What to do in New York City on your second visit (Memoir of my revisit to NYC)
If you are looking to visit New York the second, third, fourth or more times and wondering what to do, look no further than this memoir slash guide!
I was fortunate enough to live in New York City for a few times in my life. Seven years ago, I left it to move to Hong Kong but I have to say, NYC is not quite replaceable. When I finally visited again with my husband, I was really keen to show him the wonderful city I once called home.
Before our trip, I imagined a romantic trip where we'd ice-skate in the evening, sip hot chocolate in the cold, go drinking at a trendy bar, see a rock band in a club, etc. I was so excited I had a list with places, restaurants and bars I wanted to try.
How and when: We visited before Christmas and spent six days there. It was arguably not the perfect time to visit but there was no other opportune time that fits both our work schedule. We went from Hong Kong to Germany to drop off the kids at the parents, stayed two days, and then flew to New York. Sounds crazy? You bet it was! As you will read on, half my list didn't get checked off because we got "double jetlagged."
Here is what came down:
Day 1: Grand Central --> United Nations --> Central Park
Manhattan, here we come finally! One of the places I missed most is my old work place so we revisited my old routine: Going to the United Nations through Grand Central Terminal. My husband has not done the UN guided tour so we did that. The tour brought us to the General Assembly room, the Security Council Chamber, the Trusteeship Council Chamber, and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber. A few of them, like the General Assembly room, was renovated and looked different than the time I was there. I showed him the building I worked at, the spots where I ran into Bono, presidents and secretary of states, etc. and of course, he was thoroughly fascinated.
After the tour, we strolled around the block. The area just felt so serene during office hours. I appreciate that New York City is hectic but it is not like Hong Kong, where the crowd and the traffic never stop.
One of my long list of things I like about NYC is that it is very walkable and the midtown area is designed on a grid. After meeting up with a friend for lunch, we went uptown through 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue and the Columbus Circle to the Central Park area. Walking by the big and small shops, even Trader Joe's, bring back so many memories.
My husband is a rock music fan so we walked past John Lennon's old residence and his memorial in Central Park. That day was cold so we couldn't stay longer in the park, but if you visit NYC after the freezing weather, you should spend more time and enjoy a stress-free afternoon in the park!
We went back for a rest and came back to the Radio City/ Rockefeller Center/ Times Square area in the evening. Living in Hong Kong, we were like, "Where's the crowd?" Jokes aside, being raised in a city, I'm used to crowds and love the neon lights!
For dinner, we went to Benjamin Steak House for some of the most famous dry aged beef in the city (make sure to book in advance).
Day 2: Woodbury Outlet Mall
If shopping is not your thing, replace this day with:
- The High Line Park and the Meatpacking district
- Visiting Roosevelt Island
- Visiting museums:
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Gigantic museum and it will probably take a week to explore everything. You should still consider this even if it's your second or third time visiting NYC because chances are there you haven't finished exploring everything in your first visit
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
- Tenement Museum: A National Historic site.
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
NYC is a shopper's paradise, and I mean not just luxury shopping. Many people were surprised when I said budget shopping in NYC but there is truly something for every budget. When I was living there, I literally was the Director of Shopping in NYC but of course, shops changed after all these years. But fear not, we still have the Woodbury Outlet Mall if you are into bargain shopping!
Of all outlet malls I've been to in the world, this is the one I am most impressed with. We spent the full day there and shopped till we dropped. Due to the huge snow that day, the traffic was brought to a halt resulting in almost a hundred people waiting for an hour for the bus back at minus five degree. We thought we'd get a cold but thank you, immune system for doing an excellent job defending us from sickness!
Day 3: Helicopter tour --> Wall Street --> 9/11 Memorial --> Union Square
Throughout my time as a New Yorker, I thought I've seen the NYC skyline in almost all possible angles. But what I have not done was seeing it from up above from a helicopter! We did a helicopter tour and it was the perfect idea. The helicopter hovered around the city with an introduction of key sights and lasted approximately 35 minutes. The weather was miraculously good and sunny weather that day with warm temperature (15C/ 59F), which is literally unheard of in mid-December.
Replacement: If helicopter ride is not your thing, take the Ellis Island ferry (free!) to see the Statue of Liberty. Or you can head to Long Island City for a great view of the city (see Day 5 of my trip)
After the ride, we walked up to take a stroll through Wall Street, the Ground Zero site and 9/11 memorial. The 9/11 memorial was a poignant and emotional experience. The waterfall commemorating the people who lost their lives was hauntingly beautiful and the museum did a great job capturing the event.
I felt the museum is a must-visit although personally, I'd rather it charge a nominal/ non-profit fee otherwise it feels a bit like making money from tourists on a tragedy.
We had lunch at a pizza place and by the time we were done, it was 3pm. I had wanted to go to Greenwich Village that day for a nice afternoon and a cbut the bomb dropped on me when my husband said he couldn't walk anymore because jetlag hit him and he had to immediately go to bed. It's true, our time zone was messed up since we flew around the world from Asia to Europe to America, but it was only 3pm!
I went on by myself to Union Square. This was another of my favorite spots in the city (I admit, there are lots of them). One of my favorite shop is Strand Bookstore and I got a bunch!
Don't forget to pick up a cup of hot chocolate, either at Max Brenner or Jacques Torres, and rest your feet at Union Square Park and watch people pass by and play music around. I ended my day before 7pm as my sleepy monster also called on me...
Day 4: Flushing --> Long Island
On our second last day, we went to Flushing in Queens to have lunch with my aunt. If you enjoy Chinese food, check Flushing out as there are dim sum places that Chinese people swear were better than in China.
Tip: Take the subway line 7 but make sure to take the Express train otherwise the local train will make many stops and take forever to reach Flushing (last stop of line 7).
After lunch, my aunt drove us back to her Long Island house (did I mention she is 84 years old)? We had a heart attack moment
when we learned while on the highway that she was getting a cataract surgery the following week. She reassured us that she can still see (approximately) and driving was not a problem. we weren't convinced but at least her driving was okay.
Thank goodness, we arrived safely, spent a lovely afternoon together, and obviously, we left with the bus and train (no more aunt driving, please!).
We arrived in Manhattan at 7 pm. I was ready to go for a music club at the Meatpacking district but then my husband was again hit by jetlag. So I did some more shopping and ate some street food (shish kebab!) around the Penn Station/6th-7th Av. area. Ahh good old times!
For other travelers: If you have no family to visit in Long Island, you should consider a trip to Brooklyn. Places of interest include:
- Brooklyn Height Promenade (one of the best views of NYC)
- Prospect Park: Quieter and less touristy than Central Park although personally, I way prefer Central Park because it offers that "serenity in the middle of the city" kind of unique vibe that Prospect Park just cannot replace
- Coney Island
- Brooklyn Museum
- Manhattan Beach (warmer weather, obviously)
- Brooklyn Flea Market
Day 5: Long Island City --> Greenwich Village and Soho --> South Street Seaport --> Brooklyn Bridge
I was still having one last hope that we'd be able to go drinking or to a music club on our last full day. My hope was gone when my husband woke up at 4 am - he was STILL jetlagged on our last full day.
We started the day early at Long Island City (completely not the same as Long Island so don't confuse the two). If you want to see this part of NYC, take the subway line 7 and get off at the first stop in Queens (Vernon Blvd- Jackson Blvd). Head toward the direction of the promenade, where you will see one of the best views of Manhattan from across the river. It is basically next to the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign. You should also check out some of the restaurants offering nice breakfast/ brunch along Vernon Blvd. We loved the ambiance and convenience of this neighborhood!
We then visited Greenwich Village and Soho. The little shops and the atmosphere in these neighborhoods just cannot be beaten. I wish we had more time (more like, not wasting time on jetlag!) but at least I ticked off Rice to Riches on my list for some wonderful rice puddings!
Next, I took my husband to South Street Seaport. This is a bit of an under-the-radar spot for tourists but New York is a port city so you really should visit one of the ports. We walked on to Brooklyn Bridge. This is my favorite walk when weather is good but it got cold again that day so we did not walk to Brooklyn.
We took the subway to Brooklyn Heights and ended the day and our trip at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The evening view of the city was breathtaking and if the city had worn you out by the end of your trip, come here for the magnificent view!
Overall, we actually had done quite a lot. I was ashamed to mention that I didn't even eat at Chipotle (or most of the restaurants I want to try) because we were always jetlag hungry at the wrong time and would just grab ANYTHING within two steps of our reach. So when I got back to work, my colleagues laughed their heads off at my failed trip. But despite missing out on good restaurants and all the nightlife, we enjoyed the trip and New York is always wonderful to visit or live!
My love affair with the Big Apple will be ongoing and I will pass this on to my children. Until next time we visit again with our kids!
