The people, the food, the sites - everything in New York City is simply breathtaking.
New Yorkers are the most easy going, straight talking people you will ever meet. The food is great, and the portions are huge - which makes it even better! The soaring skyscrapers are simply captivating and the views from them are even better. But it's the indescribable atmosphere that makes New York City my favourite place in the world.
Just before Christmas, I spent five days in the Big Apple with my best friend and we embraced tourism with open arms. With my DSLR in one hand and a map in the other, we saw and did pretty much everything recommended in the guide book - Statue of Liberty, Macy's, Central Park - you name it, we probably did it!
But like the experienced travellers we are, we tried to experience as many things as we could like locals. We skipped the cabs and opted for the (rather confusing) subway, drank in dingy Irish pubs in the Lower Eastside and refused to pay the 'suggested/donation price' at landmarks and tourism spots.
01. Ate big, greasy, American food. For pretty much every meal.
02. Ate incredible pasta in Little Italy. Followed by tiramisu. And a cappuccino...
03. Spent the day on the top deck of an open-top bus tour.
Then did it again. At night. In -5 degrees and 4" of snow. #YOLO
04. Visited the American Museum of Natural History
05. Had a beer and hotdog at MSG, watching the New York Rangers. Ahem, in VIP seats.
06. Defied gravity watching Wicked on Broadway.
07. Threw away the maps and the plans and just got lost in the city.
08. Had my breath taken away at the top of the Empire State Building.
09. Cried my eyes out at the 9/11 Memorial ground.
71 law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center on 11th September 2001.
These are the names of the 35 members of the Port Authority Police Department who lost their lives trying to rescue victims that were trapped in the WTC.
10. Met some amazing people. Mainly in Irish bars.
Like Louis from London, and Kevin and Andrew from New York.
And Bill Wixey, Seattle's main anchorman.
And our tour guide, whose brother and sister-in-law worked at the World Trade Centre.
His sister-in-law, who was 7 months pregnant at the time, had called in sick on the morning of 9/11. His brother narrowly missed a collapsing tower, suffering only scarring.
Thankfully they both survived and now have a beautiful 12-year-old daughter.
Sorry for the photo-heavy blog post, but NYC is such a beautiful city, it's hard not to show every moment with a photograph.
If you're thinking about going to NYC and want some hints and tips such as costs, hotels, areas, places to eat and drink etc then feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me @SecretJuneBlog x
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