I first went to New York City when I was 14 years old and since then I have returned to the City four times and moved to Albany in New York State for a year abroad. When I first travelled to America I had no idea what to expect and although I was excited, I’d never really thought about going there before. Now I love New York City more than any other place I’ve travelled to and I get more excited each time I go back. It really is the greatest City in the world!
Food
One of the great things about New York is the food! There is such a wide variety of places to choose from and every type of cuisine imaginable is available. Whether you want to dine in a fancy restaurant or eat from a typical New York food cart, there’s always a great place to eat on practically every corner! One of my favourite places to eat is Burger Joint for the best burgers in NYC. It’s hidden in a fancy hotel but once you go down a small dark hallway with a neon burger sign you find yourself in a small wood panelled room, covered with posters and signatures, with a select cardboard menu (consisting of just burgers, a few toppings, fries and drinks) and usually a huge queue because it’s so popular. Also you can’t go to New York without having a slice of pizza. One of the best pizza places is Lombardi’s in Little Italy, the first pizzeria that opened in NYC, which serves huge delicious pizzas with a wide range of toppings. Another iconic restaurant is Katz Deli which serves amazing pastrami and beef sandwiches and is also where Harry Met Sally was filmed.Â
Sightseeing
Going to visit New York wouldn’t be complete without a bit of touristy sightseeing. Everyone needs to experience certain landmarks and buildings at least once to get a real feel of the city and to think “Wow, I’m really here!” Times Square, though overcrowded and busy, is a must just to see those huge neon signs and to feel like you are right in the heart of the city. Also no trip would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty. You can either get a ferry to Liberty Island to actually see her up close or a cheaper alternative would be to hop on the free Staten Island Ferry that drives right past her, which is great for photo opportunities. Other interesting places to visit are Grand Central Station for the beautiful interior and architecture, the Brooklyn Bridge to see the close up views of the skyline, as well as the recently built 1 World Trade Center building. Another obvious choice would be to go to the iconic Empire State Building to see amazing views of the city and to feel like you are in a film. However for the best views of the city the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center would be the place to go. You get the great views you would get at the Empire State Building except that you can see the Empire State Building included in the skyline. Also there is a viewing deck at the top without any windows or bars which is much better for photography.Â
RelaxingÂ
The best place to relax in the city is of course Central Park. It was created to be a rural oasis in the middle of the busy city, and it certainly lives up to the job. Once you get further into the centre you would have no idea that the biggest city in the world was surrounding you. The park is so full of trees and grass and rocks that you almost forget that the concrete jungle is just a few streets along. The great thing about the Park is that there is actually so much to see and do in there due to its huge size. The best places in the Park to visit are the Jackie Onassis Reservoir, which is great to run or jog around, the boat lake and the Bethesda Fountain. The best thing about Central Park is that you can just relax and escape from the City, and it’s a great place for people watching. All you need to do is find a park bench or a stretch of grass with a great view. I personally prefer the South end of Central Park to relax on the grass but be able to see the tall buildings of the city towering overhead at the same time. Other great places to relax and unwind include museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the High Line Park located on an old railway line raised above the City in lower Manhattan.Â
Shopping
Of course my favourite part of New York has to be the shopping, especially on 5th Avenue. It has pretty much every designer brand you can think of as well as high street shops like Forever 21 and a new Topshop store is set to open soon too. New York is also great for department stores with Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorfs, Barneys and Macy’s to name a few. Bloomingdales is my favourite department store because it stocks so many great brands in there as well as a great beauty department offering discounts for international visitors. There are so many other places to shop too, with more independent shops dotted around the city as well as designers’ flagship stores such as Marc Jacobs, especially in areas downtown like Soho. Of course no trip is complete without a visit to the iconic Tiffany’s on 5th Avenue where the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s was filmed starring Audrey Hepburn.Â
There is so much more to explore in the New York City and although I have now visited five times there are still so many things I want to see and do such as visit Brooklyn or go to different museums. The great thing about the City is that there is something for everyone and there is always new or exciting things to discover no matter how many times you visit.
Edited by Caroline Chan.Â
Image source: Sophie Dunne.