NEW YORK CITY

My first blog post just had to be about my favourite city in the world! NYC! I was lucky enough to spend a whole 2 months living it up in Manhattan this year, from the Bronx to Brooklyn, all the way to Long Island, with my apartment on 30^th st between Madison and 5^th Av, it’s fair to say I nearly covered the whole city! That being said I still have a little list of things to do on my next NYC trip!

I am asked all the time, ‘Alex! I’m going to New York, what should I do? Where should I stay?’ the answer is, my friends, there is no exact answer! NYC is one of the biggest cities in the world, which means there’s a million different things to do, and a million different places to stay! There truly is something for everyone! If you’re someone who’s on a tight budget, you might want to consider staying out of Manhattan and utilising the subway! (That being said, even if you stay in the middle of the city I guarantee you’ll still be on the subway every day!) Or if budget isn’t in your vocabulary there are breathtaking penthouses downtown, in lower Manhattan and right up on 57^th-59^th st near Central Park (Hello Plaza!). If you’re feelin’ real touristy you could stay near times square (but I would probably suggest against that as that area can be really overwhelming and noisy, and you don’t get the real feel for the city there)! Alternatively, if you’re travelling with your family you could even rent a gorgeous brown stone townhouse in Harlem, through Airbnb! These are just a few accommodation examples, there are obviously so many more!

As for things to do, the list goes on! If you know me, you know I am the biggest musical theatre geek there is! Which meant the majority of my time was spent in line at the TKTS booth, buying last minute theatre tickets, also meaning a raked up a total of about 20 shows on Broadway! So if you ask me anything about NYC, the first thing I’m always going to say is ‘you have to see a Broadway show!’

Other than that, I thought I’d make up a quick list of some of my favourite things I’d recommend doing in New York!

• Walk the high line! – Situated on the west side of Manhattan, the high line is an old railway track converted to a walkway with colourful plants, offering a different view of the city!
• Go up the Top of the Rock – For one of the best views of the Empire State Building!
  

Shop in SoHo – From big brands to one of kind designer boutiques, SoHo is definitely one of the major shopping locations of the city, so be sure to keep an eye out for celebs!

Eat in Little Italy – Do I even need to explain this one?

Stroll around Central Park – Hands down the best people watching spot, you get the most diverse mixture of people, from the stressed SoHo mom’s walking their Chihuahua’s to the all kinds of crazy people (you know what I mean), there really is nothing like taking a stroll through the park when its Central Park.

See a concert/ sports game at Madison Square Garden! – Whether you’re into ice hockey or basketball or the A-List singers, or not, going to an event at MSG is unbeatable! The booming atmosphere of thousands of devoted fans is not to be missed!

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge – In my opinion the best way to do the Brooklyn Bridge is to get a ferry or subway over to Brooklyn, and then walk back to Manhattan; this means you get the stunning view of the city behind the bridge.

Get the Subway to Coney Island! – Head downtown to the end of the line on either the D, F, N or Q train and you’ll end up on Coney Island! Perfect for a summers day on the beach or at Luna Park, and don’t forget to grab a Nathan’s Famous Hotdog (the Original location) before you leave!

Take the Staten Island ferry! – From memory the Staten Island ferry runs every half hour, it leaves from battery park and is about 25 mins each way. The best part is that it’s free and offers the best views of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the New York Harbour!

Opera at the Lincoln  Centre – Not necessarily for everyone, but definitely an amazing experience. I got to see a performance of Roméo et Juliette, which was just stunning, and we only paid $35 each for our own box, in the almost full theatre. It’s a great excuse to get a bit dressed up, and listen to amazing music in a world renowned theatre.

Roosevelt Island Tramway – If you have a bit of extra time, this aerial tramway has some of the coolest views of the city! With just a swipe of your MetroCard you can feel like you’re flying through the city! Once you get to the island, there is an old abandoned smallpox hospital, which is pretty cool to have a look at.

Eat some damn pizza – The last must do of NYC is of course eating some pizza! Grab yourself a nice greasy slice of cheese pizza and enjoy!

If you’ve made it this far you’re truly dedicated and for that I thank you!! Definitely let me know if you’re planning to go or have already been to NYC and what you think of it! I obviously love New York and to me it’s really the greatest city in the world! (The greatest city in the worlddd, work, work) (If you’re not a Hamilton fan, you should be).

It surely won’t be long till I back with another post, I really appreciate you taking the time out of day to ready this, leave a comment just to say hi, or with any questions you may have, I’d love to hear from you!

Signing off,

Alexx