How To Make The Most Of New York City
Start writing a post
Featured

How To Make The Most Of New York City

Ditch the maps of the subways and the guidebooks and learn how to make unforgettable memories.

12742
How To Make The Most Of New York City
Amanda Campanaro

Day trips to the New York City are always exciting, especially for us country bumpkins from suburban or rural small towns. (I'm actually from a city, but two years in the cow country has made me desperate for the bustle of city life).

The first three times you go there's so much to see and do that you don't care if you're wearing a TOURIST stamp across your forehead. However, seeing the city through a tourists' lens can ruin a potentially great trip because you will be too focused on the things you are "supposed" to see (i.e. the Empire State Building) and ignore the random, spontaneously discovered treasures that the city holds. Years later, you won't remember that the Statue of Liberty looked slightly greener up close than it does in the movies. You will remember finding that cozy little cafe when it started raining, even though you probably won't remember the name of the cafe.

Here's how not a be a tourist next time you go to New York City.

Transportation

A typical trip New York usually includes a detailed map of the metro and how much time you're going to spend riding subways verse how much time you're gonig to spend at each of the tourist locations you've pinpointed. Central park, Rockefeller Center, Tiffanys, Fifth Ave, Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge. You want to hit every location and take picture standing in front of the monument to get that successful feeling of "seeing New York." In order to do so you have to traverse more than a few miles of city space, but taxis are expensive so instead you head underground to the subways.

This is convenient, but can ruin a spontaneous and potentially event-filled day trip. The first thing about New York City is that it is better to identify one or two areas in walking or biking distance and explore the city above ground, in the open. New York has convenient tourist bikes you can rent for a few bucks located across the city. Walking is best for discovering hidden shops, small parks, and other treasures but biking is essential if your trip is going to span more than a few miles.

Coffee Break

New York is all about brand names, and the same goes for restaurants. Tourist guidebooks are full of the places you can go for various price ranges to try the best pizza or how long in advance you should make reservations at Le Cirque. Of course the food there will be an excellent memory, and if you've been dying to visit New York for that purpose, I'm not here to change your mind. However, if you arrive with nothing but an idea of where you should eat, then you might find something better on your way.

Again, this is why it's better to travel above ground.

One of the cutest places I discovered was in "Korea Town," which is really no more than a street or two with Korean shops. Tous Les Jours is a Korean-French cafe that serves up the softest, fluffiest, warmest, most decadent pastries and breads that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting (and seeing, and smelling). Not to mention they do every classical cafe beverage plus bubble tea.

The atmosphere is relaxed but not as mellow as Starbucks. With upbeat music an array of color macaroons, it's a great place to take a break from your walking or biking, leaving you energized to continue on your journey of spontaneous discovery.

I would encourage you to check it out next time you visit, but that might ruin your experience of discovering your own new favorite.

What To See

Planning an ideal picnic in the park? If you want to get the most out of this, ditch Central Park- been there, done that. New York City is full of parks and each one offers its own perspective of the city. I stumbled across Riverside Park while I was looking for Central Park (I actually couldn't find Central Park, go figure) and it turned out to be quite romantic. A quiet strip of green speckled with benches, kiddie play grounds, and lots and lots of dogs, Riverside Park overlooks the Hudson River and New Jersey. Located on the edge of a quiet neighborhood, it really give a feel of what it might be like to live there one day.

Next time you take a trip to New York, try leaving the map and the guidebook behind and just explore. You'll get so much more out of it.

Report this Content
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

10344
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

942347
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

119817
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments