New York is probably one of the most sort after destinations in the world. It seems that most people have either been or would like to go and as a result there are one hundred and one travel guides and sources of information available…

Annnnndddd, here’s another one for you!

I have recently just left the city that never sleeps and thought that I would throw in my two cents about the famous destination. New York is so big and there are so many different things to see and do, to the point that everyone that visits will have a slightly different experience whilst they’re there. 

I have been fortunate to have explored the big apple twice before and so I have already done the main ‘tourist-y’ things (i.e. The Empire State Building, Ellis Island, The Statue Of Liberty, Top of The Rock etc.) As a result, this travel guide is a little more of a relaxed and casual exploration of New York, including things that are a little more off of the beaten track, but a little more interesting and a bit different to your usual New York bucket list.

WHAT TO EAT


Two bros Pizza – This amazing pizza was $1 per slice, which was incredible and it tasted so good! I shudder to think how many slices I actually had whilst we were in New York, but it was honestly so good. It was the perfect light lunch, or a couple of slices were great as an option for tea if we weren't too hungry. 

Black Tap – Famous for their amazing burgers and shakes, James and I ended up sharing one of their ‘Crazy Shakes’, which was incredible. I’m so glad we shared though because it really felt like a meal. The Cookies & Cream shake had a rim of chopped up Oreos, Vanilla and Oreo Ice cream topped with whipped cream and a giant Oreo Ice cream sandwich, phew!



Big Daddy’s – This cool little diner is located in down-town Manhattan and serves some incredible food as well as some gorgeous shakes. I opted for the Mac n’ Cheese sandwich followed by the best chocolate milkshake of my life! It was super affordable and had a great, old school ‘American Diner’ feel to it. 

Five Guys – I know that this chain is all over now, including the UK, but there was something so good about eating a genuine NYC Five Guys burger and fries, especially before heading over to Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Knicks.

WHERE TO STAY

Hell’s Kitchen – We decided that we wanted to stay in Hell’s kitchen, which is incredibly central. It is two blocks away from Times Square and a really quick walk over to Central Park. It was the perfect spot and we ended up walking everywhere we went. 

Air BnB – I would really recommend having a look through Air BnB before booking any hotel in New York. We found that it offered great locations and it was actually much cheaper than any chains. We were really luck with our studio apartment. It had everything that we needed, was perfectly located and really felt like a home from home. 

WHAT TO DO 


The Classics – As I mentioned, we went to New York a few years ago, so we weren’t too bothered about doing that again. However, if you wanted to go to The Top Of The Rock, see the Statue Of Liberty, go to The Natural History Museum, I would really recommend looking into getting a City Pass. You Can save loads of money and you are guaranteed entry to all of the city’s main attractions.

Watch An Event MSG – With Madison Square Garden being one of the most famous venues in the world, getting a ticket to one of their events is pretty cool. The Knicks were playing whilst we were in NYC and so we decided to get some tickets to their game against the Charlotte Hornets. It’s such a good atmosphere and it feels very ‘American’ – I would really recommend seeing what’s on if you fancy some evening entertainment. 



Cool Shops – Times Square is arguably one of the top attractions to see in New York and is one of the more popular tourist spots. There is something a bit magical about looking up at all of the lights, it really does feel like something out of a film. What’s more, it is a great way to spend an evening walking through and exploring all of the different shops on display. The Hershey’s and M&Ms store were both really fun, and I couldn’t wait to have a peak in Sephora. However there are some really cool stores a bit further out including the Nintendo Store and quirky little sweet and taxidermy shops. I would recommend having a wonder down some street to find some real gems.  

Street Art – This may not be something that is at the top of everyone’s to do list when they visit New York, but there are some really cool pieces of art and memorials located around the city. We went to Down-Town Manhattan and saw some really cool pop up pieces from Banksy, as well as some tribute art work of the Beastie Boys and Blondy. We also went into the old CBGBs venue, which is now a pretty sweet clothes store. It has loads of photographs of musicians that created the iconic setting of the music venue including the Ramones, Misfits, Blondy and many more. 


Sight Seeing – There is plenty of sight seeing to be done in New York, however there are so really fun things to do that wont cost you a dime. On one of our days we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and spent the afternoon in Brooklyn before heading back over the bridge at sunset. It was so beautiful to look at the Manhattan Skyline and we didn’t have to pay a thing to enjoy the amazing view. We also spent a huge day in Central Park, which again, was really beautiful to look at and it was all completely free. 

High Line – This mile long abandoned railway track was a great way to explore the city from a different angle. There were plenty of plants and trees and I can imagine that it would look so beautiful in the summer months. It was something a little different and gave us the perfect excuse to explore the far left of New York.  


INSTA WORTHY SPOTS

Pietro Nolita – If you follow any blogger on Instagram and they have been to new York, chances are that they have a picture of this pretty little pink cafĂ© on their feed. As a clichĂ©, basic blogger babe, I of course wanted to head to this little spot in down-town Manhattan and take a snap outside. Although the outside is cute, the inside was really cramped, super busy and massively overpriced. It was a little deflating as so many people had raved about this coffee stop but I wasn’t overly impressed… I still popped my picture on Insta though!!



Sprinkles Cupcake ATM – This little cupcake spot is another classic ‘blogger in New York’ place of interest, plus the idea behind it seemed so cool! It’s a tiny little shop that sells the nicest cupcakes (I opted for the Vegan Red Velvet option) and they have their very own cupcake ATM machine outside! How millennial…! I’d really recommended heading over if you get the chance through, not only is it a novelty, it’s the perfect girly background for a great insta-shot! 





Madolyn
xxx

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