starts spreading the news…
“Start spreading the news, I am leaving today..” – New York New York (Frank Sinatra)
“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of…” – Empire State of Mind (Alicia Keys)
“..There’s no stopping to the sound of the New York City beat.” NYC Beat (Armand Van Helden)
And the list of songs that are about NYC goes on and on, as can the movies and shows based in NYC and the celebrities that can be associated with NYC. It is a place to see and it is a city that sleeps very little. There is so much to do here and to anyone who has never been, GO! And if you do go, STAY (well, stay for more than 3-4 days , at least a week). Although accommodation might set you back a bit, that’s about where the pricey-ness ends as a tourist.
The best way to see NYC is to buy a metro pass and because we were there for a week, that is what we did. We looked at the map of NYC and visited an “area” each day, hopped on a metro and got off somewhere and then started walking. Just meandering through the streets and finding street performers and hole-in-the-wall eateries is what travelling is about. Unless there is something specific that you want to see and somewhere you need to be, a guidebook is not necessary.
There is no denying that being in NYC, there are touristy things that you shouldn’t miss out on – visiting Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Flatiron, Central Park and the Empire State Building. Trying a pretzel and hot dogs from the street vendors. Paying respects where the World Trade Center was. Stopping in at the countless museums. Seriously, it is impossible to be bored here! And you might also spot some stars (unlikely the ones in the sky, we were referring to movie stars), we walked past Naomi Watts and stood at a traffic light beside Michelle Rodriguez.
We have several highlights of our time in NYC:
- Touring the UN building
- Having unobstructed views of the city from the top of Empire State Building (barely any crowds because we were there on opening)
- Strolling through Central Park and stumbling across a marathon, a wedding, musicians busking….
- Watching Mary Poppins – The Musical
- People-watching in Greenwich Village
And to have a break from the hustle bustle of NYC, we took a day trip to Philadelphia where we saw Independence Hall and Liberty Bell. Goodness, this whole trip was beginning to feel like we were on the National Treasure trail with Nicholas Cage.
Then from national treasures and traffic, we slowed down a notch and also visited the Amish Country where we got to ride in a buggy! It was a great opportunity for us to learn about another way of life, one that we are not familiar with!
wise monkeys abroad 