It is clear that New York has more to offer than only food (even to me). It has everything, from the ugliest to the prettiest, from the smallest to the largest. Trying to see it all is just wishfull thinking as NYC is one very large city! (I think not even in a whole lifetime you get to see it all). Like I already mentioned in my first post about the big apple, the best way to explore NYC on the first day you are there is by actually using the ‘hop on hop off ‘tour busses, this way you get a general overview of the city and know what you would want to see again (or better what you don’t want to see back).  So basically sit back and enjoy the ride and all the sights New York has to offer. After that I would suggest just taking the subway or walk, (like tried to do as much as possible) but again this city is so spread out that you would already need one day to just finish one avenue.

Time square, for example, is one of those places you just have to see when you are in New York. Even if you wouldn’t want to see it, you’ll see it anyways as the subway station is the central point of all the subway lines so from Time Square you get everywhere in town. For me Time Square is nice, but I just too crowded.

One my preferred places in NYC is the New York Highline. The New York highline is an old freight/train rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side that has been changed into a urban garden. It is owned by the City of New York, but maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line (you can still become a member/Friend and donate, the donations start from 75 USD I think). The Highline runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street.  It has been subdivided in different areas. One of those would come in handy on hot days (like the day we were there)at  the Diller-Von Furstenberg sundeck & Water feature you can cool down in the ‘water feature’ this would be a small layer of cold clean water streaming on top of the path you are walking on (don’t worry there is also a non-watery  part). Besides that there are lots of nice areas in this urban garden where you can escape the busy streets of New York. The NYC Highline is a good alternative for Central Park if you are at the other side of town…

Something you just have to do while in NYC is see a Broadway show! I know that lots of people are now already saying they don’t really like musicals, but don’t forget that the shows you see on Broadway are of a whole other level than your local theatre shows. Personally I just love seeing musicals and shows on Broadway and London (no so much here in Belgium). One tip, don’t buy your tickets upfront, just buy the day itself in a TKTS booth as they sell the tickets with a discount up to 70% (FYI, this is an official Broadway ticket booth, so don’t worry it are real tickets). You can find one TKTS on Time Square and one TKTS at South Street Seaport (at Fulton). The one near Fulton is always less crowded. We went to see Mamma Mia, it wasn’t without a struggle as my fiancée is one of those people who are not really into musicals. Funny enough it is a fact that after the show even she had to admit that it was a good show!(even if she didn’t like it, I know I did 🙂 ) You could just sing along with all the Abba songs…. I also liked our seats as I could see the band play 🙂

During our trip I found it strange that my fiancée tried the whole time to get me to the Brooklyn Bridge, but when we finally got there I found out why 🙂

The reason for this is that as surprise my fiancée had a bought a lock that we hang on the Brooklyn Bridge. This seems to be a tradition, as a sign for eternal love. What was so special about this lock is that it was with our names and the date we met engraved in it 🙂 Isn’t she a romantic woman?  So now NYC will always have a special place in our hearts!

For all readers with young kids, you should definitely shoud visit the Build a bear workshop. You basically get to make, dress and stuff your own bear and even make it speak. I’m sure not only your kids will like it 🙂 (We made one for my little nephew)

You first start with choosing a Furry Friend. After that you get him stuffed, but before closing him up you have to give the bear a heart. (you also make a wish)

You than dress the furry friend. FYI, there is toooo much choice in clothes to give him

If you want you can also give him a sound (we took the non-speaking one, my nephew already has too much noise making toys and I think my sister in law would kill me if I bring more noise in the house ;-))

You also get to create a birth certificate for the bear 🙂 + the shop also has something called ‘Find the bear’ program. This is to help your furry friend to find its way home to you if it is ever lost. Every Build-A-Bear Workshop® furry friend you make is stuffed with a barcode. When you make a birth certificate at the Name Me station you can enter your new friend in our Find-A-Bear ID program by entering your contact information. If your furry friend is ever lost then returned to one of the stores they can hopefully use this information to send it home to you. Isn’t this great? I know we liked it and seeing the smile on my nephew’s face made it all worth it!

I could really keep going on and on about what you guys should see in NYC, but I have to stop somewhere…. but I think I gave you some tips of things you can do or eat during your stay in this is the city that never sleeps. Enjoy and hope you guys have lots of fun!! Cheers