Welcome to NYC Part 2! Now that we have covered the basics for the trip, let’s get to the fun part! New York City has endless possibilities and there’s something new to discover every time you’re there. In this post I am going to share the favorite popular attractions as well as some of my personal, more low key favorites. If you’re looking for information on planning your trip, where to stay, how to get around – hop over to the earlier post NYC Part 1.
As for New York City it is a place apart. There is not a match in any other country in the world.
Pearl S. Buck
As always, there is a map attached to the bottom of this post for an easier overview of where everything is!
This was a very fun post to create, even though it kept getting longer and longer, because it made me re-live all those memories, look through all the photos again and simply made me realize once more, what a special place this city holds in my heart.
This post will cover sights, museums, broadway and how to score cheap tickets, free things to do, food etc. – I hope you’ll enjoy it & find it useful!
Note: This blog post contains links & mentions to third party sites etc. – this is non commercial as nothing was paid for. But let me mark this as an Ad for legal reasons. 🙂
Views & Sights
Where to begin!? New York City is FULL of things to do. There’s so much to see, that it is all about prioritizing what you want to see the most.
V I E W S
Rockefeller Center / Top of the Rock & Empire State Building
You’ve seen the photos and it’s time to experience the view for yourself… This is something you definitely don’t want to miss! If you have the time, you might want to do both the Empire State and Top of the Rock. If you want to decide on just one, let me recommend the Rockefeller Center because in my opinion the view is even better! Not only because you get the Empire State Building IN your photos but also because the platform is just nicer and on several levels. There is glass all around it, which makes for better photos than the fence at the top of the Empire State (see photos below, left Top of the Rock, right Empire state). Bonus point: the elevator ride up is much cooler. 🙂
If you have the time, it’s nice to go up when it’s still light out and then stay for the sunset because it is pure magic to see the sun go down and the city light up.
On Top of the Rock for sunset
Top of the Rock with glass walls. 
Empire State with fenced platform.
M U S E U M S
Starry Night (VanGogh), MoMa 
Water Lilies (Monet), MoMa
▪️One of my favorite museums is the Museum of Modern Art, I visited it every time I was in NYC. On many different levels, you will find art for every taste. Yes, some of it is very, very modern (which I personally am not always the biggest fan of) but you will find some famous classics as well, like paintings by Monet and Van Gogh as well as everything in between.
▪️Another classic is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MET, which is actually the largest art museum in all of the US. I have only been here once and it’s more on the classical side of things. The building alone is beautiful, the steps are a legacy (xoxo) and the art goes all the way from classical antiquity, through ancient egypt and covers an incredible amount of sculptures and painting from all ages and names.
▪️Furthermore: If you’re into Art, click here for a great site to discover all the up to date art exhibitions that are happening all over New York.
The Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn is a great place to see Street Art.
▪️Moving on from art museums: a different kind of museum that really impressed me was the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. This is not for the faint at heart because it is very, very emotional. The fact that it is built into what used to be the foundation of one of the twin towers just adds to the intensity of the site. It is very well curated and designed to spend hours there, so plan enough time for your visit.
▪️And another favorite would be the Museum of Natural History. If you’ve seen Night at the Museum and want to see Dum-Dum up close, this is where you’ll find him! (Easter Island Head in the Margaret Mead Hall of Pacific Peoples)
S I G H T S
The things you can discover around New York City are endless, but let me go into some of them and share some tips.
▪️One of my absolute highlights every time is the Brooklyn Bridge.
âś”Tip: visit the bridge for sunrise. Yes, you’ll have to get up really early and it will be difficult BUT it will be so rewarding , I promise you. When you go during the day, it will always be crowded. At sunrise – the light is unreal and you basically have the place all to yourself. We met only 2 photographers that day, other than that, there was just nobody there. It’s a whole different kind of magic.
▪️Of course you’ll want to visit Times Square, because it’s just impressive to see and it will look exactly like you picture it. Lots of people, lots of lights and ads, music and cars honking, yellow cabs, dressed up characters to take pictures with (for a dollar) and people trying to get you to come to comedy shows every night.
▪️Another must see is the Statue of Liberty, although I have to admit it is much smaller than I first expected it! I have been on Liberty Island only once and have gone up to the pedestal on my first trip to NYC. Back then it wasn’t allowed to go up to the crown, but now it is possible again. So if that is something you’d like to do, you can find more information here.
âś”If you don’t want to go up, how about a boat tour past it to see it up close? You can either book a boat tour to go to Liberty Island, or you can simply take the ferry to Staten Island, which runs right past the statue about every 30min. This is what we did – it works just as well and it’s actually free of charge!
Staten Island Ferry View of Liberty Island 
View from Staten Island to Manhattan
▪️Central Park is one of my favorite things about New York. It is such a huge space, it feels like a little escape from the craziness of the city. I’ve been here in the summer, when everyone is relaxing on the meadows and I’ve been in the winter, when a little dream of mine came true and we went ice skating at Wollman Rink.
▪️Another must see is 5th Avenue – I don’t really need to say much about it. It’s just really fun to walk down, (window-)shop and admire the luxury shops. Take a peak into Tiffany’s (I’ve cheesily had croissants for breakfast outside Tiffany’s twice now!), Henri Bendel or the American Girl Place just off 5th Ave – which is an experience for itself! If you’re not familiar with American Girl, you need to see this: It’s a huge doll shop complete with doll hospital, hair salon for dolls & kids, clothes for dolls & kids as well as dining and a book shop selling the American Girl books and much more.
More free things to do!
There are lots of things to do for free or litte money in New York City, some of which I have already listed above:
▪️Stroll through Central Park, Times Square, 5th Ave
▪️Staten Island Ferry
… and some more I am going to get in now:
▪️Chelsea Market
This is an indoor market in the neighborhood of Chelsea, offering varieties of food and drinks as well as arts & crafts and book shops etc. It’s a great place to stroll around & have a bite to eat.
▪️High Line Park
And while you’re in the area of Chelsea already – why not visit High Line Park, an elevated park created on what used to be a New York railroad spur!
▪️Go on a film-location tour on your own
You will recognize filming locations absolutely everywhere when in New York. So why not go on a little location hunt? Personally I’ve done this twice – once for Gossip Girl and once for Sex and the City and they were both lovely! For Sex and the City we actually did do a tour, with a bus and all – most touristy thing to do ever? But it was actually hilarious! Anyway – I have added lots of spots to the map (linked at the bottom of this post) so you can do it on your own!
▪️How about a true How I met your mother experience?
While we’re talking about filming locations, here is another fun thing to do, that is almost free – it will cost you a beer. 🙂
If you’ve seen How I met your mother and liked it, how about having a beer at McGee’s Irish pub – the very pub that actually inspired the famous McLarens’s pub from the series? It is very conveniently located and really fun – we were actually here on St. Patricks Day (& Jafi’s 21st birthday!) which made the whole thing even better of course!
▪️Visit the Public Library
This is also one of these iconic buildings that are just stunning to look at. You can enter the library for free & take in that cozy library atmosphere. Please always be mindful of the people that are actually there to study though. (What a dream?!)
▪️Visit the Grand Central Station
…simply because it’s stunning & iconic. Also remember to look up. The ceiling is beautiful.
▪️Explore other neighborhoods on your own
The island of Manhattan offers so much to do, that it’s easy to forget that New York has much more to offer on the other side of the river. Why not explore Street Art in Bushwick or take a walk along the East River or Brooklyn Bridge Park and look at the skyline from there (maybe even for sunset!).
McGee’s Pub on St. Patricks Day 
Broadway (on a budget)
Among those that love theater and musicals, who hasn’t dreamed of seeing a show on broadway? I know I was super excited when I went to see a show for the first time.
There are some tips & tricks to scoring cheaper tickets, which are quite helpful because broadway is expensive. Unless you’re buying a full priced ticket, there is no guarantee you’ll get into the show you want to see – but if you’re a little flexible these are great ways to get your hands on some cheaper tickets!
Tip 1: Standing Room
I had never heard of standing room in a theatre, but it’s definitely a thing! In 2013 we wanted to see “Wicked” and even though we arrived like 20min before the show was supposed to start, they refused to sell us tickets for cheaper than $150. We naively thought they might give away remaining single seats for less – unfortunately they didn’t.
So we went with Plan B for the night and that was “The Phantom of the Opera” a few blocks away. We sprinted down there, asked for the cheapest seats they had left and were told we could either get $70 tickets in one of the side boxes OR $27 standing room tickets. This was the first time I had ever heard about it and it’s literally the coolest thing for anyone on a budget!
Standing room “seats” are located behind the last row of the orchestra floor and we had a wide arm rest to lean on. Obviously the down side is that you will have to be standing to watch the show but hey – for $27? I’d do it again anytime!
Keep in mind standing room tickets will only be sold on the day of the show, are first come first serve, and depending on the show will sometimes only be sold IF the show is sold out.
Tip 2: Rush
Depending on the show, there might be Rush tickets available on the day of the show, which means tickets under $50! Usually these are first come, first serve and become available as soon as the box office opens.
Tip 3: TKTS Booth
These ticket offices are selling day-of broadway tickets at discounted prices. There are 3 TKTS Booths, the busiest one being in Times Square so I would recommend going to one for the other two booths located at Lincoln Center (opens earliest) or Southstreet Seaport. Keep in mind these discounted tickets will be “take it or leave it” – you do not get to choose your preferred seats. Also – the price will be discounted, but not necessarily the cheapest option out there considering rush, lottery or standing room.
Tip 4: The Ticket Lottery
Obviously this is based on luck even more than these other options. But yes, playing the lottery is a possibility! You will have to check the availability and policies of a certain show to see how this works.
For all of these tips, I would suggest looking it up specifically for the show you’d like to see and a great source for this is Playbill.
I love seeing shows on broadway! There is just something magical about it. Personally I also feel so weirdly happy for the show’s stars – like what must that feel like? Starring in a show on BROADWAY. That must be crazy.
Fun fact – as a kid I always wanted to become a musical performer – that’s what I always answered when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Well, that didn’t happen but my love for musicals is still there.
But there’s also some things I wasn’t expecting at all – like the size of the theaters. I have worked as theater staff in various musical theaters in Berlin and I expected Broadway to be bigger and brighter and better. But in fact, the broadway theaters were much smaller. I guess it makes sense too, there is literally one theater next to the other on Broadway so where would that space magically be? So yes, the theaters are small. I am only 1,60m (5’3) tall – so I am short – but my knees were literally almost against the seat in front of me when we saw Mamma Mia.
And another thing that surprised me was this: You expect Broadway to be all glamorous, but after the (incredible!) show is over, the staff literally opens the side emergency doors and the whole crowd walks out in the alley between the buildings. You’re basically kicked out and walk next to the garbage cans of the theater until you’re back on the main street by the entrance. I mean what? This happened to me both times, so I am guessing this is a standard thing to do and it just felt weird! Like you’ve just had this amazing experience and then you’re just back to reality in a dark alley next to the garbage in the blink of an eye.
Nevertheless – I loved my broadway experiences and can’t wait to do it again! Wicked is still on my list and I neeeeeed to see it.
Food & Drinks
Firstly – the possibilities are endless and one finds new things in New York every time. So this is just a tiny collection of some of my favorites. Maybe a blog post dedicated to food will be in order after I visit the next time! (I literally have so many restaurants saved already, that I can’t wait to try!)
BY CHLOE 
FIVE LEAVES 
THE BAGELSMITH
V E G E T A R I A N – & – V E G A N – O P T I O N S
The Bagelsmith (Brooklyn)
Never had better bagels in my life and that’s all I have to say about that. It’s a tiny little shop, mainly for takeaway and they have delicious vegan options as well!
Five Leaves (Brooklyn)
This was a recommendation from a friend and I will gladly pass this on to you, the breakfast was just incredible. Also – what a great place for people watching! Honestly this is a hidden gem.
Little Cupcake Bakeshop (SoHo)
Discovered this thanks to my sister Amelia who lives in NYC, and this is such a cute cafe, making the yummiest sweet creations!
They have been named “Best Cupcakes in the U.S.” by the Food&Wine magazine so that says something I guess – and YES, they have lots of vegan options as well!
V E G A N
BY CHLOE. (Manhattan)
This is one of the obvious choices, but it is actually so so good and actually deserves the hype! This is more of a fast food type of restaurant, but it has an easy breezy vibe and the burgers are actually delicious.
Mother of Pearl (Manhattan)
What a place! It’s a completely vegan restaurant with Polynesian cuisine. A dream!
D R I N K S
230 Fifth (Manhattan) – Drinks with a view!
I’ll be honest – I haven’t been to a lot of bars in NYC but I have been to one that I loved. Drinks are expensive but the view and the vibe is worth it! It’s a rooftop bar and I mean – you’re basically right next to the Empire State Building. Dreamy.
Map
So that was that. Another long blog post about one of my favorite cities in the world. New York is a place very dear to my heart and I honestly can’t wait to visit again and explore it even more! Even just adding to this map, I’ve found even more spots I can’t wait to see the next time around.
I hope this post was of value for you, I do always appreciate your feedback!
Most of all I hope it was able to inspire you and bring a little bit of that special
New York City vibe to your screen today.
Love & magic to you all,
Jules
