What I loved and Hated about New York

It is safe to say that New York is one of the cities that I have always wanted to visit and last month I got to go for the first time (yah). However, there were parts of New York I loved, and aspects of the city that I was not so keen on. Here I will talk about what I loved and hated about New York, although overall I would say that it was a positive experience.

First off, lets start with the things I loved

The skyline views from the top of the rock

The best way to view New York is from the top of one of the many sky scrapers, with the best one being the Rockefeller centre (or more commonly know as the top of the Rock). Here you can see all the way down to lower Manhattan and the statue of liberty (if you have good eye site). On the other side you have an amazing view of central park, Upper Manhattan and beyond.

How peaceful Time Square is in the morning 

Now I know most people will think I am crazy for saying this as Time Square is known as one of the busiest places in New York. However, my first morning in the city I was jet lagged so I ended up going to Time Square at around 7am. It was so nice to see it virtually empty and being able to move around without it being crowded. I would also bare in mind that it was a Sunday and probably a lot less busy than weekday mornings.

The Bagels

Need I say more? I am someone who can appreciate a good bagel but NYC bagels provide on both the quality and quantity of options you can have, YUM!

How eye opening the 9/11 memorial museum was 

Initially I wouldn’t say that this was on the top of my list to do, but after x number of messages from my mum insisting I go, I am glad I took her advice (for once). It is safe to say that this museum is very engaging by how it makes you realise the scale of the tragedy and damaged caused during 9/11. Although it is $24 to visit (which I think is a lot for a museum) it was worth it and I do feel like I got value for money as I ended up spending 3 hours there. If I go back to New York, I would definitely visit the museum again.

And now for the things I hated

The smell and dirt

One of the first things I noticed about New York was the stench on the streets, which smelled like it was coming from the sewage (Ew!). This made have been because it was hot and humid during the summer but I did not have this same problem in any other American city. Also I noticed a lot of rubbish left on the streets that was not cleared up and also contributed towards the smell. I was surprised by this, considering New York is not exactly in a developing country and I would say that in comparison London is very clean compared to New York (which is saying something!).

Subway

It is clear to see that the subway was very dated and is in need of an upgrade. When it is in the summer, the stations are hot and I mean sweating like crazy hot. Although the trains have air con (thank god) the stations do not :(. Also I found it frustrating that they did not have a live board with when the next train is coming along, meaning I was waiting in limbo not knowing how long I was going to be there baking. Despite this, its not all bad news and behind with the times as there is free Wi-Fi.

The number of people trying to take advantage of tourists

Note, it doesn’t help when you walk around New York like this!

The number of people who will try and sell you theatre tickets, subway tickets or any attraction tickets on the street are ripping you off and they are not genuine. When they approach you they will say what they are selling or complement you. Just walk past and ignore them, they will either not say anything else or may verbally abuse you, just move on and only buy these tickets from a trusted source.

Feel free to leave a comment below if there is anything else I have not mentioned that you love or hate about New York City, it will be great to see what you think.

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