New York #1: Such an amazing city!

As you all know, I've just come back from New York. I had an amaaaaazing time and would recommend it to anyone. We went for 4 nights and managed to do and see almost everything we'd decided on before we went. It's not really the kind of place you'd go to for more than a week as it's so busy and 100mph all the time, but it's perfect for a short break. New York is full of breathtaking views, lovely places to eat, a crazy amount of shops to suit all tastes, massive majestic skyscrapers everywhere, and some hugely iconic landmarks.

We stayed in the Staybridge Suites on West 40th Street, just two blocks away from the heart of Times Square. No complaints whatsoever! They offered complimentary breakfast and wifi, and the place was immaculate. Also, being on the 28th floor meant that the views were amazing.

View from the room... yes, that's the Empire State Building

We walked everywhere rather than using the Metro or the Subway so our feet were aching by the end of the trip, to put it mildly. Totally worth it, though. However, if we did visit again we'd make use of the public transport in order to see more of the wider city. We would certainly never rent a car in New York... the roads there are actually mental. Pedestrians just cross the road whenever they want to, regardless of the streams of traffic coming towards them, and the yellow taxi drivers toot their horns very liberally. Definitely better off being a pedestrian than a driver!

Here's a rough summary of what we did each day:

Monday: Arrived at the hotel, unpacked, then went looking for food after a wander around Times Square.

Tuesday: Central Park, American Museum of Natural History, shopping, eating, Empire State Building.

Wednesday: Macy's, more shopping, more eating, Grand Central Station.

Thursday: Rockefeller Center, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, Times Square, yet more shopping and eating.

Friday: Last day :( Mostly shopping and eating.

So there's a small taster of the trip... I'll be doing a series of posts on New York over the next week or so and going into more detail about the various attractions, as well as the shops and food.  Watch this space!