Top 5 things to do in NYC

It's been a busy week this week; back to uni, more hours at work, non-stop assignments and meeting up with friends. Although, I just can't stop thinking I wish I was back in New York.

We were there for 4 great days and it felt like time had stopped while we were there, but in reality, it flew by and there is so much more I'd have loved to see and do! 

What we did do though was amazing and so I've put together a short list of my top 5 things to do when in New York:

1. Horse and Carriage ride

As cheesy as it sounds, the Central Park horse and carriage ride was definitely one of my highlights from the trip.

The 30 minute ride took us around the lower part of Central Park between 5th and 6th avenues and there were so many iconic locations that the driver pointed out to us. It was so relaxing just to take in the business of the city while riding peacefully through the park and the Christmas spirit seemed to capture the beauty of the holiday in just one ride.

2. Top of the Rock

Heading up to the top of the Rockefeller Centre on a sunny winter's day, I'm not too sure what I was expecting. But as soon as you walk out onto the 67th floor, the views hit you and they really are breathtaking. We could see absolutely everything from up there, from the Chrysler Building to the Statue of Liberty, and it was the moment for me that I realised exactly where I was.

3. Ice Skating

Ice skating at Wollman Rink was such a funny experience. I'd never actually been ice skating before and was pretty nervous as I'm so clumsy but it was definitely better than I thought. I sort of hated it but loved it at the same time and by the end, seemed to be getting a lot better, but I really did just want to come off the ice and look at the beautiful views which surround the rink and Central Park.

4. Shopping

There is honestly no point in going to New York if you dislike shopping, but fortunately, we were in our element.

The shops are absolutely huge and it's quite overwhelming (especially at Christmas when you're trying to find a gift) but once you get stuck in, you really can't stop. I was so surprised by the sales in the shops: 40% off everything, half-price sale items, even 90% off in one of the shops! We both bought so much stuff and even now, wish we'd have picked up a few more gifts and treats while we were there.

5. Central Park

I absolutely loved Central Park and it's ability to make you think you're in a completely different place.

It was especially lovely going just before Christmas with orange leaves fallen and the skyline evident through the bare trees. We saw so many iconic spots including the lake and boathouse, the Alice in Wonderland statue and the zoo. 

I'd love to go back in the summer time and cycle around Central Park, making our way further up to explore Strawberry Fields and much more of the park.

Christmas in New York

We're back!!! What an incredible experience! I find it difficult to actually put into words what New York was like - magical, wonderful, exciting, amazing and fascinating all cross my mind but in order to even begin to grasp the feeling of NYC, you'll have to go there.

The pictures don't do it justice, I honestly have never been anywhere like it. Huge, iconic buildings and incredible architecture leave you wanting to see everything, and we definitely gave that our best shot. I'm going to break it down day by day to tell you all about what we got up to!

Saturday

After a long and tiring flight, we seemed to feel more awake than ever heading into New York. Driving through this huge, intimidating city seemed unreal. We were dropped at our hotel, The Roosevelt, quickly checked in and headed straight back out to have a wander around the city. 

Our hotel was situated right next to Grand Central Station, so we thought we'd have a quick look there before heading to Times Square. Grand Central is a must if you're in New York - the construction and decoration of the building is something I've never come across and leaves you totally taken aback.

Times Square is one of the most amazing places I've been to. Whether it be in the morning or at midnight, it is buzzing and flowing with music, attractions, people and lights. The hub of New York, it really doesn't ever stop.

After taking a look around, we headed down to Macy's where we spend the remainder of the night. We decided to have an earlier night after being awake for over 24 hours, so walked back to the hotel where we grabbed something quick to eat.

Sunday

We woke early on Sunday and planned our day out, starting with breakfast before our bus tour. We decided to do the Downtown tour first, heading through Chinatown and Little Italy, to reach Ground Zero and take a look around. The fountain at Ground Zero is extraordinary - much bigger than we expected and it really does make you think about what happened on that day and how it changed the lives of so many people. Travelling back around the coast, we could clearly see the Statue of Liberty but decided against the ferry to the island!

After a couple of hours on the tour, we went back to Midtown and used our passes for Top of the Rock. Reaching the 70th floor, the views of New York are absolutely incredible and we definitely picked a good, sunny day for it. We could see everything so clearly - Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building and the Empire State.

After doing our 'tourist bits' of the day, we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping! After a lot of walking, we decided to go to Planet Hollywood for dinner. The meals are absolutely huge and the atmosphere was really good but we couldn't wait to get back out. We ended up back at Macy's and stayed in there until close, getting some good Christmas purchases in before heading back to bed.

Monday

We had a bit more of a lie-in on Monday! I'd been pretty ill since we arrived in New York and our bus tour for Monday began a bit later so we had a bit longer in bed before starting a new day in the Big Apple.

Monday's bus tours were Uptown and Harlem - seeing all of Central Park, the Yankee Stadium, Grant  Tomb, museums and the Brooklyn Bridge. We stayed on the bus for the whole journey - jumping off at Central Park Zoo. Central Park is one of my favourite places in New York, it's calm and feels like you're in a completely different place - even though the sky scrapers are evident through the trees.

We had tickets for ice skating at Wollman Rink and couldn't wait to jump on the ice. Being both of our first times we weren't too great at it but by the end, we had managed a good few laps and seemed to be getting a bit better.

Ollie surprised me after ice skating with a horse and carriage trip around Central Park. It was one of my favourite things about our trip to New York and was a great way of seeing a few sights at night time.

We went for dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and then, unsurprisingly, decided to spend the rest of the night shopping. We stuck to Bloomingdales and Macy's, shopping again until they closed, before realising we had to get back to the hotel to pack...

Tuesday

We saved Tuesday for shopping. Checking out as early as we could, we decided to go for breakfast at Grand Central before heading to 5th Avenue for a full day of Christmas shopping. The stores in New York are huge and the offers they had on were so good. We obviously ended up back at Macy's where we spent the last of our money, before racing back to the hotel to pack our new purchases into our already bursting suitcases. Sales, 40% off, daily reductions and free gifts - it's fair to say we bought A LOT of stuff!

We had to be at the airport really early and the hotel said that they'd sort out our lift to JFK. We were pretty surprised to see a limo sitting outside for us when we made our way outside - with a cheaper rate to the airport than most cabs.

We had dinner at the airport and spent the remainder of our dollars at duty free - chocolate, perfume and Jack Daniels... obviously.

It was the most amazing holiday I have ever been on and probably the best Christmas I will ever, ever have. I feel incredibly lucky to say that I've been to New York and without a doubt, I will be going back!