I’ve heard extreme opinions about New York. Some love it, while others don’t necessarily. I definitely belong to the former group. I spent a total of 10 days in NYC, but I would love to go back there even now. I feel that I only got to know the city a little during that time. The landlord of the flat where I rented a room believes that in order to get to know New York, you need to spend at least half a year here and go out to people, not just see the more or less touristy attractions. It’s hard to disagree with this. 

New York is divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island. Manhattan is the most famous district full of attractions, expensive shops and restaurants. Brooklyn is more intimate, in a sense a bedroom community for people who work in Manhattan. The Bronx is famous for not necessarily being safe there. Staten Island, on the other hand, is an oasis of tranquillity, while Queens is like the whole world concentrated in one borough. In addition, it is the district with the fastest growth. 

New York is very diverse, a bit overwhelming, noisy, dirty in some places, but on the other hand it is inspiring, interesting and very engaging. The concrete jungle also has its other face. Numerous green spaces allow you to survive in the urban hustle and bustle. 

Central Park 

Central Park is the heart of New York City, where you can take a break from the crowded and noisy city. You will certainly recognise locations from many films here. In summer, you can rent a boat and swim on the lake, have a picnic, lie on the grass or go jogging. On my second visit to New York, I walked the entire park from north to south – which is not to say that I saw every nook and cranny, as the area is huge. 

Almost every underground station has a stop near the park. Around 400 films have been filmed here, making Central Park the most frequently featured park on screen. That doesn’t change the fact that its construction consumed more money than the entire state of Alaska received in a year. 

Although there are several thousand benches in Central Park, it is forbidden to sleep on them or stay overnight in the park. 

Fifth Avenue 

Everyone probably associates Fifth Avenue from, for example, the movies. It’s where you’ll find some of the most expensive shops, showrooms of popular designers and famous restaurants. All this makes Fifth Avenue very crowded and you literally have to squeeze through crowds of people. On Fifth Avenue is the Plaza Hotel, which is one of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in New York. 

Top of The Rock & Rockefeller Center 

I would most like to see Rockefeller Center in the winter, when a huge Christmas tree is erected in the middle of the square and you can still skate. The complex of 19 skyscrapers was built by the Rockefeller family. I recommend going up one of the Top of The Rock skyscrapers to see the New York skyline. This is the only vantage point I’ve visited, so I don’t have a comparison with others, but I definitely recommend it. I had read about the gigantic queues to get in, but I was lucky – within half an hour I was already at the top. 

Times Square 

This is the heart of New York City, and it is also New York’s most famous intersection with numerous neon signs, billboards against a backdrop of yellow taxis. You can feel the incredible energy in this place and it really feels like the centre of the universe. During the day, Times Square is not as impressive as it is after dark, when you can clearly see the lights of the billboards. New Yorkers, on the other hand, are not fond of the loud, crowded and overwhelming Times Square. Only tourists (and not all of them) delight in the colourful neon lights. 

Chrysler Building 

This is one of the nicest buildings in New York. The top of the building makes it difficult to confuse it with any other building in Manhattan. It reproduces the distinctive elements of Chrysler cars. The architect was inspired by the car’s pavement seen earlier and thus the Chrysler Building was created. You can go inside, but only to the lobby – the building is now an office building. 

Empire State Building 

As a fan of the TV series Gossip girl, I really wanted to see the Empire State Building with my own eyes. It was the first skyscraper in the world with more than 100 floors. Today, it is the ninth tallest building in the USA. There is an observation deck on the 86th floor. I chose a different vantage point because I was keen to see the New York skyline along with the Empire State Building. Did you know that the Empire has its own postcode (10118)? 

Grand Central 

Grand Central is not only a train station, but also a shopping centre and a popular meeting place for New Yorkers. What captivated me most was that the train departure times on the boards are displayed one minute ahead of real time. It’s definitely an option that would appeal to latecomers.

In Grand Central, it is worth walking through the so-called Whispering Gallery, which is located along 42nd Street in the subway. The place is known for its unusual acoustics, so you can talk ‘at a distance’. The voice carries along an arched vault, so standing at opposite ends of the passage you can hear the voice of the person on the other side. 

New York Public Library 

The library is open daily and can be visited for free. It’s really worth it because the interior is amazing, plus it’s one of the largest public libraries in the world. I felt a bit like I was in a library straight out of Harry Potter. I’d definitely recommend going to the reading room, which is the most impressive. 

The Vessel 

This is a relatively new attraction in New York that I really wanted to visit. Entry to The Vessel is free, but you need to book a ticket 2 weeks in advance. The building resembles a honeycomb in its appearance, and apart from its architectural qualities, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding area and the Hudson River. 

High Line 

The Hight Line is a new hipster location in New York. Rising 9 metres high, the abandoned light rail route has been transformed into a green promenade. The 2km route is also a great opportunity to see New York from a different perspective. 

Ray’s Pizza 

It may not be particularly cheap here, but the pizza at Ray’s is worth trying. This is one of the best pizzerias in New York, and their dishes are made to a tried-and-tested recipe. 

Flatiron 

This is one of the most interesting buildings in New York. The Flatiron resembles an iron with its appearance. The office building was opened in 1902 and it was only then that it was discovered that it lacked toilets for women. Corrections were made at short notice, so until now there is a men’s toilet on one floor and a men’s toilet on another, and so on alternately. 

Union Square 

In Union Square you will meet many artists and unusual people. The place has a vibrant life of its own and that is what is most interesting about it. Along the way, you will pass cosy cafés, restaurants and a market with fruit, vegetables and other snacks. In 1882, workers’ strikes were held here, which led to the creation of Labor Day, the American labour holiday. 

Chinatown, SoHo, Little Italy 

Of the three, I recommend the Little Italy district the most. It’s very colourful here and the wafting smells beckon you to enter an Italian restaurant. Chinatown didn’t captivate me and the ubiquitous rubbish just put me off. SoHo is certainly ideal for fans of fashion, expensive boutiques and pubs. 

9/11 Memorial 

This is certainly one of the most exciting places in New York. As soon as I arrived here, there was a sudden silence and people seemed thoughtful and emotional. 

The tour of the World Trade Center can be divided into two parts. One is where the two WTC towers stood. There are now two holes there bearing plaques with the names of those who died in the attack. 

The second part is a tour of the September 11 Museum. The exhibition is divided into three sections: the day before 11 September, the day of the attack and the day after. You will learn how the attack happened and its impact on the subsequent fate of the United States. 

The museum is located underground, on the site where the two towers stood. Its scale makes you realise how huge the buildings were. I was most impressed by the recordings and accounts of people calling their families from the hijacked planes. The accounts of the pilots and the footage from the ‘black boxes’, the videos showing people jumping from the burning buildings are moving and terrifying at the same time. 

Oculus 

The Oculus is the most expensive and largest station at the World Trade Center. Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava designed it so that the light streaming in would symbolically illuminate the site of the 2001 tragedy. 

Wall Street 

This place probably needs no introduction. The Wall Street Stock Exchange with its huge American flag is one of the most recognisable places in NYC. Wall Street is home to the New York Stock Exchange. It is from here that the economy of the entire world is directed. Wall Strett, even though it is crowded, captivated me a lot – you will meet tourists here mixed with a crowd of people in suits who are constantly in a hurry to go somewhere. I also like the architecture on this street, more specifically the tall skyscrapers that resemble townhouses. Just off Wall Street is Battery Park, from which you can see the Statue of Liberty. 

Charging Bull 

Also worth seeing on Wall Street is the Charging Bull, which attracts crowds of tourists. Why? The reason is very simple! Legend has it that anyone who touches the genitals of this bull will have good luck with finances. 

The Statue of Liberty 

The Statue of Liberty is not only a symbol of New York, but also a landmark of the USA. It was given to the Americans by the French to commemorate the alliance made during the American War of Independence. The statue was built in France, dismantled there and transported by sea to the USA. The designer of the Statue of Liberty was Gustave Eiffel. 

To see the Statue of Liberty, you can purchase an excursion for around $20 and sail to Liberty Island, which is where the Statue of Liberty is located. The entrance fee also includes a cruise to Ellis Island, where you can visit the Emigration Museum. 

The second option is to take the ferry, which runs between Manhattan and Staten Island. The cruise is free and the ferry runs every half hour around the clock, and every 15 minutes during peak hours. From this distance you will see the Statue of Liberty from a distance, but always something. I definitely recommend the paid trip to the statue itself. 

Conclusion

I hope the above information will help you plan your visit to New York. Finally, I wanted to tell you a few interesting facts. 

In New York you have to walk fast because everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. It is said that only tourists walk around this city. There are hundreds of thousands of people walking through Manhattan that even the pavements get jammed. I admit that I like this fast walking a lot – I myself don’t like to be dragged along. On the other hand, New Yorkers go for walks, do sports, but rather not on the streets of Manhattan, but by the river or in parks. 

 Ten years ago, the first casino opened in New York. On its opening day, it attracted more than 20,000 people plus several thousand others who waited outside the entrance. The authorities assumed it would be the most modern casino in the US, offering free slots. Did it succeed? Hard to say. Nowadays, mobile online casinos like ​​Richard Casino Online are growing. 

New York is the largest city in New York State, but the state capital is Albany, where 1/80 of NYC’s population lives. I don’t know how much of this is true and how much is rumour, but it is said that NYC authorities will pay a homeless person a single ticket if they are guaranteed a place to stay in a destination outside NYC. 

Since 1992, women have had the right to go topless in the city – that’s by the way. On the other hand, artists who want to perform on the New York underground must first pass a casting before a special committee. 

New York taxis are one of the symbols of New York. To get a taxi driver’s licence in NYC you have to pay a lot. The number of licences is limited, so to become a taxi driver you have to