Start spreadin’ the news, I’m leavin’ today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York.
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York
My trip to New York was one of those trips where reality far exceeds expectations. I thank these ten unforgettable days in New York for letting me discover a city that I thought I knew by seeing it in films, TV series, paintings and everywhere, and that instead has much more to offer. You may be wondering, even more? Yes, because New York can offer you anything that you might not have thought you wanted and adored, at anytime and anywhere. With this in mind, I am ready to guide you on this travel.
Flight
New York welcomed me in the spring at the end of April with a direct Alitalia flight from Venice to New York with an 8-hour flight at the offered price of €600 round trip. A pity not to take advantage of it and I saw that these offers are repeated every year during this period.
Passport and Visa.
In addition to your passport, you need an ESTA tourist visa to enter American soil. The visa costs $14 and I advise you to take your time in filling it in because in addition to personal information you must also enter the details of the trip and the address of where you are staying.
Health Insurance
In the U.S., health care is not free for everyone and if you need it you should pay for all services as a private individual. For this reason, I recommend that you take out a health insurance policy for your holiday (there are many online). We cross our fingers that we don’t have to use it, but it’s always better to be ready as far as health is concerned.
Means of payment
The credit card is the first means of payment, even for a coffee. With me, however, I also had cash and I recommend you keep them for tips, which can also be given by credit card. Remember to always leave a tip because it is taken for granted, otherwise you will hear the waiters talking to you in a way not very kind. Combining the high prices of the metropolis with tips the cost of living is high.
Accommodation
The problem in New York is the exorbitant prices in Manhattan and I recommend finding an apartment in Brooklyn. The most popular area is Williamsburg, suitable for young people and for those who want to visit the big apple comfortably a few steps from the subway.
Means of transport
The subway was the main means of daily transportation at a cost of $29 for 7 days and you can make it to any entrance of the subway. In the evening then I also used Uber. I was amazed that New Yorkers also use it to move from one road to another (convenient, simple and guaranteed).
To move instead and visit the big cities of the neighboring states (Washington and Boston) I used the organized tours with the best quality price, but these I will talk about in the next article.
What to see? A list of places and buildings that characterize it, I recommend a pair of comfortable shoes and desire for adventure.
American Museum of Natural History – We saw it in A Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller and it was funny to visit it. The entrance ticket is a free offer, so you can also pay a dollar, to be able to visit a museum that attracts many tourists. During my visit I had the pleasure to attend a concert in the hall of the blue whale. It was impressive to attend this show with such a choreography.
Metropolitan Museum of Art – Take half a day or more to visit it. Admission is on offer but the amount of artwork inside is to be missed. I’ll just tell you that they have recreated environments with buildings where it feels like walking in a city, such as the Egyptian temples or the Renaissance hall. At a certain point I got lost in the corridors and saw finds of every culture and paintings of every known painter. A kaleidoscope of culture.
Central Park – The green and peaceful heart of a hectic city. If outside the traffic noise is deafening, in its park New York allows you to find peace and relax. I took advantage of it to rest, browse the street artists and practice yoga. I also went around the park to find the destination of my wanderings: the statue of Balto (for connoisseurs).
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) – from 16.00 to 20.00 every Friday admission is free and for this reason crowded. The museum of modern works offers a nice path and many works we heard them mentioned, why not see them live?
Rockefeller Center and Top of the rock – Do you know that the best view of New York and the Empire State Building is from here? Now you and I recommend you go up to sunset to give you an unforgettable visual postcard of the Big Apple.
NY public Library in strict silence I have become jealous of those who can study there.
Grand Central Station, I stopped to watch passers-by and people meet. I saw the movie 2:22 and destiny is already written that it is set in this station and it made me notice the wonderful ceiling with the constellations.
Harlem – the colorful neighborhood of New York where I went shopping in the many shops and where I found my Levi’s at $30 and converse at $40.
Wall Street and charging bull – Here you will find the statue of the girl who stops the bull. In the hours of point the bull is crowded for photos so get ready to share it.
Broadway – I allowed myself a show at the theater: The Lion King. I’m particularly attached to this cartoon because it’s the only time my dad took me to the movies, but the show was spectacular (sorry for the tautology): songs, acting, costumes and choreography. I suggest you to give yourself this experience.
Ground Zero was a breathtaking visit. When I arrived in front of the great excavation and the fountain that were built in place of the Twin Towers this view took my breath away. I was shocked to realize that they were built very close to other large buildings and the surface much smaller than I had imagined. I imagined how from the office in front of me, really a step away, we saw hell in front of our eyes and what was experienced right where I was. It seems like a very distant thing but once there I realized how they were two buildings in a normal city as in many where I pass every day.
Statue of Liberty – The idea of taking the ferries and visiting it was skipped as soon as I saw the queue to make the ticket. So I opted for a cruise on the Hudson and I saw the Lady in her entirety. In fact, if I reached the island I would have seen her only from underneath.
Where and what to eat?
There are several neighborhoods to visit while wandering around such as Greenwich village, East Village, Soho, Little Italy, ChinaTown and you can use this tour to experience New York and try all the international cuisines. Satisfy all your senses: smell, taste, sight, hearing and touch and you’ll see that you’ll bring home unforgettable memories of a city like this.
What to do in the evening?
At the end of the day, with your legs sore from the long walk, you’ll have the adrenaline to go out and stay awake with the city that never sleeps. I found myself eating in crowded restaurants in the middle of the night and going from club to club until the morning, without feeling tired. In the great evil go very much the rooftops, local on the terrace, from where to enjoy a great view.
Listening to Frank Sinatra with his New York New York, I can vividly say that it is approved by Call me Claire.
