New York New York!!

Times Square

I was lucky enough for this to be my second time in New York, my first being a year and a half ago with Mum and Dad on our 3 week trip around New England during the fall. The Big Apple was always at the top of my bucket list of places to visit with its huge skyscrapers, beautiful views, Times Square, Broadway, the Statue of Liberty and all the rest of the iconic tourist destinations you see in most blockbuster movies. Knowing my Uncle Jon had also lived in the centre of Manhattan for many years and hearing how much he loved it only spurred my determination to go. On my previous visit we only managed to fit in two days in the city, so when I visited again it still felt brand new. Not only that but I was lucky enough to have one of my closest friends from home, Ruth, meeting me out there for the entire week!

On Monday 7th May I travelled with my Uncle Jon from his home in New Jersey to his office in Jersey City where I planned to have a wander until I was able to check in at the AirBnB I had booked with Ruth in Brooklyn. I was able to meet some of his colleagues and have a tour of the office which was amazing, featuring a lego wall, games room, coffee station with real coffee and a delicious free breakfast (I certainly got my fill including a scone I stole for later)! I then attempted to walk to Liberty State Park, however got completely lost and never actually made it, but the view of the water was great and it was nice to stretch my legs. Uncle Jon then treated me to a delicious lunch before I said my goodbyes and headed to Brooklyn. The apartment we were staying in until Thursday was perfect, small but cute and a bit alternative with some very bizarre statues and keepsakes. It was also in a fantastic location in Brooklyn right next to Williamsburg, a must visit when in the city.

Ruth arrived later in the afternoon and after a much needed catch up we headed out to catch the ferry near our apartment for views along the river before nightfall to Wall Street. We had a quick look around the Wall Street area before heading back on the ferry to North Williamsburg where we walked around for a couple of miles and then sat down for dinner at a restaurant called 'Five Leaves', a place our AirBnB hosts had recommended. We were not disappointed with our typically huge American burger and fries. It was incredibly busy in there so clearly a popular destination for locals. As it was now past 11pm Ruth was beginning to drop, however I am still impressed she lasted that long as in England it was 4.15am and she had been travelling all day (well done Ruth)!

Ruth in Five Leaves, Williamsburg

On Tuesday 8th May we headed out early, determined to track down our first New York bagel! We both opted for the rainbow bagel, which although looked very pretty, was very disappointing, mainly because of the ridiculous filling of cinnamon, walnut and raisin that was piled so thick in the bagel I honestly couldn't eat it (for those who don't know me, this is a rarity). We had to squeeze almost all the filling out just to make it bearable, promising ourselves that we would stick to plain old butter in the future. We then set off to the 9/11 memorials and museum at the World Trade Centre. I think the two water memorials commemorating all the thousands of lives lost on that treacherous day in September are perfect. The atmosphere is somber and incredibly moving and I think they have created a wonderful place for loved ones to come and find some peace. What I find most heartwarming is that if you see a single white rose next to someone's name on the plaque, it is there to mark their birthday; all these years later not one person has been forgotten, nor will they ever be. I think that is beautiful.

9/11 Memorial

The museum was equally as incredible, there were so many artifacts on display from the Twin Towers, including pieces of the actual buildings. There was also many photos and videos of survivors and there experiences, and families of those who were lost. It was very tough walking around and hearing all the stories, but something I felt it was important to do. Their stories will be forever remembered by the many visitors who come each year, I shall certainly never forget that day.

Afterwards we headed through Chinatown to Little Italy for a delicious pizza lunch! It was great to be in the middle of it all with delicious food and great people watching opportunities. We then took the subway to Madison Square Garden and enjoyed a beer whilst walking around. It was at this point I was lucky enough to have a pigeon poo right on my head as I was posing for a picture, Ruth very kindly came to my rescue and cleaned me up. It is lucky right?! We then met our friends Anisha and Emily from home at this amazing locals rooftop bar that Emily had heard of for some cocktails and a catch up. We couldn't believe we all happened to be in the city at the same time, such a great way to spend an evening with friends!

From left me, Ruth and Anisha, Emily is behind the camera

Enjoying pizza in Little Italy

The next day we bought some ice cream and ate it whilst walking over the world famous Brooklyn Bridge and it was AMAZING! The views from it are spectacular and the sun was shining. I can't recommend this enough if you choose to visit New York (and the ice cream was a great bonus). From here we walked to the ferry port and took the boat to Governors Island which was fun but also bizarre. It had a sort of apocalyptic feel as there was barely anyone around and many of the buildings looked abandoned. Occasionally you would spot someone who I can only assume worked there but they didn't acknowledge us, creepy but cool. Once we reached the other side of the island we enjoyed a hotdog and swinging on awesome red hammocks (there were hundreds). Eventually we reached the lookout over the Statue of Liberty. I don't care what anyone says, it is so impressive!

Statue of Liberty

Brooklyn Bridge

We then caught the ferry back and went straight to the Highline which is a walkway through the city that is elevated above the streets; a genius and effective idea that is lots of fun to walk on with plenty of places to sit and admire the plants that feature alongside the path. We finished the day by exploring the Chelsea Market (I highly recommend the mini cinnamon donuts here), and enjoyed a Sangria dinner at Dos Caminos with incredible food!

Ruth on the Highline

On Thursday we packed up our things and checked out of our AirBnB and crossed the city to our hostel located right next to Central Park (after a delicious pancake breakfast in Brooklyn of course). We had a busy day starting with visiting Grand Central Station where some of my favourite movies and TV shows have filmed great love scenes. We then went to 'Dough', famous for its huge donuts. Unfortunately I found mine too bready and have definitely had better in the US. Next up was the infamous Rockefeller Centre for views over New York City. Safe to say this was spectacular, and really awesome to see the Empire State Building too. We then ventured to Times Square where we enjoyed sitting for a few minutes and soaking up the buzz of what must be one of the busiest streets in the world.

Top of the Rock!

Lastly, we ended the night in Ellen's Stardust Diner which was recommended to us by both Liv and Ellie (thank you ladies) and we certainly were not disappointed. The waiters and waitresses are performers trying to make it to Broadway and sing whilst serving you, it really is fantastic and so much fun. My favourite place to eat in New York! If you like musicals then this is a must-see when visiting the city.

Ellen's Stardust diner - yes there was confetti!

The next day we spent five hours walking around Central Park visiting the various lakes, ponds and other beautiful areas. We could have easily spent longer but our feet were aching and our stomachs were rumbling. The turtle pond was definitely a highlight as there were literally hundreds of turtles swimming and sunbathing not fussed by our presence at all. The experience was also improved by our slight detour from the park to visit Levain Bakery which boasts the worlds best cookies, well of course we had to test the theory. I am thrilled to say that these were in fact the BEST COOKIES IN THE WORLD. They literally melted in your mouth and were worth every penny; we had the dark chocolate chip but I am sure they are all delicious.

Central Park

Central Park

That evening we visited 'The View' in the Marriott Marquis hotel for sunset so we could see views of the city both in the day and night. We both enjoyed a (highly expensive) cocktail and beer in the revolving restaurant and bar and it was a perfect evening with breathtaking views. We both left about two hours later feeling slightly giggly and very hungry. We had planned to visit a posh cheese restaurant but it had closed for food by this stage so instead opted for a slightly less sophisticated McDonald's burger.

Having drinks in the Marriott Hotel with views over the City

After an extremely busy week we decided to have a relaxed Saturday by just wandering around the shops and having a better look at Times Square. We also decided to treat ourselves one last time to lunch a Ellen's Stardust Diner as a farewell meal from New York and each other! We then went back to the hostel and got ready for the bar crawl. This was a lot of fun and a great way to see the nightlife in the city. We met people from all over the world and I even managed to get quite a few travel tips from various drunk Americans who grew up in cities all over the country. These came in handy later on! I also met the lovely Marie from Norway who became a great travel friend as we were able to meet up again all the way down the East cast.

On Sunday we were both going our separate ways, Ruth to the airport and back to the UK, me on to Washington. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast in a typical American diner (like the ones you see in the movies) and eventually said our goodbyes. I was very sad to be leaving Ruth, but excited for my next destination... the capital of the United States!

New York is truly one of my favourite cities in the world. The buzz you feel when wandering around is indescribable, and there is so much to see and do. No matter how many times I end up visiting in my lifetime, I don't think I will ever feel like I have done everything I want to there. The opportunities feel endless and I can't wait to go back. Hopefully next time I can visit just before Christmas as I think the atmosphere would be magical.

If you managed to get to the bottom of this post then you truly are a great friend (and slightly mad), thanks for reading!

Lucy B x

New York City skyline