NEW YORK NEW YORK

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  New York, NYC, The Big Apple, where can a person really start... well the best place seems to be the beginning and the details. 
  
  
  
  
• 5 night trip - the perfect amount!
• Glasgow - Newark direct flights 
• The Manhatten at Times Square Hotel 
• 4 people on trip 

As a family we decided to surprise my mum with a holiday to New York for her big 50th birthday (lucky gal eh?!) we booked what we THOUGHT was a swanky hotel and private transfers - if you're doing New York you want to do it right!!

We arrived at Newark with bloodshot eyes and messy hair but ready to take on the city that never sleeps, an almost skip in our steps egear to find our private Blair Waldorf style limo to take us to ur hotel, only to be met with a communal mini bus. Did this phase us? honestly

 slightly yes but still its NYC baby lets get going! 

We pulled up to our hotel "The Manhattan at Times Square" and gave our coach transfers buddies the awkward well wishes to enjoy their holiday and we squeezed our luggage and ourselves past them knowing fine well the Chanel perfume I had sprayed in the airport was a distant memory. 

Once in the hotel our first issue arose when we were placed in rooms which were on separate floors  (we requested to be on the same floor as we had two rooms booked) as well as the issue of the rooms looking as though they dated back to the 1940's and not in some boujuee vintage way. This was so far from the Blair Waldorf style I had imagined it was even past the Dan Humphrey neck of the woods. 

After negotiations and deliberations with the hotel staff we agreed to change rooms in the morning as it was clear we had not booked those rooms and continued on with our day, after all we were still in New York and we were wasting valuabel wondering time!

So... after all our hotel issues we were placed in rooms next door to each other that had magically entered the 21st century, despite the high price tag that hung around the hotel I still wouldn't rate it too highly although the location of the hotel was simply perfect. We could see the never ending queue for Ellens star dust diner from my bedroom window and our walk to times square was less than 5 minutes away. 

Overall Manhatten at Times Square holds a firm 10/10 for location but wouldn't recommend staying in it, look around the area for other hotels and you'll be in for a treat!

Now for the fun stuff... 

(On this trip was 2 girls and 2 boys so there was a variation of activities, we all choose two things we wanted to really really do and these were our main aims, anything else was a luxury) 

NYC TOP TIPS 

- take plenty of portable phone chargers, if you’re not taking snaps your usin maps! 

(keep some portable chargers in your bag so you’re never stuck with a dead phone)

- use Uber 

(Uber was so easy for us to use, we didn’t have to try and describe where we wanted to go and we knew the price before we hopped in, Uber helped us a lot ) 

- Keep your eyes pealed 

(we accidentally walked into a meet and greet with Real House wife Bethanny Frankle while she launched her new jeans in a department store - just keep looking out for different things, its NYC theres always something happening somewhere)

- Use the Subway

(when something looks accessible near a subway line give it a go, do it the locals way! Its also so much cheaper to get around)

- Use Revolut 

(You’re not charged for using your card, you can keep an eye on what you’re spending as well as ensuring you always have the best conversion rates. 

You can top your card up as and when you need the money and it just makes life easier for you)

- comfy shoes 

(I thought people were joking when they said that, they aren’t)

- portion sizes 

(The New York portion sizes are not in anyway what we’re used too, you may want to limit your order of sides because a) it’s about the equivalent to a whole meal here and b) it’s more than the price of a whole meal here) 

-Enjoy 

(Take it all in, the sights, the smells, the souvenirs - buy the key-rings  and the Christmas tree decorations - NYC is a massive memory) 

-Airport Departure 

(I flew out of Newark and to say the departure area was a disappointment was a slight understatement, again delusions of gossip girl grandeur but yeah it’s not much better than Glasgow airport!) 

WOODBURY COMMONS 

OOOOOOOOOhhhhhhh my, where to start with Woodbury Commons, it would be easier to list the designer brands the place didn't have than the ones it did. 

We hopped on a bus from just outside our hotel straight to the commons, it was about an hours drive and gradually got warmer and warmer as we drove out and my hair got bigger and bigger with the humidity. 

When we arrived we noticed lockers dotted around the area to keep your belongings if you buy too much and can't carry it all, at the beginning I couldn't fathom this however after 15 minutes I was fully catching the drift of why these were there. The lockers are a smart move but costly! 

A map is provided to find your way around and there are plenty of loo's and food places dotted around, we shopped and shopped, stopped for some lunch to refuel and shopped some more to finally the bus returned to collect us. 

There is a sign that advises the bus will leave without you if you're not on it and that sign does not lie - that bus waits for no man, there were families on the bus who abandoned other members of the party. The sign does say the bus will not wait. 

TOP TIPS FOR THE COMMONS 

- Look at the website before you go, in regards of shops you want to hit, if there's any shops you think you might have a high chance of trying clothes on in try to go there first 

(I bought 3 pairs of Levi jeans near the end of day and they near enough fell off me when I tried them on back in the hotel room - because of the heat and humidity I had swollen right up 2 sizes and the jeans were rendered useless) 

- Take an empty suitcase with you to carry the items you've bought 

(I seen so many people doing this, at first I thought they were mad and couldn't comprehend why somebody would do this? However, after a few hours and a lost $20 which was paid to hire a buggy for your shopping bags I was fully able to see the need for this. If you plan on making good dent in your spending money here take an empty piece of luggage. 

This was also so much easier for the bus journey home as the suitcase goes in the hold and you don't have to take up an extra seat with your bags) 

- Go early to leave early

(We ended up getting the last bus back to New York which was absolutely packed, despite everybody's purses being lighter the bus journey home was quite uncomfortable. I would definitely advise getting the first bus out and having an earlier return time rather than packing onto the last bus)

- Not everything is cheaper 

(I looked in a few shops like converse and vans which is easily available back home however prices were just about the same if not more expensive, keep your dollars for the real bargains) 

- Beyond the information desk there’s another site 

(Had I not nearly passed out trying to carry the bags and gave into a basically a buggy for all of my bags I would never have noticed there was another set of shops off the main outlet. There were shops like Calvin Kline and Levi that had ridiculous deals and we would have missed all this) 

- Use Card as payment  

(Now anywhere I travel that doesn’t use the pound as currency I use my revolut card, it’s totally free to get and helps me to keep track of what I’m spending. When I went to New York I used cash and it was so scary to carry that amount of money. 

Revolut gives you a notification as soon as you spend and all round has saved my life. 

Use code Pinot10 for £10 cash back - IM KIDDING!! Just felt good to write!!)

All round it was an amazing day and is a must do, it’s an all day shot though so it’s a full day out of your holiday. 

STATEN ISLAND FERRY

The Staten Island Ferry was such a good fun way to see the sites of New York and it was free - what more can you ask for?

When it’s around $20 a cocktail you’ll take the free things when they are going! 

This was so fun and if you’re a fan of the Batman Movie - the Dark Knight you’ll love the vibes of the ferry (when you do it you’ll know what I mean!). 

We got off the ferry and went a wander around Staten Island, we ate in a small town diner that was so authentic and felt like something straight out of an episode of Charmed. 

It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a different place. 

Overall I would rate this a must do!

EMPIRE HOTEL 

Well I couldn’t go New York and not stop into my main man Chuck Bass’s hotel could I?! 

The receptionist knew exactly why I was there and told me I could sit in the lounge area as well as going up to the roof top bar, however there was a tv series being filmed there currently so we had to be careful. We walked past a real house wife of NYC and I don't know who was more star struck me or my mum!

We seen the camera crews wandering about and this was pretty cool!!

The rooftop bar was amazing with cocktails named “the Chuck Bass” they knew exactly what they were doing, the Empire gave off chilled after work drinks kind of vibes but be prepared to drop a few dollars. 

We weren’t allowed to order drinks until we put a card a credit card tab on our table - well, they’ve never heard of a Wetherspoons have they?! 

Another must do for any Gossip Girl fan, however if you’re not into the goings on of the upper east side it’s a place you could easily avoid. 

STEROPHONICS IN BROOKLYN 

I had known the dates that I was going to be going and had repeatedly checked for concerts during the time, I noticed sterophonics had advertised they were playing and looked into tickets. 

Well, to my surprise they were SO affordable, the tickets were so so cheap compared to what they are back home and I couldn’t think of anything better. 

The concert was in Brooklyn, we got the subway out which wasn’t too bad however I’m a worrier and I’ve seen a lot of scary things in movies happen down in these subways. 

We walked from the subway station to the concert, there was a fresh 50 year and a 54 year old with me - they both got ID’d to get wrist bands which meant you could purchase drink within the gig venue.  

Yes, seriously, they ID’d my mother. 

So if you’re planning on drinking in New York, make sure you always have ID on you - no matter what age you are!

The concert itself was amazing and about an hour longer than your average concert in the uk - great value for the already cheap tickets. 

We got an Uber home and driving into the city at night was just breath taking, a must do as well. 

So 2 must do’s in one there, make a point in going a late night drive just to stare and keep an eye on what concerts and gigs will be taking place on your dates! 

LITTLE ITALY

if you’ve made it this far then you deserve this little gem of a place!

Little Italy was a dream, we accidentally stumbled upon a traditional festival “San Gennaro festival” I don’t know how to even begin to explain this, the streets were lined with food tents ranging from deep fried Oreos to  mozzarella sticks the size of your head, fresh pasta - everything and more! 

It felt like something out of a movie (because it was! You can find it in a few movies and TV shows) in the middle of everything was a drinks tent where people laughed and loved together. Again we didn’t know but this was a prime spot to watch the parade which appeared honouring people of the local area. 

This was such a special day to be apart of and even the shops which reside permanently were filled with most amazing goods, so many bespoke jewellery shops and clothes shops, it was just magical and a must do for something that bit different in NYC.  

I hope these little top tips and pieces of info can help anybody looking at NYC!!

lots of love and Pinot 

Xoxo