New York: it’s the home of capitalism. It’s also one of the great financial centres of the world, and perhaps the most famous city on the planet. The city certainly has its share of wonders too, from the art deco skyscrapers, the bustling broadway sidewalks.
If you haven’t experienced New York yet, make sure to put it on your bucket list. There really is nothing like it anywhere else on Earth.
As soon as you arrive, you’ll get a sense of what people mean when they talk about a New York minute. There’s hundreds of thousands of Gordon Gekko-like businessmen marching in and out of offices at a brisk pace. There’s thousands more through office windows, one telephone held to each ear. And every street is packed with yellow taxis lined.
Horns are beeping. Lights are changing. The city just feels so alive.
You’ll also get the feeling that what you’re experiencing cannot possibly last. Everything is so enormous. So fast paced. You wonder how the city is not puttered out yet. How has it managed to keep going for over two-hundred years without bleeding the planet dry of every last resource she has to offer? It’s like a raging fire that never stops burning.
So how should you experience this remarkable place? Well, obviously you need to pay a visit to all the usual tourist destinations. Ground zero, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and so on. But I’d suggest you go a little bit upstate, towards the Bronx and Harlem, and get an impression of what life’s like for ordinary New Yorkers.
You can take a guided bus tour that will take you deep into the black community. There you’ll experience the black Christian gospel churches and see what life is like for some of the most deprived people in America. These places are truly out of the ordinary and like nothing you’ve experienced before.
I’ll be honest, if you’re more of a sensitive soul, then this is probably not the trip for you. But if you’ve got that spirit of adventure, and thrive on new experiences, you have to try this.
Credit: wikipedia.org
I also firmly believe that New York is a city you have to live in to truly experience. Don’t stay in a hotel. They’re usually very expensive, and because of space constraints, not very well-equipped, especially in Manhattan. Go instead with a holiday apartment. You can browse prices at HouseTrip NYC to get a sense of what’s on offer.
With your own apartment, you’ll be far more involved in the life of the city. I don’t expect you to get a job and start working in a bar whilst you’re away. (Plus if you did you’d be breaking the law.) But I’m saying that the additional independence will mean you’ll be out doing business with ordinary New Yorkers.
When you do go out, be sure to venture away from the main boulevards and down the side streets. The city is crammed full of little gems waiting to be discovered. You’re bound to find a restaurant or an attraction you’ll love.
