Taking a Trip to NYC
Living in DC means I’m only a three and a half hour train ride away from Penn Station in New York City. One of the biggest perks of living on the east coast is having easy and close access to multiple large cities – so why not take advantage of frequent weekend trips? My favorite easy weekend getaway is to New York, where one of my best friends lives. Taking the train and enjoying the city skylines of Baltimore, Philly, Wilmington, Trenton, and Manhattan along the way is a reminder of just how much there is to explore in a short distance. Every time I visit New York, I experience something different, and have compiled a list of what I’d recommend to include on a weekend trip to the Big Apple!
Smorgasburg in Brooklyn
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Take the train.
It’s no secret that the train is far superior to the bus – which are the two most common methods of transportation from DC. Driving is possible, but the tolls are so high going into the city that you might as well do yourself a favor and stick to a different way of getting there. You can also fly, sometimes flights can be less expensive than the train depending on when you book your ticket. However, the train is just so easy. There’s no security line, no getting to the train station two hours early, no carry on baggage restrictions. The train seats are spacious with plenty of leg room.
The biggest qualm I have with the train is leaving NYC – Penn Station isn’t the best, to put it lightly, and it always seems to be a stressful situation finding out what track your train is arriving on. A one-way train ticket can be as low as $49 each way from DC to NYC, but that’s if you book about 2 months ahead of time. I usually pay about $30 each way for the bus no matter when I book, so you just have to decide whether you value the train enough to pay the difference.
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Stay with a friend.
I know, easier said then done. Hotels and airbnbs in NYC are expensive, pretty much no matter where you stay or when you go. If you have a friend or family member in Manhattan, or right outside the island, try to see if you can stay with them. The subway system in New York makes traveling to the city easy (when there’s not trackwork affecting that subway line), so it matters less than you’re close to the city and more than you’re close to a subway station.
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Take the subway.
The subway system is so extensive (at least compared to DC), you can find a way to get anywhere for cheap. The MTA lines, LIRR lines, PATH trains, etc. are all connected somehow. Taxis and ubers are expensive when going from Manhattan to any other borough, so if you can schedule in time for public transportation, it’ll save you a lot of money. Also, you can’t have a real NYC experience without taking public transportation!
Lower East Side
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Do some research and make a reservation at a restaurant.
NYC is the mecca of delicious and unique restaurants. If the food and atmosphere isn’t fantastic, the restaurant simply won’t make it in the city, so it’s hard to find bad food here. Reservations fill up pretty quickly, so pick a restaurant you’ve always been wanting to try or do a quick google search. Below are a few restaurants I’ve been to in NYC that was quite impressive:
-Root n Bone
-Red Rooster
-Hotel Chantelle
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Pick an activity.
If you’re in NYC, you might as well keep ticking off the touristy things on your list! The High Line, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square, the Flat Iron Building, etc. are all popular for a reason, go find out why! Some of my favorite touristy activities are going to the top of the Empire State Building or The Rockafeller, walking around Central Park, and eating all the trendy foods are Smorgasburg.
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Walk around.
The best way to explore a city is to simply walk around and experience the sights, sounds, smells (lots of those in New York), people, and culture. Are your activities only a 15-20-minute walk apart? Skip the subway and take a short walk instead, you’ll see things you recognize from movies, pictures, Instagram, etc. all over the place.
NYC – View from Hoboken
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Explore a different borough other than Manhattan.
You could easily never leave the island since there’s so much to see and do. However, if you want to get a real feel for New York as a whole, you need to experience other neighborhoods. Head over to Brooklyn to see cultures from all over the world – there are neighborhoods within Brooklyn for a ton of different communities. The three other boroughs are Queens (The Nanny, anyone?!), The Bronx, and Staten Island – I personally haven’t been to these three (except the airports) yet but they’re all larger than Manhattan!
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Go to a rooftop bar.
You can experience the crazy beautiful New York skyline views from the plentiful rooftop bars. Some of the best views are from Brooklyn and Hoboken since you can see the entire Manhattan skyline, but the views definitely don’t suck anywhere in the city. Even amongst all of the tall buildings in Manhattan, the views and ambiance are spectacular.
Hotel Chantelle
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Visit Ground Zero.
Either as an American or a visitor from another country, everyone should visit the spot where the twin towers fell on September 11, 2001. Witnessing one of the most hateful and deadly acts of terrorism during our lifetime can bring you back to reality and give you a renewed sense of appreciation for all that you have.
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Get anything you need at a bodega.
I hope there are other people out there that would agree with me – one of my absolute favorite parts of NYC are the bodegas. Want a delicious bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a New York bagel? Go to the bodega. Ran out of sriracha? Hit up the bodega! Ran out of laundry detergent? You guessed it, IT’S AT THE BODEGA. They’re like mini grocery stores, delicatessens, and Targets all rolled into a tiny store, and there’s one on every corner.
Chrysler Building
There you have it – ten tips to get you started on a weekend in New York City. What are your favorite things to do in the city that never sleeps? Comment below!