For my 21st birthday me & my friend decided to go to New York for a week. My family all thought I was a bit insane, I finished uni a couple of weeks beforehand and had very little money to my name but I assure you it can be done! With my last ever instalment of my student loan (weep) I booked my flight to NYC with British Airways & my hotel through Expedia. I can 100% guarantee you it will be worth your while doing your own research when it comes to flights & hotels. Highstreet travel agents were offering me £1,200 for a direct flight & 3* hotel in Downtown Manhattan (not that great) but with a small amount of time trawling the internet I managed to bag us British Airways flights (which weren't direct but meh, who cares when the food & drink is unlimited on flight?!) & a 4* hotel right next to Central Park for roughly £1,200 per person. The best bit? I got to stay in Chuck Bass's hotel. I kid you not. I stayed in the Empire Hotel which features in the series Gossip Girl & I can confirm it was fabulous.
Above: view from the top of the Empire State Building.
While there are a lot of tourist attractions in New York a surprising amount of them are free. We did however have to pay to go up the Empire State (despite my friend Jack assuming it was free). We paid the extra to go up to the 102nd floor as opposed to the lower outdoor viewing platform, which in hindsight was a bit of a waste of money but what can you do - my lesson has been learnt. Be prepared to use your elbows to get past people & be shocked by the sheer lack of manners from other nationalities. Us British are just too polite it would appear!
Above: the lake at Central Park
Central Park is my favourite place in Manhattan without a doubt…and it's free. There is so much to do in this beautiful park you will never have time to do it all. There's a zoo! Yep, a zoo in the middle of the city that never sleeps. For a mid-city zoo it was reasonable but the recent death of their resident polar bear did make me a bit sad & I felt a tad sorry for the penguins but that might just be the 'Madagascar' effect. Damn, that's a good film. You've also got the famous Met Museum which you can get discount on entry if you show your student card. This place is full of so many pieces I've studied over the past few years it was a little surreal seeing it in person. A bit like the park itself the place is huge & it seems near impossible to get round in one day. Also, the cafe is daylight robbery - opt for one of the hotdog vans outside the Met steps!
Above: Central Park
So my Gossip Girl obsession did get out of hand, I admit it. But can you honestly say you would be able to control your inner fan girl/boy when you come across the exact location that Chuck & Blair got married (above)?! Well I couldn't & I'm not even ashamed to admit it! Just around the corner from this little beauty is The Loeb Boathouse Restaurant. The likes of the Made in Chelsea cast have been spotted having a spot of brunch here over the past few weeks so if it's good enough for them it's good enough for me! It's a pricer venue but the scenery & quality of food was definitely worth it, just be prepared to wait for a table.
Above: pancakes at Sarabeth's
If it's one thing this nation can do it's pancakes. Eating out in New York is actually pretty reasonable, especially if you choose the diners. Just bare in mind tips are a big deal in this country. Waiters aren't paid well & often rely on their tips more than we can imagine. That's why the standard tipping amount is around 20%, but don't feel inclined to leave that much if the service wasn't up to scratch - you don't have to despite them making you feel like you do.
Above: the Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island
This may come as a bit of a out-there comment but in my personal opinion the Statue of Liberty is a little overrated. This is the second time I've been lucky enough to visit New York & the second time I've seen the statue. But I'm still not sold. I can't explain it & I'm willing to listen to attempts to persuade me otherwise but it's just not my cup of tea. Just north of the ferries to Liberty Island is Ground Zero. The last time I visited the site of the Twin Towers they hadn't decided what to do with the site but on my return they have created an absolutely beautiful space to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives. The two huge fountains over the foundations were a perfect choice in my opinion, an amazing transformation. If you get the chance be sure to visit the church next to the site which survived the attacks unharmed & acted as a shelter for the thousands of volunteers in the months following the devastation - a really moving place that is enough to reduce anyone to tears.
Above: Brooklyn Bridge
Sadly I didn't get the chance to go across to Brooklyn this time (next time, I've promised myself) but I did make it to the bridge before dragging myself to Little Italy for some pizza after walking about 8 miles that day. Despite having been twice now I'm already desperate to go back, there's so much more for me to see & any recommendations would be gratefully received!
Kathy aka Alice xo
