So as many of you know (or if you don't), I just got back from spending a fun couple of days in the Big Apple! Any of you reading this who have visited the city can agree it is an overwhelming and beautiful city, and you're never short of something to do! I've tried to stay away from talking about the main attractions in this post, I'm sure you've all heard enough about the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Times Square in plenty of songs and your friends holiday pictures! Instead I'm going to tell you all about some other areas/things we discovered that you may not have thought about visiting.
Accommodation
New York can be an expensive city, but there are a few ways you can save money here and there. If you can afford to splash out on an expensive hotel in Manhattan then whoopie! But if you're a student or planning on travelling around and fancy staying somewhere a bit cheaper, I suggest checking out airbnb.com for some cheap finds! You basically get to rent out a room, apartment or in some cases the whole house! We managed to find a pretty decent ensuite room in Upper East Side for less than $150 for 4 nights.
Transport
When you talk to most people who have visited NYC they'll always tell you to fly to JFK Airport, but in most cases you'll find you're a lot closer to where you want to be when you fly to LaGuardia (which in our case was a 15 subway ride to our place). So always check your options before going for the most popular!
I also recommend getting a "7 day pass" for the Subway if you're going to be there for 3 days+ as it works out a lot cheaper and for 30 dollars you can get practically anywhere! Admittedly, it took us about a day to fully understand the whole subway system, in that most stops are labeled as "52nd street" etc. as opposed to our handy London tube with all its creative names that makes it a lot easier to know where you actually are.
Food
Being a food lover, of course this had to have its own section. NYC is filled with a wide variety of food options and everywhere you turn there'll be a pretzel, hot dog or pizza stand (the $1 pizzas are actually really good!!) But be aware of the food trucks... most "meals" will cost you about $8 and let's just say the "chicken" noodles I had made me question if I was actually eating chicken. But some great places to check out are Gigi's Cafe, Dylan's Candy Bar (this place was heaven), Shake Shack (next to the Museum of Natural History) and the pizza, the pizza is good everywhere.
Things to Do/See
Coney Island - This seaside neighbourhood was probably one of my favourite places we visited! It felt like we were transported back to the 1950s with its bright colours and vintage look (not to mention a theme park that probably has more thrill rides than Universal) and also boasted some quirky looking restaurants and bars.
Friends Apartment - Found in the corner between 90 Bedford St. and Grove St. This is a must see for any F.R.I.E.N.D.S fan, sadly there's no Central Perk underneath it but the cafe there does offer some good food if you want to make the most of the walk there for your instagram photo!
There are so many movies and Tv Shows shot in NYC (Gossip Girl sites are endless) that if you just google famous movie locations in New York you're bound to find one of your favourites.
HighLine - Found in Manhattan, the High Line is an old unused railroad converted into a sort of elevated park/shopping/garden path. It's definitely best to choose a sunny/relatively warm to make the most of this. It's kind of one of those things you have to see for yourself to grasp the beauty of it rather than be told about.
Chelsea - Firstly this is a prime celeb-spotting area of New York. The neighbourhood is filled with food, shopping, expensive houses and is generally a pretty place to wonder around. It is also where you can find the infamous Chelsea Hotel, where many old hollywood stars used to reside and where Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) stabbed Nancy. Many artists have also written about this hotel, most famously by Leonard Cohen (Chelsea Hotel No #2 - I recommend you check out Lana Del Rey's beautiful cover of this here. )
Another thing I recommend purchasing if you want to see the attractions is the "New York City Pass" It costs around $115 and gets you access to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Natural History Museum, 9/11 Memorial Museum, Top of the Empire State Building view (twice!!), a boat cruise through the Hudson river to the Statue of Liberty etc/Guggenheim museum and a top deck view at the Rockefeller.
Williamsburg - we actually didn't have enough time to go visit this area but I definately recommend visiting it! (Although it's a bit complicated to actually get there for first timers) It is one of Brooklyn's most popular and artsy neighbourhoods that has a young hip vibe and filled with creative energy!
This city is definitely one that you could probably live in for a year and still discover something new every day. You can either be in the heart of the city where everything is glitzy and fast or move away from it completely. I must admit my feet took a beating, I was not made for walking from 9am-10pm for 5 days, especially not in pumps, but it was definitely worth it and we got a lot out of it in the time we were there (and a lot of laughs and memories!)
♡ GS ♡
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