Lifestyle, food and drink, and our family life and travel adventures.
Until I finally went when I was around 22 and travelled around the world, New York was somewhere that I had always dreamt of going and just had a feeling that I would absolutely love it.
I was worried that it could be one of those places that you have built up so much in your head that when you are actually there it is a bit of a disappointment, but thankfully I loved it just as much as I had always thought I would. It is one of those places that really does live up to the hype and it’s amazing to just wander around, see the sights and eat great food.
I loved the hustle and bustle, the lights and sounds, the food, the different attractions we visited and wandering around Brooklyn – I loved it all and I would so love to go again one day.
I have always wanted to spend Christmas there one year with my family and when I was younger I always wanted to live there for a year and enjoy the city like a local. There is just so much to see and do and I would love to just be able to explore the less touristy places more and really take in the buzz of the city. I think it would be really cool to live somewhere like Brooklyn for a few months. I think it would be so different to living anywhere else and I would love to experience it for longer than just the length of a holiday. I would still like to do that, to be honest, but it’s not really realistic anymore!
There are some places we visited when we went back in 2007 that I would definitely make sure I go back to, and others that we didn’t get a chance to as we were only there for a few days. There is so much to do and see and there is something for all the family to enjoy.
So I thought I would share some of my favourite attractions in New York and those I’d visit next time I go.
When me and my then-boyfriend (now husband) went to New York we spent a brilliant evening ice skating at the Rockafeller Center and I would love to do that again but with my daughter with us this time. The Christmas tree was up and it felt so magical skating in the open air in the freezing cold in the middle of New York City in the evening. I’d love to take Ava to The Rink near Christmas.
When we went last time, One World Trade Center hadn’t yet been built but we visited the area and the memorial site. If we went again I would want to visit the new building and I think it would be important to take our daughter there and remember all of the lives that were lost there. She knows about 9/11 but I think on a trip to New York it would be important to spend a bit of time there and visit the 9/11 museum.
My girl is absolutely obsessed with animals and we love watching Animal Park together and she wants to be a Zookeeper when she’s older! So she of course loves going to a zoo, but if we do visit one then I want it to be a great one where the animals are properly looked after and loved, and where conservation is really important.
The Bronx Zoo is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society who work to protect the future of all species and the places they call home. WCS sets the standard for animal care, zoological medicine, wildlife conservation, and innovative, naturalistic exhibits and Bronx Zoo serves as a springboard and hub for conservation efforts across the entire planet, aiming to teach us all more about science, nature and conservation.
The zoo opened in 1899 and now has more than 700 different species and is supposed to be really good so I would love to go there whilst in New York, go on the Wild Asia Monorail, to see the elephants, red pandas and rhinos, as well as see the penguin and sea lion feedings.
We chose to go to Top of the Rock when we were in New York last time, as the ‘high-up-view’ sort of tourist attraction. It was great but next time I would really like to go up the Empire State Building instead to see everything from a different place.
Once the tallest skyscraper in the world at 1,454 feet, the Empire State Building has high-speed elevators that zoom you 1.050 feet to one of two observatories – a glass-enclosed pavilion or open-air decks, from where you can enjoy incredible views across the city.
We, unfortunately, didn’t get to spend any proper time in Central Park and I can’t believe we didn’t actually make some time to see it, so I would love to spend some time in the huge park and gardens, that cover 843 acres.
It would be brilliant in the summer to spend a day picnicking and strolling through the park, having fun on the playgrounds and maybe enjoying some live music if there was something on.
I wasn’t really aware of The High Line when we were there last time but it always looks really cool and I’d definitely want to go there next time, enjoy the walk, all of the nature and the views of the city and Hudson River.
We wandered all the way across the Brooklyn Bridge and around Brooklyn last time and we really enjoyed it and I would definitely want to do it again and see how the area has changed.
Brooklyn Bridge is a major historical landmark, with the amazing double arches of the Brooklyn Bridge and all of the different sites you can see from it. I’d like to walk over from the Manhattan side and visit Brooklyn Bridge Park and spend some time there, maybe rent some bikes to explore, play on the playgrounds and splash areas and just relax and enjoy it.
There’s loads more I’d love to do and see on a trip to New York. I’d go back to the Statue of Liberty and Grand Central Station, get the ferry to Coney Island, spend time in Times Square, eat massive slices of pizza, and just enjoy all this amazing place has to offer!
Have you ever been to New York? If you have is there anything you would recommend that shouldn’t be missed?
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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