New York, the city that never sleeps. Most people have New York City on their list of places to visit at least once in their life. Even if you’re not a city person, it is a unique spot to visit with a wide array of things to do. I was lucky enough to have a friend who had an apartment in Manhattan. She kindly let me stay with her for a few weeks. I had been to New York once before but only for a few days. Being able to stay in the city for a longer period was a very cool experience for someone who never thought they would have such an opportunity.

I was on a strict budget, so I mainly took in the sights from walking around. My trip shows that you don’t need to have a big budget to get a lot out of New York. It was a magical experience to feel like I was living in the city, even if it was only a temporary stint.

In this blog, I will discuss what I did in New York to give you some ideas if you are planning a trip there soon. I went in late October/early November so keep that in mind, some things may be seasonal. Also, make sure you check what the current COVID restrictions are since they are always changing.

I’ll first talk about how to get around, what things to do, and then move on to some yummy food and dessert spots. My list of things to do is organized in order from north to south. Starting at Central Park and ending with the Brooklyn Bridge. Realistically, this is a blog about the lower half of Manhattan but most people seem to refer to Manhattan as New York City anyways. So, whenever I say New York or Manhattan, I am using these terms interchangeably in this blog. I didn’t even have time to venture out to the other boroughs on this trip!

Subway

Let’s talk about getting around New York. Most newbies to the city probably will run into the same predicament I had. I wanted to save money by taking the subway, but I had no idea how it worked. Coming to a new city and figuring out their public transit is always a headache. My tight budget forced me into getting myself a metro card and taking the plunge.

To my surprise, the app that made taking the subway such a breeze was the Apple Maps App. When you enter in where you want to go and tap the public transit route option, it tells you which subway to get on. It took a little bit to understand the letters of the trains and the directions for the platforms, but this app truly made things so much easier. Yes, you can still get taxis or an uber in New York, if you’ve got the money. But the downside to this is that it is expensive and you will be stuck in horrendous traffic.

Things to Do

Central Park

The famous giant park in the centre of Manhattan is definitely a spot you should take a moment to appreciate. Considering Central Park is so huge, you’ll probably need to choose a small portion to explore. Hidden in the park are many different things to see like the Central Park Zoo, Wollman Rink, Belvedere Castle and so much more. I mainly roamed around the southern end of the park and didn’t go in much deeper than the Central Park Zoo. Take some lunch and have a picnic in the park to enjoy the pocket of nature kept inside the bustling city.

Rockefeller Ice Skating

Depending on the time of year that you visit, the Rockefeller Ice Skating Rink is a must-see. Even if you don’t like skating, it is lovely to watch all the friends, couples and families have a go at it. I had seen this scene so many times in movies that it felt surreal to see it in real life. The rink is usually open from the beginning of November until April.

Times Square

Of course, everyone needs to at least drive through Times Square during their time in New York City. Screens surround you at every angle bombarding you with ads. It makes you grateful other cities in the world haven’t adopted this. It’s a novel experience. If you choose to walk through Times Square you will probably walk by deranged looking versions of your favourite cartoon characters or superheroes. But BEWARE! Do not take a photo with any of these characters as they will demand payment from you as soon as you do. I enjoyed seeing Times Square at nighttime, you really get the full effect of it as the bright screens light up the square.

High Line

When I knew I was going to be going to New York I asked people I knew if they had any suggestions, and many people said the High Line. If you haven’t heard of it before, it is a raised walkway that runs from Hudson Yards all the way through Chelsea. The walkway gives you a super cool perspective as you walk through the city. It is lined with greenery and art pieces to add even more beauty. The High Line was formerly a railway track that got transformed into the now popular walkway in 2009. It runs 1.45 miles long. You can exit the High Line at multiple points, so you don’t have to walk the entire duration. The exit at the corner of 16^th Street leads you right to the lovely Chelsea Market. The Chelsea Market is filled with wonderful food, art, and other shops. This is a great place to find some high-quality gifts if you’re not into the usual I <3 NY souvenirs.

World Trade Centre Memorial

Everyone knows the tragedy that happened on September 11^th, 2001 at the World Trade Centre buildings. The twin towers are now replaced by two memorial reflecting pools that offer a powerful space to remember. I was really moved by this memorial and felt the sadness and impact that this horrible event has left behind. I would recommend so time to take in everything that these memorials represent.

Brooklyn Bridge

The well-known Brooklyn Bridge has a pedestrain walkwaybiking section that to locals’ dismay seems to be a big tourist spot. When I arrived to walk the length of the bridge, I could already see how packed it was. Bikers were yelling at the oblivious tourists to get off the biking side of the path. I reluctantly still started the trek but I admittedly only made it about halfway across the bridge before I gave up. It did offer lovely views of the East River and the city. I would still recommend this walk, but try it at a less busy time!

What to eat

Desserts

If you know me, you know I’ve got a huge sweet tooth. Since I was on a budget, instead of spending money on big fancy meals I would choose more affordable items to treat myself to. While doing research for my trip, I discovered the vast amount of insane treats New York has to offer.

Levain Bakery

A super popular spot I had to check out was Levain Bakery. Levain Bakery is known for its 6-ounce cookies. These giant cookies are unbelievable. A pro tip is to ask for your cookie to be heated up! This ensures your chocolate chips are melty and the centre is ooey gooey.

When I got to the 74^th Street location there was a line up around the block. I was fully willing to wait in the line, however long it took. Luckily some people walked past and informed me that Levain Bakery had another location just a few blocks away and it was usually a lot less busy. I decided to take my chances and check out this second location hoping for a shorter line. The Amsterdam Avenue location was in fact much less busy! So that’s another hack for you if you’re visiting Levain Bakery in the Upper West Side.

Once it was time to order, I couldn’t pick and had to try both their popular Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie as well as their Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie. Both were incredibly good but I would recommend the Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie if I had to choose one. Check out their website here.

Magnolia Bakery

Another well-known bakery that made my list was Magnolia Bakery. This bakery has locations all over the US. They are known for their banana pudding. I made quite possibly the biggest mistake of my life and panicked as I was rushed to order much sooner then expected. I picked a simple blondie over the thick luscious banana pudding. Not that the blondie wasn’t delicious, but I still think about my missed opportunity of the banana pudding to this day. Check out their website here.

City Cakes

Two other little bakeries I ventured to were City Cakes and the Little Cupcake Bakeshop. City Cakes was another place with giant cookies. They advertise their cookies as being half a pound and I believe them. I got a snickerdoodle cookie that was the size of my face! It was delicious and had yummy cinnamon filling with an icing drizzle on top. When I visited, they were in a tiny little shop. It now looks like they have moved into a much larger location! Check out their website here.

Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Little Cupcake Bakeshop is a super cute spot in the Nolita neighbourhood. They had so many wonderful flavours of cupcakes, slices of cake, pies and bars. I ended up going for a slice of their cookie dough cake. I thought this was a unique flavour for a cake I hadn’t seen at other bakeries much before. It had chunks of cookie dough in the layers of cake and was heavenly! Check out their website here.

Savoury Foods

Joe’s Shanghai

My friend whose apartment I was staying at suggested that we go for dinner in Chinatown at Joe’s Shanghai. This spot is known for its soup dumplings and they were very good. It was a unique experience at this bustling spot. You are seated at big round tables with others, and it was all very fast-paced. You could tell these people had worked there a long time and had their routine down. Check out their website here.

Soft Pretzel

Of course, I needed to get some sort of street food while in New York. You pass by so many vendors on the sidewalks from hot dogs, to hot nuts, to halal. I went for a simple giant soft pretzel. The experience was satisfying but next time I think I would go for something a bit more advanced. There are some really yummy-looking vendors. I got my pretzel on my very last day just to check it off my bucket list.

I hope this blog has given you some ideas for places to see and treats to eat on your next trip to New York! After writing this it certainly makes me want to go back ASAP.