It’s hard not to feel as if you’ve been here before, even if it’s your first time to New York. This city – particularly Manhattan – is one of the most photographed, filmed, referenced and documented cities in the world.
But New York is more than Manhattan. Be sure to venture further afield and explore the boroughs: Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and The Bronx all have their own distinct charm when it comes to green spaces, restaurants, bars and neighbourhoods.
The “city that never sleeps” is best explored on foot thanks to its easily navigable grid design – and its network of subways, ferries and iconic yellow cabs that are at your disposal for destinations further out. Walk along Wall Street, through Times Square or Central Park, along the city’s famous High Line, or past the United Nations General Assembly.
The Big Apple has almost too many things to do: plan ahead and prioritise to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Take in a Broadway musical, head to a pub for live bands or stand-up, take lunch to go from one of the city’s mouth-watering delicatessens, or attend the taping of a late-night comedy show (like ‘The Daily Show’, hosted by South African comedian, Trevor Noah). This is a world centre for commerce, fashion, art, music, film, research and media, so you’ll be hard pressed to find a trip here boring.
For shopping (with your eyes or wallet), hit up 5th Avenue – it’s the Holy Grail of the retail world. Greenwich Village and Soho are equally trendy, with daily celebrity sightings.
If you’re into art, architecture or design, visit the art deco Empire State Building in Midtown, Grand Central Station, the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Guggenheim. And stop in at the rebuilt World Trade Towers, museum and memorial for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which changed the city forever.
New York’s strength lies in its diversity: colonists arrived in the 1600s and it has since become a melting pot of Irish, Polish, Italian, Jewish, African, Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants (to name a few), who landed here over the decades fleeing war, famine or persecution. The copper Statue of Liberty, a gift from France in 1886, beckoned these “tired, poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free” as they sailed in from New York Harbour. They’ve shaped the city into what it is today.
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