The first time I've ever been to "The City That Never Sleeps", and also my only time, was astonishing! I arrived at 3 am in the morning when the streets were completely empty, and this was the only time I ever saw it that empty. Bright lights were everywhere and it was just like in the movies, maybe better because it was in person!
Hotel
My family and I were able to take a subway to our hotel, Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel, which was so convenient! It was located in the center of Times Square so we could see all the lights from the view of our hotel window. Additionally to the convenient location the hotel was not dirty at all and had a clean and decent amount of space.
Transportation
The way I got to New York was through train from Washington, D.C. called Greyhound (I'll talk about Washington in a later article, another story for another tiem). We walked through the streets usually to absorb the scenery and also because everything was so nearby and close to each other. If we didn't walk to wherever we were heading towards, we would take an Uber, Lyft, or a taxi. I definitely suggest, though, to use Google Maps to find your way through the busy streets. Unfortunately, I only found out about the Google Maps subway and walking tool until the last 4 days of the trip. After a week you'll be able to find your way though the city like the back of your hand because although its huge it's organized with street numbers.
Eateries
1. Ess-a-Bagels
Bagels! When people say that New York has the best bagels, you would think they're joking because bagels are bagels no matter where you get them but no get them in New York! I absolutely love bagels and New York had the best bagels I've ever had ever. Ess-a-Bagels had delicious bagels, and it happened to be my first breakfast in New York, blueberry bagel with plain cream cheese, a classic. The bagels are fresh and still piping hot when you get it. The employees do a great job and work very quickly because the line is huge, and not only do they sell bagels but they have other treats like Black and White Cookies.
2. Halal Guys
This place is absolutely amazing and the original Halal Guys is located in New York. It's a food cart and they cook whatever you order right in front of you and they are so generous with the portions. The gyros are so fluffy and the rice is so good and the food is just so fresh.
3. Sabrett
You know those random hot dog carts you find in New York pictures or in movies? Mostly, that would be a Sabrett Hot Dog Cart and they're scattered everywhere in New York City. Not only do they sell hot dogs, they also have salted pretzels which are pretty good too. If you want a quick bite to eat without going to somewhere generic like McDonalds, go get a hot dog! Isn't eating a street hot dog on everyone's bucket list?
4. Carmines
This is a more formal restaurant and the wait is quite long, but you can make reservations which I suggest you make 2 hours in advance because of the wait. While you wait for your food you can stroll around the nearby scenery since you are in New York anyways. Once you're seated the prices are a bit on the expensive side, but there is a reason for that. The pasta is amazing first of all, but also the portions are huge! This is definitely a family restaurant to share. I suggest to share one plate of pasta for 2-3 people.
The cheesecake here is definitely something special, and personally a lot better than the better known cheesecake place, Juniors. Their cheesecakes are so cute and tiny, perfect for a little snack. I happened to get a cheesecake after a walk in the rain, soaking wet in our ponchos, cheesecake was the perfect dessert. When we came they had a deal that if you took a picture of their cheesecake and posted it on your Instagram with the hashtag #eileensspecialcheesecake and show is to the register person you'd get a free mini cheesecake.
Sight Seeing
1. Rockefeller Center
Personally, I think that the Rockefeller Center is much better than the Empire State Building because it's much better for picture opportunities and you can see the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is much more busy than the Rockefeller also which does not improve the wait very much.
2. Statue of Liberty
In the pictures, the Statue of Liberty looks amazing and huge, but in real life standing next to it, it looks even larger. When I visited the Statue of Liberty the ferry took us to the small island where the statue stood which was great for far away pictures of the statue. Once we finally arrived on the island, we were able to use a walky-talky speaker that we listened to as a guide to inform us about New York. We were given a paper for people that wanted to fill it out and if you turned in the completed paper you could get a national park badge as a souvenir. Overall, the Statue of Liberty is a must see when your in New York!
3. Cast Iron Building
This building is another great place for a photo opportunity because the architecture is amazing. My family and I had to stop by and take a picture by it because it looked so different from the side and from the front.
4. Grand Central Terminal
Remember in Madagascar when Melman, Alex, and Gloria were searching for Marty? They found him at Grand Central Terminal. So many other TV shows and movies have use this as one of their scenes if the movie is based on New York. I felt like I was in a movie when I was there with the clock in the center and everything.
5. Little Italy
This area is somewhat similar to New York, but also slightly different because it has different types of buildings. The buildings in New York are like skyscrapers, and the Italy ones are more vintage. Little Italy had lots of cute things to take pictures of and I was able to get fried oreos there and listen to live Italian singers that were everywhere and different restaurants.