Top 5 really must do: New York City
2013-01-09 15:28
New York City is the city that never sleeps and you shouldn’t
expect to conquer it. Instead, indulge
in an infectious bite of the big apple that will leave you with a never ending
taste for wanting more.
So, don’t dare try and do everything in two days, or in 10 years
for that matter. There’s always new and
old coming together every which way puzzling a perfect itinerary together for
anyone who is spending any amount of time there.
1. Eat local
Eating at a chain in NYC is alright if you are trying to
accomplish some American clichè must do, but maybe save that for, let’s say
Alabama.
Be sure to get yourself to a bakery like Magnolia’s
and grab a slice of pizza in little Italy, because there is no reason why you
should ever leave this foodie city even the slightest bit hungry for unique and
savoury eats.
Eat your heart out:
Restaurants
- enjoy local bagel joint, Murray’s
Bagels (some may argue best bagels
ever) or the better known Plaza Hotel’s Todd English Food Hall.
Food trucks
- growing rapidly in the big apple selling coffee, sandwiches, lobster, or anything you want, driven all
around the city for your hipster pleasure.
2.
Travel
by foot
Spend the entire day walking from neighbourhood to neighbourhood,
find yourself exploring the ins and outs, the architecture and stumble upon
shops, people and scenes you never even knew existed.
Most of this tiny island is a grid, north, south, east, and west,
and is easily identifiable by the cross streets you end up on. And, if you are lost, don’t be afraid to ask
a New Yorker, they are a helpful and friendly people who love their city and
are happy to share it with you.
Awesome Walks:
The Highline
- a few years ago, the concept of reclaiming an old train track and turning into a great public space became
reality. This walk is genuinely cool, with vendors and installations. It will
take you from mid-town NYC all the way down
to Chelsea Market.
Walk Broadway - Broadway goes across the city
and will take you from the Upper West
Side all the way down to the financial district.
3. See a show
Songquan Deng / Shutterstock.com
Let’s be honest, the neon lights are actually bright on
Broadway. There’s totally magic in the
air, and while these song lyrics are conveniently being mixed up for the
purposes of this blurb, the truth is, if you can make it there, you’ll make it
anywhere.
The spirit of seeing a professional show in a small theatre in
NYC is incomparable, but if a musical is not your particular cup of tea, there
are some fantastic straight plays as well as, comedy, music, and concerts,
happening all around the city.
Tips:
Broadway’s Official Site - find
out what’s on in the theatre district.
See local improv
- book ahead for Upright Citizens Brigade or The PIT,
and who knows, maybe SNL celeb Amy
Poehler will stop by for a visit to her old stomping grounds.
Check out the
local music scene - head to a NYC famous concert venue hosted by the legendary
Bowery
Ballroom group.
4. Go
shopping
Even if you don’t classify yourself as a shopaholic, this is the
place to let go, go nuts, and buy really cool, funky, unique stuff that you
might not be able to find anywhere else in the world. And, if you can find it somewhere else,
chances are, NYC will have a better deal for you.
Shopping area suggestions:
5th Avenue -
stroll along this avenue from 42nd
street up to Central Park for the cities
most luxurious shopping. Cartier,
Tiffany & Co, a giant Disney Store, Louis Vuitton
and the Apple Store, to name a very few.
Williamsburg - hit up Time Out New York’s
indie shopping guide for the hippest neighbourhood
in Brooklyn.
5. Central
Park
Marcio Jose Bastos Silva / Shutterstock.com
Thank-goodness over 150 years ago, NYC held a public competition
to design a park in the middle of their industrially growing city. Today, Central Park still stands as the most
iconic city park in NYC and possibly in the entire Untied States.
What to do in the park:
Chess spectating - watch the young and old square it out at the
famous Chess and Checkers House. Shoot for a Saturday when chess masters just
might be there to teach strategy.
Go for a run - it’s an incredible vibe running
with so many other people around the
peaceful city mecca that is Central Park.
Check out the
zoo - while zoo’s can always be a topic of contention, think of all the inner city kids who may have never seen a
lion, tiger or bear, oh my.
Shaina Herman was hosted by British Airways. BA flies to New York from London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 10 times a day. South African customers arriving on any of the airline’s double-daily Cape Town or Johannesburg services can transfer directly to these flights through the flight connections centre in Terminal 5. British Airways also offers a twice-daily business class only service from London City to New York.
