Things you must do in New York part II

Brooklyn Bridge  & Brooklyn Heights

The view from Brooklyn Bridge

                                                                                                      That’s is definitely a must go, just go across the bridge and you will find the most amazing and famous view of the city, it is breathtaking to see Manhattan from Brooklyn. Go by the end of the day so you get to see a beautiful sunset, or if you prefer  to save many steps and keep your body in good shape for  the next days, forget the sunset …take  the subway to Brooklyn any time of the day  and just return by the bridge. Stop as many times as you want to take tons of pictures… I have no idea how many pictures like this I have taken along the years.

PS: subways in New York can drive you crazy, make sure you carry a map and pay attention to some express trains there is one that the first stop is Brooklyn Museum and it's very far from the bridge.

Staten Island Ferry

I have a confession to make. I’ve never been to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty , besides the fact people say  that going to a restroom is not an easy thing, there’s always a huge line with thousands of tourists from all over the world… so for these and some other reasons ( laziness for example) I’ve never taken the boat…but I could look the Statue closer by taken the Staten Island ferry. It ‘s free and the view is beautiful too…just avoid busy hours.

Grand Central Station

If you like amazing architecture it is a must see. Again many films show the Station and the clock is an icon, if you’ve  seen Friends with Benefits , You will remember the scene where Justin Timberlake organizes a MOB to show his love… I used to live in Westchester County and the Grand Central I where all the trains from that region leave and arrive… If you have an extra time take a train pick a city and get to know thet places around the station White Plains is my favorite…but New Rochelle is very close and beautiful too… I will write about them soon . If you need to use a restroom, buy gifts or eat something Yummy , (my friend Joyce told me there is a Magnólia Bakery downstairs ) you can find everything there, there’s also a Tourist Information Center where you can find maps, and very useful discount coupons.

Around Times Square:

Every time you have a chance,go to Times Square that’s the Icon of Manhattan, that’s where you feel you are part of the world and that’s where you will find many people speaking an uncountable number of languages .

Times Square  Visitor Center: if you want to buy tickets with discount, go to the restroom , get some Tourist information and learn more about the history of the Square, go to the Times Square visitor center, it’s located right there close to Toys are us . It’s the best place to get information and there’s always an exhibit there. at the official website you can check schedules for walking tours and what’s happening in the city …

 From a walking distance from Times Square you can go to many other attractions including, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral  ( tours are available on the website) and the Rockefeller Center , where you can take beautiful pictures of the garden in the summer and ice skate in the winter.

Go watch a TV show

Once I won a contest on PLJ ( local radio station ) and had the chance to go to the early show and see Alanis Morissete front roll . It’s a really cool experience, you will get to see the production, the making off  of a TV show. The good news is that you don’t need to win a contest to be part to have this experience, you just have to check the internet to find the programs available at the time of your visit and claim your free tickets. The earlier you know the better. You can find some information online,just google free: tickets TV shows NYC...

And don't forget to touch the Charging bull's horn it brings good luck

It's located in the Financial District

Next week I will write about the places, where I bet you will spend some money....  

                     

Things to do in New York part I

View from Hoboken

Walk a lot , get a Starbucks coffee and walk as a real New Yorker. Enjoy the atmosphere;  the different languages and lots…lots  of people from every corner of the planet ….everywhere. It may be the busiest place on earth but the best when you just want to feel alive. Go to New York and get the feeling of belong in the World.

 I have been to New York  more times than I could count, when I lived in Westchester I spent every weekend in Manhattan or “The City “ one of the many nicknames the Big Apple has received from its millions of admirers… the next posts will be about the most famous city in the World... and why not starting by the Parks?

Free things to do in New York

I’ve decided to start by the Free things, as people say some of the best things in life are free, it is not different when it comes to exploring “the city”*

Part I - Parks

                        Did you know that New York city has   1,700  parks?????

                            Not bad, for a place best known for its skyscrapers 

I bet the first things that come to your mind when talking about New York are the high buildings , or the yellow cabs, but the big Apple is filled with relaxing and beautiful Parks where if you are lucky enough you get to see some celebrities jogging.

Central Park

Central Park in the summer 

The most famous and  one of the biggest ( 3.41  km^2* )  is a must go. I believe that everybody who has visited New York ( no exception) has been there .Central Park receives about 37.5 million visitors a year .Reserve at least 4 hours to enjoy it, but believe no matter how long you stay it’s never enough, if it’s winter you get to ice skate and if it is summer …well … then you really want to seat and relax. I love walking and taking pictures in the park, but next time I am thinking of rollerblading or at least consider renting a bike… Before I forget, if you are a romantic don’t forget to take a ride in one of the carriages, you can buy your tickets online and prices start at $50,00 a ride .

Riverside Park

It maybe not be as famous as the previous one I wrote about,  but it is my favorite for sure, if you saw a movie called  You got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks you have to go,  the final scene shows the park on  91^st Street. The Riverside Park  is located on the Riverside of Hudson River on the Upper East Site. it is a perfect place to walk, read a book or just admire the calm of the river

 Bryant Park

This small piece of land is located very close to the Grand Central Station if you go to the Public Library it’s the closest Park. It is really... really beautiful, when you walk there you have the feeling you are in a movie. Actually you can see the Bryant Park in a scene from  Letters  for Juliet. Perfect place to have a perfect New York style lunch 

Washington Square

Besides the beautiful park , located in Greenwich Village, and besides the cool  you can find many stores in the area worth a visit

Battery Park

Battery Park 

When going south don’t miss the Battery Park. It’s a wonderful place located downtown… the Park receives more than 6 million visitors a year, maybe what attracts all these people is the fact that when you want to take the Ferry to Ellis Island to visit the Statue of Liberty, that is where you have to go. The Park has lots of events a year, most of them in the Summer.For more info visit: batterypark.org

Numbers from Wikipedia Parks of New York

For more information visit:NYC Parks