Day One
Today I took myself on a super long (~36km) walk of the city.
1. Strand Book Store and neighbouring Forbidden Planet. Forbidden Planet was underwhelming and very similar to others I've been in around the UK but I really liked the book store and ended up getting myself a cute souvenir. To get there I walked by a shop that caught my attention, Fishs Eddy, which was full of really fun items like plates with dainty drawings of pigeons on saying "fuck off". From there I headed past Union Square, where there was a big local food market happening.
2. Harry Potter New York, which was really cool. It had a café with Hogwarts Express biscuits, mandrake cake and of course Butterbeer. The shop had lots of statues and things to look at. It was like the gift shop at Warner Bros Studios London. Definitely worth a visit for a Harry Potter fan. Also there were New York branded items and exclusives, which were a nice touch.
3. To see some posh buildings, including the Empire State Building (I had booked to go up it a different day), inside the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (there is a free rooftop terrace with some nice views, as well as free toilets, chairs and water fountains), inside the New York Public Library for a view of the library that I've seen in so many films (I'm looking at you, The Day After Tomorrow), Grand Central train station (I felt like I should have been declaring my love to someone but I managed to not!) and the Chrysler Building (there wasn't really all that much to see though). On my way I headed to an Amazon Go shop because I'd not been in one before! Super weird to just pluck stuff off the shelves and not go to a till! After, a quick stop in St Patrick's Cathedral.
3. Some shops. You had to queue to get in to the Lego Store but it was worth it! There was Times Square made of Lego, a Ghostbusters set up, a few Marvel bits and a New York taxi you could sit in for photos. A really cool experience and better than all the other Lego shops I've been in, even Legoland Billund! Better than the NY Nintendo and Disney stores in my opinion. Talking of which, The Nintendo store. There were a few statues of Nintendo characters. There were some giant plushies that were cool (but definitely wouldn't have fit in my baggage allowance!) but I didn't see that much stuff I had not seen before. The Disney store. Unfortunately the second floor was out of order. It was ok, there were a few statues and things but it's quite similar to other stores I've visited around the UK. The staff were really nice though.
3. To see some posh buildings, including the Empire State Building (I had booked to go up it a different day), inside the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (there is a free rooftop terrace with some nice views, as well as free toilets, chairs and water fountains), inside the New York Public Library for a view of the library that I've seen in so many films (I'm looking at you, The Day After Tomorrow), Grand Central train station (I felt like I should have been declaring my love to someone but I managed to not!) and the Chrysler Building (there wasn't really all that much to see though). On my way I headed to an Amazon Go shop because I'd not been in one before! Super weird to just pluck stuff off the shelves and not go to a till! After, a quick stop in St Patrick's Cathedral.
3. Some shops. You had to queue to get in to the Lego Store but it was worth it! There was Times Square made of Lego, a Ghostbusters set up, a few Marvel bits and a New York taxi you could sit in for photos. A really cool experience and better than all the other Lego shops I've been in, even Legoland Billund! Better than the NY Nintendo and Disney stores in my opinion. Talking of which, The Nintendo store. There were a few statues of Nintendo characters. There were some giant plushies that were cool (but definitely wouldn't have fit in my baggage allowance!) but I didn't see that much stuff I had not seen before. The Disney store. Unfortunately the second floor was out of order. It was ok, there were a few statues and things but it's quite similar to other stores I've visited around the UK. The staff were really nice though.
4. The Rockefeller Center. The inside was all art deco which was cool. I had visited to see a Game Boy that survived a nuclear blast on the store's second floor (no admission is needed to view the item) but it turns out it's no longer there!
5. I wandered around Times Square. There were some bleaches so you could get better views, which was pretty cool. I visited some food shops. Times Square Krispy Kreme but it was actually quite similar to the one in Peterborough in the UK! They had an exclusive big apple doughnut but it cost the same as three normal stuffed doughnuts so I decided to pass. Much better than Krispy Kreme was Hershey's Chocolate World. I was given a free mini bar just for walking in, which I really appreciated! They had Hershey's bars and KitKats so big I couldn't lift them properly! I got my first authentic American s'more. There was so much chocolate I felt sick! It was super expensive though at $14.10.
Day One Spend:
- Iced coffee $3.15
- Strand book store keepsake $16.28
- Harry Potter postcard $1.09
- Hershey's s'more $14.10
- Plug $10.88 (I brought EU plug adapters not US!)
- Total $45.50 / £35.42
Today I went to go rent a bike to cycle around Central Park. I was originally going to run it but it would have been a 10km and I didn't feel it in the 32 degree heat! I downloaded the Citibike app before I went and managed to find enough free WiFi hotspots to make it work. The ride was super easy- you didn't need a map. Just follow all the other cyclists! All the other paths say no bikes anyway. I stopped for a few photos but it took me 11.92km in just short of an hour. Be prepared for a couple of hills! Next time I'd wear exercise clothes and not a dress because I was sweating! The bikes are heavy and without gears! The hire cost me $16.78 so I'd actually recommend just getting the day pass instead at $19, that way you can get on and off all day and I don't think you need to worry about the WiFi connection, you can just get the ticket at a kiosk. The ride was really cool and you can stumble on some great photo opportunities.
After my ride I headed to Sprinkles Cupcakes because I read online they have an ATM that dispenses cupcakes but it turns out it was shut down. Instead, I walked over to the Roosevelt "tram" (cable car) for a short but really nice view. I definitely recommend it if you're in the area. The crowd can be a little pushy. If you get a single trip ticket it says it's valid for 2h but it wouldn't let me use it both there and back. It appears to be a single despite the time limit. Because it's a form of public transport, it only cost $2.75 for a one way ticket. I wandered around the island for a little while but there didn't seem to be so many things to do there. There were nice views of the bridge. I used a Starbucks to get some WiFi to plan my onward journey because there didn't seem to be any other hotspots there.
I took the subway from the island to Broadway in time for the matinée showing of New York New York that I had pre-booked. It was a cool experience but I did sometimes struggle with the accents compared with London West End! The seats were more comfy in NY though! If I had to choose, I would recommend going to a baseball game over a show (and I like the theatre!). I just felt like I could go to a show anywhere but the baseball game felt so "USA".
I had a pitstop to get the most delicious bagels from Liberty Bagels midtown. I got a rainbow bagel as well as an everything bagel stuffed with peanut butter and Nutella cream cheese. The stuffed bagel was delicious! And the two cost me only $9. I also saw security giving some free stuffed bagels to homeless people which I thought was super nice.
Then I went to Junior's Restaurant and Bakery for a slice of New York cheesecake and a root beer. I had read online that it was one of the best for cheesecake and it did not disappoint!
To end the day, I took my rainbow bagel and headed to Times Square for a little bagel photo shoot. Then I waited until it went dark to also get the night time Times Square experience. I'm not sure if recommend waiting until night though- I felt like it never really got that dark, with the lights everywhere!
Day Two Spend:
- Bike hire $16.78
- Cable car $2.75
- Subway journey x1 $2.75
- Bagels $9
- Theatre tickets (pre-booked) $54.32
- Cheesecake and root beer $11
- Total $96.60 / £75.51 (mostly because of the theatre tickets)
Day Three
Today I headed over to Battery Park on the subway to go on my boat trip (that I had booked in advanced) to Liberty Island. The views of the Statue of Liberty from the boat were really cool, as well as from Liberty Island. I had only booked around a week before so there were no tickets left to visit the crown. The queues were very bad and the people quite pushy! But it is definitely an experience to do once!
Then I walked from the ferry port across Brooklyn Bridge and then to a couple spots in Brooklyn that I wanted to take photos of the bridge. My walk took me past The Seaport which seemed like a really cool area to explore, very cute. Some nice views could be found at the Pier 15, on the bridge itself, in Brooklyn Bridge Park and at Dumbo.
Then I took the subway to see the fire station from Ghostbusters!
From there it was only a 15 minute walk to the 911 memorial. I really recommend going to the memorial, even if you don't go to the museum itself. I think they've done such a great job of it.
I also went to the memorial museum. On Mondays they do free tickets to the museum if booked on the Monday at 7am for 5:30-7 that evening. The website was very poor and I only managed 1 of my 4 devices going through- and I'm a seasoned gig ticket buyer! but you can't really complain for a totally free ticket! The museum was done really well. Even I (I don't cry easily) found myself feeling close to tearing up a couple of times. I've got to say the 5:30pm-7pm time slot is very difficult to stick to. I'm a quick run around type of museum visited but I really struggled with the time frame.
Finally I headed over to the Yankee Stadium to watch my first ever baseball game (I had pre-booked)! While there, I bought a hot dog because it seemed like a very US thing to do at a baseball game! And I got an ice cream (which coincidentally was vegan) in a little plastic NY branded baseball hat, which I thought was a really cool souvenir. If you headed to Section 128 Guest Services you could scan a QR code for a free "this is my first baseball" certificate, complete with the game details and your name. I thought this was a nice touch. The subway was absolutely fine after the game (which surprised me because the London Tube after a gig is an impassable nightmare!). I had bought just a random cheap seat but actually there were loads spare, I think because it's a weekday so you would be fine on a weekday to book one of the special fare pinstripe standing-only tickets and just a grab a seat anywhere.
Day Three Spend:
Day Four
Today began with a trip up the Empire State Building. I had booked in advance the first slot of the day at 9am but it was still really busy so I do recommend going as early as possible. The views were great and there was an indoor area with views, an outdoor area and lots of props for photos before you went all the way up. I was hoping to get some nice views of Central Park framed with buildings but for that you have to pay extra and go all the way to the top floor.
On my way from the Empire State Building I just so happened to walk past the Harry Potter exhibit, which is currently visiting a New York. It had a gift shop that was free to enter (though I recommend visiting the permanent shop instead because there's much more stuff there, including New York branded items) and the exhibit itself. On a whim I decided to get a ticket, which was the same cost at the door as online. It was a cute way to spend 45 minutes but it wasn't as good as either the Warner Bros Studios in London or the Forbidden Forest experience in Chester (UK). I'm not sure it was worth the money but I'm glad I went because of FOMO!
On my way back to my hostel (via the Harry Potter Exhibit) I headed to NY Pizza Supreme which I'd read online was a good place to go for pizza. The online reviews were right and then some! There was a minimum spend of $10 to pay on card so I got two giant slices, one to eat in and one for later. They were amazing! And inside it was a proper New York restaurant like from the movies! Really recommend!
After a little break in my hostel to charge my devices and grab a coffee, I headed on the subway to Coney Island. It was a long old journey at an hour on the Subway but I purposely selected a train with no changes so I could just read. I went for a walk along the sea front, a short paddle in the sea and ate a corn dog but really I found Coney Island quite underwhelming - I wouldn't recommend it. It really reminded me of a dilapidated British sea town. The rides were very old fairground rides, a bit rusty and very well worn but not in a vintage way, in an unloved way. It was quite rough. There were quite a lot of homeless and/or wasted people (this was at 3/4pm on a Tuesday in August), a lot of rubbish in the sea and the vibe just felt a bit off. I wouldn't have been comfortable going alone at night (and that's saying something coming from me, because I do 99% of my travel alone). Even if the subway ride had been two stops or so I wouldn't have recommended it but for an hour one way, in my personal opinion, one to skip for sure.
Day Four Spend:
Total Spend in New York
Then I walked from the ferry port across Brooklyn Bridge and then to a couple spots in Brooklyn that I wanted to take photos of the bridge. My walk took me past The Seaport which seemed like a really cool area to explore, very cute. Some nice views could be found at the Pier 15, on the bridge itself, in Brooklyn Bridge Park and at Dumbo.
Then I took the subway to see the fire station from Ghostbusters!
From there it was only a 15 minute walk to the 911 memorial. I really recommend going to the memorial, even if you don't go to the museum itself. I think they've done such a great job of it.
I also went to the memorial museum. On Mondays they do free tickets to the museum if booked on the Monday at 7am for 5:30-7 that evening. The website was very poor and I only managed 1 of my 4 devices going through- and I'm a seasoned gig ticket buyer! but you can't really complain for a totally free ticket! The museum was done really well. Even I (I don't cry easily) found myself feeling close to tearing up a couple of times. I've got to say the 5:30pm-7pm time slot is very difficult to stick to. I'm a quick run around type of museum visited but I really struggled with the time frame.
Finally I headed over to the Yankee Stadium to watch my first ever baseball game (I had pre-booked)! While there, I bought a hot dog because it seemed like a very US thing to do at a baseball game! And I got an ice cream (which coincidentally was vegan) in a little plastic NY branded baseball hat, which I thought was a really cool souvenir. If you headed to Section 128 Guest Services you could scan a QR code for a free "this is my first baseball" certificate, complete with the game details and your name. I thought this was a nice touch. The subway was absolutely fine after the game (which surprised me because the London Tube after a gig is an impassable nightmare!). I had bought just a random cheap seat but actually there were loads spare, I think because it's a weekday so you would be fine on a weekday to book one of the special fare pinstripe standing-only tickets and just a grab a seat anywhere.
Day Three Spend:
- Subway journey x2 $5.50
- Liberty Island boat trip (prebooked) $24.50
- Baseball game (prebooked, with Student Beans discount) $16.19
- NY cap $5
- Hot Dog at Yankee stadium $6.52
- Ice cream at Yankee $8.37
- Total $66.08 / £51.64
Day Four
Today began with a trip up the Empire State Building. I had booked in advance the first slot of the day at 9am but it was still really busy so I do recommend going as early as possible. The views were great and there was an indoor area with views, an outdoor area and lots of props for photos before you went all the way up. I was hoping to get some nice views of Central Park framed with buildings but for that you have to pay extra and go all the way to the top floor.
On my way from the Empire State Building I just so happened to walk past the Harry Potter exhibit, which is currently visiting a New York. It had a gift shop that was free to enter (though I recommend visiting the permanent shop instead because there's much more stuff there, including New York branded items) and the exhibit itself. On a whim I decided to get a ticket, which was the same cost at the door as online. It was a cute way to spend 45 minutes but it wasn't as good as either the Warner Bros Studios in London or the Forbidden Forest experience in Chester (UK). I'm not sure it was worth the money but I'm glad I went because of FOMO!
On my way back to my hostel (via the Harry Potter Exhibit) I headed to NY Pizza Supreme which I'd read online was a good place to go for pizza. The online reviews were right and then some! There was a minimum spend of $10 to pay on card so I got two giant slices, one to eat in and one for later. They were amazing! And inside it was a proper New York restaurant like from the movies! Really recommend!
After a little break in my hostel to charge my devices and grab a coffee, I headed on the subway to Coney Island. It was a long old journey at an hour on the Subway but I purposely selected a train with no changes so I could just read. I went for a walk along the sea front, a short paddle in the sea and ate a corn dog but really I found Coney Island quite underwhelming - I wouldn't recommend it. It really reminded me of a dilapidated British sea town. The rides were very old fairground rides, a bit rusty and very well worn but not in a vintage way, in an unloved way. It was quite rough. There were quite a lot of homeless and/or wasted people (this was at 3/4pm on a Tuesday in August), a lot of rubbish in the sea and the vibe just felt a bit off. I wouldn't have been comfortable going alone at night (and that's saying something coming from me, because I do 99% of my travel alone). Even if the subway ride had been two stops or so I wouldn't have recommended it but for an hour one way, in my personal opinion, one to skip for sure.
Day Four Spend:
- Pre booked Empire State Building $48.99
- Harry Potter exhibit $31.49
- Tape (to package a parcel) $1.84
- Pizza $11
- Stamp (for a postcard) $1.50
- Subway journey x2 $5.50
- Corn dog $5.50
- Total $105.82 / £82.68
Total Spend in New York
- Accommodation £251.99
- Transport £45.81
- To/from airport train ticket (EWR to Pennsylvania Station) £26.46
- Subway journeys (including 1 cable car trip) 9 = £19.35
- Flights I've excluded because I was actually elongating a stop over I already had on the way for a trip to Costa Rica.
- Activities £151.38
- Baseball game ticket £12.76
- Broadway tickets to see New York New York £42.79
- Statue of Liberty £19.30
- Empire State Building £38.60
- Bike hire £13.23
- Harry Potter exhibit £24.70
- Food / Drink £49.38
- Iced coffee £2.46
- Hershey's s'more £11.02
- Bagels £7.03
- Cheesecake and root beer £8.60
- Hot Dog at Yankee Stadium £5.09
- Ice cream at Yankee Stadium £6.54
- Pizza £8.64
- Corn dog £4.30
- Gifts / Souvenirs £18.65
- Strand book store £12.72
- Harry Potter postcard 85p
- NY cap £3.90
- Stamp £1.18
- Other £9.95
- Plug £8.50
- Tape £1.45
Final Thoughts
- It is definitely incredibly expensive in New York. I can't believe I spent close to £50 on food when I barely ate food I bought here!
- The Subway is a bit of a weird one- there's no zones so it cost me $2.75 to travel an hour one way as it does for just 5 minutes! Top tip, make sure you look at where the trains are going on the signposts before descending into the Subway because it will charge you twice to enter, exit then cross the road and enter.
- Things for next time: eat a doughnut, visit The Cauldron Downtown (a Harry Potter themed pub), eat a deli sandwich with pastrami. If I had more time I would do a day trip to a different city, maybe Philadelphia?
- Go watch a baseball game, even if you don't like sport!
- You will be sick of hearing that New York song, just a heads up!
- If you want to look like a local, step onto the road just one step before you're able to cross!
- I really loved New York. I thought it would be a major fake tourist trap, full of posh people and fancy shops. But (and maybe this is just because of the places I visited?) it was gritty, it was grimy, the people were a bit grumpy. I really enjoyed it! The weather was high 20s early 30s in August and it felt like I was in somewhere in Asia- the culture was so different to back home. You really feel like you're in a "different" place. A city I would recommend.
