It was my first ever trip to New York so as you can imagine I was pretty darn excited to be in NYC.
We were staying at the Millenium Hotel just a short walk from Time Square – location is everything right!
We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight to Central Park. We hit a few of the popular spots in what’s known as mid-park. From The Alice In Wonderland statue, the Minton Tile Ceiling at Bethesda Terrace (its featured in most movies set in New York including one of my favourites Friends With Benefits with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunos – that scene where Justin’s character hits up a tourist in the park for a date …), The Lake, Bow Bridge, Naumburg Bandshell and Strawberry Fields.
We were standing at the John Lennon Imagine memorial in the Strawberry Fields part of the park and it started to snow – magical! Oh yeah we acted like excited children dancing around and trying to catch the snow.
Because of how cold it was and how massive Central Park is, and we didn’t even cover much of it, we did jump in one of the man-driven buggies parked at the entrance of the park to get us around more than we could have ever covered if we were on foot.
Our first day in New York, was also the day of the big St Patrick’s Day parade so we wandered alongside the parade reveling in this moment of being in New York City, its snowing and its St Patrick’s Day.
The falling snow started to get heavier as we wandered back to Time Square via Rockefeller Plaza, the building that is home to NBC Studios and The Late Night Jimmy Fallon TV show and Bubba Gump where we had a late dinner after flying into JFK airport in the early hours of the morning.
We then decided to jump on the subway at Time Square and head to Chelsea to walk the High Line and grab food at the Chelsea Markets, and found a hip-hop crew entertaining passing foot traffic with their dance moves – I was so hoping to see something like this on the subway, but sadly my friends didn’t have the same opinion and I was dragged away way too quickly.
It was this moment on this trip that made me realise my idea of travel is not being a ‘tourist’ but rather to ‘live like a local’ … oh and to travel with like-minded people! So when I returned to the USA in 2015 it was a very different trip – but you can read more about my 2015 USA adventure here
SHOP THE CHELSEA NEW YORK CITY COLOUR ART PRINT
The Chelsea NYC Print is also available in B&W
Shop other New York City Art Prints here
More images from the NYC High Line.
We then jumped in one of NYC’s iconic yellow cabs to take us across the Brooklyn Bridge to Dumbo to explore and then walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Dumbo is totally worth the trip across the East River. You will find Jane’s Carousel housed in a glass structure on the waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park located between the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge.
It’s extremely chilly so was time for a hot beverage and we found this funky little cafe called Cookies just around the corner from Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Time to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge!
We then found ourselves walking to see the iconic Flatiron Building .
We then made our way to Battery Park to jump on a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty monument located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. The copper statue was gifted to the US people by the French in the 1870s.
I’ve seen snow once before back home in Australia many years ago, but snow combined with New York City made me feel as if I was a kid again. One of the fantastic things about New York City, it really is a city that never sleeps. So at 1am in the morning, we were out shopping and taking photos of the snow … Time Square was literally on our doorstep.
We did also catch the Spiderman Broadway show while in town but no cameras allowed. I totally recommend seeing a Broadway (or off-Broadway show) but a little tip to save you some money, the ticketing window under the American flag in Time Square sells cheaper tickets during the day.
Another day in New York City and more playing tourist and sightseeing.
After a bagel for breakfast we hit the Upper East Side to visit The Guggenheim Museum.
Some of the best views of New York City are from the rooftops of the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Building. We did both. But today it was the Rockefeller Buildings turn. Top Of The Rock offers amazing 360 degree views of the city from the 67th and 69th floors. Hope your not scared of heights.
A stop by the infamous Central Station.
It’s been an amazing week in New York City after the conference and getting to explore the wonder that is Las Vegas, but its time to head home to Australia.
Not without drama though. I woke up the morning of our last day with the worst migraine. We had to check out of our hotel at 10am but our flight wasn’t until later that afternoon so we had a few hours to kill. While my friends went exploring the city, I was laid up on the hotel lounge hoping my migraine would subside but at the same time panicking how am I going to fly in this state. I felt like vomiting and my head was intensely throbbing. I honestly wanted to cancel my flight but I was in no state to even do that. It was time to leave for the airport and we jumped in a cab. As we were traveling along the highway I was telling at the driver “you need to pull over now”! They aren’t supposed to stop on the highway but thankfully the driver pulled over and I vomited on the side of the highway, nice one! haha … but I did feel heaps better afterward and able to make my flight, just in time .. haha.
Thanks New York you were amazing.
