USA…Solo Adventures In New York…April 4, 2018USATravelled in: Multiple Trips 2017 – 2018 Working for an american fashion brand has it’s perks. One being regular visits stateside to one of my favourite cities in the world, New York. Over the past 18 months I have been lucky enough to visit New York a grand total of 7 times. The main purpose of my trips to New York is for work obviously, but I always make sure I save some time for a little bit of play… I am almost always on my own on my trips to New York. Luckily I quite like my own company and am more than happy to go on adventures on my own. For some, being alone in such a big city could be a daunting experience… I personally think New York is the perfect place for a solo trip! New York is such an exciting city, there’s so much to do and see a travel buddy would just get in your way ;)… PLUS this city is full of solo travelers and chatty New Yorkers it wouldn’t be difficult to find some company if it was needed. Top tip for meeting fellow travelers is to hang out in the social areas at your hotel, or sit at the bar during dinner. On my last trip I actually managed to meet someone on the side of the street, we were heading to the same place and ended up sharing a cab. Every time I visit New York I always try to make the most of my time in the city, I love trying out new hotels on each of my visits, eating at cool restaurants and exploring in my spare time! All of my recommendations are more than suitable for solo travellers. Here is a roundup of some of my favourite New York spots… Where I stay in New York… My office in New York is in the midtown area, so this is where I tend to stay. Some of my go to hotels are… For a room with a view and hipster vibes… The Arlo Nomad, East 31st St. For big rooms and huge comfy beds… The Roger, East 31st St/Madison Avenue. For all round great service… The Redbury, East 29th St. For party vibes and rooftop pool views… The Royalton Park Avenue (formally known as The Gansevoort), East 29th St/Park Avenue. I would recommend all of the above hotels for a stay in midtown New York. It is hard to pick a favourite as they are all good for different reasons. All of these hotels are within easy walking distance of Times Square, New York Library, Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Center, Macy’s and Madison Square Gardens. For trips up and downtown there is a subway on East 28th St/Park Avenue. All of these hotels are priced between $270-$350 per night (depending on time of year). Where I eat in New York… As a bit of a foodie I LOVE eating out in New York. The sad part is I usually don’t have any company to enjoy dinner with… Going for a meal solo can be a daunting experience, but when you are eating good food it makes it much more enjoyable. Instead of sitting in my hotel room by myself and ordering room service, I usually try to make an effort to eat out. New York has SOOOO many amazing places to eat at it would be such a waste to not try them. CONFESSION: If I have had a busy day or am jet lagged I will sometimes get an UBER EATS to my hotel room, which is also a good way to taste the culinary offerings of New York, just from the comfort of your bed. These are some of my fave places to go when I do eat out… Lunch Spots… For a healthy chicken bowl… Fields Good Chicken, East 32nd St/Madison Avenue. For incredible fresh falafel & hummous… Nanoosh, Madison Avenue. Dinner Spots… For the best Korean food… Her Name is Han, East 31st St. For a fun atmosphere and mouth watering smores… The Smith, East 29th St/Broadway. For all things Italian… Eataly, FlatIron. For pizza that dreams are made of… Julianas Pizza, Dumbo Brooklyn. Dessert Spots… For those with a sweet tooth… Sweet Churros, Food Gallery 32, West 32nd St. My Favourite Things to do in New York… Rooftop Drinking… On the odd occasion I do have friends to go out with in New York I love to check out one of the many rooftop bars to enjoy a drink with a view. A couple of spots I would recommend are… Salvation Taco, East 39th St – On the top of the Pod 39 hotel lies a pretty spectacular rooftop bar. This is a great one to come to for sunset. Make sure you get here early as the bouncer stops letting people up in the lift once the bar is at full capacity. The Heights @ Arlo Nomad, East 31st St – This was a recent discovery of mine. This bars unique selling point is it’s glass bottom floor. Don’t look down if you are scared of heights. Chinatown/Soho… This is my favourite area to go for a wander. There are so many cool boutiques, quirky restaurants, cool galleries and interesting street art to check out. A bit of street art I highly recommend hunting down is this Tiger. You can find him at 186 Lexington St. Smorgasburg Market… This is the ultimate foodporn destination. In the summer this is the place to be every weekend! On Saturdays you can find Smogasburg at East River State Park in Williamsburg, as well as enjoying a delicious and creative treat you are also blessed with amazing manhattan views in the background. On Sundays the market is at Prospect Park in Brookyln. Williamsburg… This has got to be the coolest neighborhood in New York! I visited Williamsburg in June so it was a lovely sunny day, everyone was out and about and in good spirits. Along the main street there was a festival going on. Williamsburg has loads of cute shops, fab brunch spots and is also home to the famous Brooklyn Brewery. I couldn’t get in on a busy summers day, but The Wythe Hotel is supposed to be amazing spot for rooftop drinking & views. Chelsea Market… Chelsea Market is a good place for a wander. This indoor market is magical at all times of year, however it really comes alive at Christmas time. Street Food Fairs… In both Summer and Winter in New York you will come across some kind of pop up street food fair. One of my favourite Summer ones is Madison Square Eats, which is located right next to the Flat Iron building. Last summer they had pop ups of popular Brooklyn eateries Robertas Pizza and Lukes Lobster, both are AMAZING and definitely a must try! Other Street Fests I have come across have been in Union Square and Herald Square. I’ve got 3 more trips lined up to New York this year, so I will keep posted on any new discoveries. Please feel free to send me your recommendations if you have any. I’m always up for trying new places 🙂 For more New York tips and recommendations check out my other posts here!... Read more...A quick trip to Vegas…March 13, 2017USATravelled in: October 2016 Las Vegas should be on everyones agenda when travelling around America! I didn’t know exactly what to expect from Vegas, but I was really quite surprised by how much I liked it… I’m usually quite underwhelmed by pretentious night clubs and gimmicky tourist attractions, but when in Vegas I embraced it and found myself caught up in the craziness and had the best 48 hours. Here are some of the things I got up to… Arriving in Las Vegas… I flew in to Las Vegas from New York, so arrived at the domestic terminal of McCarran airport. The flight from New York was about 6 hours, but there are international flights from the UK which take about about 10 hours. The airport is super close to the main strip so you don’t have to wait long once you’ve landed to get in and amongst the madness. From Vegas we hired a car and drove to LA which took around 4/5 hours. So you could also easily do this journey in reverse if you were in the California area. Staying in Las Vegas… We stayed in one of the most iconic hotels on the Las Vegas strip which is the MGM Grand. We got a really good deal and paid £150 for 2 nights (excluding resort tax and fees). The hotel was in a great location, the rooms were perfect – we had a Tower room which overlooked the New York New York hotel which was a really cool view to wake up to. MGM is a huge complex and there are multiple swimming pools, a huge casino, Hakkasan nightclub, loads of restaurants and a spa. Unlike most of the other hotels on the strip MGM doesn’t necessarily boast any attractions, the only thing there really to see is the famous lion which you will find in the reception area. If you are lucky enough to stay over the weekend you will also be able to check out the wet republic pool party. Unfortunately as we stayed mid-week this wasn’t on, but it is meant to be the best pool party in Vegas. Travelling in Las Vegas… Vegas strip is completely walkable. For anything out of the main strip it is really easy to order an UBER – there are loads about and fairly inexpensive! There is also the monorail – I didn’t actually use this as it seemed to work out cheaper and easier to just jump in an UBER instead. Eating in Las Vegas… So we had intentions of trying out some great food places in Vegas, but both my sister and I were quite ill having been in New York for a few days and caught the flu! This meant we didn’t have a huge appetite and were feeling sorry for ourselves, so pretty much just ended up eating junk food for the whole trip at places like Shake Shack and The Cheesecake Factory. I don’t really have any good recommendations for Las Vegas restaurants because of this, buuut my new favourite website to check out places to eat when travelling is EATER, so have a look on here for the best Las Vegas eaterys! 3 Days and 2 Nights in Las Vegas: My Itinerary… Day 1: Las Vegas Strip – The first thing to do when you get to Vegas is check out the famous strip! The strip in itself is like a whole other world… There is so much going on that it can be a bit overwhelming, but all part of the fun, you can expect to see people dressed up impersonating celebrities and fictional characters, street performers, shops, bars and restaurants. Most tourists tend to walk along the strip with a drink in hand (usually an alcoholic slushie) which you can buy at many of the street slushie vendors, make sure you buy a reusable cup as this means you will only pay for refills if you use the same one again! Bear in mind if you take a picture with any of the impersonators they will expect a tip. The main attractions on the strip are in the hotels. Some of my favourites were: Ceasers Palace – This hotel is one of the oldest and most impressive in Las Vegas, it is located right on the center of the strip, so in a perfect location for exploring. There’s loads to do in the hotel itself, if you were staying here you probably wouldn’t even need to leave! The hotel is home to a massive shopping complex, a theatre, a huge casino, Omnia nightclub, a spa, and loads of restaurants. The decoration is incredibly opulent and give guests a real sense of living in a Roman empire. The Venetian – Probably the most authentic hotel on the strip, knowing Venice quite well myself, I was actually pretty impressed by the similarities the hotel presented to the famous sights such as San Marco bell tower and the Rialto Bridge. You can even go on a little gondola ride and if you are into art, inside the hotel you can see replicas of well known pieces from the renaissance period. The Bellagio – Known for its famous fountain show, The Bellagio is a must visit on the strip! The fountain show runs every half an hour during the day time, then every 15 minutes in the evening, so you will never have to wait too long to see these fountains dance. The show is choreographed to over 30 songs and lasts for about 3-4 minutes, it’s so impressive you will want to watch it over and over again. Go to a show – Vegas is known for its over the top and creative shows, in terms of variety Vegas is like a box of liquorice allsorts, anything you go to see you will be awed by! There’s circus acts, strip shows, musicals… you name it, you can see it in Vegas. As we were in Vegas for such a short amount of time we had already done a bit of research as to what we wanted to see and had opted for KA by Cirque du Soleil. The show is in the KA theatre in the MGM Grand and we booked tickets the morning we wanted to see the show at the hotels box office. As we were staying at the MGM we managed to get some discount on the tickets and really good seats, so make sure you ask for discounts if you are a guest of the hotel of whichever show you decide to see. The show we saw was absolutely incredible and well worth a watch if you like a good story line, incredible special effects mixed with a lot of impressive acrobatics. Casinos – You can’t come to Vegas and not participate in at least a little bit of gambling, every hotel has a casino so you have quite choice of places you can lose your money to or if you are lucky win big in! It will either be the perfect or worst way to end your night depending on how that dice lands… Day 2: Premium Outlets – The premium outlets are about a 10 minute drive from the main strip in Vegas. We got an UBER to them from the strip for about $14. Being an outlet buyer I was intrigued as to how the American outlets compared to the European ones I buy for and one of the main differences was the price! It was so cheap, the exchange rate was still fairly good when we were there so we got some great bargains. You will find a mix of brands in the center including Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Adidas, Levi, Converse and many many more… Downtown – A short walk from the outlets and you come to Downtown Las Vegas, the original gambling district prior to the creation of the strip. Here you will find the Fremont St Experience, the SlotZilla Zip line and the Heart Attack Grill. Nightclub – Vegas is an incredible night out and there are plenty of clubs to choose from each with superstar DJs holding residencies on different nights of the week. We were in Vegas on a Tuesday and there were still options for us to have a great night! We ended up in Omnia (Ceasers Palace night club) watching the Chain Smokers which was incredible. We managed to get on the guestlist by speaking to the promoter that worked in our hotel and with that we got queue jump and free entry to the club! Drinks were about $15 each, so not really much different to a London club, if you make friends with the right people you can probably do the whole night for free! Day 3: Chill/Pool time – After a couple of busy days and late nights in Vegas the only way to spend our final day was by the pool tanning with a slushie in hand! ... Read more...LA Dreaming…January 8, 2017USATravelled in: October 2016 The famous La La Land, known for being the entertainment capital of the world, being the home of almost the entire population of A-list celebrities as well as its beautiful beaches and year round sunny climate. It was a no brainer/must go to whilst in America! I obviously had quite high expectations of LA having built up a perception of it via films, the media and of course, travel blogs. There were things I loved about LA and things I didn’t love or maybe just wasn’t expecting… For example, the films never mention anything about the large amount of homeless people which live in LA. In 2016 it was reported that there were 43,000 people living on the streets in LA county. Compared to London, where the homeless count comes in at about 8,000, this number is crazy high and a really sad thing to witness in a city which revolves around the rich and famous. Another misconception about LA is assuming you will spot a celebrity on every corner. Let me burst your bubble now as this is really not the case. LA is a huge place and nobody walks anywhere so the chances of casually bumping into a celeb on the street is pretty slim. I had a great time exploring this city and think we covered quite a lot of the key places in our 4 day trip here. I understand the attraction of living there with the constant great weather, beautiful beaches, bustling city and some AMAZING food. Arriving in LA… This past October my sister and I decided to do a mini trip around some key places in the US we have been wanting to visit for a while. We started in New York for a few days before flying over to Las Vegas for 2 nights. In Vegas we hired a car and drove to LA to experience the american dream. Staying in LA… We booked an Airbnb for our stay in LA and chose the district of Santa Monica as our base. We wanted to be by the beach as we had been told it was a bit nicer than staying in the city and this was a great recommendation. Being by the beach made my trip… Santa Monica was the perfect location, we could walk to Santa Monica pier, Venice beach and Marina del Rey, but be in the city in 20 minutes as we were located right next to the freeway exit. Travelling in LA… The only way to get around LA really is to drive, so you will need to hire a car if you plan a trip here… There is some public transport, but it is not that reliable or well connected. There is also UBER, but depending on how far you plan on going it could get quite expensive, especially if it gets stuck in LA traffic… LA traffic is notoriously bad, luckily we were never really driving in peak times so we managed to escape anything too crazy. Parking is also quite difficult in LA, so do some research on where to park before you head to where you want to go or you could be driving around for hours trying to find a parking spot. There is street parking on most roads, but if you are staying all day it can get pretty expensive as fees start from about $2 per hr. Eating in LA… We had some great meals in LA, in particular breakfast food. We found some lovely little restaurants particularly in Santa Monica that served good food at really reasonable prices. Some places we really liked were: The Independence, Santa Monica – This place does the most amazing brunch I have ever eaten and that is a bold statement as I love brunch! I had the most amazing pulled pork eggs benedict. I’m a big fan of eggs benedict, but have never had it with pulled pork before and it really was a taste sensation… I have been craving it ever since. Urth Cafe, Main St, Santa Monica – A fantastic recommendation from our Airbnb host and another great brunch place is Urth cafe. It’s a chain so there is a few of them around, but it’s great especially if you want something a little bit healthier as they have a huge menu of amazing healthy breakfast and lunches, smoothies and coffees. Op Cafe, Santa Monica – I found this place purely by googling where to get the best pancakes in LA and this was one of the places that came up that was nearby. It’s located a short drive away from the main center of Santa Monica, but this place is well known with locals and there was a bit of a queue for us to get in. It was worth it as their strawberry pancakes with chocolate and banana were incredible! Cafe Roma, Beverly Hills – We just stumbled across this place when we were looking for lunch after having a wander down Rodeo Drive (window shopping of course). It definitely felt like it would be the kind of place to spot a celebrity, but we purely chose it because we were craving a salad after a few days of eating greasy american food. They did a great Caesar Salad which was fairly inexpensive considering where we were! 1212, Santa Monica – We went here for our final dinner in LA and it was really nice food and even better cocktails. We had the seafood risotto and I tried their special electric daisy cocktails which has a fruit in that numbs your mouth for a few seconds, a must try if you go here. Chao Krung, Beverly Grove – This was a nice little thai restaurant we came across after a shopping trip to The Grove. Very reasonably priced and right opposite the CBS studios and Grove shopping center so probably a good spot for celebrity spotting. Shopping in LA… There are some great places to shop in LA depending on what you are looking for. If you want luxury the obvious place would be Rodeo Drive. The Grove is a nice place for a day out shopping as there’s all sorts of luxury and high street brands alongside dining and entertainment options. For beachy vibes head to downtown Santa Monica and then Abbot Kinney for some super trendy boutiques. For gimmicky tourist souvenirs check out Venice boulevard shops. 4 Days and 3 Nights in LA: My Itinerary… DAY 1 Rodeo Drive & Beverly Hills – A must do when in LA is to go window shopping in Beverly Hills’ famous Rodeo Drive. Although Rodeo Drive is full of luxury and designer stores, the surrounding streets actually have some really nice affordable stores, so if you like shopping it’s worth having a wander. It’s also worth having a drive round the hills to check out some of the incredible houses… see if you can spot any celebrity ones. There are specific tours which will take you around the celebrity houses, we chose not to do this as it was a bit gimmicky. CBS for The Late Late Show with James Corden – So before we flew out to the US, my sister had applied for tickets to go and be in the audience of James Corden’s Late Late Show. Tickets for the audience are free and if you apply early enough you have a good chance to get them. This is probably the best way to guarantee you will see some celebrities if that’s what you are after on your trip to La La Land as he always has a great line up of guests. We got to see the recording with Taylor Lautner, Zach Galifinakis and Stevie Nicks. There’s a lot of waiting around and it takes up around 3-4 hours of your day, but it is a fun experience and you can then say you have been in a Hollywood TV studios which is pretty cool. The Grove Shopping Center – This place is a shopping lover’s dream world, there’s some amazing shops and a farmer’s market here in a beautiful setting. There is even a fountain that gives the Bellagio in Vegas a run for its money with a daily evening fountain show. If you drive here and park in The Grove’s car park make sure you get your parking ticket stamped by one of the stores to get you discount on your parking charges. DAY 2 Hollywood Hills – One of the most iconic symbols of LA is the Hollywood sign. The area surrounding the hills is ideal for hikers and there’s a few view points to get a good glimpse of the sign. Griffith Observatory – This was one of my favourite places in LA, it’s such a great view from up here and a really interesting place to explore. You can also see the Hollywood sign from here if you don’t have time to go to both viewing points. Parking here is horrendous though so it’s better to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up if you can. West Hollywood – I was not a big fan of West Hollywood, this is where the Hollywood stars are, but to be honest I found the area quite grotty and run down. This is the most touristy place we visited and we had aspirations of spotting a celeb, but don’t hold your breath if this is what you are here for as unless there’s a new star being laid I doubt this is where any celeb would be hanging out… Downtown LA – This is LA’s financial district and old town and it was all a bit weird. We only visited briefly, but we actually found our experience here was quite random. There’s some really cool and trendy places in the area especially restaurants and bars. We found a particularly cool spot in the District Market which is a really cool space with numerous restaurants and stalls. There is a darker side to downtown LA as this area has the highest population of homeless people in LA. Homeless people are noticeably present all over the city, but in downtown LA more so than anywhere and it was really quite intimidating. Little Tokyo – Located near downtown LA we were craving some Japanese food so took a brief trip to Little Tokyo for a bit of Ton-Katsu and a mooch around the Japanese shops. It was nice to see some of the products I recognized from my trip to Japan in the Summer. DAY 3 Venice Beach – We did the walk down to Venice Beach from our Airbnb in Santa Monica along the famous boulevard that is full of cyclists and roller bladers. Venice boulevard is full of character and quirky shops, people and restaurants; it’s definitely a unique place you have to visit. Abbot Kinney Boulevard – Probably one of the trendiest places you could visit in LA, there are so many cool places to eat and super fashionable boutiques to shop. Also check out the graffiti and it’s compulsory that you get a lemonade from one of the many lemonade outlets. Marina Del Rey – If you walk a bit further on from Abbot Kinney you will get to Marina Del Rey. There’s not a whole lot down there, but it’s a nice atmosphere, some lovely boats to lust over and a couple of restaurants on the beachfront. Venice Canals – Located just behind Venice beach is the Venice Canals, developed by Abbot Kinney over 100 years ago with visions of bringing a mini Venice to America. It is a great place to take a walk and get away from the hustle and bustle of the Venice and Abbot Kinney boulevard. Muscle Beach – There’s 2 muscle beaches, one on Venice beach and one on Santa Monica beach. We were at the Santa Monica one at sunset so we sat and watched all of the fitness fanatics limbering up on the outdoor fitness equipment for a while which was quite fun. It’s a great place for people watching and we sat on the swings to watch the sunset behind the pier. Santa Monica Pier – Santa Monica pier is a pretty iconic LA landmark, it’s buzzing with people all day, but we went there at sunset, just as it was getting dark and it really came to life. The atmosphere is great and it has everything a pier should; food, rides and shops! DAY 4 Santa Monica Beach – The beach at Santa Monica is so nice, we didn’t go in the water as it wasn’t really warm enough, but the beach is great for a chilled day of sunbathing and people watching as the cyclists and skaters go by. Downtown Santa Monica – We spent our last day shopping in downtown Santa Monica, this is probably the best place to come for affordable brands and sportswear as there were trainer stores everywhere! Palisades Park – Located up on the hill above Santa Monica beach is where you can find Palisades Park. It is a great place to get a good view of the coast line right round to Malibu and look out to the ocean from above. The views are lovely and it is a nice place to have a run/walk or just chill out. ... Read more...New York, New York…October 17, 2016USATravelled in: February 2013 & October 2016 New York is the city everyone falls in love with, whether you have been there or not… It is one of the most popular tourist hot spots in the world and has almost 55 million visitors per year. Having visited myself twice over the past couple of years I can definitely understand why… The enormous buildings, the over-friendly people and constant buzz of the city is all part of the charm and it makes New York feel quite magical, both times I have been there it has felt like I was walking around a giant movie set. My two experiences in New York have been quite different… The first time was for my 21st and my sisters 18th birthday and it was very much “wow were going to New York, lets be super tourists”. Our second visit was made as we had promised each other we would go back when my sister was 21, so we were both legally allowed to drink. Our second visit was different as we had already done all of the major tourist attractions, we wanted to experience a more “local” side to the city. With my new job I am going to be lucky enough to be travelling to New York for work fairly regularly so I am super excited to experience more of what the city has to offer… Arriving in New York… If you book in advance you can actually get some super cheap flights to New York. For my most recent trip I booked flights in January for a trip in September with Norwegian Airways. They recently launched their “dreamliner” plane, which take less fuel, flys faster and reduces emission meaning they are able to charge lower prices. I booked a one way flight as I was travelling on wards to Las Vegas and then flying back to London from LA, so my one way flight was about £260 with a meal and luggage included. The dream liners are really nice planes actually, with quite generous amount of legroom, huge windows with high tech dimming system and an android in flight entertainment and ordering system. The only downside is to booking a budget airline is that you only get your one pre-paid for meal and snack on the 7 hour flight so if you want extra drinks or snacks throughout the journey you have to pay an additional charge for these, unlike on carriers such as Virgin or BA. Also the food wasn’t great, but for the price I paid I wasn’t really complaining. Most flights from London fly in to JFK airport, which is probably the worst airport I have ever had the misfortune to fly in to in the world! It is disorganized, slow and the staff are just awful! My first encounter on our trip in 2014 we queued for 3 hours just to get through passport control. On my most recent visit actually the passport queue was fairly quick this time, but that came after we were stuck on the tarmac after landing for over an hour as they “couldn’t find us an available gate”… horrendous news at 10pm after you have been flying for 7 hours and just want bed! Our baggage then came out 40 minutes after we were through passport control. Then by the time you have got to the front of the yellow cab line expect to add on at least 2 hours to your expected arrival time to your accommodation. Something else to note about this airport especially if you are meeting someone as there there is no wifi so it is really difficult to get in touch if you don’t have mobile data… On both of my trips to New York I have used the yellow taxis to get to my accommodation… there is a taxi rank in each terminal of JFK and they are really reliable and I think a fixed rate. We payed $53 + tip to Soho. On the way back to the airport I used UBER and it was actually the same price, but if we had been unexpectedly stuck in traffic the fare would have increased, so I would recommend getting a yellow taxi. There is also a train that goes in to Penn Station via Jamaica I believe… if you are on your own and on a budget this is probably a cheaper option, if you are travelling as a group a taxi would definitely be cheaper and easier! Staying in New York… On my first trip to New York I wanted to stay close to the main tourist attractions… so we stayed opposite Madison Square Gardens and right next to Macys at the Affinia Manhattan, we got a really good deal and we paid $660 for 2 of us for 4 nights. The hotel room was very spacious and it is super close to Times Sq, Empire State, Rockerfella and Grand Central, so it was really accessible for anyone coming on a first time tourist trip to the city and want to really be in the thick of it all! On our second visit my parents decided to join us and check out the city, so were traveling as a family of 4 and decided to use Airbnb. We found a place in the Nolita area which is further downtown. We booked a 2 bedroom apartment on Mulberry St for £1350 for 4nights, which at the time period we were travelling was at least £200 cheaper than booking 2 rooms in any of the hotels we were looking at. I much preferred our stay in this area it felt really safe walking around – especially at night as there were loads of people, bars and restaurants around and it was more local than touristy. We were really close to Soho and Broadway which is a great shopping area, it’s super closer to Little Italy and China Town and also the trendy Greenwhich Village so there are some great restaurants close by. Ground Zero and the Brooklyn bridge were both a 15-20 minute walk away. If you want to experience a slightly “cooler and local” side to New York rather than the standard crazy tourist experience I would highly recommend the Nolita/Soho area as a great place to stay. Travelling in New York… The subway system in New York is in my opinion absolutely awful! Compared to the London tube it’s really outdated and quite inefficient. The trains didn’t seem to run as frequently, and that’s assuming you can even find your platform due to the most confusing signs pointing you in all different directions for the same line… That said there are sooo many stations so the likelihood is wherever you are in the city you can jump on the subway to go somewhere. I don’t think I personally have quite sussed out the New York subway yet, I even found buying a ticket hard work as the machines are super old. But just an FYI a single journey on the subway will cost you $3. Eating in New York… On my first trip to New York I found finding decent restaurants within the tourist proximity incredible difficult if you didn’t know where to look, we ended up eating either in our hotel or at fast food places such as Shake Shack. One my second trip I managed to find some really good and very reasonably priced places to eat… NORMA’S @ Le Parker Meridien Hotel, Midtown – Visit this place for an amaaaaazing brunch. Definitely not the cheapest, but its bloody good, they have a huge menu of sweet or savory brunches. My choice would be the Belgian Waffle with Berries and Cream! Make sure you book online in advance as this place is always busy! The Grey Dog, Mulberry St, Nolita – We stayed right opposite The Grey Dog so came here once for breakfast, it’s cheap, cheerful and tasty! Most of the breakfast options are a standard price of $11 then you can add extras if you want. Gelso & Grand, Grand St, Little Italy – A creative and cool Italian restaurant right in the heart of Little Italy. Great place to come if you want a fun lively atmosphere, alongside a good Italian meal. Definitely book a table if you want to visit at the weekend! Ellens Stardust Diner, Broadway – This is a fun place to go for a Pre-Broadway show meal or just generally if you are in to musical theater. We went here on our first trip to NY. All of the waiting staff are trying to raise money for acting school with ambitions of becoming a star on Broadway. The waiters dance and sing around you as you eat your meal… Just remember they will expect a generous tip! Shopping in New York… There are soooo many great places to shop in New York, whether you want high st, luxury, vintage, emerging designers you name it New York will probably have it. For me being a big high st shopper I still prefer the British High St, but New York is a great place to discover brands you didn’t know about or do a massive Sephora haul. Westfield World Trade Center – Based on the World Trade Center site, this Westfield is a great place to visit even if you don’t want to go shopping. It is a pretty impressive bit of architecture which looks like a giant spinal cord… Maddison and 5th Avenue – This is the area to go for luxury shopping for sure. The stores are all amazing and if you are in to Fashion or Visual Merchandising the shops here are a great place to go for inspiration. Soho – This is my favourite area to shop in New York as it is home to some really cool High St brands… The area on and around Broadway is great if you are in to scouting out new artists, designers or vintage finds I would definitely take a trip to NYC Market on Broadway as its full of cool quirky finds and as they are all still up and coming everything is very reasonably priced. 4 Days & Nights in New York: Suggested Itinerary Both of my visits to New York have been for a period of 3 days and 4 nights (it always seems to work out we miss a day due to flights and time difference). I feel like I have seen a large amount of the city and what it has to offer in terms of tourist attractions, but obviously a big city like New York there is always more to see. In my opinion the perfect first time trip to New York would be 4 days and nights! I have combined my two trip itinerary’s as an idea of how much you could fit in in this time frame… Day 1 Ground Zero – Where the twin towers once stood a museum has been built as a memorial for the horrific events that played out on September 11 2001 and remember those who lost their lives. I have visited the 9/11 site on my both my trips to New York. On my first visit there was just the North and South pools which had been constructed to represent each tower and list the victims names around the edges – these pools are free to visit. On my most recent visit I also had the opportunity to go in to the museum, tickets for this are $24. It is a very emotional experience and gives a lot of details about the events of 9/11. Well worth a visit, plan to spend about 2-3 hours here as there is a lot to see. Battery Park – Whilst you are in the neighborhood it is worth visiting Battery Park, which sits on the southern end of New York facing the Harbour. It has great views across the Hudson River and loads of memorials to have a look at. Staten Island Ferry/Statue of Liberty – There are a few different ways to get a glimpse of the famous Lady Liberty… the cheapest being the Staten Island Ferry which is a free passenger ferry which goes from New York Harbour over to Staten Island every 30 minutes. The journey takes about 25 minutes and you get a good sight of the Statue of Liberty for free from here. Avoid rush hours as the ferry will be packed with commuters. If you want to get up close and personal with Miss Lib herself, there are many tours and boats operators available to book a trip with an inflated tourist price tag. Soho, China Town, Little Italy – After all that sightseeing why not pop back up to Soho for some shopping or stop for some food in China Town or Little Italy… Day 2 Central Park – There isn’t a whole lot of greenery in New York so if your looking for open spaces and some fresh air away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Central Park is the place to go. It’s huge, so quite easy to get lost in, but there are maps along the way to help you find the main tourist destinations. MET Museum – Bit of a disclaimer as I’ve never actually been inside this museum, I’m sure it’s great, but being a huge Gossip Girl fan what I was more interested in was going to sit and have lunch on the steps just like Queen B and Serena… xoxo Maddison Avenue/Lexington Avenue/Park Avenue/5th Avenue – Great streets to wander down and around for luxury shopping. Lexington is also the home of Bloomingdale’s if you fancy yourself a little brown bag. Rockerfella Top of the Rock – Again I have been here on both New York trips, once I visited in the morning and the views were amazing, it was a super sunny (but freezing) day and I could see for miles. My second visit I decided to go up at dusk and even though the cloudy weather didn’t make for a good sunset the view was still amazing. New York looked super moody at this time period and it was amazing to stand and watch as the city turned on its lights as it went in to darkness. If you are debating between Top of the Rock or Empire State I would 100% say the view is better from Top of the Rock, but if you have time and budget it’s worth doing both. A trip to Top of the Rock will cost you $34, I recommend booking in advance so you can skip the lines. There is also now the One World observation tower to see New York from the sky, I plan on checking this out on my next trip! Day 3 The Piers – Right down on the waterfront along The Hudson is a great place to go for a morning walk, watch out for the hundreds of joggers as this area is a serious hot spot for keen runners, so if you’ve got your gym kit this is the place to be. Walk The High Line – This is one of my favourite free things to do in New York, I started the walk in the Meat Packing district and walked all the way down to West 34th St. It took about 30-40 minutes, but you get to see some cool things along the way, in good weather you can see the Empire State Building, you also get some good views over the Hudson River and some cool city roads and residential buildings. Empire State Building – Not far from the West 34th St end of the highline is the Empire State Building. I would recommend going up here during the day, I went up at night and the view was good, but compared to Top of the Rock not as impressive, our experience was slightly impaired to be fair, because we could barely go outside as it was so windy and cold! A trip up the Empire State costs $34, and to be fair is kind of a must visit on your first trip to New York. Grand Central Station – Known for being one of the most impressive train stations in the world Grand Central is another great free place to visit or pass by on your way to a train/subway. Underneath the main concourse also lies a big dining complex with numerous food and beverage outlets, so it’s a good and cheap place to also stop by for lunch. Times Square – No matter what time of day or night it is Times Sq is the busiest place in New York. Hundreds of tourists trawl through “the square” (which by the way isn’t even a real square) every day. Surrounding the area are so many gimmicky attractions, restaurants and theaters. It is a cool place and a must see, but after one visit I was a bit sick of the crowds, the inflated prices and the over rated craziness. Broadway – I love going to the theater so for me watching a show on Broadway was a dream. We went to see Chicago (one of my favourite films) on our first visit to New York and I won’t lie I was a bit disappointed, but only because my expectations had been so high. The theater was really old and felt like it was about to fall apart and the tickets were craaazy expensive (much more than a London show). Over all it was great experience and I had a lovely time singing along to “he had it coming”, but I probably wouldn’t go back to see a Broadway show again. Day 4 Brooklyn Bridge – If you are staying downtown Brooklyn Bridge is only a walk away, if you are uptown there is a subway stop right at the end of the bridge where you can exit to walk over from Manhattan side right over to Brooklyn. You get some really cool views from the bridge and can also see Statue of Liberty from here. Brooklyn – I didn’t get to spend as much time here as I would have liked, but it seemed like a really cool place to explore. I only really got to see part of downtown as we spent the afternoon walking through Brooklyn Heights, down to the Brooklyn Bridge park where you get some great views of the city then on to DUMBO before walking back over the bridge. I also really wanted to go and see some Bushwick graffiti, browse the bookstores at cobble hill and go to Fort Green vintage fair, but unfortunately didn’t get chance on this trip.... Read more...
