Booking my trip to NYC in July gave me plenty of time to narrow down my list of all the things I wanted to do and see while I was in NYC. In order to hit all of the attractions I wanted to see I chose to purchase a sight seeing pass through CityPASS. The CityPASS I purchased gave me access to 6 attractions (you could chose more or less attractions depending on how much time you have). I chose the following attractions:
- Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
- Empire State Building
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Top of the Rock Observation Deck
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- American Museum of Natural History
The number one must see in NYC is a broadway show. We chose to go see Aladdin which was playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre. This was my very first broadway show and it was absolutely incredible! The actors put on a phenomenal show and had I known how much I was going to enjoy it I would have booked another show. This is definitely something you must make time for when going to NYC.
Since we were going in December I wanted to make sure I hit all the Christmas stops. First on that list was the Rockefeller Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Plaza. Next stop on my Christmas list was seeing the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall. The Rockettes put on an incredible show that is jam packed from start to finish. While walking along 5th Avenue shopping, make sure to check out all the decorated store fronts. Many of the store fronts are decorated for Christmas and are quite spectacular. Macy’s storefront is arguably the best decorated store front in NYC so make sure to check it out. I also made sure to stop by Bryant Park to check out the Christmas market. This year the Christmas market ran from October 27, 2018 to January 2, 2019. There is tons of vendors selling unique gifts, decor and food. The Christmas market also included a large skating rink and games to play. There is literally something for everyone here.
We also made sure to make a stop at the Brooklyn Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge runs over the East River connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. There is a pedestrian and cyclist walkway that runs down the centre of bridge above the lanes of traffic. The architecture of this bridge was incredible and I’m definitely glad we made the time to walk it.
Times Square is of course one of the most popular attractions in NYC and no trip is complete without a visit to Times Square.
Lastly, you have to make sure to explore Central Park. Central Park covers approximately 843 acres of land in Manhattan with much to see and do no matter what time of the year you visit. I would have loved to go skating in Central Park during our trip but we happened to be there when there was very mild temperatures and unfortunately time was not on our side.
Our four days in NYC were definitely jam packed. We managed to see most of the ‘touristy’ locations during our time but, it was definitely exhausting. By the end of the trip we had managed to walk 60km in just four short days. I will definitely be back to NYC in the summer one of these days for a whole new set of experiences.
