Hello from New York City! This is certainly the most exciting trip I have taken in a long time. New York had been on my travel list for many years, and after two cancelled trips, I am finally here! I was a little nervous beforehand, as everyone seemed to have a different opinion about this famous city. But I was keen to make up my own mind. After spending just a few days here, I am already completely in love with New York and Manhattan!
There are so many photos… but every street, corner, and moment in New York City felt worth capturing!
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New York City
My friend and I arrived from two different parts of the world: I came from Europe, while she travelled from Phuket. We settled in for a week in the heart of New York City, Manhattan, and we were ready for fun and adventure!
As always when arriving somewhere new, we needed a day or two to find our bearings in the big city. Our first experiences included overpaying for cab rides and superhero photos, as well as eating enormous portions of not-so-healthy American food. Believe me, even when they say it is a small portion, it definitely isn’t!
It took us a few days to adapt to the local way of life, but we felt the New York City vibe from the very beginning. And we loved it!
The busy streets, enormous billboards, striking architecture, and incredible skyline… What an amazing city! Our first trip to New York City was already living up to our expectations.
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How to spend your days in New York?
To be honest, I didn’t have anything on my list I really wanted to see or do in New York City. I just wanted to go there and take it all in. And so did my friend. The vibe, the shops, the people, the shows, the food. Everything. This seemed to be the best way here.
Having settled in central Manhattan, we alternated the days between exploring the southern and northern parts of the island, a strategy that worked quite well. As a lot of many big cities, the best way to explore New York and the Manhattan island is on foot. And we walked a lot! There were a few moments where we thought we would catch the tram, but then decided against it. Taking the famous yellow New York cab is another way to get around. Interestingly, the cabs are much cheaper than using Uber.
Our days always started spontaneously. We simply decided which direction to walk and what we wanted to see, letting everything else happen along the way. This approach led us to discover places like the Ground Zero memorial site, or to cycle around Central Park with a brief stop at the MET. There was plenty to see.
We walked to SoHo, listened to life music in the Upper East Side, and shopped at Chelsea Market. Each day was unique and amazing!
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Where to stay in New York
If you stay in New York for more than three days, and trust me, there is enough to see for a week, I would recommend changing hotels and locations. New York City and Manhattan are already vast without even venturing into Brooklyn and other areas.
The Roxy Hotel NYC is certainly one of my top pick for Manhattan. Located near SoHo, the Roxy Hotel is a premier luxury boutique offering comfortable rooms, an amazing lounge bar with Chesterfield couches, live music, a jazz club, and its own cinema. Its vibrant and musically themed rooms and atmosphere certainly add to the uniqueness of the Roxy Hotel. I had the pleasure of experiencing it and will certainly return again.
That said, our trip is not over yet! The 4th of July celebrations are still ahead of us… xx
Read my second blog post about my first trip to New York here: New York, Hudson River & the 4th of July
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