New York for beginners

New York- The Big Apple. The city that never sleeps:

When we travelled to New York for the first time in February 2018 to visit a close relative who was studying there we had a preconceived idea of how it would be: A film set, hectic and fast moving; we weren’t wrong! This city is everything you would expect from a cosmopolitan melting pot, it’s exhilarating!!

Staying at the New York Edition, opposite Madison Square Park you’re right in amongst it and close to the subway taking you to all areas of Manhattan and beyond. There’s a Shake Shack in the park for a quality hotdog, burger and a choice of shakes whilst you watch the world go by.

First stop: Empire State Building: We went late morning after a ‘Classic Eggs Benedict’ breakfast at Sarabeth’s on Park Avenue South- mmm but not cheap c.$22, however it definitely sets you up for a busy day!! The queues were certainly growing and our advice would be to book a fast track ticket or go early morning or later in the evening.

Well, what a stunning view and a feeling of history (the construction photos are unbelievable!) You can’t really go to New York and not experience this, especially for those King Kong fans amongst us (shhhh!)

A must is Ellis Island. Catch the ferry from Battery Park. You get a great view of the Statue of Liberty onboard, you can disembark to explore it further and go up to the crown, however you may have to queue for a while and for us we preferred to just look from a distance. Unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of time to explore Ellis Island as we were on the last outbound ferry but what we were able to see was absolutely fascinating. So many human stories of immigrants looking for a new beginning and exciting opportunities. Go for half a day so you can spend some time in the records section, you may find some long lost relatives! We will return!

Eating out

You will find prices in general are high, however there are some restaurants where the experience is just as important as the food served.

Some places we enjoyed:

ABC Cucina- 38 E 19th St: Mexican- lovely atmosphere & interior, small bar area. Food very tasty!

Norma– 438 3rd Ave 30th St: Italian- authentic and good value, cosy atmosphere