Highlights:
- The city’s unique vibe
- Broadway
- Nightlife
- Chinatown
- MoMA
January 2013 I decided I needed a vibrant city to start the year and what better than NYC! Plane tickets were given to me as Xmas present from my friends, so I was beginning with the right foot.
For accommodations I only paid $88 per night for two people, I got a deal from TravelZoo:Yotel. The location is great, it’s only 5 minutes away walking distance from Times Square, and it’s next to the Hell’s Kitchen area. Now that I know about it, even without a discount I’d return to this place, its simplicity and practicality are innovative ways to do travel nowadays.
If you plan to go over in the summer make sure to ask for bike rentals (STRADA bike programme for only $3) and to sip a drink over in their terrace, the biggest of its kind in New York.
Looking for free entertainment? Check the free nights at museums! We went over to New Museum and to MoMA at no cost.
New Museum: Thursdays 7 PM - 9 PM. Suggested donation $2, you may get them in advance online.
MoMA: Fridays 4 PM - 8 PM. Free, tickets are not available in advance, so make sure to get in line early, it does get very crowded but it’s worth it.
And here’s a list of free museums for you to take advantage of freebies from NYC.
Other free options are walking through Central Park and visiting sites like Strawberry Fields site where the ‘Imagine’ mosaic (homage to John Lennon) is exposed; or just do window shopping over 5th Avenue, you’ll feel fancy just walking there and you may even spot someone famous.
For other type of entertainment, there’s always Broadway, and there are several ways to get cheaper tickets. The most sure way to get discounted price tickets is to go to the TKTS booth in the middle of Times Square. Lines are long, bring your camera so that in the meanwhile you can take pictures of Times Square, oh and make sure to bring cash and an open mind as to what shows might be available.
Chinatown is a good option not only for affordable shopping, but also to try different types of Asian food, from Vietnamese to Japanese… Just make sure to check the restaurant letter grading: A, B, C. ‘A’ being the most sanitary. So for sure you need to stay away from ‘C’ to avoid being part of the salmonella statistics.
And of course pizza in New York is the best, I’ve eaten it from diverse corner one-slice pizza places and it’s always yummy. Other good areas include Little Italy and Hell’s Kitchen (I specially recommend 44 & X Hell’s Kitchen for brunch).
Regarding transportation the MTA subways are the best way to go, buy a multi-day pass; cabs are not very expensive, they’re a good options as well. And no matter what way you choose to get around, at the end you will be walking a lot!
If you have friends living in NYC or Brooklyn always ask them for the latest tips to survive or to get the most out of nightlife! I sure asked Ivania and Liliana and they took me to party starting in Brooklyn and we ended up in New Jersey… Don’t ask.
There’s never a wrong way to tour through NYC, it’s full of surprises. I haven’t got to it yet in the summer, only two winters, but soon I’ll hit Shake Shack on a hot day!