New York is surprisingly...massive. More than this Londoner could fathom at first. I truly was not ready for the scale of NYC, and that a week there simply was not enough. If you follow me on any other platform, including this one, you'll know by now that I have fallen quite in love with the city, and haven't stopped thinking about strolling around Central Park in the midday sun, or grabbing a Ralph's Coffee for an afternoon pick me up since. It was of course my first time and we did what any first timer's do; be tourists. Here are my tips and tricks of what to do, where to go and what we did on our first trip to New York City.
Only have a minute? Here is my quick itinerary. If you do have a few minutes to spare, scroll down for my thoughts on everywhere and everything.
6 night trip
Day one- flights, taxi, Times Square at night
Day two- Museum of Natural History, Central Park
Day three- Empire State Building, City Line River Cruise
Day four- Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Plaza, 5th Avenue, Black Tap
Day five- Brooklyn, DUMBO, Manhattan Bridge, 9/11 Memorial and Museum
Day six- Cenral Park, department store window shopping (suitcase very much full sadly), taxi, flight
Day one
An afternoon flight from Gatwick to JFK landed us at about 6pm. We pre-booked transport from the airport to our hotel via a company that we found to be highly recommended on Facebook of all places. Bizzies Luxury Services were just that. From a clear breakdown of different prices and packages via email, to group chats with the driver the day before. The driver was far more excited than were were after an 8 hour trip, taking our photo outside of the airport (and sending them over straight away which for an instant photo enthusiast like myself, I very much appreciated not having to wait for them). He gave us bottles of water and snacks to keep us going throughout the journey. I'll avoid trains at the best of times and with no one in the group having done the subway prior, we opted for the easier (but yes of course more expensive) option, and honestly I am glad that we did. You can of course just opt for a taxi from the airport instead, however taxi drivers expect such a big tip (as we realised on our return trip to the airport on the last day... 20% was not enough apparently!) and the experience is far greater for not much more. In total the taxi return journey was about $100 in total with tax and a driver who cut everyone up in the road, where as our Bizzies car was bigger, $115 (no tips needed but we of course dug deep) and you get a much better service. Next time we will for sure be booking Bizzies for both journeys and could not recommend them enough.
I won't go into too much detail about the hotel, the Warwick, on 6th Avenue, as I have already written a lengthy post about the stay here. I loved the hotel and it would be my first choice for future stays.
Times Square. My word. Not somewhere I would urge you to frequent if you enjoy personal space. We made the mistake of going on our first night, because why wouldn't we? It looks like day time even at night will all of the lights and is the busiest area I have ever seen. We walked through it a few times in between areas and our hotel, and I quickly realised that the tourist traps were not my kind of scene.
Day two
Our first booked experience was the Museum of Natural History. One for the Friends fans, I personally very much enjoy a museum, however be aware that this place is utterly huge. We thought that we'd only spend a few hours here, but no. Hours and hours and gift shop after gift shop we finally got to the end and realised that if today was anything to go by, we were going to be knackered very quickly.
My top tip here and something that I am so glad we did, was get a NYC City Pass. There are a few variations, but found City Pass to be the cheapest one. You get five experiences (laid out in this post and in the short version above) and they include the tourist attractions like the Empire State Building, that you may have bought tickets for anyway. Super easy to use and all QR codes sent straight to your phone so great as a last minute purchase too once in the city.
After the museum we decided on a walk around central park. We were quite honesty knackered however, and quickly opted for an early night. We took our first trip to Target, grabbed a Chick-fil-A and got into bed.
Days three and four
The Empire state building is iconic, as it the view. Day three saw a trip up to the top (again using our City Pass) and I didn't realised that there was a whole museum to walk through beforehand. I was happy to pay just for the view, but the exhibit as such was a welcomed bonus. I've combined day three and four here just as I wanted to add in that we did have tickets for the Top of the Rock experience, but my lift advsersion was far too much for another day going up and down, so the family went up without me and I took my first proper stroll around the park instead. They said that they loved the view however and it was another thing on the City Pass list. Back to day three and after the Empire State building we grabbed a Shake Shack for lunch and headed to the west piers (not their name). We, again through the pass, booked the Landmarks City Line Cruise which took an hour and a half. We sailed from the piers to the Statue of Liberty (literally pretty much straight up to it) which is smaller than I thought. I'm sure you've heard this before but unless you fancy climbing her, paying for a boat to the statue is worthless and many cruises and ferries will take you straight past, and you can get your photo. Anyway we passed Lady Lib, sailed towards the east of the city, under the bridges and back again. The cruise/ferry boat had a cafe so we had a hotdog each and enjoyed the ride.
Day four began, for me, with the park walk, and I've never enjoyed sitting on a bench for an hour more. The weather was beautiful all week, and early mornings in Central Park are something I could easily get used to. We walked down 5th Avenue and I had a look at the St Peter's church, where if you've watched Gossip Girl, will know that it's the place of Blair and Louis' wedding. We then found ourselves in the maze under the Rockefeller Centre. It is of course not really a maze, but upon trying to locate the Starbucks, we ended up circulating down the same paths many times, and ending up at the same places. We went to Bills for lunch, not affiliated with the Bills chain that we have in the UK. We had massive chicken sandwiches (chicken burgers in the UK) and it was here that I realised how big the portion sizes really were. It was back home for a rest, and we headed to the Black Tap for dinner. Again, large portions and another burger. The restaurant is apparently famous for their milkshakes and at $20 each, they better be. Massive shakes with cakes or brownies on top. After a large meal at lunch and again at dinner, I'm unsure as to why I thought ordering one was a good idea. A few sips in and I was finished, so asked for a takeaway cup. Food was fine (I wasn't overly hungry as you can imagine!) and had I just gone in there for the milkshake, I know that I would have been very happy. Would definitely go back.
Day five
The final day saw an early rise, checking out of the room and grabbing a cab down to DUMBO. An early morning photo on the bridge was what I wanted, but we were far too late for that already without hundreds of people. All I can say here is get there early, sunrise early, if you want any pictures without the world in them. DUMBO was busy too, as to be expected. We walked through Main Street Park and past the pebble beach and carousel. Brooklyn has a Time Out Market too, which I didn't go to myself but somewhere to add to list whilst in the area. The steps to the Brooklyn Bridge were easy to find (a few streets over and past the market). I'd heard of there being market stalls on the bridge, great for those cheap souvenirs- I'm a keyring girl myself- but none were to be seen on that day.
I find the entire 9/11 thing really interesting. If there is a documentary about it on the TV then I want to watch it. I think mainly because I don't remember it happening maybe? I was about 5/6 but have no recollection of hearing about it. It turns my stomach when seeing any footage of the day and it is one of the disasters of the world that really gets me. Going to the memorial and museum was a massive thing for me and something that was non-negotiable. Seeing the pools, knowing that this is where it all happened, was so surreal. I spend some time on the benches in the middle watching people go about their day, just as they would have done on that morning in 2001. Our fifth and final City Pass activity was the 9/11 Museum, and bar the exam halls in school, I have never been somewhere so quiet. From the mangled fire trucks from the day, to phone calls and voice recordings of the people in the middle of it all, and even parts of the walls keeping those two towers from flooding from the river, the museum had more than I thought it would. I love seeing walls. A strange statement to make yes, but knowing that this thing was there, on those days or in those far off time periods and yet here it is, standing in front of me, always makes me think. The museum is split into sections, the main section as such, then into the north and south sections. These two have different offerings, one with calls and images of those who lost their lives, and the other with pretty much everything else. Going into the second one (north maybe?), I felt really overwhelmed and claustrophobic suddenly- not for any reason may I add... maybe the amount of people? This just meant that after a room or two I walked through to the end of the room and back out to the main section again. I would definitely go back again though and take my time in that room as I felt that I had missed out for sure.
And finally
The one thing missing from the trip was a big shopping day. Woodbury Common is so high up on my list of places to visit next time and I am already checking for flights to the city asap. New York was stunning and is one of the only places (Bath included in that list for reference) where I could see myself living. Upper East Side only of course. xoxo.
The second instalment of my guides this year is of course, for the stocking lovers. My family have always been stocking people and I love nothing more than waking up on Christmas morning and finding that Santa has filled up my stocking whilst I slept. The list is rather extensive, so buckle down and get your shopping list ready.
Some items were gifted by the brands and will contain a *. Affiliate links used.
Hand creams
What is more of a staple in your stocking than a hand cream? This year my bosses are getting one of the Cath Kidston Balance Hand Cream and Twist Key set each, the latter of the set I think is a fab idea. I picked these up for less than £4 in TK Maxx this year and I would highly recommend a trip down if you need some stocking inspo. Buy it here.
Brushes
A new makeup brush is one of life's little luxuries, but do you have a 3-in-1 multi brush that comes in a travel pouch? Love Vicci* is a new brand that has launched two brushes, the makeup brush and the eye brush. Both are 3-in-1 and start at £16.95. The brand would be perfect for the sister that's travelling next year, or the niece that is just dabbling with a few products. Buy them here.
For the makeup lover
Would it be a gift guide without a mention of one of my favourite ever brands; Charlotte Tilbury? This year Tilbs have brought out some bauble presents with minis of their best selling products. There are a few mini baubles released this year, which includes their Magic Cream, Pillow Task lipstick (my all time favourite) and the Pillow Talk mascara (also my all time favourite). I personally think that these are super sweet and a lovely little luxe present at a lower price. Buy them here.
An honourable mention to Pixi of whom I am a massive fan. Whilst I don't have anything Christmas related to show you as such, their products are all stocking friendly and over the years, Pixi have established themselves in my makeup bag, and skincare cupboard as a firm contender. Secret Santa? Give them Pixi. Stockings? Pixi. Birthdays? Pixi. I love them.
Another new product for me this year but one that is stocking-ready is the NUDESTIX Lip Butter Tint Set*. This set of three glossy tints is infused with avocado and shea butter and quite frankly, you cannot go wrong with a lip butter at Christmas. Give them all or keep one for yourself, I know what I would do. Buy them here.
Fragrances
Yardley* have released their Fine Fragrance Collection, including their English Rose, English Lavender, Lily of the Valley and English Honeysuckle scents, so there is truly something for everyone. The set is at a great price point too and I personally love that Yardley are becoming a great brand for a new generation. Buy it here.
Something handy
Something that I hadn't thought of before, but is, in my opinion, a fab little stocking gift, is a gift of usefulness. Let's be honest, the older we get the more we need a little help to stay pruned, and this year Bare Feet* have you sorted with their compact Electronic Callas Remover. The gift of great feet can never be underestimated. Also, every year I get a nail file or two in my stocking, but this year gets an upgrade with Bare Feet's Glass Nail File. It's super snazzy and I'll be keeping it for myself, thank you. Buy them here.
Nails
If, like me, getting to the salon for a nail appointment just isn't op of your priority list each month, or those ever increasing prices are just out of you budget, then glue-on-nails are absolutely going to be your best friend this festive season. Kiss* has a massive range of nails to choose from, from short squares, to french tips (a personal fave) to even long ombre nudes. I imagine each set as a personality and just know that a few ladies in my life will love the sets I've picked for them. Buy them here.
Skincare
I am a firm believer that if you find something that works, stick with it. For me, thats the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. You can imagine my joy when I found that this year LE had released their mini gift sets at a fab price, and included in the Boots 3 for 2 offer that I take full advantage of each year. I've picked up a few sets for the stockings that I'm filling this year, including the Cleanse and Brighten set with a Hot Cloth Cleanser and Eyebright Eye Lotion, and the Cleanse and Refresh set with the ever popular Skin tonic instead of the lotion. From Boots, both are around the £10-12 mark and genuinely one of the best stocking fillers I've found this year. Buy them here.
Like the above, Soap and Glory came out with some lovely little mini gift sets this year. Again in the Boots 3 for 2 offer, I picked up two of the Smooth Minis Mix sets with a mini Scrub of Your Life, and Righteous Body Butter, and a Feel Good set, with their Heel Genius and Hand Food Cream included. A great way of giving the minis we all love in a fancy looking way. Oh and did I mention that they're £5?! Crazy. Buy them all here.
Aesthetically pleasing to say the least, Evolve Beauty have released some festive sets this year. I'm no stranger to a beauty bauble and the Golden Glow bauble set is fabulous. For all skin types, the bauble contains the Bio-Retinol Gold Mask which rejuvenates and nourishes the skin. Evolve Beauty have also released the Radiant Rose Duo set, including the Rose Quartz Facial Polish and Rosehip Miracle Oil. The set claims to leave the skin feeling regenerated and revitalised, something I for one, need after the busy festive period.
Candles
This mini Yankee Candle was indeed...£2.99 from Home Bargains. I too was stunned. I only picked one up for some unknown reason and have since been unable to find more, clearly for good reason. I don't know anyone that wouldn't appreciate a Yankee Candle this year and a festive one makes it all the better.
Jewellery
When Amelia Scott* sent me their Emerald, Blush Pink & Gold Earrings, I actually squealed. These earrings are gorgeous and if I found them at the bottom of my stocking this year I would be a very happy girl *hint hint*. I wear a lot of velvet at Christmas so these go perfectly and the pink Cubic Zirconia is of course, stunning too. Buy them here.
Let me know if you pick up anything for your stockings this year!
