New York City has really become a home away from home over the past couple of years. Frequently visiting my dad and friends in New York as well as seeing shows and going to events, I’ve come to really love certain places in New York. After living in New York summer of 2017, I started to appreciate the beast that is New York City. Here are my top 6 favorite sights in New York.
1.One World Trade Center and Oculus
The One World Trade Center and Oculus are beautiful not only from the outside, but also on the inside. And the 9/11 Memorial at the same location is such a beautiful and peaceful place to reflect at. Located way downtown at the end of Fulton street, it’s super convenient to get on the subway since Oculus has a huge station.
Oculus itself is a huge shopping center and usually has awesome exhibits up in the main section. Last time we were there, the exhibit was a virtual reality experience and a couple times before that it was an up close view at Michael Angelo’s Sistine Chapel Paintings.
You can also go to the top of the One World Trade Center for the Observatory, I’ve yet to do this mainly because I’ve seen New York from high up enough times, and I don’t feel like paying $40 to see it again anytime soon.
The buildings themselves are gorgeous, and make for a great insta photo for sure!
Definitely recommend visiting the 9/11 Memorial as well. Even though I find it a very emotional experience, as I am a very emotional person, it is a great place for reflection.
2.Flatiron Building
Model: Sage Tyler
The Flatiron building is just such a nice area to be in. It’s right across from Madison Square Park, which is a great little park in NYC. Any piece of green you can find in the city is amazing. It’s located downtown on 5th ave between 22nd and 23rd.
One of the best parts about this area is that there is also an Eataly right next to the Flatiron Building, which is amazing. Tons of Italian food, there’s a couple different places inside that prepare food like pizza and coffee, and it sells tons of groceries as well.
https://www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/nyc-flatiron/
The Flatiron Building itself is so beautiful to look at and get a cute pic in front of.
3.Central Park Reservoir and Conservatory Garden
Central Park is obviously one of the most popular spots in New York. It’s actually HUGE and has so many different parts of it. The park is 2.5 miles long ways, about 50 blocks starting at 59th and ending at 110th, and it has so many awesome things packed in
In my personal opinion, the best parts of the park are above the MET (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) which isn’t until about 80th street. There’s so much more to the park than the most popular tourist spots like the Zoo, the Bow Bridge, the ice skating rink, and other attractions in the park like the carousel.
Stay tuned for another blog coming soon all about the park and my favorite parts about it.
4.Grand Central Station
Image by Adam Montoya
So for Grand Central Station it is pretty much a “you have to see this” kind of thing. It’s crazy how many people are traveling in and out of the station every single day. It’s a fun place to people watch, but also to take in the architecture and the artwork that is on the ceiling. I remember the first time I was in the Grand Central main concourse for the first time. Of course you’ve seen it in the movies, but it is still very amazing to see in person and to take in all the people hustling everywhere. There’s also a market in Grand Central that is pretty cool to checkout as well. Located on 42nd and Park it’s right downtown in all the madness.
grandcentralterminal.com/what-to-see/
5.Rockefeller Center (Holiday Time Specifically)
Queue every Christmas in New York movie ever. It is very cliche to visit the Rockefeller Center at holiday time, but it’s really worth it. The light shows are very beautiful, and the trees are all lit up with fairy lights. You can go ice skating, and grab some hot cocoa. It is very picturesque, beautiful, and fun. It can get super crowded and cold though, so we like to visit right after Thanksgiving time rather than at Christmas. Though the tree usually goes up the first week of December, and it is really awesome to see!
I’ve also never gone to Top of the Rock for the same reason I haven’t gone to the top of the OWTC, but it’s supposed to be a great view. It’s located only a few short blocks from both Times Square and Grand Central Station so it’s easy to pop over and take a look if you’re already in that area.
6.Washington Square Arch
Who doesn’t love a good rainbow? Washington Square Arch is a great spot to hangout, read a book, people watch, see some dogs, and possibly stumbled upon some street entertainment or event. It’s located right by NYU so there’s lots of street vendors and events that happen in Washington Square Park. The Arch is beautiful and reminds us all of Europe, doesn’t it?
The area does get super busy sometimes which could either be fun or annoying depending on what you’re up to that day. We went to hangout and take some pictures last time, and it was super crowded. It was a beautiful sunny day though and we caught a cute rainbow in the fountain. Always seems to be worth it.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washington-square-park
Overall, these are just a couple of my favorite sights in New York. The city itself has tons of hidden gems, but the big stuff is popular for a reason. Always a good time visiting the city, and if you’re able to visit on a weekday then you’ll be lucky to miss the biggest crowds that make it a little bit crazier than usual.