Though I live in the United Kingdom now, I use to live in Upstate New York. Back in the time when I was less chronically online, I went down to New York City and spent about 24 hours there, taking a greyhound bus. At the time, I wasn’t aware of things like the New York City Tourist Pass, but can see how useful that would be if I went back now! If you are ever thinking about going to New York City, here are all of the things that I enjoyed doing when I was last there!
Ride a Horse and Carriage in Central Park
There are so many iconic places in New York City. One of the best (and low cost) ones to explore is Central Park. If you’ve got a little bit of money to splurge, I would recommend going on a horse and carriage ride through Central Park. I remember this ride so well, going through the park with people waving at me, and enjoying seeing nature. There is something that feels really magical about being in a horse and carriage as well! Central Park can be quite massive, so exploring the park can be a large part of your time in New York City, or could be a shorter explore, especially when it comes to riding around.
See the Views from the Empire State Building
Another iconic part of New York City is the Empire State Building. This building is massive, and traveling right to the top will show you a brilliant view of New York. If you are exploring the city on a good weather day, it’s well worth getting into the Empire State Building. The lobby of the building has some beautiful stain glass work and the elevator is massive. This elevator actually moves quite fast, bringing you nearly to the top, before switching to another elevator and taking you the rest of the way. The views from the roof are really spectacular.
Remember Those Lost at the Twin Towers Memorial
9/11 is a massive, historical event that everyone in the world knows about. If you remember 9/11 or want to take a moment to remember those who were lost as the twin towers fell. The memorial is really brilliant, with names carved into stones all around, and a reverse fountain, flowing into the ground, for you to look at and remember. This area is important to those local and those who remember how 9/11 changed the world.
Eat at the Hardrock Cafe
The Hardrock Cafe is much more than just a place to eat, and also works as a sort of museum of music! There are tons of decorations, a little walk through area where you can take pictures, and of course a place to eat. The menu has a lot of American classics like burgers and ribs, which are very filling after a long day of exploring the city. The Hardrock Cafe also has a gift shop, where you can get merch and special items that are only available in the New York City cafe.
That’s everything I was able to fit into my 24 hours in New York City – though we did also grab a pizza slice from one of the iconic pizza shops dotted around the city. There are so many other places to explore; the Empire State Building and the Bronze Zoo, to name a few.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!