My one week spent in the Big Apple was pretty much the perfect movie; playing in the soft blanket of snowfall over Central Park, walking through the chaotic hustle and bustle of Times Square, and catching the subway like a local on their commute to work.
Here is a mini guide to my favourite activities, sightseeing and food to help you plan the ultimate week in New York City…
The NYC Essentials
The best way to see the major attractions the city has to offer is with a New York CityPASS. Pre-purchasing a voucher booklet online saves you money on admissions and time rather than waiting in long lines. You get entry to the New York essentials, including the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Top of The Rock, American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Make sure you spend an afternoon at the Rockefeller Building for the best 360° views of the city and beyond, you’ll pinch yourself watching the sun go down and turn into a skyline of twinkling city lights.
City Strolls
Don’t forget to pack your comfiest shoes for an NYC trip, because besides the occasional subway ride, you’ll end up walking literally everywhere. After sight-seeing all day, spend your afternoons strolling through Central Park, listening to buskers, making friends with squirrels, and ice-skating at the Wollman Rink.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Grand Central Station, the New York Public Library, and through the streets of Soho for the best shopping and stunning architecture. And how could you forget Times Square in the city that never sleeps, its bright lights will inspire you as promised by Jay Z and Alicia Keys.
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Watch a Broadway show
New York is the ultimate home to theatre and Broadway, you simply can’t visit without watching a show. There are a million and one amazing productions to choose from, but I couldn’t go past the Lion King. I was carried to a different time and place with their incredible cast, music and creative costuming and props, and from the opening act, the happy tears kept rolling with nostalgia from my childhood favourite movie.
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Prepare to ditch the diet
With a pizzeria on every corner, it’s very tempting to eat pizza for every meal in New York. Enjoy a cheesy slice bigger than your head at famous Joe’s Pizza in Manhattan, and you might even spot a celebrity enjoying one too. And did you really visit New York if you didn’t indulge in bagels, burgers, pretzels and hotdogs too? Spend one morning exploring Union Square in Manhattan and make a trip to the Kellogg’s cafe – the coolest cereal cafe with unlimited toppings and an Instagram station to style and share your unique creation.
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Re-live your favourite films and tv shows
New York is home to some of the most iconic movies and TV sets such as Friends and When Harry Met Sally. Find time during your week to eat breakfast at Tiffany’s like Audrey Hepburn, visit the legendary Seinfeld spots, Tom’s Restaurant and The Original SoupMan, sit on the steps at The Metropolitan Museum of Art like gossip girls Blair and Serena, and re-live Home Alone in the Plaza Hotel. NYC is a film geeks dream come true.
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