VISITING NEW YORK; Where we stayed, Eating in NYC, Things to do and my Top Tips

Part 3 of my Visiting New York post is Things to do and my Top Tips. If you have some tips of your own that aren't here, pop them on the comments page- hey, sharing is caring...

Things to do;

-Highline (free)- this was my Little Sister's suggestion, and what a fantastic place for being snap happy. The highline is an old railway line that has been refurbished into a safe walkway (totally kid friendly too- there is things for little ones to do whilst taking the route!) and you have several exits on the way where you can pop into neighbouring areas for a bite!

- One World Observatory (around $30 admission but they do family deals too!)- While my myself and my Mum visited the 9/11 memorial site + museum, my sister Grace and my Dad visited the world observatory. I was pretty jealous when she came back with these photos....

 - Street art- your spoiled for choice in New York with some of the most creative and interesting pieces around the city. Street art fanatics would have a field day- and I say you could base your entire stay around certain tags around the city. We just got snap happy when there was something we liked...

-2 day ticket for the Hop On Hop Off bus tour ($55)- I totally recommend it, it was the best way to get all the hotspots over and done with in one day. Tour guides obviously vary- the chap + lady we had on the first day was brilliant, super cool and gave you a heap of knowledge. The next days tour guide wasn't so much into it...but hey it's hit and miss! We got off at the main attractions- Grand Central station, Times Square, all the bridges linking to Manhattan, Fifth Avenue, Central Park etc in New York on each route and hopped back on when we were tired from walking.

-Broadway show (price range from anything like $40-$200+). We chose premium seats to see Matilda, but even at $135 each, we were three rows from the stage! The cast came up all around our seats and there was a really cool stunt scene with 'Lavender' literally a breathe away from me that I am still trying to work out. We spent the next few days belting our 'Revolting Children'...But if Matilda is not your cup of tea- there are soooo many Broadway shows, dance performances, operas, jazz shows etc...it really is a city of performance and your spoilt for choice.

- Central Park (free) We spent half a day strolling around the park. Blessed with such good weather, we were able to take in several of the street performers and have a mooch around a quarter of the park. Plan your trip there, there are so many entrances and scenic spots from movies/tv shows that you will want to see so plan plan plan. If I was back in the late spring/summer, I'd take a boat trip and pack a picnic! Also make sure to check out the loos (we had such much fun in them lol!)

-MOMA- an absolutely un-real museum with pieces I only dreamed of seeing. Some of my favourites were pieces by Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler, Chagall, Umberto Boccioni, Picasso, Roy Litchenstein and Jackson Pollock. An adult ticket with MOMA costs $23 but you could easily spend the whole day there. I only managed to get through 2.5 floors and definitely missed out on some work that I regret. Download the app (they have free wifi in the museum and avail of the audio options!). The museum, the pieces and the supporting material are so educating- I felt like I was back taking an art history lesson!

-Brooklyn- we actually used one of the tour buses to take a trip to Brooklyn and I wanted to see how the neighbourhood varies from the concrete jungle of Manhattan. It does and it's still quite cool looking. Cue 'Jigga what...Jigga who' through the whole trip there! My parents previously took in a game in the Barclays Centre and they highly recommended it. Tickets were pricey- but it was a derby- Nets v Knicks and they said the atmosphere was priceless. For my trip- it was either a musical or a sports game. And I went for the musical.

- 9/11 Memorial site- We visited the memorial site and museum on our last day in New York. It was right in front of our Hotel so we didn't have far to travel, but queuing happens from early on, so get there first if you don't want to be waiting. Strict security measures in place, so be sensible too! The museum itself is tastefully done- we all remember where we were the day the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, I was in London on my way to a ballet class, when my friend shouted from her flat for us to run up and look at the news. We stood transfixed on the terrifying images that flood the screens. The museum paints a picture of being there in that moment. The lives that changed. The lives lost. I highly recommend the site- even just for reflection.

- What I would like to do should I get the opportunity to visit New York again- Metropolitan Museum of Art (met museum!), take in a game/concert at either Madison Square Garden or the Barclays Centre and Brunch on one of the rooftops during the Summer- our hotel rooftop only opened up in the warm season- but check out the Loopy Doopy rooftop bar and it's insane cocktail menu here!




Top Tips;


- Comfortable shoes- I'm a trainers type of lady anyway, but my Air Max Flyknits were my saviour. You want to look stylish but also be able to belt down the subway stairs...If AM's aren't your cup of tea; these Nikes, these Reeboks or these Adidas bad boys will always pair well with your exploring outfit.

- Subway pass is $32 for a 7 day pass- it's the cheapest city I have been to for a while with regards to public transport. Working out at just over $4 a day for unlimited metro travel- it's by far cheaper then travelling in London (which I have found to be way too expensive now!) and the subway system is so simple to use. It would be nearly impossible to get lost!

- Walk! The layout of Manhattan all together is so well designed, streets are perpendicular to avenues, and we saved so many locations on google maps so that it was simply easy to get from place to place by foot! If you are a geographical nightmare though- so many subway stations have wifi hotspots, so simply nip down, load your maps feed and then set back on foot again.

- Haggle for tour buses- we got ours cheaper then advertised. What's the worst that could happen? They just say no!

- Plan. Plan and Plan. Everyone I have talked to about New York says it! You can get lost in the all hype and spend your entire time walking around places like the M and M factory in Times Square- which might be appealing to some people but isn't really my cup of tea.

- Research;

Research your shopping- The exchange rate is so poor at the minute for the dollar that you don't necessarily save big. I instead bought items I couldn't get back at home (my April bill from Sephora was not pleasant!) or that were cheaper- I teach 6/7 days a week so bought new work gear from Nike that costs me a fortune back home.

Research your eating places- if your a fussy eater and fast food is your cup of tea your fine- NYC is full of junk food! But if not, and you like expanding the palette- research Yelp reviews, ask friends who have similar tastes and experiment. It's such an international city!

Research you sightseeing places- we tried to match our sightseeing places with where we were going to eat- sort of like killing two birds with one stone. Ok, so I know people will be like hey your on a holiday, so quit planning and go with the flow, and sometimes that happened- we stumbled upon streets we liked and places that looked interesting and got off stops earlier then we were supposed to but New York has so much to do, and it's not cheap to fly to or stay at. It's certainly not a 48hr trip to a European city with Ryanair so the way I see it- you want to make the most of every part of it.

- Take some 'me' time. Every day spent in New York, we would give an hour or so to chill back in the hotel rom before changing and getting ready for dinner that night. Whether it was having a Nespresso and something sweet you had picked up that day, or sprawling on the bed and reading- 'Me' time abroad is so important for you mentally and also who is travelling with you.


What would you recommend to do in New York? What are your top tips?

Beijing Diary Part 2

Thursday 27th May:

So one of the reasons I decided to visit China was because my boyfriend was working abroad for the world athletic championships and it was one of the places I wanted to visit him while he was away (great excuse for a holiday eh?!) I spent Thursday day visiting the grounds of the Bird's Nest (where the olympics was held). The stadium is unreal! The architecture, the lighting around it (especially at night!) and the surrounding function areas are so cool- especially the water cube! Not going to lie, I hit a slump Thursday afternoon and I wasn't sure if this was due to jet lag hitting in, so I crossed any plans of list and decided to make full use of the hotel amenities that I hadn't used already! So as well as a delicious breakfast and daily refilled complimentary mini bar- Hotel Eclat also offers an amazing Afternoon Tea between 2-5pm full of quiches, Parisienne cakes and....a sweet cart! Yep, a whole sweet cart, that I (unashamedly!) helped myself generously too many times. The Hotel also offers Happy Hour between 6-8pm, so Thursday evening was spent with way too many glasses of Brut and a very full tummy!

Friday 28th May:

Tiananmen Square, Shopping and Food (yes more food!) Day! I really didn't plan to do shopping in Beijing. Cheekily, I booked a four day stopover in Dubai on the way home from China so was hoping to save a few pennies from my usual shopping antics that I engage in while on holidays- but clothes are SO cheap in Beijing and you really can haggle! I picked up an amazing baby blue suede jacket for €8 and a few tops in tiny shops that are littered across the city!

Note: If your curvy like me, prepare to ask for a way bigger size then normal. I'm considered really big compared to the the petite asian ladies- so all my labels are much bigger then what I would take back home!

Tiananmen Square was also visited. It's a large square that separates the Forbidden City off but is surrounded by vastly (and I don't use that word lightly!) communist government buildings. It's a typical tourist spot- but worthy of an 1 hour of your time.

Note: You need i.d with you to access this area- in fact your passport should be on you at all times! This might seem strange in Ireland or the UK, but it often common to have identification on you in many other parts of the world.

I also visited Wangfujing snack street- a maze full of yummy (and safe!!!) street food where you can find everything from fried scorpions, to sweet dumplings to asian bean drinks! Food and drinks are incredibly cheap in China. I way over-estimated the amount of money to bring over- and if you were on a very tight budget or let's say bag packing and city hopping over Asia- you could easily eat on a budget of around €20 a day from street snack stalls.

Saturday 29th May:

Today was Antique Market day at PANJIAYUUAN MARKET, which runs 7 days a week but from 4.30am-6pm on Saturdays. I got there just after lunch time (due to my love affair with the rainforest shower in my hotel room that I literally spent an hour under!!!) but that was plenty of time. I was advised that not everything is actually antique, so if your coming to buy some gems, you would really want to know what your looking for. I just knew I wanted some Foo Dog statues as I really wasn't fussed if they were antique or not. The Chinese have an ability to turn something brand new and make it look like it's about 100 years old and vice versa...lol! Come prepared with a budget and a notepad and pen. No body speaks english, but every body talks numbers and they want to do business with you. I scanned the whole market first and made notes on items I liked (I didn't show my keenness too much!) and then returned back after. Be prepared to haggle and have fun! Don't give in too easily- if you look foreign they will charge you way more then the actual price. Put it this way, my Foo Dogs statues were triple the price the first time I asked...

There are subways and buses right next to the market, but to be honest, taxi's were so cheap in Beijing, that they were the only mode of transport that I used.

Saturday evening was really my last formal dinner so I decided to go all out and visit a Duck restaurant and order the whole shebang! Yep, one whole duck to myself! The affair is rather splendid...the chef comes out with the cooked duck and cuts it infront of you and and one of the hosts then demonstrates the various accompaniments with it; the sesame bun being paired with a bit of raw ginger mince, some duck and hoisin sauce and the pancake + duck paired with traditional spring onion and cucumber but also some melon. I literally had to be rolled into a taxi and then into my bed! Major food coma!

Sunday 30th May:

Last day in China. I had evening tickets for the final day of the championships so spent the morning and early afternoon at the 798 District (an art district) that was once occupied by the Germans during the World War and is full of converted armoury factories into art galleries. The 798 district is amazing and pretty much free! Some of the galleries charge a ridiculously cheap 1 yuan entry (14cent!) but most are free and you have the opportunity to see Asian classical and contemporary art work. Lunch was in one of the cool vibe eateries there too. There are also some (rave reviewed) coffee shops in the district, but I didn't come to China for coffee so wasn't really interested in that!

                                             

Sunday evening was spent in the Birds Nest at Row 4 (15ft from Mr Bolt himself receiving his relay medal!) and myself and Ev spent the rest of the evening in the Beer garden near his hotel feasting on as much asian food that would last me until I choose when next to return...

Monday morning was a very early start (3am) to catch the red eye flight to Dubai where I impulsively chose to extend my holiday and stay a few days. I got a few mails asking for recommendations on Dubai on what I thought of it...so hope to do one of those posts soon!


Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Yas x