"There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless."
~ Simone Beauvoir
Today on the blog I'm sharing some photos from my semi-recent trip to the big apple; along with a full three-day itinerary and some tips and tricks for anyone who might be planning a visit in the near future.
~ Simone Beauvoir
Today on the blog I'm sharing some photos from my semi-recent trip to the big apple; along with a full three-day itinerary and some tips and tricks for anyone who might be planning a visit in the near future.
All photos featured here were taken on my iPhone (click to enlarge).
When my Mum called me up and asked me if I'd like to join her on her annual trip to NYC, it took me less than 60 seconds to respond with a definite 'yes.' As they say, New York is always a good idea.
I used a fair bit of my own prior knowledge, and also did some light pre-trip research before formulating a 'bucket list' of attractions to visit, sights to see, and local food I wanted to try.
I nabbed a New York City Explorer E-Pass from Costco in advance. With the current CAD to USD exchange rate being unfavourable for us Canadians, I figured this would be better than paying for the attractions in USD once we were there. I downloaded the app and was able to use the pass quite effortlessly; additionally, any addresses, phone numbers, or hours for attractions are listed within the app. I would recommend this pass to anyone looking to visit at least a few of the major attractions in the city.
I nabbed a New York City Explorer E-Pass from Costco in advance. With the current CAD to USD exchange rate being unfavourable for us Canadians, I figured this would be better than paying for the attractions in USD once we were there. I downloaded the app and was able to use the pass quite effortlessly; additionally, any addresses, phone numbers, or hours for attractions are listed within the app. I would recommend this pass to anyone looking to visit at least a few of the major attractions in the city.
First things first, we flew into Ottawa where my Mum's friend picked us up, and we began the long drive down to Jersey. I slept most of the way, so I don't have much to say about the journey; except for, perhaps, that autumn in the state of New York is ten times more beautiful than autumn at home. THOSE LEAVES.
Each morning, we took the train from Jersey to the city. It was a short train ride into the city, and quite cost-effective. Though I think I'd opt for an Airbnb in the city in the future, as train tickets add up - and Jersey is not much cheaper to stay in than the city itself.
In terms of transportation within the city, we mainly used the Subway system. I bought a MetroCard and reloaded it as needed. This eliminated a lot of time we likely would have spent stuck in traffic, and we were also able to save a lot of money that would have otherwise been spent on Ubers or taxis. New York City's subway is among the most confusing I've been on, I found the signage poor, and we often ended up on the wrong train going in the opposite direction. In the end, I found the Google Maps directions feature to be most helpful, and I would recommend downloading the Google Maps app prior to your trip. Worst case scenario, when lost, simply ask a New Yorker - there were plenty of helpful people who assisted us in our subway travels.
In terms of transportation within the city, we mainly used the Subway system. I bought a MetroCard and reloaded it as needed. This eliminated a lot of time we likely would have spent stuck in traffic, and we were also able to save a lot of money that would have otherwise been spent on Ubers or taxis. New York City's subway is among the most confusing I've been on, I found the signage poor, and we often ended up on the wrong train going in the opposite direction. In the end, I found the Google Maps directions feature to be most helpful, and I would recommend downloading the Google Maps app prior to your trip. Worst case scenario, when lost, simply ask a New Yorker - there were plenty of helpful people who assisted us in our subway travels.
Day 1
After hopping on the train from Jersey to Penn Station NYC, the very first thing I did when we had reached the city was nab a hot pretzel from a street food cart. This was obviously on my NYC bucket list, and I was more than happy to cross it off for a mere two dollars. It was just as good as I had hoped, and worth every penny.
We strolled around for a bit before arriving at Rockefeller Centre. We had hoped we would be able to pre-book our Top Of The Rock Observation Deck tickets for that evening at sunset, but unfortunately, the soonest availability was for 6:45PM - well after sunset. Instead, we booked ahead for the following day at sunset. We checked out the Rockefeller Plaza (which was aesthetically decorated with pumpkins and scarecrows) before heading down 5th Avenue toward Central Park. Much of this walk was spent admiring designer shops, my favourite being the iconic Tiffany & Co storefront.
Sometime later, we arrived in Central Park. Due to our late start in the day, the sun had begun to set. We walked through the park at dusk, in search of the Strawberry Fields memorial. We ended up skirting the perimeter of the park due to preparations for the New York City Marathon, as much of the park had been closed off. We knew in advance that we would likely end up avoiding the park throughout the weekend, so this was going to be our only chance to see it. We were pleasantly surprised (though at first, startled) to witness the fireworks during the opening ceremony, which was taking place during our walk through the park.
We eventually made it to the memorial, though the sun had long since set and it had begun to rain. I would love to visit Central Park again in the future and spend some time there during the day (on a less chaotic weekend); I found the park to be a surprisingly tranquil place, despite being in the center of a very busy and bustling city.
We left the park and headed down some unknown street where we stumbled across My Pie. Pizza by the slice was obviously another NYC bucket list item for me, so I grabbed a San Pelligrino and a vegan slice. While I wouldn't necessarily call it an 'authentic' New York Pizza moment, it was definitely a good choice and I enjoyed every bite.
We left the park and headed down some unknown street where we stumbled across My Pie. Pizza by the slice was obviously another NYC bucket list item for me, so I grabbed a San Pelligrino and a vegan slice. While I wouldn't necessarily call it an 'authentic' New York Pizza moment, it was definitely a good choice and I enjoyed every bite.
The last place we stopped on our first day was Times Square. Wow. Just...wow. Amongst all of the bright lights, it felt as if you could spend hours wandering around the crowds without ever feeling tired. I guess that's why Starbucks is open 24 hours here. I will say this; trying to find a seat in a popular bar or restaurant here will likely take nearly an hour (we tried the Hard Rock, Bubba Gump Shrimp, and TGI Fridays) - so maybe skip the touristy eateries in Times Square and eat somewhere else beforehand.
Day 2
New York Bagels
New York Bagels
Unless you live in Montreal, you'll be hard-pressed to find a proper bagel shop in Canada - so obviously I had to put a proper New York Bagel on my bucket list. Never in my life have I entered such a beautiful carb-filled heaven, with an endless selection of spreads and fillings. I went for a whole grain everything bagel with a vegan tofu and veggie spread. This is the first time I had ever tried a tofu spread, and I was pleasantly surprised! We stumbled across this little gem on the way to board our Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour.
This was a given for us. I've done the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus tour in London, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York City now. If you've ever done one of these, you'll know what to expect. There are severeal different routes you can take, and the option to add on a 'night tour.' We stuck to the red 'Downtown' route and we were able to see a great many sights, including the Flatiron Building, Washington Square Park, Wall Street, the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, the Battery, etc. The great thing about these tours is that you can see many of the major sights in one day or less, and you have the ability to get off at each sight and explore. It's a great way to get to know the city and learn some history while you're at it. We were in agreement that we wanted to get off in Chinatown, my Mum wanted to shop for purses and I wanted to eat in Little Italy (as you may have guessed by now, this was also on the NYC bucket list).
Chinatown/Little Italy
While my Mum shopped for what our tour guide comically referred to as, 'Larry Vuitton' and 'Miguel Kors,' I spent time casually strolling through Chinatown and admiring the many murals in the area. Pictured above are a couple of murals that I happened to snap a photo of.
Top of the Rock
I did my research on this one. Prior to this trip, I had always assumed that the top of the Empire State Building was the best and only way to get an impeccable view of the city from above. After looking into things a bit further and quizzing any and all friends who had been to NYC, we decided to do Top of the Rock instead. Why? Three reasons. Firstly, the 360-degree view that you get at the Top of the Rock features some landmarks in the city that you cannot otherwise see from the Empire State (ie. Central Park). Second, the lines for Top of the Rock are shorter and faster (especially if you've already booked your observation deck time in advance, which we had done the day before). I have read that the Empire State observation deck lines are notoriously long, and that the Top of the Rock is more efficient and timely. Lastly, you can actually see the Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock. When my friend Tyler mentioned this to me, it clicked. I wanted the Empire State Building in my pictures, so Top of the Rock was the logical option. We practically ran from our bus tour after getting stuck in dense traffic, and we arrived just in time to watch the sunset over New York City. This might be my favourite attraction/sight from this trip. You just have to experience it for yourself - photos do not do it justice.
Red Hook Lobster Pound
My family is from New Brunswick, and if there's one thing I love to treat myself to when I'm home...it's a lobster roll. Imagine my excitement when I'm scrolling through a random listicle online before my trip, and it features a classic New England lobster roll. Mum and I agreed on this place immediately. It's way out in Brooklyn and it took some serious navigation of trains and buses to get there. Additionally, this bad boy was a whopping $26 USD (it's not lobster season, but they're still much cheaper back home). Since it's a rare treat, I had no problem dishing it out for this meal. If you're in New York and you're into authentic New England/Maritime style dishes, I'd recommend Red Hook Lobster Pound for sure.
One World Trade Center
On our third and final day, we headed into the city and got off at World Trade Center subway station. As we entered the building from the subway, we were amazed. The Oculus building is stunning, and it's difficult to believe that something so beautiful could be built from such a devastating tragedy.
When we exited the building we were greeted by multiple walls of street art, providing the perfect opportunity to take a couple of photos. There were a few bloggers here, and I'm sure these walls have been featured on many Instagram accounts and fashion blogs.
We continued our walk over to the 9/11 Memorial grounds. We stood at the edge of the memorial pools, where the twin towers once stood, and took in the hundreds upon hundreds of names of those lost on September 11, 2001. I began to reflect on what I remembered from that day, and walked around the grounds while taking it all in. We got our tickets to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and walked through in our own time, as the guided tours were sold out for the day.
We continued our walk over to the 9/11 Memorial grounds. We stood at the edge of the memorial pools, where the twin towers once stood, and took in the hundreds upon hundreds of names of those lost on September 11, 2001. I began to reflect on what I remembered from that day, and walked around the grounds while taking it all in. We got our tickets to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and walked through in our own time, as the guided tours were sold out for the day.
The museum is large, and one could easily spend an entire day inside its walls, taking it all in. It is incredibly tough, and I found myself tearing up several times throughout our walkthrough. I would encourage anyone visiting the city to make this a stop on their trip. While it is heartbreaking and difficult to navigate emotionally, there are so many stories of survivors and incredible bravery.
Statue of Liberty Cruise
We left the 9/11 Memorial Museum feeling heavy, and thus moved on to Battery Park in search of something to uplift us. We used our final attraction pass to hop on the ferry over to Liberty Island. This ferry ride provided beautiful views of the Manhatten skyline, and we were able to catch the beginning of the sunset during the one hour round trip. We decided not to get off at Liberty Island, you could literally see people lined up around the edge of the island waiting to get inside the statue. I still wanted to see the Brooklyn Bridge, so we stayed on the ferry and circled back.
Brooklyn Bridge By Night
We made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge by subway, and when we surfaced I was surprised to find the sun had already set. Daylight savings time had ended the night before, so the clocks had rolled back - meaning that the sun had set by 5:00pm! Despite this, we walked up the pedestrian path onto the bridge, and we were pleased to find that the view was beyond stunning long after the sun had set.
I bought a couple of charcoal drawings from a man selling art on the walkway - I like to buy paintings and drawings in each of the cities I visit, so I was happy to find these on our final night in the city.
After walking around, we were hungry and wanted to enjoy one last meal before heading back to Jersey. We agreed to head to Little Italy, where we came across Lombardi's. I had read about this place, and our bus tour guide had suggested it. We were lucky to get a table right away. We ordered bruschetta (to die for) as an appetizer, and calzones for our main. Ah-maz-ing. The pizza sauce is honestly the best I've ever had, and they sell it by the jar.
Full and happy, we took the train back to Jersey and wrapped up three incredible days in New York City.
As a bonus, I've included some pictures from Kingston and Ottawa; where we were able to spend the day touring around before our flight home.
If you've been to NYC, let me know any of your recommendations (food, sights, or otherwise) in the comments down below!
xx
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