New York City!

New York is the most diverse city in the world
It is home to over 22.5 million people and has a
significant impact on global Finance, Culture, Art,
Fashion, Research, Education, Film and Music!

There is so much to see in New York City
that i would recommend anyone planning a trip here
so have minimum five day stay to see as much of
the city as you can!

We came to NYC in May which was their Spring and
had an average temperature of 20 degrees. We stayed
at The Hotel Beacon which was located at the
Upper West Side of Manhattan.

We arrived late in the afternoon and most of us felt
hangover from our all nighter in Vegas, It was light drizzle
and after checking in to the hotel most were ready to crash
but I couldn't wait to start exploring! I took a bus straight
to Times Square and arrived just as the city was lighting up.

I remember standing in the middle of Times Square, on my
own and feeling that i was standing in the middle of the world!
The energy was incredible and the surroundings were visually
stunning! Everywhere you look is a billboard, flashing lights,
and theater posters. I have never seen a city more alive!

Times Square is like the heartbeat of the NYC and
features in countless movies, TV Shows, Music Videos and
Video games. When i was there they were filming a car race
thought the streets for The Sorcerer's Apprentice!

It's here you will find the iconic Ball Drop on
New Years Eve and if your lucky you may even see the
Naked Cowboy! It's now home to Times Square Studios,
where Good Morning America is broadcast live. Check out the
Hershey's and M&M's stores and you can score up to 50% off
discounted tickets to the theater at TKTS booth. This is
under the big red steps in Duffy's square and its on the top
of the stairs you can get your best snapshot of Times Square!

Now that your at the home of live theater, you must see a
show on Broadway! There is over 50 venues in the
Theater District which includes Times Square and the surrounds.
This is a hit for tourist and Broadway shows sold approximately
$1.037 billion worth of tickets a year. There is so much variety
you may choose to see more than one, we decided on
In The Heights, which was getting raved reviews when
we were there in 2009. The Phantom of the Opera is currently the
longest running show on Broadway which is still showing 23 years later!

But the City's most iconic feature has to be The Statue Of Liberty!
It has been a permanent feature in the Cityscape since 1886 when
it was received as a gift from France to symbolize the American
Declaration of Independence. The statue is 46 meters high and
stands on a platform 93 meters high. I remember expecting it to be alot
bigger but it was great to see close up! It's located on on Liberty Island in
the New York Harbor. You can catch a ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan
across to Liberty Island for $13 US.

Once returning to Battery Park, I recommend going to the
The Sphere and Eternal Flame 9/11 memorial. The Sphere is a large
metallic sculpture that once stood between the World Trade Centre
Towers. After the September 11 attacks it was recovered from the rubble
and had visible damage from the debris of the buildings. It has now
been relocated to Battery Park as a memorial to the victims of 9/11.
The location is only meant to be temporary and it will eventually be returned
to its original location following the completion of the Freedom Tower.

You are now just a short walk to Wall Street in the Financial District.
Here you will see the New York Stock Exchange and the famous statue
of the Charging Bull! During a tour of this neighborhood we were
taken to the former site of the World Trade Centre. It had been nine years
since the terrorist attack but the emotions were still very raw.

It resulted in 2,752 deaths and the process of cleanup and recovery
at the World Trade Center site took nine months. I remember hearing
It took six years to build the towers but only seconds for them to fall.
It was heartbreaking to hear about the stories from that day and the
suffering that the New Yorkers had to endure. We viewed the site from
a office block directly across from the site and we could see the rebuilding
process. The 'One World Trade Center' once completed will be the tallest
building in the United States and is expected to be completed by 2013.

From buildings to bridges, they don't get more famous than the
Brooklyn Bridge. It spans 486.3 meters and was once the
longest suspension bridge in the world. It has a wide pedestrian
walkway which you can walk or cycle over & it makes for some
awesome photos!

So NYC is known for it's iconic Yellow Cabs but the best way
to get around is in the Subway. The City has a fantastic and
fast transport system and all major tourist attractions are just
a short walk from the nearest station. But one stop is now a
major tourist attraction... Grand Central Station!
It is the largest train station in the world and has 67 tracks.
The Main Concourse is the center of Grand Central Station and
it has features a four-faced clock on top of an information booth
and this can be seen in hundreds of movies including Men In
Black, One Fine Day, Madagascar, Superman and I Am Legend.

But the best feature of this busy building is on the ceiling.
It dates back to 1912 and is a astronomical artwork called
Gateway to a Million Lives. But in 1998 a 12-year restoration
was completed to bring the feature back to it's former glory as
it was revealed that tar and nicotine from tobacco smoke had
darkened and damaged the artpiece.

Next up it was off to Fifth Avenue! and like almost every
thing in New York is has to be the world class, so this can boast
it's ranked among the most expensive shopping streets in the world!
The best way to experience 5th Avenue is by foot,
that was you can window shop as you go and pop into any store
that interests you and if your a shopaholic than you can choose
from Tiffany & Co, Gucci, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Versace,
and Louis Vuitton. There is also the Saks Fifth Avenue Department
Store, The Apple Store and FAO Schwarz.

This is the oldest toy store in America and opened it's doors in
1870. It has since expanded and is now one of the most
visited stores on Fifth Avenue. You are greeted at the door
by a Toy Solider and Inside you can create your own Barbie Doll,
Check out the Muppet Workshop or have a go at jumping around
on the Big Piano. Inside i saw a large stuffed toy dragon for $800 US!

Once you have finished shopping or if you have run out of money,
Head over to the Rockefeller Center, outside in the Plaza you will
see 200 world flags, the gold sculpture of Prometheus and in winter
this becomes an outdoor ice skating ring! Inside this building is
Top Of The Rock, an Observation deck with one of the best views
over looking New York City!

Whilst in the Big Apple, Try some foods that New York is famous
for Bagels, Cheesecake, a slice of Pizza and a hot dog from the
street cart! . If your a fan of Sex And The City you will want a
cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery.

Another thing New York has an abundance of is Museums.
You have an opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum,
the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art,
Van Courtland House Museum, and even the the Museum of Sex!
It's up to you which ones you visit but for me it was an afternoon in
The American Museum of Natural History.

It features collections of more than 32 million specimens and artifacts
and was the filming location in the 'Night at the Museum' movies.
Inside are habitat dioramas of African, Asian and North American
mammals, and a full-size model of a Blue Whale hanging from the roof.

But the most impressive thing about this museum is it is home to
the World's Largest collection of Dinosaur fossils. Just walking in the
the foyer of this museum you come face to face with life sized
skeletons of a Brontosaurus! But it's the Tyrannosaurus Rex
inside, standing on it's back legs that will leave you speachless!

For those of you who frequently read by blogs, you would know by
now that i love Pop Culture and being in NYC i was in heaven.
More movies are filmed in New York than any other location in the world,
So i had opted to do a NYC movie tour! There is a few to choose from but
our bus tour was with screentours.

On board we visited the filming locations to I am Legend, Enchanted,
When Harry Met Sally, August Rush, Ghost Busters, Men In Black II,
The Devil Wears Prada, Spider-Man, King Kong, Coyote Ugly and
The Day After Tomorrow. As well as TV series including Ugly Betty,
Gossip Girl, Sex and the City, Friends, Seinfeld and Will & Grace.

We got pictures of the front of the firehouse FDNY Ladder 8 from
Ghostbusters & Hitch, out the front of Will Smith's house from I am Legend,
plus the apartment block used for Friends and The Cosby Show.
This was also a great way to check out New York Neighborhoods
such as Tribeca, Soho and Greenwich Village!

But for a city as massive as New York, the only way to really see it
is from the sky! So I recommend that you take a scenic helicopter flight
over the city. We flew around all the city skyline and got bird eye views of
everything that makes New York Famous! It really is the best city in the
world and from up there you can get a unique view of it!

The top 3 signature buildings to check out whilst in the City would have
to be The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building and my personal
favorite, the Flat Iron Building! We went up inside the Empire State Building
on our last night in New York City. It stands 381 meters high and is a
102 story building. It also listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Once inside the building, take an elevator ride up to the 102nd Floor,
This offers a 360 degree view of the Big Apple and is now the most popular
outdoor observatory in the world with now over 110 million visitors.
Perhaps the most famous popular culture representation of the Building
was when King Kong climbed to the top in the films in 1933 and 2005.

It was extremely windy from the top of the tower and the views
were just spectacular! Looking over the city at night, all lite up
was a magic moment and the Chrysler Building looks great at night.
It was foggy when we went up but seeing the fog above the city
loooked so beatiful.

The last thing to tick off any New York adventure is the one and only
Central Park! It attracts more than 25 million visitors a year
and has expanded to 4 kms of parkland's. The Park has it's own NYC
Police Department, Zoo, outdoor amphitheater, two ice-skating rinks
and a swimming pool.

It can take several hours to walk around but in such a gorgeous
park you won't be in a hurry. You may choose to Rowboat around
the Loeb Boathouse or get around via a horse pulled cart.
The park is changing all year around with the of the colours in Autumn,
the snow in winter and flowers in spring.

Look out for the Bethesda Terrace and admire the beautiful architecture
as well as checking out the Angel of the Waters fountain.
There are many Sculptures to see in Central Park and no
two bridges are the same. There are park benches around to relax
and lots of squirrels running around too.
The more time you can spend inside the park, the better.

New York is now my favorite City in the world and it is so infectious,
Just by visiting this city it becomes apart of you and it has a way
of making you feel as if you belong here. It is so exciting and diverse
and your entertainment options are endless. You could stay in New York
for a year and still not do all it has to offer. I am already starting to plan a
return trip as i would love to see New York in Christmas time.
To see the stores all done up with their decorations,
to ice skate in the Rockefeller Centre and to see it snow
whilst strolling through Central Park!
To have a white Christmas in New York is now on my bucket list!