travel

Travel to New York City: Seeing the Big Apple in 24 Hours or Less

travelU.S. Travel

Have you ever been to New York? I am in my forties and going to New York has always been on my bucket list. This year I had a chance to visit New York for 24 hours before heading out of the country. My friends, who had been there before, were amazing tour guides and I was able to see so many fun things in a short period of time.

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Now you might think I am a little crazy for staying in New York for only one day. I was on my way to a trip to Ireland, and I decided that I was going to see as much of the city as I could in a short amount of time—24 hours to be exact. If you have a layover, or are wanting to see New York in a day, here are some things I suggest you put on your itinerary.

Times Square

My Top Picks for Seeing the Big Apple in 24 Hours or Less

Times Square. If you are going to be in New York, you have to stay in Times Square. We stayed at the Marriott, and it didn't disappoint. Time Square has approximately 1.6 million visitors a day. There are billboards, flashing lights, tourists, and cars everywhere. I loved seeing cops on horses, and theatres on every corner, drawing you in to their plays. The area is magical, and you have to stand on the street and look up to take it all in. We decided that it was only appropriate to jump for joy while we were at the square. So Cool!

New York Collage

Rockefeller Center. Only a few short blocks from Times Square between 41st and 53rd street is the Rockefeller Center. This is home for the Today's Show and the Lower Plaza of the Rockefeller Center home to its famous Ice Skating rink. We happened to be in New York in January, and they still had up all their Christmas decorations.We were able to see beautifully lite Christmas trees at Rockefeller, decorated store window, and the GE Building. The area was magical.

Central Park. We walked by Central Park at night, and I couldn't believe how big this park actually is. I have read that Central Park is a public park that covers 843 acres and over 35 million people visit the park each year. When I go back to New York, I would make sure I had more time to actually go into the park, and spend time walking around its beautiful grounds.

Ride the subway. The subway in New York is the most expensive public transportation systems in the world. It has over 209 miles of routes. It is only appropriate to ride the subway when you are visiting New York. There have been many movies filmed in the New York subway. Ghost and While You Were Sleeping are a few that come to mind. We rode the subway to lower Manhatten to see the Statue of Liberty.

Statue of Liberty. We didn't have enough time to go on a tour around the Statue of Liberty, but I was able to see her from the shoreline. What a beautiful site. The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island and in the New York Habor. You can take tours around the harbor to see her more closely. This is definitely on my list of things to do next time I am in town.

Grand Central Station. The Grand Central Station is located on 42nd St. in Manhattan. It is the 6th most visited tourist attraction with over 21,600,000 visitors annually. You have to go in this beautiful train station. The architecture in the station is absolutely breathe taking.

New York Stock Exchange Bull. The New York Stock exchange building is a must see. Outside its doors you will see a 11 foot tall and 16 foot long bull. The oversized sculpture depicts a bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity. You can't come to New York without getting a picture by this massive metal animal.

There is so much to do in New York City. I wasn't even able to scratch the service of everything I wanted to do and see. At least for now, I can say I have been to the city and seen a few of its highlights. My day was well spent with friends, and I have memories of my trip to last me a lifetime.

What are your favorite places to visit in New York City?

Jill Greenlaw has a banking background. She gave that up 18 years ago when she got married and started having kids. She loved being a stay-at-home mom while raising her four beautiful children. Jill is now working for the Mom It Forward team as a Sales Manager. She loves her job. Her interests include camping, motorcycling, boating, photography, reading, cooking, and traveling. Put her in flip flops anywhere warm and she is happy.

 

 

 

 

 

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