This summer, I went to New York City… again. If you look back at one of my previous articles, you would see a recent account of a trip I made to NYC in March. This time, I am going to tell you about in the ins and outs of the city and the love-hate relationship I have with it.
I went on this trip with my mom, sister and grandma. When we arrived, I experienced the same rush of emotions that I had the first time I was in the big city. When I was surrounded by all the people, fast cars and monstrous buildings, I wanted nothing more than to get on a plane and go back to my hometown with a comfortable population of 20,000 people. However, when leaving NYC, I started missing it. While I’m gone, it’s easy for me to miss the big hustle and bustle of the city and all its magic; when I’m physically there, it’s a different story.
Even though I have some mixed feelings about how to handle the energy and craziness of NYC, I really want to share some of my tips for those of you who are considering a trip to the Big Apple (and might be experiencing some hesitation like myself).
1. Do the Hop On, Hop Off bus tours.
These double-decker buses are a great way to maximize sightseeing time because you can hop on and hop off wherever they stop in the city. With a two-day rate of about $70, we got to go on a night tour, uptown tour, downtown tour, Brooklyn tour and a ferry ride out to the Statue of Liberty. This is a great form of transportation because it is really cheap! If you plan on mostly walking but might need a ride once or twice, another super convenient option would be using a ride-share service like Uber or Lyft. We had a great experience with both services! Plus, it is a lot cheaper than a taxi.
2. Try out little restaurants that aren’t on Broadway.
Around the corner from our hotel was a little sandwich and pizza place called Carve. It was super cute and tiny, and the food was really good. We went there for breakfast one morning and it served some of the best french toast I’ve ever had! I definitely recommend trying to find the most rinky-dink places to eat because they are usually the best!
3. Go see a live talk show.
There are many free live shows in New York, ranging from Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show and many more. We went to Live with Kelly and Ryan, which was a really cool experience. We got to see how they set up for the show, what they do during commercials, and I got to personally meet Ryan Seacrest! He really is as short as you think. These shows are fun and free, so how could you say no?
4. Be as touristy as possible.
My favorite part of this trip was going up to the top of the Empire State Building. It cost $45 per person, and it was worth every cent. We also went on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, saw the 9/11 Memorial and went to Central Park. Go to all these places—even the T-shirt shops!
Oh, and I finally got a Jimmy Fallon T-shirt!
Thanks for reading! Next time you are thinking of taking a short and fun little vacay, check out New York and don’t forget to read these tips before you go!
Xoxo, Bailey :)