Manhattan ©MlleWanderlust
I love the Big Apple! I went for the 6th time in December of 2019 for the Holidays with my mother and once again, the city that never sleeps did not disappoint!
HOW TO GET THERE
There are so many ways to get there, living in Quebec, I’ve tried them all… I flew on 3 occasions, drove once and took a bus twice. It really depends on the type of travel you want, your budget and how much time you have on your hands! I personally have a preference for flying as it gives me more time to visit.
On my last trip to New York, I booked our flights (direct from Montreal) with Air Canada with Aeroplans so they ended up costing me a big fat $0!
ACCOMODATION
The cheapest accommodations you will find are on the New Jersey side. You might have to pay more transportation fees if you’ve not booked with a tour. I like being in Manhattan, then I can avoid traffic by taking the subway and walking. I’ve stayed in two hotels in Jersey with group tours and in 4 hotels on the island.
Located in Midtown near Times Square, I loved the fact that the breakfast buffet was included. This hotel was perfect and came at a great price, approximately 200$ CAD per night.
→ Hudson New York by Central Park
The location was great, right by Central Park close to Columbus Circle. The rooms are not huge by very clean and trendy. The hotel is gorgeous and has a nice rooftop. The rate for one night is usually around $300-$350 CAD.
This is the last hotel I’ve stayed at. The location was ideal! It’s located in the center of Times Square and close to a subway station. Our room was perfect and had a great view. We stayed there in December for about 450$ CAD per night.
HOW TO GET AROUND
The cheapest way to visit is on foot. But if you plan on visiting different boroughs, I recommend you take the subway as it is the cheapest and fastest way to get around. They also have taxis (typical yellow cabs!) and ride shares, such as Uber and Lyft, but they don’t come cheap and are pretty hefty!
ACTIVITIES
1 – The High Line, the Vessel at Hudson Yards & the Chelsea Market
The High Line, which opened in 2009, is a 2.33 km-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail created on a former abandoned railroad viaduct spur on the West side of the city in the Meatpacking District through Chelsea.
At ground level, the cobblestone streets are filled with trendy restaurants and shops. I strongly suggest you visit the Starbucks Reserve Roastery located on the 9th Avenue across the Chelsea Market East entrance, it’s incredible!
The Chelsea Market is an indoor marketplace renowned for its wide range of grocers, shops & eateries. I love shopping and eating there as I always find little treasures to bring back home!
The Vessel is a brand new attraction in New York as it was inaugurated in March of 2019. It’s a structure and visitor attraction built as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. The honeycomb-like structure rises 16 stories high and consists of 154 flights of stairs. If you book online up to two weeks in advance, the access tickets are free! Don’t wait to the last minute or until you get there because you’ll have to spend $10 USD per person to access the Vessel.
2 – The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Can’t go to New York and not see the mystical and colossal Liberty Enlightening the World. I’ve been twice and I always learn new things! Last time, I booked a tour on Expedia that gave use access to the ferry, the Pedestal & the Museum on Liberty Island and the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island. Plus, our tour guide Rachel was amazing! Our ticket was $65 CAD per person.
Since 1886, the Statue has been known to be a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad. Did you know that the Statue was a gift from France to the people of the US and that you could see her little sister, which is quarter-scale replica, in Paris by the Seine?!
Ellis Island is a 27.5-acre island located in the New York Harbor next to Liberty Island. From 1892 to 1954, it was the country’s busiest immigration station. It processed nearly 12 millions immigrants to the US. If you’re a History buff, this place is definitely for you!
It now contains a museum and it’s not to be missed! The South side of the island, includes the Immigrant Hospital which is abandoned but accessible to the public through guided tours. I haven’t done the Hospital tour yet but it’s on my bucket list for my next trip to NYC! The views on Manhattan are breathtaking from both islands!
3 – Central Park
The lungs of the city need no introduction! Central Park is a must whenever you are visiting NYC. There are so many activities to do:
→ Ice Skate on the iconic Wollman Rink (just like in the Christmas movie: Serendipity).
→ Rent a boat.
→ Visit the zoo.
→Or just take in the sun and relax on the lawn and have a picnic.
My personal favorite was a Horse Carriage Ride in the Park! I booked with NYC Fancy Rides and I took the 45 mins ride which allowed us to see many attractions such as the Wollman Rink, the Carousel, the Chess & Checker House, the Bethesda Fountain, the Boat Pond, Tavern On The Green and Columbus Circle. Our driver was very knowledgeable and we could listen to some great music that set the mood for our visit! Fortunately, blankets were included to keep us warm and we decided to grab a hot chocolate on our way there at the Christmas Market to make our experience even more memorable!
During the Holiday Season, for the past 15 years, Columbus Circle has had the best Christmas Market in the City! It’s located at the entrance of Central Park, at 59th Street and Central Park West.
5 – New York Public Library
A great free activity is to visit the emblematic Public Library. You may have seen it in many movies but the one I prefer is 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow!
The Library is a public library has nearly 53 million items and is the second largest public library in the United States and the third largest in the world.
6 – Ground Zero & One World Trade Center
The former World Trade Center site, referred to as Ground Zero is an area in Lower Manhattan. I recommend you get tickets to visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the view from the top of the One World Trade Center tower is beautiful. If you want to avoid the wait, get your tickets in advance online! The museum tickets for adults are $15 USD and the tower tickets are approximately $35 USD.
7 – Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, spanning the East River. It is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the US and was the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge. It was inaugurated in 1883.
Since then, it’s been a major tourist attraction and the bridge has become an icon of New York City and a designated landmark. A part of the bridge is reserved for pedestrians, so it is very tourist friendly!
8 – Wall Street
Wall Street is located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. New York City has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world. The city is home to the world’s two largest stock exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
In Bowling Green, you will find the famous Charging Bull bronze sculpture which was conceived in the wake of the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash.
Fun Fact: The sculpture was created by Sicilian artist Arturo Di Modica. On December 14, 1989 he arrived on Wall Street with Charging Bull on the back of a truck and illegally dropped it outside of the New York Stock Exchange. Charging Bull was intended to inspire each person who came into contact with it to carry on fighting through the hard times after the market crash for a brighter future.
9 – Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a public park located between 5th Avenue and Avenue of the Americas and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan. It’s right next to the New York Public Library. The park hosts many merchants in the summer and in the winter there’s a skating rink and a Holiday Market.
10 – Broadway Shows & Ballet
So many shows to choose from in New York! On our last trip, we decided to get tickets to The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the Lincoln Arts Center. The Lion King was my all time favorite movie as a child and I remember my mom bringing me to see The Nutcracker during the Holidays back home so it was the obvious choices for us while in the Big Apple! I also highly recommend Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I’ve seen the play in London and it was incredible!
→ The Lion King
Based on the 1994 Disney movie, the musical debuted on Broadway in 1997. It is Broadway’s third longest-running show in history, and has grossed more than $1 billion, making it the highest grossing Broadway production of all time! I got our tickets on Expedia for $240 CAD each.
→ The Nutcracker Ballet
During the holiday period, you can catch The Nutcracker. The Ballet with live musicians is simply whimsical and was the highlight of my trip! It reminded me of so many childhood memories! We dressed up and had champagne to make the evening even more memorable! I got our tickets here. They were $57 USD each.
11 – Museums
So many interesting museums to visit in NYC. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum… just to name a few.
12 – Empire State Building
For an amazing view of New York, you must go to the Empire State Building observatory deck. Who knows…you might encounter King Kong on way there! The skyscraper is 102-story-high. It was completed in 1931 and stands a total of 1,454 feet tall.
Fun facts: The building stood as the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years and it has been featured in more than 250 TV shows and movies since 1933.
I got our tickets in advance on Expedia for $49 CAD each.
14 – Times Square
Times Square is, according to me, the epicenter of Manhattan. It’s a major entertainment center and commercial intersection lit by numerous billboards and advertisements. You’ll find great stores for shopping and various restaurants. Did you know that Times Square was shaped like a bowtie?!
15 – Grand Central Terminal
Opened in 1913, the iconic Grand Central is a commuter rail terminal located in Midtown. The terminal is the third-busiest train station in North America and has 44 platforms! That’s a lot!
The main concourse is often featured in films and television. Grand Central Terminal contains a variety of stores and food vendors, including a food court and the renowned Oyster Bar.
There’s also an indoor Christmas Market during the Holiday Season. It’s located on the main concourse.
What I love about the terminal: The concourses are connected by two ramps. They intersect a slight slope from the Dining Concourse just outside the Oyster Bar. The arch creates a whispering gallery which means that someone standing in one corner can hear the other speaking softly in the opposite corner. You should have seen my mom’s face when I told her to stand in the corner facing the wall and that she heard me from the opposite side!
Other Activities:
→ Shop on Canal Street in China Town and awaken your taste buds in Little Italy.
→ Walk on Fifth Avenue with its High End store and window shop!
→ Washington Square Park: Have a stroll in Lower Manhattan.
→ Attend a Gospel Mass in Harlem.
→ Try a typical New York Style Hot Dog.
→ Spend the Holiday Season in NYC and let yourself be transported in a fairytale world!
MY ADDRESS BOOK
Frozen hot chocolate stars on the menu of this old-school dessert destination. It was made famous in the Serendipity movie. The eclectic decor made me feel like I was in Alice in Wonderland!
Best European-style cafe with amazing hot chocolate!
If you’ve read my previous post on Las Vegas, you should know by now that I love Eataly! Check out their amazing rooftop restaurant with a seasonal floral ceiling: Serra on the Roof.
Did you know that Ralph Lauren’s granddaughter had a candy bar in New York? Now you do!
Dylan Lauren was inspired to create the largest unique candy store in the world. Most of her inspiration came from the story of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The shop stocks more than 7 000 candies from around the world.
The New York City store is located on 60th Street and 3rd Avenue. Make sure to visit if you’ve got a sweet tooth!
Visit the oldest Toy Store in the US!
Enjoy!
XX
Mlle Wanderlust
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