Staying Local This Trip

New York City is the next location I will be discussing as a place to travel to, I am from Long Island, NY and my town is about 30-35 minutes from New York City. I was hesitant to write about NYC because I didn’t want to give too much of a biased opinion and I know it is a very controversial place that has its pros and cons. I particularly have a love/hate relationship with NYC just because of how frequently I am there or to certain places I’ve been too. I think the great thing about New York City though is the versatility of it and how much culture is present there. There is the stereotype that it can be very expensive but there are many things to do for a very wide price range. I think each borough has something to offer too many various tourists and New York City truly lives up to be the melting pot it is acclaimed to be. What I would advise though is to not spend too much time in Times Square, it is really not worth it and sometimes very dirty looking. The city is also versatile in the way that there are many different things to do in summer and winter.

Traveling to New York City, whether that be a short car ride, train ride or flight is worth the visit no matter what time the year you go, it’s just one of those places you have to see for yourself. Metropolitan lifestyle may not be for everybody but there are some things to do that make you feel that you are not even in a city setting. In the summer the best things to do are take a visit to either Central Park, Bryant Park or the High Line. In Central Park in the summer they hold free early morning concerts by Good Morning America and the Today show, I’ve seen artist such as Demi Lovato, Halsey, Selena Gomez and Keith Urban. The High Line is also a beautiful sight seeing walk, it is located on Manhattan’s West Side on an abandoned train track and stretches over three of the cities very lively neighborhoods; there is a handful of food vendors there and beautiful public art installments. No matter the season, if you like to shop and eat great food I recommend heading over to SoHo in Lower Manhattan, you”ll be sure to find a great brunch spot over there. In the winter Bryant Park is also amazing where it is all beautifully decorated for the holidays and they have an ice skating rink and little shops set up with hot chocolate in churro cones. Also the Macy window setup, Rockefeller Center Tree and Saks 5th Avenue has amazing light setups.

For a more spring or fall approach I recommend going to one of the many museums found in New York City, in my opinion they don’t get enough recognition. I went to the MoMA, The Museum of Natural History and The Museum of Moving Image (which is in Queens) when I was very young and those experiences are some that I cherish the most from my visits to NYC. Another activity for this season is The Big Onion Walking tour in Brooklyn which takes you through ethnic, close knit neighborhoods where you get to learn about the history of many cultures and try amazing food. Broadway shows are also a great thing to attend if you are able to, Wicked was awesome when I saw it.

I could go on and on about all the different things available to do in this city and I think it is truly something to check out because there is always something for everybody. You’ll get to see all types of different people and try new things without having to leave the country, unless you live outside the United States then you have a journey ahead of you. It is a place filled with unity, great food, great stores and amazing people (just don’t get in a New Yorker’s way).