New York New York

I've recently returned from a city break to New York with family and friends. What fun we had! New York was everything we had hoped for and more. We spent an exciting and extremely exhausting four nights in this fantastic city in February. It was cold but with the exception of the last day where we experienced snowfall, the skies were blue and bright and wrapped up warm we could not have wished for better weather. We flew on a mid-afternoon flight from Heathrow with Virgin Airlines who provided great service on board for our eight hour flight. Transferring to our hotel could not have been easier, we booked a shared transfer and only had to wait 20 minutes or so at the company’s reception desk. On arrival to our hotel we were checked in efficiently and even given warm cookies which turned out to be a daily offering (absolutely delicious). We stayed in the Doubletree by Hilton Times Square West which had an enviable position just a few minutes’ walk from Times Square itself. The highlight of this hotel is the roof top bar where you have beautiful views of the New York skyline including the Empire State building, it definitely had the wow factor. We had a family room which had 2 double beds, compact but common for the city and had everything you needed for your stay. Before we travelled, we pre-booked the Hop on Hop off bus and bought a five attraction New York city pass. These were easy to use; the bus pass was valid from the first time we stepped on the bus and you can purchase 24, 48 or 72 hour passes. This is a great way to see the city and get from attractions, but my main advice is to go early, they fill up fast throughout the day and you really want to be on the top of the bus to see all of the landmarks. A visit to the Empire state is a must and we were lucky to have a completely clear day. We also visited the Rockefeller centre or top of the Rock as it’s known but at night, so we got to see the city from the sky at two different points of the day. The highline is an unused raised railway track that the locals have turned into a beautiful walkway through the buildings of Manhattan with lots of sculptures and gardens along the way. As we visited in the winter it was too early to see the gardens in full bloom, but the sculptures were really interesting, and it was a great alternative way to see part of the city. I imagine in a few months’ time this will be stunning. Also on our stay, we visited the 9/11 memorial. Allow half a day to visit this respectful and tasteful memorial to those who lost their lives. You can pay for a guided tour or there is an app you can download on your phone that guides you through. Queues do build up so try and visit first thing. A trip on an hour and a half boat cruise around the harbour past the Statue of Liberty was a great experience and perfect for photo opportunities. Brooklyn Bridge was definitely a highlight and easy to access at one of the hop off points on the bus and easy to stroll across. We had breakfast at a lovely café just over the bridge and it was lovely to have a wander around. Walking back across to Manhattan you can get great photos of the skyline. I think my favourite experience whilst in the Big Apple was a visit to Madison Square Gardens to watch a Basketball game. The Nicks had already played that week, so we watched New York’s home team play against a team from Pennsylvania. It was super exciting with Cheerleaders, a brass band, dancers and thousands of fans cheering on their team. I would definitely recommend trying to catch a game, it was a real event and although I had no idea of the rules, I got completely caught up in all of the excitement of the game. The venue is definitely a sight to see if nothing else and you can have escorted tours in the day if you didn't fancy a sports event. They also hold concerts here. There is so much to see and do in New York and it really does have something to offer for everyone. We visited Grand Central Station, Central Park and the list goes on. It’s amazing how much you can fit into a few days. Be prepared to walk lots as this is the best way to see lots of the city. Tipping is expected so it’s good to have dollar bills handy. Plan what you are going to see as much as you can and pre book tours/entrance tickets to save your precious time whilst there. I loved New York and I would absolutely return again.