New Year, New York!

Time is a freaky, scary thing when you put too much thought into it, and I am not one to voluntarily waste it. I try to grasp every moment that comes my way and I think that is best displayed in my travel itineraries. With five days in New York City (2 of which were partial travel days) I visited landmarks, museums, government buildings, ate endless amounts of tasty food, went to a hockey game in a neighboring state, rode many a subway train and spent all of this quality exploration time catching up with a dear friend.

New York just has so much to offer and I was not going to slack on one minute of it (even through a snow storm), so while I’d normally write a “Must and Miss” post on the city, I only have positive recommendations for you!

MUST

EAT!!! As my tour guide and foodie put it, why eat at a chain when there are so many excellent options around the city! Dessert, Chinese, pizza, Cuban, cocktails and local breweries, need I say more? There are SO many unique eateries to test out in New York!

Visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum at Ground Zero. I am considering writing a separate piece on my visit but I think it is a must for everyone.

Go on a Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour– this may not be a priority for everyone, especially since you need at least half a day to dedicate to this two-part tour, but for $18 you board a ferry that takes through the Harbor where you disembark and take a walking audio tour of both islands. If you’re like me and had family immigrate through Ellis Island, it’s an extremely meaningful visit.

The MoMA and The Met! The perk of Metropolitan Museum of Art (besides the rooms on rooms of historic masterpieces) is that they take any size donation as your entrance fee, while the Museum of Modern Art is a little pricier– but they do have a student rate! Granting me entrance to The MoMA was like giving a child an espresso and then setting them free in a candy store. I mean… ANDY WARHOL GUYS!!!

***A couple other tips***

• Obsessed with street art like me? Take a walk through Williamsburg in Brooklyn!
• If you’re going to be in the city for more than a weekend, it’s totally worth buying the 7 day Metrocard. There’s no option for fewer days but at $30 it’s a cheap price (and less of a hassle) when public transport is your main way to get around.
• Winter travelers– bring layers and moisturizer! Also, most museums have a free coat check, so take advantage of it instead of towing around your layers!

New York is a phenomenal city and I can’t wait to share more of my adventures in the Big Apple with you in some upcoming posts!