New York City:  Join me on an adventure as my daughter and I conquer NYC in 4 fabulous days
written by Rozz

Day 1:

Book an early morning flight from UK ensuring you arrive in New York by lunch time.

If you are an adventurous explorer like myself jumping on the subway from the airport added to the fun of our trip but you can always grab a cab which are plentiful in NYC. I would not recommend pre-booking transfer as the cost is much higher than doing it locally.

Arriving early allows you plenty of time to grab lunch, check-in at your hotel, unpack and then set off to explore your surroundings. If you staying near time square a perfect excuse to stop in at Serendipity 3 - Times Square and enjoy a waffle or more 🙂

I had chosen to stay in Time Square which was perfect for us. Although super busy we found a real escape and peace when at the hotel so really found we had the best of all worlds. We stayed at The Riu Plaza Times Square which was incredible.

Day 2:

After a good night's sleep, we were up fairly early to begin our day! We had planned out a rough route the night before so had an idea of what our day ahead would be like and what we needed to ensure we packed in our backpack. First stop............

Rockerfeller Center where you will find a large quantity of art in almost all buildings and expansive underground concourse offering great restaurants and shops, there is also an ice-skating rink, and if you happen to visit at Christmas don't forget the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. We stopped in at The Tipsy Baker for a delicious breakfast and coffee.

One Summit a multi-sensory, immersive art experience that combines stunning panoramic views of New York City with unique art installations and interactive elements, taking the concept of an observation deck to new heights. I would highly recommend pre-booking tickets for this as it gets super busy. Even with pre-booked tickets expect to queue. This is an absolute MUST DO in my opinion as the views are sensational. For us we chose to do One Summit rather than The Edge but you can of course do both. 

Grand Central Station - A quick 3-minute walk will find you at the iconic landmark of the world famous Grand Central Station. Apart from its civic architecture it has featured in many movies - Madagascar being the most recent I remember.

On our way from to the Empire State we had a quick stop in at the New York Public library - this is free of charge and a real treat for all ages.

Empire State Building - First building in the world to have more then 100 floors. Still a modern marvel it is a must see. You can get some great photos in the lobby and of course should you wish pre-book tickets for the 86th floor and the 102nd floor.

Two girls on a mission from here we jumped on the subway and headed to:

Brooklyn Bridge - Truth be told this was purely for an Instagram photo, which I later realised it was actually Manhattan Bridge that was the famous Instagram must do shot, but how glad I am we did it. BB famous for being an iconic landmark, a symbol of New York City, and a marvel of 19th-century engineering, it was the first steel-wire suspension bridge and the longest in the world at the time of completion in 1883. It was a good walk and a real sense of accomplishment crossing the sign "Welcome to Brooklyn" with its trendy vibe and warm feel Brooklyn is a must see in my opinion and NO there are not police stopping you from entering. We found the locals warm and welcoming and enjoyed a yummy lunch at a local pizzeria.

Staten Island - After lunch we were back on the subway and headed to Lower Manhattan where we jumped on the ferry to Staten Island. Teagan and I were laughing our socks off when we realised the ferry which is free of charge did not actually stop at The Statue of Liberty but passed by allowing us great photo opportunities. You can book tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty Island which is very popular so book in advance.

Wall Street and The New York stock exchange - Once back in NYC we stopped in at a very impressive Starbucks for a warm drink and then made our way to Wall Street and The New York stock exchange. We enjoyed walking the streets and taking it all in. We were already heading into the night and loved the transformation of the buildings at the end of the day being lit up.

Ground Zero - Our final stop for the day and what a way to end it off! The site of the World Trade center, is absolutely a must see. It is a place to remember, understand and reflect the true tragedy of September 11th attack and to just take a moment to really take it all in. There is also a memorial museum and some stunning architecture around to see so really take the time to take this all in. 

From here we made our way back to the hotel. A wonderful 1.5hr walk taking us through Washington Square Park and almost entire length of 5th Avenue we were back at our hotel. We enjoyed dinner and both crashed for an "early night"

Day 3:

Chelsea Market - After a little lie-in this morning we jumped on the subway to 14th Avenue and made our way to Chelsea market an iconic culinary destination in New York and considered one of the greatest indoor food and retail marketplaces in the world.  We simply loved it! We enjoyed a hearty breakfast and spent a good amount of time visiting bakeries, fruit and veg shops, delicatessens and of course the market where designers and artists had hand made goods for sale. 

The High Line - A short 1-minute walk from the market and we began the 2.33km walk along the high line. This is a great way to experience New York City, offering a peaceful escape from the busy streets and showcasing art, nature and architecture it gives a different look at the city and you also get to see the Hudson River. An absolute stunning piece of architecture is The Vessel which you can climb the 154 stairs to the top for a panoramic view of the city. The Hudson Yards shopping centre has amazing array of shops and enjoys a warm escape if you do the High line on a cold day.

Central Park - An urban park between Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighbourhoods of Manhattan and New York City. We spent an incredible afternoon enjoying only half of what Central Park has to offer. If you have a full day to enjoy walking this park by foot, then definitely do so. There is an app that you can download which will help you navigate your way around the park and give information of landmarks etc interesting fact all the lamp posts have a number on this is because of how big the park is and in the event you get lost you can call for help and police will know where to locate you.

Teagan and I enjoyed doing the famous landmarks by pedicab. It was so much fun and our driver was so knowledgeable about all the sites around the park from the Balto statue (the dog that grants the wish to never get sick), Central Park Zoo, Bethesda fountain which has featured in many movies including Home alone 2, The Friends fountain, John Lennon's Strawberry hill and the The Boathouse. We honestly had the best afternoon enjoying what the park has to offer.  If you want to do the horse and cart look to pre-book as we found it to be nearly $150 more then if we had pre-booked tickets so gave it a miss. We were ravenous after this and enjoyed a yummy hot chocolate and toasted chicken at an American Diner nearby.

Day 4:

This was our final day in New York and what a charm this city has been! Teagan and I made loads of notes whilst out and about of shops we knew we had to stop in before we headed home so left the last day for exactly this.  Our morning kicked off with a breakfast at The Bread Baker and then we set off to shop and boy did we shop till we dropped. We of course had to visit the NBA store and on this note if you are a Basketball fan plan your trip around a game - this was not essential for us BUT shopping for a basketball for my Son was!

You CANNOT visit New York without having a bagel so lunch today was at the Bagel Pub and was it the best bagel ever- OH YES!!! We then finished off grabbing a few souvenirs and headed back to the hotel to pack our bags and head to the airport.  

Allow plenty of time if travelling by train as delays had us slightly frazzled, but we made it in time and enjoyed a yummy dinner (most expensive airport dinner yet $215 for pasta and burger) but well worth it! 

We were soon on-route home and landed at Heathrow around 6:30am in time to enjoy a full day back home.

Tips:

 1. Use the subway wherever you can it is a great way to get around

2. Remember tax is added on top of everything

3. Get a subway card

4. Don't overthink it go with the flow there is so much to do

5. Enjoy every minute!! Laugh and be crazy life is for living.

Thank you New York you were AMAZING!!!