New York, New York
The Big Apple, the city that never sleeps … The names are endless, but there’s no escaping the reputation that comes before this huge city.
Thanks to the lowering cost of flights over the Atlantic, this destination is now accessible to all, when once upon a time it may have been a dream. Flights usually land at JFK airport, and in around 7 hours, you’re in the heart of the action.
The flight may be tiring, when you add in the time difference, so I’d suggest looking at spending the night before in an airport hotel. I did this recently and would certainly recommend it, as starting your travel day fresh and raring to go is a definite bonus over being bleary eyed and raging with tiredness. There’s a fantastic range available from London airports, including The Holiday Inn at Gatwick Airport and The Jurys Inn Heathrow, with surprisingly low prices!
I shouldn’t have to tell you too much about New York, you probably already know the huge landmarks that call this city their home – The imposing Statue of Liberty, the iconic Empire State Building, beautiful Central Park … need I go on?
Getting around the city is surprisingly easy, but you should expect it to be extremely busy. Of course, you can hail a famous yellow cab and get from A to B with ease, or you could try to be a true New Yorker and jump on the Subway!If you’re into museums, there are many in New York, including the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art – a must visit for anyone into art, culture and history.
However, if you’re like me, and you’ve spent the last few years watching Friends and Sex and the City, there’s one thing you’ll want to do – shop ‘till you drop! Thankfully, it’s very easy to do just that in New York, and prices are usually lower than in the UK, so even more of an excuse! Bloomingdales is the iconic place you have to visit, as well as Fifth Avenue. Those saved dollars from cheap flights and budget accommodation will come in very handy in the shops of New York.
If you still have any energy left when night-falls, you’ll find a massive range of entertainment options, so it might be worth giving it some thought before you go out, rather than meandering around and getting lost! I would highly recommend going to see a Broadway show, simply because it has to be done, and heading to Times Square to see the lights, huge TV screens and sky scrapers – it’s a quite frankly a stunning sight.
Another bonus to a break in this power-house of a city is that if you fancy Chinese food at 3am, then you’re going to find it quite easily. Craving pizza at 5am – sorted. Basically, any kind of food you want, you can find, so nobody is going to go hungry.
Are you convinced yet? New York is one of those cities that has to be seen at least once in a lifetime, and it will leave you open-mouthed at its grandeur, not to mention probably quite exhausted! It’s partly for this reason I’d recommend at least starting your holiday rested, and a good way to do this is with my previously mentioned idea of airport hotels. If you’re flying direct or indirect from any of the major airports, you’ll find a place to lay your head, including Radisson Blu Stansted when flying from the capital.
As the song goes, ‘it’s up to you, New York, New York’ …