You might know the Upper East Side or Brooklyn if you’ve watched the TV series, “Gossip Girl”. Or, maybe you’re familiar with Fifth Avenue because you’ve watched “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. But, that’s not everything about New York. After I spent about one month in NYC, I realized that there are so many places you must visit when we are able to travel there again! So this article is for those who want to go to NYC in the future and those who are in the Global Link program.
- Central Park
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No one is allowed to leave NY before visiting Central Park! Central Park is the biggest park in NYC and at the core of Manhattan Island. People all from uptown or downtown, West or East gather at the Central Park to enjoy picnics, walking/jogging, reading, playing and so on. My favorite way to enjoy Central Park was by having a picnic with some friends and snacks which we bought at a nearby supermarket. You can look at the view of skyscrapers and chill at Central Park!
- Chelsea Market/ High Line
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If you want to see New York from a different perspective, High Line is the best recommendation. The High Line was once destined for demolition. Luckily, the community rallied together to repurpose it instead, creating the park you see today for everyone to enjoy. It has since become a global inspiration for cities to transform unused industrial zones into dynamic public spaces. It looks like an outdoor museum but also a colorful garden. Just walking along the line show you the mix of the history of NYC and NYC today.
Also, it’s near Chelsea Market where you can get the best lobster roll which you can’t miss!
- SOHO
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SOHO is famous among young people. It’s an area you will never get bored of! When I was in NYC, I visited SOHO one or two times a week. There are dozens of shops for girls like Brandymelville or Urban Outfitters. Also, there is a spectacular tea shop called HARNEY & SONS that sells varieties of tea based on cities like “Tokyo”, “Paris” and of course, “SOHO” (my recommendation is “Paris” though). It is also fun to go shopping in Times Square, but SOHO has relatively fewer people and is easy to shop!
- Smorgasburg
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Since NY is a melting pot, the foods are also very diverse. Just looking at the food trucks around Central Park can make you feel like you “really and finally are in NYC!” But if you want to eat the best of the best food in NYC, you can’t miss Smorgasburg. Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open-air food market in America, attracting 20,000-30,000 people to Brooklyn each weekend to eat from 100 local vendors. Unfortunately due to the current pandemic, they are not open right now. But, a new takeout-only format, Smorg To Go, was launched in Williamsburg. It also sounds fun to take out the foods and relax in your room.
- Outfoor Relaxation: Kayaks and Movies
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If you enjoyed shopping and foods in New York, you should definitely enjoy some leisure too! NYC offers some free kayaking and ourdoor movies around Brooklyn and the Hudson River. I have been to Hudson River Park for both kayaking and watching a movie, and it was so amazing. It was my first time to try kayaking but it’s not difficult—even for someone who always got the worst grade for P.E. class—and once you understand how to paddle it, there is nothing more relaxing to experience. Also, the outdoor movie was the epitome of peaceful because all the people, food, atmosphere and movie were perfect.
There are so many things I couldn’t include in this article so stay tuned to the second edition of “Places You Need to Visit in NYC”!