My trip to New York City!
My trip to New York was an interesting experience. Certainly one that I will never forget. It is not exactly as glamorous as the movies and magazines make it seem, but I enjoyed my time here for the most part. The variety of foods and restaurants was amazing. You can find almost any type of food around the world here. From Korean, Chinese , Himalayan, Italian, Mexican food , and New York cheese cake, they have it all! Trying pizza in New York was definitely something on my bucket list. I tried types of pizza that I didn't even know existed! It certainly lived up to its legacy. I would recommend doing some research on the restaurant before you go though.
Transportation is a massive dilemma. My first day I tried taking a taxi, but the traffic there is so slow it took me 2 hours to get to my hotel that was only supposed to be a 20 minute drive according to Google Maps. I also soon discovered that their is a surprisingly expensive fee to cross over any bridges, which there are several of. Therefore I recommend taking the subway and the trains instead. I stuck with that for the remainder of the trip and it worked out much faster and easier. I found that even walking moved faster than the traffic so if it was under a couple miles, I would just walk.
The culture in New York is very diverse. There is not one specific culture, it is considered ever changing. There are tons of different races and religions scattered all over the city. It is estimated that about 800 different languages are spoken in New York. The stereotype for New Yorkers is grumpy and unfriendly, so I was expecting much worse than it really was. I would not consider everyone super friendly and welcoming but I also wouldn’t consider anyone I met mean or harmful. From what I could tell, New Yorkers are simply impatient and just trying to get on with their lives rather than constantly directing tourists. So if you need something like directions or help and want a friendly reaction, I recommend asking someone who does not have headphones in or someone who is not in a rush. Also, New Yorkers get very upset when tourists stop in the middle of the sidewalks or streets to take photos. New Yorkers do have one common bond, a love for their iconic, noisy city that they call home.
Despite the few flaws of New York travel, I saw some of the most memorable and iconic places of all time. I adventured to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Empire State Building, Central Park, and endless museums. I learned so much about American history and saw things that I have only dreamed of seeing. Overall, New York has tons of things to do, see, and eat. I recommend traveling there at some point in your life. Despite its challenges, it is worth the trip.
Source:
Whittle, Andrea. “The Essential Things to Know Before You Visit New York City.” Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2019, www.cntraveler.com/story/the-essential-things-to-know-before-you-visit-new-york-city.
