The allure of New York
The world is full of interesting travel destinations. So much so, that you cannot see everything during a lifetime. Regardless, there is always some destination that makes an everlasting impression and keeps calling you back time and time again. For me, that place is New York. There are other places I’ve travelled to several times for various reasons, but my number 1 repeat destination is without any doubt, the Big Apple.
The first time
Our first trip to this magical city was in 2005 and we’ve been back six times since. On our first trip we did a lot of the quintessential touristy things people tend to do in New York, and we hardly left Manhattan. It was clear to us that on this first trip we only saw a glimpse of what the city had to offer. We also fell in love with the vibe of the city where we somehow immediately felt at home. I think one reason for this is that New York feels like a big city filled with small cities. I know it may sound crazy to claim that a city with over 8.5 million inhabitants sometimes can give off a small-city vibe, but to me it does. Leaving New York after that first trip, we knew that we would be back.
Places explored
During our trips to the Big Apple, we have managed to see a lot and apart from Manhattan also explored Staten Island and Brooklyn and even made a short detour to the Bronx. There are many sights we have taken in, like the Flat Iron Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, Central Park, Times Square, Empire State Building (though we’ve never gone to the top), Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Terminal, Coney Island, Chinatown, Little Italy, Manhattan Bridge, etc. There are places we return to on almost every trip because we love them. These include Grand Central Terminal, the New York Public Library (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building), Central Park, St. Paul’s Chapel, South Street Seaport and a number of bars, restaurants and shops. We haven’t really explored the museums of NYC in any wider extent. We have visited the Museum of the City of New York, the New-York Historical Society and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. There are some museums I would like to visit on future trips; the American Museum of Natural History, the Tenement Museum, the New York Transit Museum, and the New York City Fire Museum to mention a few.
nypl.org/about/locations/schwarzman(opens in a new tab)
Favorite hangouts
For us, a trip to NYC is never complete without visiting Woodbury common premium outlets and Macy’s for some heavy shopping. Other shops we love to visit are the Strand Bookstore and B&H Photo Video. The bars and restaurants that seem to call our name nearly every time we are in the city include Heartland Brewery, Dos Caminos, Junior’s, Blue Fin and Tick Tock Diner. However, our last visit to Tick Tock was a bit of a disappointment so I think we’ll drop it off our list on future trips. Depending on the time of year, we also try to visit at least one rooftop bar. We love visiting diners for breakfast or lunch.
Will there be an 8th visit?
Most definitely yes. As you can see, there are still plenty of museums we need to visit and several areas to explore. Also, the city is constantly changing, so every visit will offer something new to discover. I cannot imagine I would ever grow tired of NYC. After so many visits even a long weekend in New York is sufficient, but for first-timers I would recommend staying for a week. After that first visit in 2005, we kept going back every one or two years, but after the sixth time in 2011 it took us seven years to return. Hopefully, our next visit is not too far away. I would love to hear what destination you keep returning to.
