I’m turning 30 this year and I do not plan on playing it down or allowing it to slip by with little fanfare and even less cake. I actually can’t wait to turn 30 and experience all that my next decade holds – most of my girlfriends are already in their 30’s and they are even more badass and beautiful than ever! So in honor of the occasion, I’ve decided to make 2018 the year I make my biggest travel dreams come true.
I’ve loved Taylor Swift since the “Teardrops On My Guitar” days, in a totally non-ironic way. Her lyrics and brutally honest story-telling have seen me through breakups, big moves and honestly, most of my 20’s. So I told myself that if I managed to get a ticket for her upcoming Reputation tour, I’d take myself to the USA baby. The first stop on my debut visit to the States: New York City.
Initially, I thought travelling alone in NYC would be daunting, but when my friend said she would come with me, that meant that the trip was going to be even better! I’d have someone to share this experience with. Together with my friend Kiersten from The Blonde Abroad, I’m planning to explore the best of California – from San Diego to LA, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Big Sur, and San Fransisco – with a weekend in Mexico to celebrate Kiersten’s 30th! But first, I’ll have just over 24 hours in The Big Apple and I want to make sure I make the absolute most of the opportunity.
I asked Instagram for recommendations and as always, you guys really came through! Here, in no particular order, are the top 15 icons to see in New York, as recommended by tourists and locals alike! Now I just have to figure out how to see them all in 24 hours? While I couldn’t get around doing everything, like seeing a New York Yankees game, a recommendation from someone who thought it would be a good idea was to use something similar to https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/, which meant that I could still interact with the big sports games. I did have a nice time in the Big Apple.
Reader Recommendations: The Top 15 Icons to See in New York
1. See the Flatiron Building
An iconic triangular 22-story steel-
2. Walk down 5th Avenue
Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan. It stretches from West 143rd Street in Harlem to Washington Square North at Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.
3.Head to The Top of The Rock (at sunset)
The observatory on top of Rockefeller Center, with an ocean-liner style design, offers amazing city views – especially at sunset.
4. Walk The Highline
The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail. It was created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City.
5. See Grand Central Station
Grand Central Terminal is a world-famous landmark in Midtown Manhattan. It’s not simply a transportation hub – it’s also a shopping, dining, and cultural destination. It’s also absolutely iconic.
6. Visit The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for more than 100 years.
7. Take a Picture at Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge and is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the United States.
8. See A Broadway Show
Broadway shows are practically synonymous with New York City, and the word Broadway is often used as shorthand for theater itself. Visiting the Great White Way means attending one of 41 large theaters concentrated near Times Square (via Timeout)
9. Central Park – from Upper East Side along The Lake to famous view at Central Park West
10. Visit Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market is a food hall, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan
11. Stand in the Middle of Times Square
12. Take the Staten Island Ferry – get off at Brooklyn and walk back to Manhattan via Williamsburg
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. It runs 5.2 miles (8.4 km) in New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, making the trip in approximately 25 minutes. The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
13. See Sleep No More
Sleep No More is an immersive theatre production. It is primarily based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with inspiration also taken from noir films (especially those of Alfred Hitchcock), as well as some reference to the 1697 Paisley witch trials.
14. See a Show at The Comedy Cellar
The Comedy Cellar is an iconic comedy club in Manhattan where many top New York comedians perform. It was founded in 1982, and still sees some of the world’s top comedians perform for as little as $5.
15. Visit MOMA
MoMA is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. Its extraordinary exhibitions and collection of modern and contemporary art are dedicated to helping you understand and enjoy the art of our time.
So as you can see, there’s no way you could realistically hit up all 15 top icons to see in New York in a day. But I can try! Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this list. You guys literally are the ever-loving best.
*Featured image credit: Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash
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You will be able to see almost all of them in 24hs, but need to skip the Moma that can take you all the day… and book the tickets for the events you want to go at night in advance so you can manage to go to more than 1… I would recommend Sleep no More rather than a comedy or a Broadway show that probably you have somw knowlegde on what to expect from. Also, there is a way to walk through the city like being in a movie with The Accomplice The Show, which is a great experience….