What To Do In The Big Apple

Post Contributed by Hayley Jones

New York is an amazing place – it’s one of those places that you can’t truly explain until you’ve been there to see it for yourself. There is so much life there that buzzes around you, and you get the energy of that as soon as you arrive. Regardless of what your background is, there is something for everyone to experience as well as things to take away from it. So if you have a bucket list of cities to visit – New York most definitely deserves to be on the list.

Statue of Liberty

Let’s face it, you can’t not visit that magnificent, big, majestic, mint green statue that stands tall over New York – it would almost be a crime. You can see this up close and personal by boarding the classic ferry and taking in all of the views from the observation deck. One tip for this, is to get there early in the morning so you don’t have to deal with big crowds, as this is such a popular sight to see every single day. Care to see it from afar instead? Check out Liberty State Park in New Jersey for an epic skyline view. 

Stroll Through One or More of the Parks

 

While Central Park gets all the notoriety, don’t forget that there are loads in NYC. In fact, my favorite is the High Line: a beautifully designed park that is built on the remnants of train tracks. Get there early enough to grab a lounge chair and soak in the city from a park that sits above the streets. It’s truly unique.

See a Broadway Play

There is so much amazing talent that deserves all the recognition they can get, so show your appreciation and book a ticket while you’re there, dress up fancy, and go and enjoy an incredible show. Even Denzel Washington is back in the theatre, so if you’re a fan then you won’t want to miss him in the upcoming play ‘The Iceman Cometh’.

The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

This isn’t something easy to visit, because what happened on the 11th September 2001 was one of the worst catastrophes in the world that no one will ever be able to forget. People go here to pay their respects, as well as learn more about what actually happened that day. This is an extraordinary display of compassion, and while it’s surely upsetting, it’s also very moving, so it’s worth seeing if you have a spare day. 

Live the Sex and The City Life

We all have a soft spot in our hearts for one of the greatest tv shows of all time, that then turned into a movie. Sex and the City took us on a journey through time, with stories that we could all relate to, or somewhat relate to. So what better way to relate to them all over again in the present day than by visiting all of the most famous hotspots of where the girls used to hang out? Go on a tour and visit up to 40 areas with a fun professional guide giving you all the gossip.

Helicopter Ride Above it All

If you don’t mind heights, then a wonderful way of having a view of the whole of Manhattan, is to be taken on a tour in the sky. You will be able to have a birds eye view of all your favourite landmarks, and literally feel on top of the world. Your guide will let you know what to look out for while you’re up there, and don’t forget the selfies that you can take to show off to all your friends and family back home.

Or Settle for Top of the Rock

Helicopter not in your budget or a smidge too adventurous for you? Take the not-so-adrenaline-inducing elevator ride to the top of the Rockefeller Building, aka “Top of the Rock”, for some pretty incredible views. I actually preferred this to the Empire State Building because you can see not only the famous Empire State Building, but also Central Park.

As you can see, there are so many options for your NYC Bucket list – and this is only scratching the surface. What’s at the top of your Big Apple to-to list?