecture, Soho is definitely the place for you. It is a neighborhood full of things to do and see, and the best thing that you can do there is going “blank”. Don’t get stuck with a schedule, just walk through the streets and see the buildings, stores, galleries – there are so many there – and enter in the ones that catch your eye. It is a program to do in a whole day, so don’t hurry and enjoy your day. Oh, and please, don’t repeat the same mistake as me, and go on a sunny day, you’ll enjoy so much more.
The most beautiful view, good food and a little shopping
You know when you see that incredible view of New York City in these TikTok videos? I’m sure that it is one of the incredible places that you can visit in Brooklyn, one of the most famous neighborhoods of the city. Your day out must be on a weekend, and it can start at Dumbo, another neighborhood close to Brooklyn, there, you can see the famous view of the Manhattan Bridge, it can get a little crowded, so I advise you to get there a little early.
After that, you should have a walk around the Brooklyn Flea – the whole reason why you should do this day program on a weekend, once it only opens on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm -. The flea is a vintage market with lots of items to see – from clothing, to accessories and cameras -, I can guarantee you that you’ll probably lose your mind there if you like fashion. But, I’ll let you know, you’ll have to be patient, this is a program that you shouldn’t do in a hurry, even if you don’t buy anything, it’s still a very fun thing to do on a day off.
When you are tired of shopping and you get a little hungry, go to the Time Out Market, there are many places to eat there and you can choose the one that catches your eye the most, but I must say that if I were you, I would eat something different than what I’m used to. Personally, when I was there, I had one of the best foods that I have ever tried, a chinese dish, called Baozi. While you are there, don’t forget to go to the rooftop, it’s free and it’s one of the most amazing views that you’ll have from both the Manhattan and the Brooklyng bridges.
From there, have a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the view, do a little shopping if you want, take lots of photos and, most importantly, remember that you are ALIVE and enjoy your day – your trip.
______________
The article above was edited by Duda Kabzas.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Líbero home page for more!