10 EXPERIENCES YOU NEED TO HAVE IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City is a fast-paced, innovative city with so much to see, do and eat - you can never simply visit once. This was our second visit to the Big Apple and we only had 5 days to experience as much as possible.
This time round we used a New York Explorer Pass to explore as much of this incredible city as we could. Here are 10 experiences you need to have in New York City during your next visit.
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1. See NY on a double decker bus
Sometimes when you are in a city like New York you simply need to embrace your inner tourist. Jumping on a big red double decker bus to explore Manhattan ended up being one of the funnest days during our stay. We learnt about Manhattans neighbourhoods and some cool fun facts as we drove in a loop through downtown.
2. Take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty
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The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognized landmarks in the world and such an iconic and historical part of New York. To get there you need to take the Staten Island ferry, which gives you amazing views of New York on your way to the island.
3. Experience Times Square
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Brightly adorned with billboards and advertisements, Times Square is a place you simply can not miss when visiting New York City. It may feel a little crowded and overwhelming, but it all adds to the experience.
4. Take in the views
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New York has the best skyline we have ever seen. We suggest heading up the Empire State building or the Top of the Rock to get an incredible view! Our favourite out of the two would have to be Top of the Rock at night as you get to see the Empire State Building all lit up.
5. Visit a museum
If there is one thing New York has a lot of, it's museums. There are so many to choose from depending on what you're in to. There's the American Museum of Natural History, The Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Intrepid Musuem and Guggenhiem Musuem just to name a few.
6. Grab lunch at the Shake Shack
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For a true New Yorker meal you need to grab a burger and shake from the Shake Shack. They began in 2004 in Madison Sqaure Park, and has since blown into one of the best known burger joints in NYC. We went to the one on 8th Ave and got a 'Shroom Burger with a Vanilla Shake and ate it in the middle of Times Square - the perfect way to eat lunch while embracing this crazy city.
7. See a show on Broadway
We are both musical nerds and love seeing live shows, so of course we have to recommend hitting up Broadway during your time in New York. We suggest getting tickets for The Book of Morman, The Lion King, Aladdin and Mamma Mia (which is sadly ending this September).
8. Cycle through Central Park
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In the middle of Manhattan you will find Central Park. It is the most visited urban park in the US as well as one of the most filmed locations in the world! We feel the best way to experience Central Park is by hiring a bike and cycling through the 843 acres of beautiful, green parkland.
9. Dumplings in Chinatown
Chinatown in Manhattan, home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, is rich in culture, entertainment and delicious food. We highly recommend heading to Prosperity Dumpling for cheap, tasty Chinese dumplings.
10. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
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You can either walk or cycle across the Brooklyn Bridge on the pedestrian pathway that has been there since it opened in 1883. Once you have crossed the bridge we suggest heading to Dumbo for an iconic shot of the Manhattan Bridge.
Thanks to New York Explorer Pass for kindly providing Flying the Nest with two 5 attraction explorer passes.
What NYC experience would you add to our list?
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