New York New York – The City That never sleeps!

I visited with my husband Graeme and my son Evan. We stayed 6 nights, flying from Newcastle via London Heathrow to JFK.

As soon as we landed we couldn’t wait to get out and about. We had a pre booked transfer to our hotel, checked in and then went out to explore and get a feel for the area.

We booked an attraction pass which was great for us. We like to be up and out exploring all day. You have to there is so much to see and do and just not enough time. It definitely helps to be organized and have a plan of what you would like to see and do otherwise it can be overwhelming.

We managed to fit so much into our stay – early mornings and late nights but so glad we did – it was an amazing trip and here is a little peek at the highlights for you.

We did the Big Bus tours from Times Square which was great to give you an overview of the city and areas and get a feel for what is where. We also used the subway a lot, we stayed right next to Grand Central Station, a beautiful building in itself to explore but a great base for jumping on the various subway lines which take you all over the city and beyond.

We did all the major attractions - 911 memorial & museum, Times Square, Madame Tussaud’s, The Rise, Grand Central Station, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry to Liberty Island to see Lady Liberty & the museum, the return boat via Ellis Island & the Immigration Museum, One World Observatory - SKYPOD Observation, Central Park, Empire State building, Top of the Rock, Pedicab tour of Central Park, Central Park zoo & children’s petting zoo too.

There are free things to do too so you don’t always have to pay – we visited the National Museum of the American Indian, New York Public Library, United Nations Building, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Battery Park, Bryant Park, 911 memorials and Central Park. Of course, lots of shopping too – Macy’s Bloomingdales, Saks 5th Avenue, Woodbury Common and more. Plus, just walking the streets is great. So many amazing buildings to see and lots going on. We saw a TV commercial being filmed at The Rockefeller Centre when we were there.

There are lots of tours you can do too with local guides. These are walking or coach and really give you a feel for the real New York as they are hosted by local guides who are really knowledgeable. I love things like this as it’s really authentic, informative and interactive.

We did a full day guided bus tour – authentic New York visiting Harlem, Queens, The Bronx and Brooklyn with several short stops and a very funny, friendly informative guide Gorge. My favourite stops were the BMW bridges – Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn a really diverse neighbourhood where we had real New York Pizza and looked at all the amazing street art.

We also did a guided tour of The Rockefeller Centre and a guided walking Marvel City Tour – both great and very informative, things you would never know or see just walking around yourself.

The highlight of our trip for me was our visit to Broadway – a special birthday treat. We went to see Disney’s The Lion King which was amazing.

So many food options in New York to suit everyone from the wide variety of street food vendors, McDonald’s, Bagel / sandwich / coffee shops, China Town, Little Italy, real NY Pizza, Irish bars with home cooked favourites, American Diners and nicer restaurants too. You won’t go hungry.

I literally don’t think we could have fit in any more….

A great trip and October was a great time to visit. When we were there the Ice Rink in Central Park had opened, they were busy freezing over Rockefeller and the Christmas Tree was coming the following week. A few of the shops had started decorations too in preparation for the most magical time to visit – Christmas and New Year.

If you would like to visit New York, please get in touch. Not only can I book NYC for you but help you plan and get the best out of your time there too. What are you waiting for?