One way to finish off the summer with a bang is to vacation somewhere you've never been to before, and this year, my dad, my sister and I took a trip to New York. Right off the bat I was amazed how different it is from any other city in the world. There are taxis everywhere, crowds of people pushing each other on the streets as they walk and car horns sounding every ten seconds. New York is one of the cities that everyone has to visit at least once in a lifetime. It's just that amazing.
After my visit, I can't say I know New York like a local, but I know enough about it to know what and what not to bring and what places to visit. For the people visiting New York for the first time, here are some things to bring and places to visit.
1. Bring an umbrella.
This is one of the biggest mistakes we made when we visited. We didn't bring any umbrellas, rain jackets or ponchos. We weren't expecting any rain during our visit, but it surprised us one morning, and that was the day we had a non-stop day. We headed out of the hotel and walked into complete downpour. We only got a block or two until we went back to the hotel, because we were uncomfortable with wet clothes. Luckily, we were able to borrow umbrellas from our hotel, but that doesn't happen to everyone, so make sure to bring an umbrella.
2. Visit The Statue of Liberty and The Empire State Building.
These two places had the most amazing views in the world. It was so worth the walking and climbing to the top to see the breathtaking view. I have a piece of advice for when you visit the Empire State Building: do it at night, because then you can see the wonderful lights of New York City.
3. Bring a jacket.
This is almost as important as the umbrellas. Even though it was the end of July when we went to New York, the mornings and nights were cold, and we were lucky that we bought jackets, especially for me, because I get cold easily. One day, I wore my jacket for the entire day. When we were out one night, the temperature dropped into the 50's.
4. Go to at least one exceptional bagel place and pizza place.
The foods that New York is most known for are bagels and pizza. The first morning we were there, we went to a bagel restaurant called Pick-a-Bagel. It was the best bagel I have ever had and would do anything to have it again. Also, the first night we were there, before our first Broadway show, we went to a pizza place called Patzeria Perfect Pizza, and although it was a tiny place, the pizza was amazing. We loved both so much that we went to another bagel place and another pizza place later in the week.
5. Bring sneakers.
The one thing that is true about New York is that you walk everywhere. I am not exaggerating. The only time we took a taxi was to and from the airport and that was it. We walked about 10 miles everyday for four days. During those days that you know you are going to be walking a lot, wear sneakers. I don't mean Converse or Vans, but sneakers that are made to be walked around in, like running shoes. I made the mistake of wearing Converse one day. We ended up standing for over an hour straight and walked eight miles that day.
6. Go to Central Park.
On the last day, we were there, we took a two-hour bike tour around Central Park. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen — all of the greenery and different people walking around the trails, stopping to look historical and amazing places. Honestly, biking made everything go by in a blur, because we didn't stop everywhere to take it all in. We only stopped about five times throughout the entire tour. Although, one place that we did stop at that was Strawberry Fields. If you are a Beatles fan, you will know what this is. If not, it is a field over two acres big that is dedicated in honor of John Lennon, because he was shot in front of a hotel in the winter of 1980. In that field, there is a patch of stone that says "Imagine" based off of one of the songs that he is most known for.
7. See at least one Broadway show.
Broadway may not be everyone's "thing," but it is still one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life. I got to see very talented singers and actors perform live on a stage two musicals: "School of Rock" and "Wicked." I was amazed how people could sing and act live on stage with so much passion and emotion. I will honestly remember each of those musicals for the rest of my life.
My trip to New York was the best vacation I have ever been on. The pain after walking more than 10 miles a day was worth it, hands down. I wouldn't have traded this trip for anything, and I am most grateful for my dad for taking my sister and me on this memorable trip.
