Whether you are taking your family trip to the City for Christmas or visiting all the new bars during the summer, New York City is the best place to visit at any time of year. You wake up in a city that never went to sleep and are immediately greeted by bustling streets, cars honking, people running to work, and stores that have been open for hours.
In the summer time you can stroll down the streets of Soho and Chelsea during the day to shop and grab a bite to eat. At night you can find yourself slipping into a speakeasy or club with a view of the city. If you are downtown you may find yourself at Mr. Purple with a great view of the Freedom tower. Some of the best talent in the US is located in New York, so I recommend visiting a show on Broadway or a Comedy Club. Shows run at various times and typically have several locations. Comedy shows are typically lower in cost and they can run later at night.
If you are looking for some touristy views of the city you can visit the top of the Empire State Building, One Vanderbilt, or The Edge in Hudson Yards for 360 views of the city. These touristy spots can get a bad reputation because of their average customers, but the views definitely do not disappoint.
If you are in town for the holidays and want to see all the traditional holiday sites, then you will find yourself in Mid town. You will visit the Rockefeller tree, The Sax Fifth Avenue Light Show, Bryant park, and The Rockettes Holiday Show. If you are willing to go a little further south you can visit Rolf’s German bar which is a Christmas themed bar with thousands of ornaments and decorations hung up. If you are willing to leave Manhattan, Dyker Heights is a great place to see beautiful homes decorated for Christmas. Be sure to bundle up as it can get pretty cold when the sun goes down!
FOOD… the most important part of course. Regardless of the time of year, you will always need to eat. And what is New York known for? If you guessed pizza and bagels you are correct. Something to be cautious of is almost every pizza place in NYC will say something like “Original” or “Famous” pizza, so be sure to do some research if you really are looking for the best slice. Many tourists will find themselves at the famous “Joe’s Pizza”. There are several locations, but if you don’t want to wait in a long line, then I would recommend picking a location that is NOT in midtown. If you are looking to try a different type of pizza than your standard cheese slice, then I recommend trying a pizza slice with vodka sauce. Village Square has a great slice of vodka pizza.
Back to the other famous part of New York.. the bagels. Similar to the pizza, you can find many bagel options, but you need to do your research to find the best quality and price. Thompkins Square Bagel in the East Village typically has a line, but this line is not because this is an overrated tourist trap. Thompkins Square Bagel has great bagel sandwiches (not as common of a find in NYC) as you might think!
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