Simone de Beauvoir once said: “There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.” Since I heard it the first time, it’s the one thought that comes into mind everytime someone mentions New York. Oh, New York. Everyone’s dream city. Everyone’s dream, to be precise. Well at least, it was my dream. One of the biggest I had. I am speaking in the past tense because finally, after 20 years of dreaming, I got to make that dream come true. It took me a few months to write this blog post because mainly I didn’t know what to write about. I mean, what to say about this city that wasn’t already said, or written or filmed or sang of. It’s the city that was an inspiration for plenty of movies, songs, books, scenes and still is. It’s still as inspirational as ever. It’s as magical as it was the first time when I saw it in the movie Home Alone 2. I kinda guess that’s when I first fell in love with New York City. Well, haven’t we all?!
Since I was planning this trip for twenty years there was no particular last minute preparations :D I knew the itinerary by heart, I had watched tones of YT videos over the years, I’d studied the whole map upside and down, all the streets, all the avenues… I literally knew every single thing about the City already. And what I also knew was the period of when I wanted to go. Last week of November and the first week of December seemed like a perfect time. I got to see Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lightning, I could also enjoy the beginning of the Holiday season, do some shopping on Black Friday and celebrate my mum’s birthday. Yes, the timing was on point.
I got the visa, took a Monday off from my live TV show that I’m hosting for the last few years on Croatian National Television, and got in search for the hotel. I stayed in the Hotel Belleclaire. You can read the hotel review here. Lastly, after months of searching I bought the airplane tickets. They say that the best time to buy the tickets is three to two months before travelling. Couldn’t say that really worked for me, as the ticket price was the same as the half year earlier, but still I was happy to find the tickets with the company I wanted to fly with (the decision that would turn out to be not so smart later on). The blog post about the Lufthansa flight to New York, cancelling my flight, being highly unprofessional and losing my baggage, is coming very soon. Wouldn’t miss that one, not by a chance!
Needless to say that I was barely sleeping weeks before my trip. NYC was everything I was talking about for days. It was everything I was thinking about. It was literally everything. Well, still is. I am joking now that days in my life count before NYC and after NYC. Like it or not, NYC changes you in a way. Defines you. Either way or another, it doesn’t leave you indifferent.
For me, New York City was everything I have imagined it would be all these years. And more. It was everything I wanted it to be. It is everything. Period. I was always saying that for me there are cities and then there is New York. From now on, there is only New York.
Here is my itinerary, day by day accompanied by pictures. Please have in mind that I visited a lot more attractions than stated here. NYC is full of interesting things and places that you just find out by accident. And since I visited all those attractions mainly by foot I got to see tons of stuff that are impossible to count and name here. Anyways, I hope you’ll enjoy the adventure as much as I did.
Day 1
Flight, Hotel, dinner in a nearby restaurant, sleep. In that order.
Day 2
Starbucks (couldn’t wait for that one), walk to the Central Park, the Strawberry Fields, the Woolman rink, Plaza Hotel (hello Kevin), 5th Avenue, Rockefeller centre.
Day 3
Happy Thanksgiving! Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, walk through the Midtown to Bryant Park
Day 4
Black Friday means shopping day, 5th Avenue, Macy’s, Best Buy. Later that day we visited St.Patrick’s Cathedral.
Day 5
Intrepid Museum on Hudson River. Times Square walk at Sunset, walking on Avenues, particularly 5th Avenue at night – Saks 5th Avenue Light Show is spectacular.
Day 6
Empire State Building, High Line, West Village, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy.
Day 7
Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Financial district, Brooklyn Bridge, 9/11 Memorial
Day 8
Brooklyn, NBA Brooklyn Nets game
Day 9
Around Midtown, Grand Central Station, Flat Iron building
Day 10
Rockefeller Christmas Tree lightining
Day 11
Woodbury Outlet
Day 12
Madison Square Garden, Top of the Rock, Serendipity Mom’s BDay dinner
Day 13
F?cking bawled my eyes the whole day as it was the leaving day. On top of that Lufthansa cancelled my flight with a one sentence sms text. Way to go, Lufty!
Already planning to go back. New York is everything. Literally. Punto. Basta. Period. There is no city like New York City. And it’s the fact. It was undoubtedly the best trip ever I ever took on. Yes, it was expensive. Not so much the clothes or the food in the supermarket (prices are pretty much the same like the ones in Croatian supermarkets), but eating and drinking outside. So when booking accommodation make sure you have at least a good breakfast to get you started. And a microwave in the room. As having two or three meals outside will be the most expensive clause on your New York bill.
My NYC Holiday trip was the trip of a lifetime. Closest to perfection as it can be. Wouldn’t change a thing. Don’t feel sorry for anything, even when the shitty Lufty cancelled my flight and left me miserable for a while. Well, I took that as a sign that NYC wasn’t going to let me leave just like that. And that I have to come back again soon. As it felt so good to be a part of it. To be a part of the world. To be a part of the magic. To be a part of the greatest city in the world – New York City.
Thanks NYC. Can’t wait to get lost in you again. See you soon!
Btw stay tuned for new post – Home Alone 2 Lost in New York movie locations I visited. Soon! Subscribe ⬇️
This is an incredible text indeed. And pictures… they are full of that New York’s vivid flavour, deep flavour you cannot resist. New York is really gorgeous, it can be your paradise or your hell, whatever you choose it to be. It makes you feel like royalty, but at the same time very humble, like you’re piece of eternity, together with each person who has ever walked down its avenues.