New York, New York so good I went there twice!

Time for a quirky, personal blog post! Not been many so far, so it’s a New Years Resolution to upload more.

The first time I ventured to the Big Apple was back in May 2003, when myself and the Big Man hit it hard for 5 days straight. This time round was a little more sedated however.

It was agreed that a last minute Christmas shopping holiday to New York would be the perfect tonic to a long, hard working year. It’s a long way for a 5 day shopping trip, but well worth it!

New York? Fabulous. Weather in New York? Utterly freezing. On one hand you’re extremities were numb, on the other a dump of snow and blue skies make a fantastic picture! Check out the one of Central Park.

In terms of accommodation, I can recommend the Big Apple hostel for the best no frills accommodation. If you’re going as a small group grab a dorm room, or even a private room will serve you well as a couple. Its location is first class (just off Times Square) and rates are from a cheap $35 for a dorm room.

This time round we stayed further South – 23rd and 3rd Street. The issues? Cold room, with a cylindrical/rectangular heater which whistled and hissed more than the sinking Titanic. Not bad on its own, but its seemed we had the main heating pipes traveling through our room. It sounded like there was a boy with a spanner in each hand beating the hell out of the pipes through the night. Not the best. So if you’re ever at the American Dream, NEVER take room number 9!

The best bits? I drove in New York! Am I mad – yes. Was it fun – yes. We drove out to a an outlet village about an hour North of New York, and got some superb bargains.

The Empire State building had to be climbed too, and got some good pic from the top too. Met with some mates from the UK that I’d met at UNCW, and went to see the Woman in White (one of the newer Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals). Just to reiterate, I am not a musical kind of guy, but thoroughly enjoyed this musical and can recommend it if you’re not sure what to see!

With New York, you could be there 6 months and still not scratch the surface. With so much to do, 5 days felt like two weeks. Time for another holiday soon I think…..