We've had the most fantastic city trip to the capital of the world; New York City! And we would love to tell you all about our highlights in this extensive top 10 listicles.
Things to do in New York City, we know a thing or two (actually 10) about that. We know exactly where you need to go. Follow our lead and your trip to the Big Apple will be unforgettable!
This is where it happens
There live about 8 million people in this unique metropolis, and most of them work and enjoy themselves on the island of Manhattan. New York is where it happens. The whole world is here. Businessmen, actors, athletes, artists, models, celebrities, tourists, and luck seekers, and everything in between. And us. Check out our colorful report with highlights of this magnificent city of New York.
Top of the Rock / Top of the World
The first highlight of New York is the first thing we did in New York was to go directly to the Rockefeller Center for the ultimate view. Within seconds you stand in the center of Manhattan, gawking at the amazing skyline of this powerful city. In front of you the Empire State, behind you colorful Central Park. It's all so impressive from above. You also see everything from Manhattan and beyond, like Brooklyn, New Jersey, Queens, and Harlem.
This view should be your number one priority on your to-go-list. You are truly – for a brief moment – on top of the world…
Flying above Manhattan in a helicopter with no doors (!!!)
*ahum* Hoooooooooly shiiiiiiiiiit! This was by far the craziest thing we have ever done. So it is in second place on our New York highlights list. Our heads literally almost exploded from what we saw. For about 200 dollars you get to fly in a chopper with no doors. We flew for about 15 minutes with FLYNYON (which was pretty long for what you are doing: hanging above Wall Street). Don't think that you're free in that chopper, you are hooked on a safety vest attached to the seats, so you only get to move your butt a little sideways to stick your head out. And then you shall discover the true power of wind 😉
Although is it as scary as can be, we loved every minute of it. It is a true moment of power when you're hovering above New York City, the greatest city if you ask us. And if this city is the greatest city in the world, then you truly stood on top of the world!
If you are also looking for a great hotel, hostel, or Airbnb rental in NYC, be sure to check out our recommendations.
This bucket list location also has CityPass, an awesome way to see more, spend less, and get the most out of your visit!
Visiting the UFC in Madison Square Garden
We had already booked this city trip when I found out that the UFC would be there as well. The tickets were pretty expensive and I thought an evening in a sports bar would be cool, but then I thought: “let's try and get press tickets with my Dutch men's magazine DailyBase.nl.”. With some bluffing and puffing, I got the ticket! This was a dream come true for this MMA-fanboy who has been following the UFC for about 10 years.
This was the biggest fight card of the year and it was held in the famous Madison Square Garden, where athletes like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Conor McGregor once fought. For me, this was like a golden ticket. A personal highlight of New York City!
This fight card did not disappoint! It was one of the best cards ever! The fights were exhilarating and exciting as can be, especially the three title fights between Thug Rose vs Joanna Champion, TJ Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrand en Michael Bisping vs George St. Pierre. I truly had the night of my life. I even got 30 dollars in food coupons, had some great conversations with MMA-journalists, and visited the weigh-ins before the fights.
The MSG-arena is a sight to behold. And the acoustics were just mindblowing, I have never heard something that hard so clear. What a night!
The fooooooood! (especially Five Guys!)
We love good (fast)food. And New York is the place to be for some excellent grub. The assumption is that you can only score fast food here, but you” be amazed at how healthy you can eat in the city. The variations and choices are just shocking. Of course, we tried a whole bunch of amazing tasting food, like for example bagels with cream cheese and jam, hotdogs, chili cheese fries with turkey bacon, sweet pancakes, BBQ chips, coca-cola zero lemon, and a peanut butter milkshake. But wait, there's more!
We heard that Five Guys were by far the best burger place in the States and we must confess that we totally agree on this one. We've been to Five Guys four times!
And it was truly a feast. The burgers and fries are all made fresh and that is just such a difference. It costs a whole bunch more, but it's worth every penny. My tastebuds are screaming at me while typing this…
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Random Stats.
• 10 days in NYC, 9 nights, 2 flight days
• 8 hours on the airplane from Dusseldorf
• From door to door; 12 hours traveling
• 150.000+ steps made
• Made 1200 pictures with the DSLR!
• And about 300 with the smartphone
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Cycling through The Big Apple
It's maybe a weird thing to say, maybe it's a Dutch thing, but cycling through the city was one of our favorite things to do. It's just so surrealistic to bike through these streets. It almost feels like you're in a dream. It might be a very normal thing for a local, but for us, it was a buzzing experience. When you're used to small cities, suburbs, and some grasslands and forests, it's a trippy moment to be cycling through NYC.
You can rent these bikes everywhere. We used the Citibike for about 12 dollars a day and that's pretty cheap compared to taxis, Ubers, and metros. And it's more healthy to cycle all those miles. And the view is a whole lot better than in the scrubby subway.
Be careful though if you are not an experienced cyclist, it can be a bit hectic.
Gawk at all these beautiful flagship stores
We knew you could shop in New York City, but holy damn… these stores are just insane. For example, we went to Victoria's Secret store on 6th Avenue and the Ralph Lauren Flagship store near Central Park. The design of these stores is just mindboggling, they are so beautifully designed.
And then the staff, my goodness, we have never been treated so well. I finally feel like how a customer should feel: like a human being!
Because of the service, we bought a whole bunch of nice clothes. The prices were not even more expensive, just as much as in webshops and other stores that sell these brands. The service and the experience made it so much better!
ps; the staff said that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ralph Lauren himself were in the store the week before…OMG!
Joe Rogan – Stand up comedy show – Strange Times
The commentator of the UFC and the host of the most popular podcast in the world is also a very funny stand-up comic. When Joe is commentating on Saturday, he hosts a show on Friday. He held his sold-out show in the theater room of Madison Square Garden with about 5000 attendants. Joe is a personal hero of mine who has inspired me to be a better person, so it was truly a bucket list item to see him in action. And man, what did we laugh at his hysterical bits. My jaw still hurts from laughing out loud!
A day trip to Washington D.C
The capital of the United States is just a 4-hour bus ride from New York City. We went with the Greyhound bus (36 dollars return, including Wi-Fi) to Washington D.C to browse around for a good couple of hours in this unique city. We were in the very center of the city where you'll find the White House, the Capitol, the FED, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. In just about 4-5 hours you will have seen all these highlights (especially if you take the bikes). The Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial were absolutely the most impressive to see in real life.
This city's vibe is totally different than in New York. It's a whole lot less sensational and wild, but it is a very interesting visit. We can't really judge a city by only visiting the center for about 5 hours. I would love to come back someday and visit museums, restaurants, and shops.
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Lady Liberty
When you're in downtown Manhattan, it's just a small boat ride away from seeing America's most iconic icon. Within about 10 minutes you are sailing towards The Statue of Liberty. First, you'll get a treat, because the view back towards downtown is stunning. What a view!
And then, there she is… the big green lady that represents freedom!
Central Park & Bryant Park
After all those hours walking and walking and walking, and not to forget the dirty air, it is a breath of fresh air (pun intended) to walk around in one of the many parks. Especially Central Park (in fall) is a sight to behold. You are surrounded by the skyline, which feels weird because you feel like you're truly walking through a big park.
Also a big tip; Bryant Park. It's such a cozy fun park to enjoy your coffee and muffin!
Extra highlights
And that was not all that we did… we did so much more! Like visiting Times Square, the Empire State Building, the High Line, China Town, Little Italy, Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, the 9/11 Museum, Grand Central, and of course the new World Trade Center. This last entry nearly got into our top 10, but it didn't because this observatory has a roof and that just makes it less impressive. The wind is essential to understand how high you are.
Maybe we should have made a highlight list of New York with 20 highlights, there is just so much to do!
Oh my lord, I even forgot to mention the museums. We went to the amazing American Museum of Natural History, the Hayden Planetarium, and the MET! These museums are all highly recommended by us. We were absolutely impressed by every fossil, painting, and artwork. A feast for your eyes and imagination.
We are ending this suitcase story with a couple of awesome pictures of this super duper awesome trip. That you New York City, we'll see you again soon.
ps; looking for a great hotel, hostel, or Airbnb rental in NYC? We got you!
Hey you, thanks for reading. We from Free Birds hope these suitcase stories inspire you to travel more.
Also, check out:
>> Top 7 best hostels in New York City
>> Top 7 best hotels in New York City
>> Top 7 best luxury hotels in New York City
>> Top 7 best Airbnb rentals in New York City
>> Scan the sky for cheap flights with SkyScanner!
More Travel Inspiration: A Taste of New York: fly through the Big Apple
