Recently, I was fortunate enough to take a trip to the Big Apple with a few of my sorority sisters courtesy of one of their mothers. I hadn’t been to New York City in what felt like forever, and I was craving a change of scenery and culture. After purchasing our $44 round trip tickets, a 5 a.m. start, and 4 hours on a somewhat rickety charter bus—we made it, and my God, was it worth it!
Initially, I was skeptical that a three-day trip would be enough to satiate our interests. Simply because New York City is so large, and there are so many people and way too much to do and see. However, as I soon learned, it’s not about the span of time but how you organize your trip. If you plan to go to NYC or wish to in the future, there are a few necessary places, streets and areas to visit which will leave you with city’s neon lights in your eyes.
The first place we hit upon arrival was SoHo, which I highly recommend. It’s sleek, trendy and full of life. There are tons of street side food joints and cafes that serve delicious lattes and hearty meals. When in need of a shopping break, there are fabulous boutiques loaded with the latest fashions at very reasonable prices. We stayed at the Empire Hotel on the Upper West Side, due to the accommodations provided by my friend’s mother, however, that was just a lucky strike. If you’re looking to visit, stay in Time Square. There are plenty of hotels which are reasonably priced and perfectly located in the center of everything.
On day two, we got up early, jumped in a cab and headed down to the very famous Canal Street, where all the black market shopping goes down. It didn’t take long for me to empty my pockets; although, on Canal Street you don’t have to worry too much about that because of all the ridiculously delicious deals. I’ll put it this way… my mother is now clutching a black and velvety designer purse all thanks to the street side salesman yelling, “Michael Kors, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, Fendi!” at the top of his lungs.
Later that day after a severe seven hours of shopping, we dined at a nouveau riche, zsa zsa-type restaurant called Hakkasan. Again, it was covered by my friend’s mother, considering the $331 check would have been pretty steep for a few college chicks. Nevertheless, the food was delectable, and there were plenty of copycats along the way which were much more reasonably priced.
After dinner, we ventured to the Majestic for a night at the theatre. Much to my surprise, the Phantom of the Opera was quite the tear jerker. Yes, that’s right; I had never seen this production before. Regardless, if in the Big Apple—you must see a show. It’s basically a requirement. New York is known for its fabulous Broadway productions, and if you don’t get an opportunity to seeone, you are truly missing out.
The next morning we woke up packed and got ready to head back to civilization. But before all of that, we stopped by a yummy little breakfast spot called Landmark to fuel up before we left. And even though this place was somewhat out of the way for the everyday tourist, as I said before, there are loads of similar spots to sip a cappuccino and watch the day go by or fill up for a busy day.
That may seem like a lot of information, but I felt obligated to share it simply because many college aged kids are intimidated by the big city life and prices. But I’m here to assure you it’s doable and completely worth it! Give it a whirl!