Oh NYC, the city of dreams! So much time I've been wandering, waiting to go here, the capitol of movies, art, musical theatre, almost the capitol of mankind and what it stands for.

The first time I put my little 2 feets in the Times Square I cried like a baby. I was in America. And it all felt so big, a giant universe of people, and I was just a little star shinning in the middle of it.

The best thing about New York was the people. I have been in many parts of the Uk, and struggled as hell to speak english that they could understand. In NY the  language barrier was so much easier, and the people a hundred times more friendly. You could find people literaly from everywhere in the world, that's what makes the city so unique. You feel there you can do everything, but also it's the most difficult place to do things... a paradox that only fits in NYC.

I was here for 3 days, and it was a trip to do an audition, but totally worth it. In terms of cities, it was by far my favorite and I felt much more at home than in every european city I've been. You donn't see old things there, is everything new, brilliant, colorful and vibrant!

This itinerary is for you if:

What to pack:

So, my trip was made in winter in the middle of january, with the maximum of 7 degrees (normally it was 1-3 degrees). For a whole 3 days trip, I packed 2 inner warm leggings and 2 inner warm sweaters (you can buy in many stores, mines are from Decathlon, the same ones that I bought for Iceland). Then, to have pictures that don't look the same, I went with 2 skirts and 1 white sweater. One skirt was a yellow one cause.. you know... yellow taxis and that things xD If you don't matter about your photos or if you are really good in changing the clothes colors in photoshop, then I would reccomend just 1 outfit, and trade the inner clothes.

Where to sleep:

I slept one day in a airbnb, the cheapest I could find for a solo room (the next day was my audition day so I could not go to a hostel) in Bronx and the other day in a hostel in Queens. The airbnb was 18$ and the hostel was 15$.

How to move:

I like to walk, so it was really easy for me to see the city by walking. For further distance, I always took the subway, it's not expensive a weekly pass. The 7 day metro card is $29.00, it deppends on what do you want and what is your itinerary.

Itinerary

Central Park
 


The 2 first things you want to see are obviosly the Central Park and the Times Square! So I reccomend you to start with this. Arriving in central park at 9 am gives you time to see it without too much crowd. There are plenty of things to do here: you can go to the zoo or lay down and catch sun near the beautiful Bow bridge. You can also rent a boat and do some kayak in the central park lake, apreciatting the cute ducks you'll find on your way.

Times Square


After, I went to see the Times Square. It's amazing if you can see it in both day and night, cause it's really different. Just walk there surrounded by color and skyscrapers. Then take a walk in the Manhattan streets, se the most famous buildings like Top of the Rock, Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. Just to walk in this kind of streets is great!

Grand Central Station

Then, I went to see the Grand Central Station (a huge railway station right in the center of the city). It has a beautiful architecture, It looks like you're in the Great Gatsby movie with all that gold color. You are done here in 30 min.

The Vessel


In the end of the day, I walked in the Chelsea neibourhood (not much to see) until I arrived at the Vessel (in Hudson Yards). It's an observatory lauched in 2019, with a beautiful architecture. It feels like you're in a spaceship or something! You can go inside, it's free, if you book in advance. Since I didn't knew that, I staid outside, unfortunatly. Maybe next time!

Macey's / Times Square at night



I ended my day visiting Macey's because there was a beautiful neon heart trail that I had to do a photo of it ahah, and finished in times square to see it at night. Much more people, much more light. The best thing of this trip probably!
One day I was in Times Square in the early night, trying to find someone to take me a picture (yes, problems about solo travelling...) when I find an asian young man, all dressed up with his light green polo shirt and I thought "He seems a good photographer"!! Then I asked him, and he said: Yes, if you take me one! I barely knew that time what an amazing friendship this would become. He is Ron, a filipino working on Costa Rica that was in vacation in New York. We took some pictures of one another, then a professional photographer came, took us pictures and we paid him like 5 euros for 4 ot 5 pictures, and went for dinner (Ramen dish!!) nearby. He had to go to that Harry Potter play and we said goodbye. After a day he went with me to Coney Island! I love to know amazing people in my travels, thats what makes me so damn happy... To connect with other human beings!! :)



Panna II Garden - Indian Restaurant


Then, for dinner, I went to an indian restaurant called Panna II Garden. The food is great, the prices are normal for New York (13-18$ for one person) but the thing that stands out are the amazing neon lights hanged in the roof that create this magic atmosphere. I will let the pictures tell the story ahah! It was sad to go there alone, would prefer to go with someone to talk, but that's the problem about solo travelling, you just have to get used to it.


I think this was my favorite day, when I saw the neibourhoods and went to Brooklyn, that, for me, is the best in NYC. This day is totally walkable - you leave the subway near east village and just walk there again in Brooklyn for dinner/your hotel.

East Village for shopping

I started my morning in East village. Nearby you can find some vintage clothes and I always love to find them in my trips. Unfortunatly, everything was too expensive for a portuguese pocket ahah!

Soho


Then I went to Soho, the neiborhood of street art, more vintage shops, cute coffees, strange cute museums (like Ice cream museum) and that notorious and very New Yorker staircases on the old buildings. I felt I was in Rent (the movie, and musical, don't know If you heard of, if not you should see it cause it's great).

Little Italy


This is the neiborhood where the Italians settled years ago. Full of pizza smell in the air, is the perfect place to eat if you like italian food. If you have little time, I would suggest to skip this one. It has been totally swallowed by Chinatown in the side. Doesn't have the charm it used to have, and it's small.

Chinatown


Ok, if you don't know me, I'll tell you: I love chinese food, chinese cookies, chinese books, chinese everything. So this was a great place for me. Chinatown is huge (not so big as the San Francisco one) and totally worth a visit! I lunched here obviously some dumplings and noodles and it was just like... 13$? Cheap for NY! I found here Dragon fruit in street markets, and it smelled like I really was in China! Go to Pearl Street (famous one for the decoration) and to Aji Ichiban to buy asian candies.
In one of the nights I was wandering here  (for a cheap dinner) and bought some warm nepalese gloves because my hands were barely alive. Then, I got lost and ask an old chinese man for the way to the subway. He walked me there for 10 minutes, he was really happy that I could speak my little chinese words, and we talked about the purpose of life in our strange english, understanding each other. It was beautiful and magical.
Buuuut... Back to the itinerary!

Brooklyn Bridge




If you continue heading south, from Chinatown is really easy to find the Brooklyn bridge. Be prepared: Is full of people. I went here in the sunset to see the NY skyline and on my spare morning, I came here like at 8 am on sunrise to take my instagram picture. I would suggest you to do the same!
So, yes, one of the wonders of the world. Is really as beautiful as the pictures! It's only people and bikes, the cars go below. Maybe try to have 1 hour/40 min for this, because you will stop many times to enjoy the view!

Washington Street


After Brooklyn Bridge, the real fun starts - you are going to enter an area called Dumbo. You can follow the signs or ask anyone for the Washington street, an iconic street where you can have a great picture of the washington bridge. My picture did not go so well, because many cars were parked by, so I continued walking towards the bridge. Take left and you're in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Brooklyn Bridge Park


This is probably the best place to see the Manhattan skyline. A breathtaking view, and the little statue of liberty joins the party too!! I loved to see this at sunset, because of the sky colors and the lights of the skyscrapers starting to appear!! From Washington Street it will be like a "Omg never ends" walk but when you encounter a carrousel, just continue walking left. You can enjoy a coffee with a beautiful view and cute instagrammable lights nearby too!!

Pier 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park


If you continue heading left, you'll find an old stone collumn deck full of professional photographers that will take advantage of the sunset. This is the best instagrammable place in New York. A must visit! Just try not to desconcentrate the photographers that are taking the long exposure for 30 minutes xD
Then I just waited for the night to express herself and saw the moon in the Brooklyn bridge park where I met some colombian young man who started to talk with me. In New York is like this: everyone likes to talk and to meet new people!


Coney Island


I started my day really earlier (left the hostel probably at 7am), since Coney Island is 1 hour away from Manhattan. I'm glad I found Ron, we went with me and we took awesome pictures with his camera. Coney island is like a wonderland park, with a huge wheel and many atractions, but It was closed. I knew that but wanted to see it anyway because I was watching Mr Robot, and the show is filmed there. It was near the beach so it was really worth it. If I was from NY, this would be the perfect place for a weekend getaway from the noise of the city!! You have the NY Aquarium nearby too, but you know... little budget xD
After, we came back to Manhattan and said our goodbyes by eating noodles in Chinatown and buying the same fridge magnet to remember each other!!

Oculus Ceiling


I continued my journey to the world trade center. First, went to Oculus Ceiling, a great architectural spaceship-like strange building that hosts many shops. It's worth a visit just to see the way it's done, you'll see nothing like this in your life! There, I met a girl who's name I don't remember, but she was spanish and was really nice! She walked with me the rest of the evening, her husband was working in NY and she was doing a tourist visit :)

9/11 Memorial


Then, right after the white spaceship, you have 2 large square fountains with the names of the victims of 9/11. I confess I cried a little bit.

World trade center


Near you can visit the outside of some buildings that have an outstanding street art!

Wall Street 


Continue walking south and you'll find the famous wall street buildings and the wall street bull. It was a line with like... 50 people to do a photo with the bull? Yeah, we skipped that one. If you really want one, maybe try to be the first person there in the morning? There's the New York Film Academy building too, of corse I went to see it. You can also visit the Trinity Church, it has a very beautiful architecture!

Battery Park


I only had this day more to see closely the statue of liberty, so I went to Battery Park. You have a nice view from there, and if you have more time I totally would suggest you to go the free ferry that connects battery park to staten Island - you really don't go into the statue but it's the cheapest closest thing you can get. Just try to reserve 2 hours for the way! I think the ferry leaves every 15 or 30 min so it's really convenient.

Broadway Show



In my last night, I lost my mind and bought a ticket to a broadway show. I choose Hadestown because of Eva Noblezada, she's my favorite broadway star, and in the end of the show I had a chance to talk with her. Totally one of the best moments of my life! Hadestown is really highly ranking right now - great music with a history everyone knows already, the love story of Orpheus and Euridice. People connect with the show because it reminds of what the world is passing by now. But you have many options for every taste!

What I could have seen If I had more money/more time/more information:

• Please don't sleep in Bronx if you can afford a more central neibourhood. I was a solo female traveler and at 9pm I felt harassed in the street. I have to say it was just one guy, the other people were very friendly and helped me find my way home. If you can afford it, stay in Manhattan. It's the center of the world ahah!!

• With money, I would have seen 1 broadway show per night. Besides the factor that I'm a musical theatre actress in my hometown, Broadway is one of the best things to see in the city. For begginers, I would sugest Wicked and Book of Mormon. For those who are more connected with this art, maybe Hadestown and something you cannot see in London, like Beetlejuice. For the theatre lovers, you have that Harry Potter play (non musical) with 2 parts (maybe just reserve 1 afternoon for this because it's 4 hours of show). 

• I would go to see the statue of liberty more close. You have to book months in advance in order to climb it. 

• I would go inside the Vessel. Now I know it's free if you book in advance!

• I would go to the NY Aquarium. I love marine biology, I always go to the aquariums, but this item depends on your interest obviosly!!