You cannot go to NYC and not devote a day to Central Park. We trained to 81st street which is the best stop for the museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (unfortunately we didn’t quite have the time to actually go in, all the more reason to visit again!) Instead we walked across the park seeing all sorts of beauty.
You really could spend the full day there. We arrived round 11am and the sun was really shinning with a warm 30C. There is so much to see; lakes, rivers, lunch spots, horse rides, biking and also plenty of New Yorker’s sunbathing in their swimsuits. It is super busy so if you are confident and don’t mind hustling then biking could get you around the whole park.
We were catching up with Toby and Lizzie for lunch and of course the Wholefoods at Columbus circle (there is also a great shopping mall there too) was the ultimate option. It was really great to meet them as they had been our source of great information for South America. We continued walking to the picturesque man-made lake before heading home through Chelsea.
The Chelsea Markets is insane on a Sunday. There were so many people getting around all the of food stalls. A great spot for some tapas and drinks! Chelsea also has fantastic shopping spots so we did manage to add to our steps.
After a very big exploring we arrived home to another incredible home cooked dinner. We are so going to miss this! James was so so happy to have chicken shawarmas after being dragged through the shops
Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges
On our final day Rodney and Bell joined us on our Brooklyn Bridge mission. We trained to Dumbo and made our way to the start. Wow. The view from this walk in truly special and the engineering of the bridge is a work of art. There were a lot of people enjoying the beautiful day and even more people out to get the perfect instagram photo…… the time and effort they were putting into these were quite funny
Top Tip:
Watch out for the cycle lane! They speed past!
China town was next on the list and we were confident to make our way back on our own. We did find it hard to navigate through China town and the food places were a little too busy for our liking. We thought we were on the path to the subway but ended up on the Manhattan bridge! Everything happens for a reason and although this bridge isn’t as beautiful the views towards the city ad the Brooklyn Bridge are stunning.
Top Tip:
Is is very noisy of the ManHattan Bridge with the trains, not the ideal walk if you’re wanting to chat.
After eating at our fav for lunch we stumbled across a festival that filled the streets of lower Brooklyn. It was an African/Jamaican vibe with funky music, fried chicken and traditional clothing stalls. Such incredible energy for our final leg home.
The last supper was our final thanks to my family for being the best hosts. We mad pulled beef tacos with grilled veges finished with a peanut butter slice for dessert.
I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved NYC. Many people warn you about how busy, dirty, noisy this city is but we actually loved the eclectic vibes. Sure it was super busy but that added to the atmosphere and the people were really friendly. The subway was great (added bonus of not seeing a single rat which I was having nightmares about) and the green spaces everywhere create a warm and social atmosphere.
We will 100% be back!!
100 Days of Travel 