New York, New York…I don’t even know if it’s worth putting too many words into this post. Who doesn’t know the most famous city in the world. The megapolis is probably the only place in the world known by everyone and the biggest superstar in numerous Hollywood productions.
I had an extremely short time in New York. All and all one afternoon, which would mean no more than 6 hours to look around translated into cabin crew language. After 14 hours of flying dealing with a full plane, 3 services, cranky passengers and lack of sleep (as usual) I arrived in New York City.
It wasn’t just any time of the year, but December, just in time to see the Christmas decorations and enjoy New York during the best time of the year. Eager to live childhood memories from Home Alone and strolling around like Carrie Bradshaw with a couple of bags full of presents in hand, I set off to the streets almost straightaway after hotel check-in. One of the best things about this flight is that the crew hotel is situated exactly at Times Square and the layover cannot be more perfect, really. And I was very lucky to get this flight during Christmas.
I have always known that New York is busy but I never imagined it THAT busy. The constant flow of people is truly unimaginable and it is basically impossible to just ‘go out for a walk’ in this city, at least not in the area of Times Square and neighboring streets.
Typically for an American city, I was met by huge skyscrapers right after I set foot on the street. The sun was shining bright straight into my eyes and I could’t see almost anything plus I was feeling a bit dizzy and my head out of place. This feeling is very typical when you land especially after such a long flight and in a different time zone (the feeling is close to when you are drunk). So, feeling as if I had just landed to another planet I headed to a direction, which intuitively seemed the right one to reach Times Square.
Three minutes later, I found myself at the beating heart of New York - Times Square itself! At first, I felt like I was hit in the face by countless screens, commercials, videos, shops, people, impossibly tall buildings and people around me dressed like Batman, Superman, Ironman and alike…plus, there were tourist double deckers all around and the traffic around in the streets. I felt like Alice in Wonderland (when she turned small) but surrounded by screens and colorful signs (completely not matching with one another in style) instead of weird nature and funny creatures.
And this is how my ‘stroll’ began…
Times Square
The beating heart of New York, the center of the city, the center of Manhattan is the ultimate place to start your journey. Times Square stretches from West 42nd to West 47th Streets and it is one of the busiest pedestrian areas of the world. It is home to Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world’s entertainment industry. The whole square is lit up brightly by numerous billboard and advertisements. Go up and down West 42nd and West 47th Streets to feel the pulse and the pace of this world-known Square!
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is one of the landmarks in New York. Some of the most notable performers have had concerts there, such as Pink Floyd, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera.
Central Park
If you want to retrace the steps of Kevin from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, then Central Park is the place to do so! Walk to the opposite direction of Times Square and the Park is a couple of minutes away. Don’t forget to enjoy the view to the iconic ice rink and Plaza Hotel!
Rockefeller Center
The cherry of the cake when visiting New York over Christmas is undoubtedly Rockefeller Center and the famous Christmas Tree! Skate under the Tree and enjoy unforgettable moments with your special people or up to the roof of Rockefeller Center and enjoy a full view of the City.
These four stops perfectly wrap up a day-trip in New York and if you see them, it is safe to say you have covered the most emblematic parts of this super-star city!
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