USA Guide: New York

New York a city where a lot of people I know have visited and then came back saying they fell in love with the city, but this was sadly not the case for me. I did enjoy my time in New York I think the weather had a major affect on my feelings for the city as the weather also affected how much I was able to do as whilst I was there they had a storm.

New York is the most densely populated city in the US. There are five boroughs in New York including:

Brooklyn

Queens

Manhattan

Staten Island

The Bronx

As a city there is no chance you will be bored as there is plenty to do no matter how many times you visit. As I mentioned earlier in the post the weather had an affect on how much I could do so I didn’t get to do everything I wanted which means I will have to go back for another visit.

For views of the city from high above there are two main places to go which are Empire State Building and Top of the Rock. The Empire State Building is a symbol of New York with 102 floors as you can go to the observatories on level 86 and 102. Top of the Rock is another option which is located at the Rockefeller Centre where you will find three different levels to enjoy unobstructed views of the city which are levels 67, 69 and 70. At the Rockefeller Centre you are also able to do a tour of the NBC studios where you are able to enjoy behind the scenes access to Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live as well as some other shows. Due to the weather I never did either of these for views of the city as it was impossible to enjoy the views due to the fog and rain but on my next visit I will be definitely doing Top of the Rock.

Our hotel was located a short walk from Times Square in the theatre district which is known for its bright advertisements which are located on screens. I found myself going to Times Square a couple times where you can also visit the shops such as Sephora, Old Navy and Gap as well as dine at Bubba Gump or Hard Rock Cafe. A trip to New York has to include a trip to a musical on Broadway as I found myself going to see A Bronx Tale, there is a variety of shows available to see including:

Waitress

Book of Mormon

Frozen

Mean Girls

On my first day I took a ferry to Ellis Island which used to be the gateway for over 12 million immigrants which made it the busiest immigration inspection station in the US for over 60 years. Ellis Island has been home to the museum of immigration since 1990. As an island it is considered as part of New York but most island is actually in New Jersey. Whilst at Ellis Island you can enjoy spectacular views of the New York skyline. For anyone visiting New York I would definitely recommend a visit to Ellis Island as I found the museum to be both interesting and informative.

Near Ellis Island you will find Long Island which is the home of the Statue of Liberty which is a neo-classical statue. It is an icon of freedom and was a gift from the people of France.

You can also take a trip to the 9/11 memorial in Lower Manhattan which pays tribute to those who sadly lost their lives in 2001 in a terror attack on the twin towers. There is also a museum located near the memorial which I did not go to due to not having time on that day.

Central Park is another must visit in New York which was also situated a short walk from the hotel that I stayed in. Central Park is a urban park located in Manhattan between Upper East and Upper West. There is plenty to see and do at Central Park as you can visit the zoo. Within the park you can find Belvedere Castle which is a miniature castle that provides the highest and best views of the park, the castle is currently closed for restoration and is due to reopen to the public in 2019. There is a John Lennon memorial within the park which is known as Strawberry Fields which is from a Beatles song. Within the park you can also find a bronze statue of Alice in Wonderland and her storybook friends located in mid park.

Located on east side of Fifth Ave there is a neo-gothic style Roman Catholic Cathedral called St Patrick’s. This is one of the most beautiful cathedrals inside that I’ve been in so I would definitely recommend going in to the cathedral.

There is another cathedral in Manhattan’s Mornigside Heights neighbourhood called Cathedral of Saint John the Divine which was originally designed with a Romanesque Revival style but changed to a Gothic style.