New york city
Spring Break 2019
New York, New York... I can now say that I realised my biggest dream, I've been there!
A new article about a new destination, just to share with you my little tips, the things I did in the Big Apple and many of the pictures I took. I also did a vlog if you haven't seen it, just clic here.
First of all I this it is more than necessary to plan your week when you're going to New York. I did a planning a few days before leaving, which was pretty full to be honest, I didn't want to miss anything. Make sure you use a map while doing it, because New York and even Manhattan is quite big.
Just so you know, New York City isn't JUST Manhattan!!! It's composed of 5 boroughs : Manhattan but also Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. The famous tourist attractions are mainly in Manhattan but the other boroughs seem amazing as well. Let's make a quick overview of the boring things before telling you more about what I did.
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Housing 🏡
My friends and I booked an Airbnb in Guttenberg, New Jersey. New Jersey is the state just next to New York. It is very much possible to do that, and it is way less expensive than booking an accommodation in Manhattan. We were only separated from New York City by the Hudson River. The picture just above was actually the view we had from the main road. You can see the skyline of Manhattan and the Hudson River just beneath.
The only drawback from booking in New Jersey is that every morning and every night, we had to take a coach, a bus, in order to go in Manhattan. The bus was actually 15min ride when there's no traffic (which NEVER happens even in New Jersey), it was is reality about 30 to 40min, twice a day. You have to buy special tickets for these buses, which cost $3.50 each. The buses we could take were the 166, 165 or 128, which took us straight to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Manhattan.
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Transportation 🚇
The best alternative for transportation, and this is told with absolutely no doubt, is to take the metro card. You have a special offer: if you take the 7days unlimited pass, it will cost you $32. This is the best decision I've taken while I was in New York, no joke. You can take the subway as many times as you want within 7 days, and it also works for the bus service! I even took a bus in Brooklyn, wasn't too sure if that would also work, but it did. A single subway ticket is $2.75, just do the calculation. Believe me, you'll take the subway more than 11 times (yes, I did it for you). New York is so big that is it vital you take the subway (😂). Private joke, I bought this metro card on my first day there, but I didn't want to use it as I was staying 8 days and it's only valid for 7 days... I never walked that much of my life. I did 32km just in one day, I was so proud that I posted it on my Instagram, but the next day my legs huuuuuurt! Anyway...
Here comes the fun. I'll divide the next activities between the free ones and the ones that I paid.
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Free activities 🌈 / What to see 🗽
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Bridge is one of the mandatory things to do when visiting NYC. The bridge is amazingly beautiful, there is a walkway just above the cars road which is really great. I was impressed by its length, it's quite long to cross so save a few hours for that. On the other side of the bridge is Brooklyn. I advise you to go to Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is just underneath one side of the bridge. You can take beautiful pictures over there and admire the skyline. That's actually where I ate my shake shack and it was the perfect spot for lunch.
So this bridge isn't Brooklyn Bridge as everyone can think. It's actually Manhattan bridge, which isn't very far from Brooklyn Bridge.
This spot is quite famous for taking this special shot. It's a picture you can see all over Instagram but I understood why when I saw it. The angle of the street has the perfect view over the bridge, it's quite impressive.
If you're interested to see this view, it is in Washington Street, Brooklyn.
If you want to cross Brooklyn Bridge, you can also go there to see this view as it's very close for the walkway entrance.
I really love this picture but honestly --- everything is a question of framing.
The street was SO crowded with Instagram people, it was quite scary. Of couse I was one of them, but anyway...
Tabernacle Church in Brooklyn is also well known for amazing Gospel. It is the only one I have done so I cannot tell you about those in Harlem for example, but my cousin ( ♥︎ ) who lived in NYC advised me this one. It was half tourists, half locals, which made the thing even greater.
The songs are beautiful and I had goosebumps during the entire show. Count approximatively an hour, which is half songs and half sermon.
Central Park
So I guess you're gonna say that I ate fast food all week long, and that I didn't give coins to the guy making the bubbles as the other man with the hat is staring at me, well yes, these are both true 😂.
Central Park will stay my favorite activity. The park is so big and so beautiful. I think it is worth taking a whole afternoon to walk around. I advise you to do it from south to north, but don't go farther than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, just walk around it and go back south.
It must be even more beautiful during summer. Pick your day to go there, it is so lovely when it's sunny.
Many locations are very famous in Central Park because of the enormous amount of movies shot there.
Gapstow bridge (the small bridge on the burger picture's background) and Bow bridge (two women laughing picture) are very well known and very romantic places.
SPOILER - On the dark picture with the accordionist, you can see Bethesda Arcade, also famous to be the place where Chuck and Blair got married in Gossip Girl. Such a big fan.
Roosevelt Island Tramway
Roosevelt Island is situated on the East River between Manhattan and Queens. It is part of Manhattan. As you can see on my pictures above, there is a tramway called Roosevelt Island Tramway, that connects the East side of Manhattan to the island. It is also served by the subway.
You have a very pretty view of the Upped East Side when in the Tramway, it's quite impressive to see a part of NYC from the air. The ride is approx 5 minutes long but it's really worth it.
I've put this activity in the "free" category as it is really free if you've already paid your 7days metro card. Well, it is included. I told you to get it! If you don't have the metro card, you need to pay the single ticket subway price to do the Tramway ride.
Once on the island you have the possibility to take the tramway again to go back to Manhattan, you don't have to validate your card or subway ticket from this side. You can also take the subway if you had vertigo during the outward journey (haha). Or you have the possibility to walk a bit in the island, the skyline view is very nice from there, but there isn't really anything else to see.
World Trade Center / Financial District
Not too much to say about this, the Financial District is quite often forgotten when you read the different activities to do in NYC, while Wall Street is really impressive. The buildings are beautiful. Not far from that, is the World Trade Center and Ground Zero, the memorial of the 09/11 twin towers. This memorial is huge and very peaceful, but there's also a very sad and heavy atmosphere over there. You get emotional just by watching the water flowing. The World Trade Center (the white monument) is beautiful from the outside and the inside, it's just a mall so you can enter it without any problem.
The High Line / Chelsea
The High Line isn't that famous in New York. I had to make some research to find it, never heard of it before. It is actually a public park built on a historic rail line elevated above the streets, on Manhattan’s West Side. It was saved from demolition by neighbourhood residents, and opened in 2009 as a public space where you can experience nature, art, and design. It is very nice to walk elevated in New York, surrounded by nature. It is quite quick to do though, you can count less than an hour.
At the south end of the High Line is Chelsea, a district of New York. Chelsea Local Market is quite well known and lovely to walk around, you can find many different types of food there and shops.
Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry is going from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island, back and forth. The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is actually open to public and free, so anyone can go.
The boats leave approximately every 15 minutes and the trip takes 25 minutes.
You have to go to Whitehall Terminal in order to take the ferry. Once you're on the boat, you have a beautiful view of NYC's skyline.
What is also interesting is that you will pass just next to the Statue of Liberty.
If you want to see it without taking a whole day to go to Liberty Island, or without paying a super expensive cruise, the Staten Island Ferry is the perfect alternative.
Once arriving on Staten Island, you have the possibility of visiting the island, or just taking the ferry the other way around.
New York Public Library / Grand Central Terminal
The New York Public Library is, as its name says, open to public. It is a beautiful place, also very big, and interesting to explore. Obviously it is a touristic monument but people / students really work over there so it is important to be respectful and silent.
Grand Central Terminal is, as Central Park, also very famous for many movies scenes. For me it will always be well known for Gossip Girl.
It is actually a real train station so I think it's always quite busy and crowded, but it's beautiful to see.
Friday Museum Night
Every Friday Night, several museums are free and open to public. You can easily find the list on the internet.
I decided to go to the MOMA. This museum is amazing, it was actually my favorite one. Be careful, as it's free, it's also very crowded... The ideal is to go one hour before closing time, because people usually come at the opening of the free event (around four) and leave pretty soon.
Others
Empire State Building, my fav
Times Square
Broadway ♥︎
48th street
Rockefeller Center (pay to visit)
Radio City Hall (pay to visit)
SOHO - my favorite district
NBC Studios - you need to pay to visit them but you have the possibility to book tickets for the Jimmy Fallon show. These are free! I would have loved to do that but unfortunately you need to take care of that in advance, probably 2 or 3 months before going. It was too late for me when I knew it.
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Charged activities 💵
Top of the Rock
The Top of the Rock is quite expensive, you have to count $40. But it is soooooo worth it. This is the most breathtaking view I've ever seen in my life. Some people argue between the Empire State Building view and the Top of the Rock view, but I really think this one's my favorite, as you see the Empire State from here. It was really THE activity that I wanted to do because I saw this view all over the internet. I wanted to see this from my own eyes and have my own pictures. Just so you know, you can be charged $10 more if you go during the sunset. Be careful at what time you book, and if you really want to see the sunset, just go and wait at the top, because there's no time limit once you're there.
I wanted to make sure the weather was good to go there. So I waited for the brightest day of all week, and booked my ticket on the internet the very same morning. It avoided me queuing up for hours.
Natural History Museum
I really like the Natural History Museum, it is quite big and very interesting. The good thing about it, is that you can give anything you want at the entrance. A receptionist will advise you a recommended amount to pay, but you can really give the amount you wish.
The funny part was obviously trying to find anything represented in the movie Night At The Museum. I was a bit disappointed as a found very few of the famous characters.
The most exciting part for me was the astronomy section. The museum has a planetarium which is amazing! Space is kind of fascinating me so I was very happy to discover that.
Broadway show
If you have the possibility to do it, never hesitate and go watch a Broadway show.
This was part of my New York dream, going to NYC, and watch a Broadway show.
I went to see Frozen and it was the best experience ever.
The scenography, the costumes, the artists voices... Everything was perfect from beginning to end.
The price will always depend on the show you watch and the day you go, even the hour you chose!
There are many shows in Broadway so you have plenty of choice.
Obviously even if I didn't have the chance to watch the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child show, I went in front of the theater just to admire the settings.
I'm gonna stop here now because this article is already way too long, but I had so many things to share!
Of course you have many other things to do that I haven't mentioned, for example the 5th avenue is very impressive, plenty of museums that I haven't visited, you also have many outlets where you can buy big brands at a very small price, such as Century 21 or Marshall.
I hope this will be useful and inspiring for anyone going to New York City soon.
Hope you like it.
Lau xx
March 29th, 2019