A few weeks before my break from conventional life, I posted a question on Facebook “what would you do if you only had 24 hours in New York?”. Well, I actually booked for two days, but wanted to narrow down only the best options, this is my version of experiences if you had your own 24 hours in NYC. And perhaps more entertainingly, what not to do.
How to spend your 24 hours:
AM – A proper American breakfast – Andrew’s Cafe does this very well, the best omelette I’ve tasted (and I rarely admit any omelette is better than my own). Also comes with toast (and grape jam) as well as an unhealthy dose of potatoes. Carbs, carbs & more carbs!
Day – Central park – definitely worth a few hours walking round (I even sneaked in a 30 min nap).
Also, if you don’t plan on seeing Times Square at night, see it during the day as it isn’t too far from Central Park.
PM – Brooklyn Bridge – I took a slow walk over it at night, breathtaking scenery.
Eat at Chinatown – dim sum is always a winner (yes, I tried chicken feet).
Learn from my mistake:
If you end up at one of the Blue Smoke restaurants (currently in top 2% of restaurants in NYC – would recommend), or possibly any BBQ restaurant, only order half a pound of baby back rips if you are extremely hungry or have an American’s appetite. I only managed two of the seven ribs once they arrived, although I did devour five chicken wings as an appetiser (definitely recommend!).
If you think I’m less of a man after reading this, I understand.
Although I did gift the remaining juicy devils to a homeless guy in Williamsburg… (man status returned).
A bit overrated…
Rockefeller building. Okay, if I’m totally honest, I never went up the Rockefeller building. Why? Because despite asking several people how to get up, I couldn’t find the entrance! Now, I’m not the most observational guy you’ve ever met, but I just couldn’t find any signs or successfully follow the given directions. So, like all stubborn men, I swore a little and gave up.
Definitely do this:
Walk across Brooklyn bridge at night. The brightly lit, surrounding scenery really is stunning. You don’t get the time to take it in via taxi, bus or metro – trust me.
Williamsburg bridge is also worth walking over, but walk on the pedestrian side and not the cycle path like me.
What else:
If you plan on using the metro system, expect crazy Americans to passionately rap at you and give you funny looks for being British, particularly at night.
Expect to pay around $7 for a bottle of beer, yes a bottle. This really hurt although if you’re a fellow tight arse, bars with “happy hour” are out there!
Tip – always ask for a drinks menu before ordering, so you know you aren’t being charged for being a tourist.
The USA often use the magnetic stripe as a primary credit card payment method – slightly annoying if you are a security freak like me…
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