Here at HC Strath, we love to travel and explore the rest of the world and there is no better time to do it than when you are young and fearless. So, we have created a series dedicated to places we have each travelled to and compiled our top tips to create the best experience for you when you travel abroad. We thought what better way to kick it off than include the worlds 5th most visited city- New York City!
Of course, NYC is placed highly at the top of many of our bucket lists and is most definitely a trip of a lifetime. I was fortunate enough to visit the Big Apple last November, and it did not disappoint. Prior to travelling, I read many travel guides online to find out the best places to explore, shop and eat and also found some hidden gems while I was there!
Firstly, my favourite tourist attraction of all had to be The One World Observatory, located on the 100th floor of the One World Trade Centre which is impressively the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere! The views from the site are incredible, and give a totally different view of the city in comparison to the more traditional tourist hotspot of The Empire State Building. This attraction opened recently in May last year and this is reflected in the high tech elements of the experience which really is breath taking.
Secondly, my favourite restaurant during my trip had to be Juniors, located on Times Square. I was in the city for 6 days and ate in this restaurant 3 times, which proves how amazing the food was! It also serves world famous cheesecake in a variety of unique flavours. With an outdoor seating area situated on Times Square, you can witness the hustle and bustle of the city while enjoying a delicious meal.
Thirdly, my favourite shop I visited during my trip had to be Macy’s, as cliché and predictable as that may be. Of course, it is the biggest department store in the world with an infinite number of brands available in fashion, makeup, clothing, homeware, souvenirs, the list is endless! With all this under one roof, it provides the perfect outlet for spending all of your dollars, with my favourite purchase being my Michael Kors bag and sunnies and Anastasia Beverley Hills Makeup.
Fourth, my favourite experience of the trip was visitng the Brooklyn Bridge, it was an adventure in itself. I stayed Downtown, so had to get the subway to Brooklyn and we explored the area for a while as it is much less touristy compared to Manhattan in my opinion. I then walked along the Brooklyn Bridge, back to Manhattan and the experience was surreal, not to mention the amazing selfies I managed to take with the classic NYC skyline in the background. I would recommend leaving this until near the end of your trip, as it is rather exhausting but well worth it but also its free to do with many of the other being rather pricey!
Lastly, my favourite relaxing moment of the trip was visiting Central Park. To be honest, this exceeded my expectations, of course a park is a park with greenery and cute little walking paths. But the tranquillity of central park amidst the traffic and skyscraper buildings in the city is incredible, it is such a contrast and you forget that you are in a “concrete jungle” to quote Alicia Keyes! Grab a bite to eat from one of the street vendors, find a quite spot in front of the lake or tree house and soak up the atmosphere.
Make sure to follow HC Strath on Instagram @hercampusstrath and on Twitter @HerCampusStrath and like our Facebook page for daily updates!