New York City Travel Guide

Photo Courtesy of Caitlin Hill 23

Photo Courtesy of Caitlin Hill ’23

Caitlin Hill

   Organizing a trip to New York City can be stressful, but hopefully, this travel guide will help.

Hotels:

   If you want to stay in a hotel, with plenty of activities around it, The Marriott Marquis is the right place for you. Located in Times Square, the hotel offers restaurants, a fitness center, and a view of the city. 

   If you want to stay in an area of the city that is not as busy as Times Square, then Chelsea might be perfect for you. Still in the heart of Manhattan, only a few blocks from 34th Street, Springhill Suites by Marriott offers great views of the city, which includes the famous Madison Square Garden. 

Bakeries:

   One of the most famous bakeries in New York City is Magnolia Bakery. The bakery offers a variety of treats which includes mini cheesecakes, cake, cupcakes, and even their famous banana pudding. With multiple locations around the city, Magnolia Bakery is definitely a stop you should make on your trip.

   Levain Bakery is known for its famous chocolate chip walnut cookie as well as its two chocolate chips; dark chocolate chocolate chip and dark chocolate peanut butter chip, and oatmeal raisin cookies. With locations primarily on the Upper East and Upper West sides of the city, it makes it more difficult to get to, but it is definitely worth the walk.

Bagels:

   New York City is known for its bagels, but it can be hard to decide where to get a bagel from with as many options as there are. From a wide variety of cream cheese flavors and toppings for the bagels, it can be a challenge to choose a location, but these are a few of my personal favorites.

   Brooklyn Bagels is located on 8th Avenue between 24th and 25th. With 15 bagel options, 14 signature cream cheese flavors, as well as a weekly flavor, and a variety of sandwiches and wraps, there are tons to choose from at this award-winning bagel spot. 

   The Bagel Pub has locations all around the city, which include one in Manhattan on 7th Avenue between 29th and 30th. This bagel location also offers a wide variety of bagels and cream cheese flavors, but with a different twist. With flavors such as cinnamon roll and monster, everyone in the family will be excited about this bagel. 

Activities:

   New York City offers many different activities for everyone to enjoy. From shopping to museums and even plays, there is something for everyone to do.

   When it comes to shopping, if you are looking for a traditional mall, Hudson Yards is perfect. Located on 10th Ave. between 30th and 34th St., the mall offers a variety of stores and restaurants for everyone to enjoy. 34th St. between 7th and 5th has a variety of stores including the famous Macy’s store, with over 10 floors of merchandise, Sephora, Vans, and many more stores. 

   The American Museum of Natural History located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan has four floors of natural history and some of the exhibits include dinosaur skeletons, life-size animals, a hall of gems, halls of indigenous people, and more. Admission for non-residents is $28 for adults, $16 for children between the ages of 3 and 12, and senior admission for people 60 and older is $22. Tickets must be purchased online.

   Another activity perfect for a trip to New York is going to a Broadway play or musical. Current plays that are in production on Broadway right now include Funny Girl, Wicked, SIX; The Musical, Beetlejuice, Aladdin, and many more. Ticket prices vary on the show that you decide to see, but are definitely worth the cost.