A Small Bite of the Big Apple
'NYC'
'The Big Apple'
'The City that Never Sleeps'
Whatever you refer to it as, it is clear that at some point you will have heard of New York City. The concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Whether it be through a friend travelling there, or perhaps you will have seen it on a TV show or movie, this place will usually spark interest in any conversation you have.
However, upon travelling to the city for the first time, it can become extremely overwhelming as there are so many things to pack into making the most of your trip, which can often lead to not utilizing the time you have there in the best possible way and being disappointed with the things in which you never got to experience or the wrong things you did experience.
This guide will give you the best tips to make the most of your NYC trip!
FOOD
Ellen's Stardust Diner (located on 1650 Broadway, southeast corner 51st Street) - If you are a fan of musical theater and you're planning on taking a trip to Broadway during your trip, Ellen's Stardust is the perfect place to eat any meal! It boasts entertainment from waiters and waitresses who will perform in the middle of serving, with an extremely lively atmosphere - you may even find yourself singing along! All of the waiters/performers are very well trained and experienced in performing arts, with the majority of them leaving Ellen's to obtain jobs on Broadway and TV. The one downside of visiting here is that tables can not be reserved and are only allocated on arrival, which means this is the place you always pass which has a large queue leading all the way up the street. However, with the experience you have inside it is most definitely worth the wait!
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| Meal from Ellen's Stardust |
Carlo's Bakery (located on 625 8th Avenue and 42nd Street) - If you are an avid baking show fan like myself, one show you will have watched is Cake Boss. The show exhibits the most exquisite cakes from Buddy Valastro and family who appear on the TV show. Since being founded in 1910 by Carlo Guastaferro, there are now 20 stores operating under the Carlo's brand. One of the most popular stores is situated near Times Square and is well renowned for it's signature Cannoli pastries! Again, due to the popularity of this shop it often has a large queue, however, service is extremely quick and it is most definitely worth it for these sweet treats!
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| Carlo's Bake Shop |
Street Vendors - If you are travelling on a budget, or you would rather save money to spend on excursions and shopping, street vendors are always a cheaper option for a tasty treat! These can be found all around the city and offer a wide range of food and drink, such as a famous (massive) New York dollar pizza slice, a large salted pretzel, or you may even want to try the infamous corn dog on a stick! The most popular food vendor in the city is named 'The Halal Guys' and is located in 53rd Street and 6th Avenue where a large line of people will always form during lunch time, this vendor offers chicken and gyro meat along with rice and may be seen as the New York version of our typical kebab!
SHOPPING
Jersey Gardens - As a discounted shopping outlet, Jersey Gardens is situated outwith the city and will require a bus to get there. This journey will usually take approximately 35 minutes - depending on traffic. It is definitely worth the trip as this is the place you will get the most bargains from the biggest brands including Coach, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Kate Spade - just to name a few! It is also worth purchasing a discount coupon book when you first go inside at the customer services table as this often gives you a further 10/20% reduction in certain stores. As there is such a wide range of shops within the mall you may even find yourself leaving before you have seen everything! The bus for Jersey Gardens departs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal which is located right next to Carlo's Bakery (corner of 41st Street and 8th Avenue). It is important that you purchase tickets using the machines inside and never purchase from anyone selling them for cheaper within the station as these are often fake tickets. Woodbury Common is another shopping outlet you may hear of, however this does not offer as many shops and is not as big and convenient as Jersey Gardens.
Macy's (located in 151 West 54th Street) - As one of the largest and most well-known stores worldwide, you must take a trip to Macy's during your trip to NYC. This large department store offers a wide range of products for the whole family from designer brands to a make-up and cosmetics department and even toys for the little ones. You will always find something to purchase at Macy's and even if not, it is always good to go and enjoy the Macy's experience!
ATTRACTIONS
Madison Square Garden (located between 8th Avenue and 33rd Street) - 'The world's most famous arena' is the slogan which will greet you upon entering MSG - and it is easy to see why! One thing many people don't tend to experience when going to NYC is this attraction and it is one of the best things to experience. In particular, the 'All Access Tour' will give you the opportunity to go backstage and get an insight in to the history of the arena and past events which have taken place. An experienced tour guide will take you around the different sections of the arena for photo opportunities, including the chance to go court-side and even enjoy the view from a VIP box. If you are staying in the city for a few nights it is also worth checking the upcoming itinerary for the Garden as it is home to the New York Knicks basketball team and New York Rangers ice hockey team - even if you are not interested in sports there is a great atmosphere within the experience. Music concerts and shows are also often held in the arena.
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| Madison Square Garden 'All Access Tour' |
Broadway - One thing you must do whilst in the city is attend a Broadway show. With many shows on offer usually including Jersey Boys, Wicked, the Lion King, etc. There are often well-known talented actors featuring in the shows and you will find yourself singing and dancing along to the songs! The best way to secure broadway tickets is through discounted ticket booths. One of the most renowned ticket booths is the red 'TKTS' booth famously situated in Times Square, although there are often large queues here and it is not guaranteed you will get the tickets you want. In my opinion from experience, the best method of securing discounted tickets is to go the TKTS booth and you will find people with signs beside it who will have souvenir stores which offer tickets outwith times square, ask them if they have the tickets you are looking for and they will let you know what prices and availability they have. This is how I managed to secure 7th row tickets to Jersey Boys at $70 each which is incredibly cheap for the location of the seats.
One World Observatory (located in 285 Fulton Street, downtown Manhattan) - One of the most popular photographs people will share after a trip to the big apple is the view of the city from a high-rise building. Popular buildings which offer a chance to see the best views of the city include the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Centre (Top of the Rock). However, having previously experienced all of these views, I found the building with the most breathtaking views of the whole of Manhattan is One World Trade Center - the tallest building in the whole of the United States. Upon entering this experience, you are lined up individually facing a screen and shown a video detailing the history of the building through the years. At the end of the video the screen starts to go up, offering the most astounding views of the city. You are then given the opportunity to go between two floors in a 360 degree room with open views. This is the only place where you will get to view the whole of Manhattan, including Empire State and Rockefeller as well as Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.
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| View of Brooklyn Bridge from 'One World Observatory' |
possible this is the best option for you as you can experience the whole of Manhattan in 2/3 days. Most of the tours will include a Downtown and Uptown tour, with the option of taking a Brooklyn night tour - which I would definitely recommend doing as this will give you the best views and photo opportunities of the New York skyline at night. There are often extra deals which come with the possession of these tickets including tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, Empire State Tickets or Madamme Tussauds, etc.
* EXTRA TIPS*
- If you are looking to do some celeb spotting during your trip, you should find out who is starring in Broadway shows around that time. Usually the Broadway actors will appear from the behind stage door to take photographs and autographs before or after shows. This is how I managed to meet Bradley Cooper!
- Try and avoid using NY yellow cabs as a means of transport as New York traffic is extremely congested and this it can take a long time for the shortest of journey's, as well as it being very expensive. If you don't possess bus tickets, the best way to travel is through the use of the subway as it is cheap and convenient.
- Before booking, make sure you are travelling at the best time to make sure you get the most from your trip. If you would like to go at Christmas to see the lights, the best time to travel is late November/early December, as it gets extremely cold later in the month which means you won't get to experience some great parts of the city such as Central Park and the snow can get very heavy which can cause problems with travelling. In summer, it is also extremely hot and this is the holidays which means the city is the busiest at this time. Personally the best time to travel would be March/April.
- If buying souvenirs, it's best to buy them outwith Times Square as this is where they will be the most expensive. Walking a few streets out will result in cheaper shops.
Thanks for reading this week's blog on all things NYC! Hopefully you found this guide helpful into making the best for your next trip to the city.
Now you can 'start spreading the news'...
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