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Culture July 3, 2018
A guide to tackling one of America's best cities.
As one of the most popular tourist destinations, New York City is thought to be one of the best cities on earth for good reason. Home to some of the best shopping, museums, art exhibits, parks, restaurants, Broadway shows and more, NYC pretty much offers it all.
If you’re visiting NYC, here are some of the best things to do.
Having visited New York for the first time in the fourth grade, I immediately fell in love with the hustle and bustle the city has to offer. It also doesn’t hurt that you can go get an ice cream cone at 3 A.M. Two good spots to visit in the city are The Chelsea Market and the High Line. The Chelsea Market is an urban shopping center with some of the best shopping and restaurants. When visiting, its impossible to not go get an omelette and coffee at Sarahbeth’s or buy some cute accessories from their trendy boutiques.
Right above the Chelsea Market, you’ll find the High Line. On September 21, 2014, the High Line at the Rail Yards, opened to the public. With an unreal view of this area of NYC, the High Line is the perfect way to see the sights, have a romantic day or evening with your loved ones, spend some time with your family and, as always, take some Instagram pictures.
One of the best parts about NYC is the diverse culture. Known as the “melting pot” of the United States and the destination for immigrants coming to America through Ellis Island, NY is home to some of the best food in the world. They offer everything from street food, diner food, the trendiest foods on Instagram, cookie dough, Indian food, Thai food and more. Some of my personal favorites are Cookie DO NYC, Ellen’s Stardust Diner, and the food court at The Plaza NY.
Known to many as the place where Chuc Bass proposed to Blair Waldorf, the Empire State Building is actually one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in New York City. If you’re afraid of heights, I suggest passing on this one. However if you can brave the several flights of stairs, the view is certainly worth it. And yes, they do have an elevator.
Although Times Square is a tourist death trap, Broadway makes walking through a sea of people worth it. As a musical theater lover, going to a Broadway Show was a dream of mine growing up.
The most recent Broadway show I saw was Hamilton. Breaking records with its iconic, catchy, rap tunes, Hamilton is one of the most successful musicals in history and is an absolute must see.
As a self-proclaimed shopaholic, I’m notorious for dropping hundreds of dollars at my favorite NYC stores. But how could I not when there is a three-story Urban Outfitters, the first ever Macy’s and Fifth Ave. which will fulfill all of your wildest shopping dreams.
Although once known as a not so nice area, Brooklyn has turned into one of the artsiest and trendiest spots in the city. Not to mention, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge is an experience within itself. Crossing the bridge and going to yet another neighborhood NYC has to offer is half the fun.
My last trip to the city was spent honoring Alexander Hamilton in true Hamilton fashion. Although I’m not the biggest history buff, going around the city and seeing the real places in which our founding fathers fought for our country was pretty iconic.
I recommend visiting Fraunces Tavern, the setting for at least two songs in Hamilton. Most famous for being the location of George Washington‘s farewell address, Fraunces Tavern also hosted a meeting of The Society of the Cincinnati at least once in the early 1800s and Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton attended.
I also recommend visiting Trinity Church, where Angelica Church is buried near Alexander Hamilton. *If you’re not singing Hamilton lyrics right now, are you even a real fan?* While also a beautiful location, Trinity Church is filled with tons of history.
During the holidays, Bryant Park is one of my favorite spots in the city to visit. Although a great spot year round, Bryant Park gets especially decked out for the holidays with their giant Christmas tree, holiday boutique and ice skating rink. You can also get the best frozen hot chocolate.
As I mentioned, New York City is known for its rich history. With this history, comes some pretty awesome museums. The MET, MOMA, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, the tenement museum, are all on my list of some of the best museums in the country.
Although yet another tourist destination, Central Park is definitely the most notable tourist destination in the city. Filled with people, animals, horse drawn carriages and beautiful greenery, Central Park is the perfect place to rent a bike ride and ride around the park.
I also suggest a photo shoot there as well.
As you can see, the list of things to do in NYC is endless, but this is a good start.
