I recently visited New York City for the first time. I have to be honest and say that I never had a desire to go to New York before. When we decided to go, I was still a bit apprehensive about it and didn’t know what to expect. Now that I have been, I can tell you that it was an amazing trip and part of me didn’t want to leave. I am glad that we decided to make the trip and enjoyed experiencing the Big Apple for the first time.
TRAVELING IS A PAIN IN THE....
The part of any trip that I dread is the traveling. I hate flying. The whole experience is painful to me. The worst part of it all is going through security. Taking off my belt and shoes and hoping that I have complied with the rules while holding onto my pants. Departing Nashville and going through security was pretty lax and not as bad as I expected and even the return through LaGuardia wasn’t bad either although they did have to do a search of my carry-on, but the TSA person was nice about it. We also flew Delta, which was fine, but our flight was cancelled on the way back, so we had to scramble to get another night of lodging and organizing another flight. I would enjoy trips a lot more if not for the flying.
BEST TRAVEL TIP: The best travel tip I could give is to not check any bags unless you absolutely have to. You can save a lot of time avoiding the check-in process.
THE NYC TAXI EXPERIENCE
I have always heard stories about NYC cab drivers. While in New York, we took taxis when we had distances which were too far to walk. Let me just say that riding in a NYC taxi and an experience that will bring you closer to Jesus. You will do a lot of praying and hanging on. We only had a couple of problems with drivers - including one who was watching TikTok videos while he was driving but we survived.
BEST TAXI TIP: Download the Curb app to your phone. When you get into a cab, you can pair your ride to the taxi and pay with your phone. You can also request a ride using the app. They are a bit cheaper than other ride sharing services.
Warning about Pedicabs: While on the subject of taxis, there are also pesky things called pedicabs. Do NOT take these. They are a rip off. We learned an expensive lesson. Most sites will warn you to avoid these or hold them accountable.
BROADWAY SHOWS
One of the things we wanted to do in New York was to experience some Broadway shows. Now I’m not big into Broadway shows but I will tell you that if you go, you have to experience it for yourself. It is nothing like the traveling Broadway shows which come to your local theatre. I was amazed and loved the shows we experienced. They can be pretty pricey but if you just want a seat inside the building, you can get some cheap seats at the ticket vendor in Times Square.
BEST BROADWAY SHOW TIP: Go to a show even if you aren’t into musicals.
TOURIST SIGHTS
We saw a lot of sights and did a lot of things in New York like Central Park, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza (including Top of the Rock), Serendipity (the BEST frozen hot chocolate on the planet), Museum of Modern Art, The High Line and walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.
BEST TIP: Go to the “Top of the Rock” so you can see awesome views of the Empire State Building.
NAVIGATING THE CITY
Navigating was a bit of a challenge. My tech failed me a few times as my GPS wasn’t always accurate. It was great when it worked and if you have an Apple Watch you can synch it without having to look at your phone. You can even speak addresses into the watch and map your directions but as I said - it’s great when it works. I assumed the reason it didn’t work as I expected was due to the tall buildings and getting a good signal.
BEST NAVIGATING TIP: Take a screen shot of your mapping directions or carry a paper map.
CONCLUSION
It’s pretty obvious to tell you that there are a LOT of people in New York. I’m one that doesn’t like places which are too “peoplely”, but I can tell you that I was totally fine with the New York experience. I expected it and I was fine with it. What you will notice is that the city is the most diverse place you will probably ever visit. I saw so many different types of people, fashion, cultures and unique people living in their own way. Also, marijuana use is apparently legal there because there is a lot of pot smell in the air at night, so we wore our masks if just for that reason alone. It's a whole different world there.
I would absolutely go back again. It was quite a place. I think everyone should experience New York City once in their lives.
