First Impressions : The big apple, New York

My first visit to what some people say, is the best city in the world. And my first impression? Well, I'll reserve my judgement till I give the city more time, have heard it grows on you:). As of now, I liked the city, and could feel there is a lot to do there. But that will be confirmed only later on:).

Anyways, since this visit was quite touristy as I had a lot of free time with myself, let me just talk about what all there is to see and do on a short trip to NY. The standard places which any tourist would go to would be Times Square, Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. I did a walk from 33rd Street onwards on Broadway till Times Square and found it one of the most liveliest streets I have ever been on.
 There were so many people everywhere, quite fashionably dressed and generally having a good day outside. Its a nice walk, with lot of shops and coffee places to spend time at. And of course the skyscrapers all around you, wherever you go.. quite a trademark of New York, isn't it?

Times Square is fully lighted up as you may have already seen it
on TV and movies, countless number of times! Its surprising to see this place always full of people irrespective of the time of the day! And its too crowded! But I guess anyone will give this place a visit, it being the tourist centre literally. You may go there once to visit but never again!!

You can take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty island if you are very
keen,but I would actually suggest to take the free Staten Island ferry which goes from New York to the Island and then back. It gives a good view of the statue, which I think is quite nice.



Plus its a nice ferry ride too especially when the weather is good! You get to see a different view of the famed Mahattan skyline too! As for the Empire State Building, I did not go up but supposedly its a must-do.

In downtown, you can go to the Southstreet seaport, Pier 17, a happening place with lots of eating places and with a view of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Its a nice place to sit and have a coffee while observing
whats happening around. There is the famous 'Bodies' exhibition also here, which is apparently quite interesting. Did not get a chance to see it though.




Ground Zero in downtown, the site of the WTC is another place visited by many. As of now, its fully under construction and you can get a look at the kind of building that will come up there.

Also, there are couple of parks here and there nearby, two of them
where I went being Washington Park and Union Park. Its nice to sit there and just chill and relax, I just loved spending time there. With students all around just relaxing and having a nice time. There might be some village markets there too, with people selling foodstuff and fresh produces. You may also see some people sitting there with chess boards inviting people to play with them for money. Don't go by their lacklustre dressing, they will play with you, beat you and take your money too!

Central Park is another must visit. Its huge, splendid and an
oasis in the city. You can even boat there, or just laze around sipping a drink next to the lake, or just attend a festival going on around it. There are couple of museums also nearby which are apparently good. Did not get a chance to visit them, or the Broadway shows either, but both are something I am really looking forward to!

Eating places abound in New York. Every few paces you will come across another eating joint, and most of them serve very tasty food. From the roadside cheaper options to the high end ones, they are all there.

I don't think I can even begin to write about the food New York has to offer. I tried a couple of places at the Village which were good. And of course, Little Italy. The Italian food there is just as it is in Italy, looks simple and tastes heavenly, just like home cooked food. Bars are in plenty too, and generally lively till late and very chill. But beware, the bartenders serve alcohol with generosity!

Transport is good and easy, with the convenient subway and the Path and of course the cheap cabs. And cabs can be even more fun if the driver is a South Asian, you can be sure of a long and interesting chat all the way:).

New Port in New Jersey is a popular place for all the desis to stay. With a view of the Manhattan skyline, living close to New York but with the comforts of a small town US city, quite an interesting place I wud say!! The go-to place for anything Indian, whether food stuff or movies:)

New York can get pretty hot in summer, I never knew that. Was quite a revelation. And of course the winters will be baddd! Lets see how it goes...

Shopping seems quite good in the city, whatever little I saw of it. One shop I was really impressed with was Macys. What a store!!! Its huge, with multiple floors and selling anything and everything at great prices. And if you land up on a sale day, a very good deal too! Would love to shop there!!

Anyways these are my first impressions about the city. On the whole, a nice experience, a lively city, very buzzed. Lets see how the real experience is like!!