New York City: A City for all Seasons

Welcome to New York City:

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall there’s always something to do in New York City. Whether solo or with my children, I’ve found some great places to eat, shop and learn in Manhattan.  If your not a New York native you might not be aware of the different areas of Manhattan. With Central Park at it’s center you have the lower east side and lower west side. There’s also the upper east side and the upper west side.

Each neighborhood in Manhattan is unique, offering something for all. If you’re looking to explore the concrete jungle the upper east side has it all, restaurants, residential areas. It also has beautiful parks and lovely boutiques. Central Park takes you away from the hustle of taxi cabs and buses and gives you time and space to relax. I enjoy picnics in Central Park with my children, there’s always something interesting to see. Last year we saw brides coming to the park to take pictures after their ceremony. My daughter thought they were real princesses.

In High School, 42nd Street and Times Square were my favorite places to be, I loved sitting in Bryant Park people watching and sipping coffee. H&M came into my life in H.S. as well so heading down to Midtown East was always my favorite place to shop. There were always little boutiques that sold unique pieces, outfits I couldn’t find on Fordham Rd. or Cross County Mall.

A Place for All Seasons:

New York City is the type of place you can visit all year around. I’ve visited so many places around the city over the past few years. It’s been exciting learning about places I never explored when I was young. The Financial District and lower Manhattan were never places I went to often as a teenager, but once prom came around I headed there to find my accessories and found interesting neighborhoods filled with small family-owned business and unique art galleries.

Recently Greenwich Village has become my new favorite neighborhood, filled with a variety of restaurants and lot’s of places to shop. After years of wanting to visit Chinatown and Little Italy, I finally made it there over the summer with my children. Although Little Italy is filled with restaurants geared toward tourists, I found Chinatown to be one of the coolest places in Manhattan. I was mostly fascinated by the street art I found there.

Chinatown

Harlem has something for everyone, filled with beautiful brownstones that lined the streets of Harlem in the early 1900’s.  These homes housed artists, musicians, poets, Black Americans of the time who were influential in the Harlem Renaissance movement. As someone who grew up in New York, Harlem was always the place to go for some great food, music, church and culture.  As an adult, I don’t think I get there enough. But, I’ve decided to make an effort to explore this beautiful area of Manhattan with my children helping them to discover it’s amazing history.

Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem NY

Central Park

Things to Do:

There’s something to be said about New York City at winter time, I don’t know if its the tree at Rockefeller Center or the smell of roasted nuts on street carts, but I love the energy it brings to native New York residents and tourists from out of town.  Ice skating at Bryant Park and a night at Radio City Music Hall with the Rockettes always seem like a good time when your visiting the Manhattan at winter time.

I remember heading into the city a few years back to watch South Pacific at Lincoln Center, it was December and there was already snow on the ground, but we took the Metro North down into Manhattan. Honestly there’s a reason why they say the city never sleeps, no matter what, winter, spring, summer or fall, there’s always something to eat, see, do and discover in New York City.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Metropolitan Museum of Art-Egypt Wing

Things to See:

I’ve been to several museums in New York over the years, but none more interesting and enlightening than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Conveniently located on 5th Ave. the East Side of Central Park, the Met has several wings exhibiting artifacts from Ancient Egypt along with Greek/Roman statues and busts to modern pieces from the 20th Century America.

My favorite wing has always been Egypt, as a child it seemed so large and other worldly. The large gallery room with the glass windows brings in wonderful light at day time.  At night, it makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time roaming through Egypt at night.

Things to Eat:

My Favorite New York City Eats!

Laduree Soho

Tea & Sympathy

You can find more about these awesome restaurants here and here!

 

 

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