Published February 27, 2014 by Jess
New York City is just like the movies and tv shows portray – bright lights, fast paced and never sleeps!
Times Square
You could visit this amazing city for 2 months and still not see everything worth seeing, it’s ever changing and one of those places that keeps you going back for more!
Getting Around the City
Manhattan has an excellent public transport network in the form of the subway. As long as you are near a subway, getting places is very quick and easy. Most hotels will provide Subway station maps, but you can also pick them up in the subway themselves. The main stations Penn Station and Grand Central Station are like their own little underground city, providing plenty of food options for travellers.
Taxi’s are also convenient and affordable so getting around the city is no hassle (however travelling by taxi during peak hour is not recommended).
Areas to Stay
Our recommendation is the Times Square/Hells Kitchen area or Midtown. In these areas you are within walking distance to attractions such as; Central Park, FAO Schwartz toy store (home to the giant piano), Times Square, Broadway, Rockerfeller Center, The New York City Library, Grand Central Station, Penn Station, Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building.
Things to Do and See
Hop On Hop Off Bus
For only $46 you can buy a 48 hour Hop On Hop Off bus ticket for all 4 routes. Brooklyn, Uptown, Downtown & Harlem. Recommend doing this during the Summer months or when the weather is warm.
Statue of Liberty
http://www.statuecruises.com/ferry-service/welcome.aspx
Climb the steps to the top of the crown inside the Statue of Liberty (restricted numbers per day so book ahead). What an experience this is!
You will take a Ferry to the island departing from Battery Park, upon arriving head straight to the Statue of Liberty entrance where you will climb to the top in small groups to meet a guide up the top. The guide will provide information while you are up there.
If you are at all afraid of heights or confined spaces, this is probably not the tour for you. The staircase you take to the top can become quite narrow in areas and winds around in circles through the middle of the statue. There is the option however to pull out of the climb half way, if you choose to do so.
Ferry rides to the Island and around the Island are also available from Battery Park.
Rockerfeller Center
During the Christmas period, the Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree is a very big tourist attraction. On the 1st December every year, tourists and locals gather for the lighting of the Christmas Tree. In my honest opinion, the tree really wasn’t what I was expecting. I had extremely high hopes and was a little let down. The Christmas Tree wasn’t nearly as “full” looking as you see in pictures and the decorations seemed quite sparse. I will say that I’ve definitely seen better!
The Rickerfeller Center Christmas Tree
Rockerfeller also has an Ice Skating rink that you can pay to go ice skating on. I opted to instead ice skate in Central Park as the lines to Ice Skate at Rockerfeller Center were extremely long and the price you pay is double what you pay in Central Park.
Top of the Rock
Is a viewing platform at Rockerfeller Center that provides uninterupted views of Manhattan. Top of the Rock has glass fencing on the viewing platform and for that reason we feel it is better than the Empire State Building for viewing the city. Photographs also turn out much better when the views are uninterrupted.
The LOVE Sign
The LOVE sign is located near Rockerfeller Center and is a cute and quirky piece of art to stop and have photos with.
Times Square
Appears over-rated during the day because you don’t get the ‘WoW’ factor of the bright lights. However at night it definately comes alive and is a must-see!
Times Square is buzzing continuously and has some great options in terms of theatre, dining, shopping and sightseeing.
The Times Square Naked Cowboy used to frequent Times Square, particularly in the Summer months. The last time I was there in summer (2011) I didn’t see him around, however the Naked Cowboy is a bit of a tourist attraction. He is literally a “buff man” who stands in the middle of Times Square wearing underwear, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat & plays a guitar. He charges $1 to have photos with him. The man is a genius, imagine what he earns a year based on the number of people who visit New York City every year!
You can’t go to New York City and miss Times Square!
Broadway
Check out a show… there are unbelievable costumes & some really amazing talent in Broadway musicals!
I’ve been to The Lion King and Sister Act on Broadway and thoroughly enjoyed them.
The Lion King the musical ~ 2006
Central Park
Take a walk through this beautiful park…it will take you a while but it is well worth it. Pack a picnic in summer or bring a ball to throw around.
During Winter, Woolmans Ice-skating rink is a must and adds a festive feel to your holiday. You’ll pay $25US to skate on the rink and for the hire of Ice skates. There’s also an additional charge to hire a locker for your valuables. There is a sign outside the rink to say that cameras aren’t allowed on the rink however we, among many others took ours on and none of the staff said anything to us.
Woolman Rink – Central Park
Empire State Building
For the experience alone and to say you’ve been to the top of the Empire State Building I would go. But the views are better at Top of the Rock and the lines much shorter.
Brooklyn Bridge
Unreal photo opportunities from the Pier, you will get views of the entire bridge. The Hop On Hop Off bus tour stops here.
I recommend walking across the bridge and into Brooklyn itself. The walk across the bridge will take approximately 40 minutes including time to stop and take photos.
The buildings in Brooklyn are very “New York” with the stoops leading up to the doorway of apartments and townhouses.
During the festive season, Brooklyn has its own Christmas Tree which is beautifully decorating, and in this writers opinion, better than the Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree.
New York City Library
An amazing piece of Architecture! Beautiful on the outside, stunning on the inside.
If you were a fan of the tv show/movie Sex & the City, this is where Carrie Bradshaw was to wed Mr Big in the first film.
The New York City Library is free to look around, just make sure you remain quite, it is a library after all.
Inside the New York City Library
FAO Schwartz Toy Store
Located in close proximity to Central Park, FAO Schwartz Toy Store is a bit of fun for the whole family. The attraction for me was definitely the “Giant Piano” made famous from the movie ‘BIG’ starring Tom Hanks.
It is literally a giant piano that you can stand on and play music with your feet. The rest of the store is an extremely large Toy Store offering every toy imaginable to make a child’s dream come true!
Grand Central Terminal
Often referred to as ‘Grand Central Station’, this is a truly beautiful building made all the more amazing by the fact that it is a train station. The exterior to Grand Central Terminal is stunning and upon entering you see where the name comes from, the Main Concourse is very “grand” and spacious with amazingly high ceilings and endless walls to reach the ceiling.
Grand Central Station is located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown and is a commuter station.
Across the road from Grand Central Terminal is a café made famous by the film ‘Friends with Benefits’ starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.
Wall Street
Home to the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street is a “suit and tie” kinda area, however it is in a nice neighbourhood and worth checking out the old architecture.
New Year’s Eve
If you’re planning a trip around the festive season, and it coincides with New Year’s Eve then here’s a couple of tips we learnt;
- Everyone who had ever been to New York City around this time warned us off doing the touristy “Times Square to see the Ball drop”, and we are glad we listened to them. The NYPD begin setting up their barricades the night before New Year’s Eve. On the day, people begin arriving to secure their spots early in the morning (we are talking 9am) so some people spend their whole day and over 12 hours standing around to “get a good spot”. The NYPD close the barricades at 8:30pm and open them at their discretion between then and 11pm. They are then closed from 11pm until the ball drops. Bathroom breaks can be tricky and can cause you to potentially lose your “good spot”, as a result we were advised that some patrons wear nappies to solve this problem. Not the kind of New Year’s Eve I’m looking to part-take in!
- During this time of year, it is extremely cold because it is winter. Being someone who is used to summer weather for New Year’s Eve, I like to wear a nice dress on the occasion. My advice if you plan to do the same is to definitely wear your winter coat. I also opted for stockings and you can wear boots and put both these and your winter coat in the cloak room at any Nightclub (they all provide these at an additional cost).
- Table service at a bar/nightclub is a great way to enjoy your night without having to pay more money (it’s all included in your ticket).
- Many of the bars and clubs also offer premium open bar with the price of your ticket (this does not include your tip).
- We paid $200 AUD for premium open bar and table service which included 1 bottle of Veuve Champagne and 1 bottle of Premium Vodka.
Sporting Options
There are many different sporting events available to see in New York City depending on the time period you are there.
During the summer months;
Major League Baseball (MBL) is popular at Yankee Stadium.
During the winter months;
National Basketball Association (NBA) at Madison Square: Tickets can be extremely expensive to see the Knicks play. I had planned on seeing the New York Knicks vs the Toronto Raptors on the 27th December 2013 however back row tickets were selling for $250US dollars. A little out of my price range.
National Hockey League at the Prudential Center, New Jersey: You can take the train from Penn Station in New York City out to the Prudential Center in New Jersey, changing trains on the way. For a decent seat you’ll pay just under $150US dollars.
Inside the Prudential Center
National Football League at Metlife Stadium, New Jersey: This stadium is where the 2014 NFL Superbowl was held. You can take the train from Penn Station in New York City to Metlife Stadium. Unfortunately we were not told and our tickets didn’t state that you cannot bring bags into the stadium. Even with security checkpoints, bags are not allowed in. You first have to check your bag into a checkpoint (free of charge) and remove any items you need and place them into plastic bags provided. The stadium also does not have undercover seating. We paid approximately $169 Australian Dollars for seats in the very last row.
As I said before, New York City has so much to offer! Among everything I’ve already listed, don’t forget to check out some of the neighbourhoods on your visit. Bryant Park has its own Ice Skating rink set up during the winter months, and is a beautiful area. SoHo has your shopping needs including the new Sass and Bide store and the Kardashians ‘Dash’ store. Chelsey has some cute little bakeries and cafes that are a must see.
If you’re like me, you’ll just keep going back, 3 trips to this wonderful city just hasn’t been enough!
Enjoy!
Passport 2 the World 