New York Survival Guide

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple is exhausting! Here are my top tips to survive one of the most fabulous cities in the world and advice on how to get the best out of your trip without breaking the bank.

You will unquestionably need comfortable shoes. I wanted to look like Kendall Jenner strutting down the street but when you are sightseeing that is not possible. I went to New York in September and it was 28 degrees. The traffic is insane and taxis are expensive so you will predominantly spend your time walking. I wore runners the whole time and my feet thanked me for it. I forfeited style for comfort and was so happy I did.

The metro is a great way to get around, trains come every few minutes and run through the night. You should buy a Metro card as soon as you get there and you can top it up as you go. It saves you from fumbling with change trying to buy a ticket each time you want to use the subway which would be costly.

Image source: Gemma Kavanagh

On our first evening, I bought a City Pass for $90 (€100). You can get them in Planet Hollywood in Times Square. The pass entitles you to visit over 180 attractions in 24 hours. The pass is a good way to save money. It can be stressful trying to get everything done in one day but it is definitely worth your while. It includes the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower, 9/11 museum and the Empire State Building.

Image source: Gemma Kavanagh

The Freedom Tower                                   Image source: Gemma Kavanagh

If you want to see a show on Broadway it’s cheaper to get them online on websites such as StubHub or Ticket Liquidator. To avoid disappointment you should get them in advance but you can get last minute cancellation tickets for amazing value. I went to see Les Miserables at the Imperial Theatre. Tickets were originally $77 (€86) but as it was a Saturday night I was told they were sold out. By some stroke of luck, two tickets became available online for $47 (€52.68) after someone had cancelled. I still can’t believe I got them for so little, it was a miracle. Needless to say the show was incredible, even my boyfriend enjoyed it.
There are many different bus tours you can take to see the city to give your poor feet a rest. Normal sightseeing buses are available and then there are movie and TV tours. One of the most popular is the Gossip Girl tour. Starting on Madison Avenue, leaving from the New York Palace Hotel, the bus takes fans along the Upper East Side and iconic locations from the hit TV series. The tour is three hours and 30 minutes and is the perfect way for fans to spend their afternoon. New York.com is a website where you can book tickets before you go and get 20% off.

The Rockefeller Centre                       Image source: Gemma Kavanagh

And finally, my last gift to you, try the pizza. I went to New York for three days, we were on the go the whole time to see as much of the city as we could. This meant eating a lot of fast food. New York pizza is the best pizza I have ever tasted. They sell it by the slice and Pizzerias are everywhere. In some places you can get them for 99c, however the best ones I’ve had were about $3 (€3.36). The slices are huge, they fill you up and are unbelievably delicious.

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