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< BACK TO NEW YORK CITY, NY

Things To Do

This was my first time using the subway system and buses to get a round a city. In the past I would always just call Ubers everywhere instead of trying to figure out the insane map and which train to take. When we realized how expensive it would be to get a taxi everywhere, we started looking into Apps to use for the subways in NYC. It was honestly a breeze with the app ‘Transit’ and I cannot imagine doing it without it. Clicking the icon below will take you to their page so that you can download it too.

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  • It would tell us exactly where the subway entrance or bus stop was located depending on where we were currently and give us a walking map to get there.

  • If we needed to take several trains, it would let us know which stop to get off and where to get on the next train.

  • If we had to take a bus and a train to get to where we wanted, it would tell us exactly that and allowed us to use the subway system with ease.

  • This app really helped us cut down on lost time as a newbie in the city and helped us use the subway like we were locals.

I think we only had a few hiccups the entire weekend with the overall process and they were easily fixed and just made us laugh. I will say this, if you plan on having a hectic weekend of nonstop site seeing and exploring, I would highly recommend getting the 'Unlimited Metro Card'. Although, you can put a total balance on your card, we knew we were going to use it a lot so it made more sense to do the unlimited for a set amount of money.​

  • This included all subway entrances and all of the buses that we rode

Shops/Malls

  • KITH

  • Hudson Yard

    • This is the mall that is right next to the Vessel with high end stores and food and drinks throughout

  • Dover Street Market

    • 7 floors of incredible fashion and even better display set ups

Museums

  • The Morgan Library & Museum

  • Museum of Sex

    • Jump For Joy: boobie bounce house

    • Get “married” using their Auto Wed vows machine

  • 9/11 Memorial

    • They have an actual 9/11 Memorial Museum that you can get tickets to and go through inside, but you can also see the incredible memorial outside.

    • There are two large waterfalls and reflecting pools that are set within the original location of the Twin Towers. The names on the top panels at the edge of the pool are for all of those that who died in 2001 and 1993 attacks.

Iconic Buildings

  • Oculus

    • This Transportation Hub was built in remembrance of 9/11 and replaces the PATH station that was destroyed during the attack. It is supposed to represent the light that will still shine after such dark times. This structure is also a massive shopping center at the World Trade Center, which is an incredible building inside and out. We visited during the day and came back to do some night photography here as well.

  • Empire state building

    • We weren’t able to go to the top and see the incredible view from above, but because there are tons of streets that line up perfectly with the building, it allowed us to get some pretty great shots from the outside.

  • Flatiron

  • Grand Central Terminal

  • The Vessel

    • There is a ticket line on the outside near the Vessel itself where you can stand in line to get a ticket to go on the inside, as I believe they are free. We didn’t have time to do this, but will definitely be checking this out next time.

    • You can still great pictures on the outside of the structure and there were a few restaurants inside Hudson Yards that had an incredible view (both a bit pricey, but we were on vacation):

      • Wild Ink: no outside seating but still lunch/dinner with a great view

      • Estiatorio Milos: this has an outdoor area to sit and eat, but I would try making reservations as it filled up really quickly. This location puts you at eye level with the Vessel.

Bridges

  • Dumbo, Brooklyn

    • This stands for “Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass”

    • This spot in the DUMBO area is one of the most iconic picture taking spots in Brooklyn and if set up just right you can get a perfect view of the Manhattan Bridge in the background

    • Washington Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

  • Walk the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset

    • I really underestimated the length of this bridge and wore uncomfortable shoes on day 1 in NYC. No one likes getting blisters, especially not blisters on day 1 of 4, so do yourself a favor and wear comfortable shoes.

    • Be very aware of where you are walking, as there are designated areas for walking vs. bikers. They will run you over and we saw a few people get hit, so just be cautious and check before you cross over or try and go around anyone.

Random Things

  • Flower District

    • Although I feel like this area is slowly dying down, there were still some incredible flower shops with every kind of flower you can imagine, and every color.

  • Times Square

    • First timer here and wow! I think I just stood in the middle for a little, doing a full circle, smiling and taking it all in. It was just one of those things that I’ve seen on TV so many times or in other people’s pictures, I didn’t expect it to be as cool as it actually was.

  • Pietro Nolita

    • This is an Italian restaurant that was completely pink themed. The outside is a well-known picture spot, which my boyfriend just LOVES (not!!), but it was a cute place to walk by and I heard it’s even cuter to grab a bite and drink/coffee there.

  • Chinatown

    • There are such incredible food spots in that area and I think we went once a day at least, if not, twice.

    • This area only does cash, so keep that in mind if you usually only walk around with a card

  • Public Hotel

    • Neon Escalator

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