New York City

Here we are, we start from our last trip, a wonderful tour of blue lakes, boundless forests, Canadian cities and of course a trip to New York in three days!!

We started our journey by landing in New York City (JFK)

Obviously set foot in the Big Apple we immediately did things as they should be done, WE TOOK A CAB.

Giulia Lamarca a New York City, Flat Iron Building

We focused on the Manhattan area, as everyone is eager to see what American movies have been offering us for years.
We were expecting taxi drivers with a New York accent and instead we saw the natives of India again!
Took the cab to downtown, got stuck in traffic and complained about the usual NY traffic.

Second thing to do was drop off your bags at the hotel right away.
I told you that I am a lover and a hunter of sweets, so my main goal was to find the best bakeries to taste their specialties.

I had already mapped out the places I absolutely wanted to go from home.

But before I tell you about my gluttony, here’s what we saw!

Dove vedere Central Park dal Top of the Rock, New York City

Top of the Rock

Surely the most famous and characteristic viewpoints to see Central Park from above. I strongly recommend that you book your tickets in advance and show up at the appointed time. You will thus avoid unnecessary long queues.

The entire facility is accessible without any problems, but be prepared for long queues even inside.

Central Park

What can I say… few introductions are needed for this huge park in the heart of Manhattan.

Everything is very accessible, both the “main” roads (which can also be traveled by bicycle) and the smaller walkways.

The best entrance is between 72nd and Central Park West.

Curiosity: given my romanticism I was intrigued by the benches with dedication that are in the park. As usual, I let myself be carried away and imagined marriage proposals with a related tag. In short, a bench with a dedication in the lung of Manhattan costs about $ 10,000 (the ring is not included in the price).

Giulia Lamarca in carrozzina a Central Park, New York CIty

Empire State Building

Obviously, one of the symbolic buildings of Manhattan could not be missing.
We wanted to take a King Kong style photo, but it is forbidden to lean over the railing…

Tickets to climb here and to the Top of the Rock are both expensive (for two people almost $ 100); I personally found the view breathtaking, but very similar. If you want to save money, you could decide to go up only on one of the two skyscrapers.

Curiosity: on the top of both skyscrapers you will find nice “binoculars” to scan the city from above. From the Empire State Building you can even see the Statue of Liberty from the south side of the building and they are free, while at the Top of the Rock they are paid (almost $ 100 to pay and I need to pay for the spyglasses too??).

So all in all, in case you have to choose, I would recommend you to go up to the Empire State Building.

No problem with regards to accessibility.

La 5th Ave. e la cattedrale di San Patrizio

Certainly the most famous shopping street in Manhattan, perhaps even in the world.

You can find any brand and store, from boutiques to 5-storey single-brand stores.

Here is another NYC symbol: hot dog vendors!! Just kidding, I’m talking about St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a magnificent white marble cathedral.

Between 23rd and 22nd stop for a moment to see the Flat Iron Building, an iron-shaped building that almost seems to cut 5th Ave in half.

Giulia Lamarca e San Patrizio, New York City

Times Square

The most famous square in the city, illuminated day and night, always crowded and full of colors. If it is nice during the day, at night it becomes truly magical, with the huge screens that illuminate the square and the people.

In short, it’s never dark here.

Chelsea Market

A magnificent indoor market between 9th Ave. and 16th full of small shops, restaurants and market stalls. I advise you to drop by. It is certainly an excellent idea to have lunch in a different place than usual.

It is all on one level and there are no accessibility problems.

Curiosity: if you want to reach Chelsea Market I recommend you take a walk along the High Line, an old causeway transformed into a long walkway, full of greenery and benches.

We found it very New York-style, or at least because of the idea we had of New York …

9/11 Memorial

I deliberately chose not to put any photos because the greatest feeling that the visit of this memorial left me is definitely the feeling of emptiness.
Certainly one of the memorials that struck me the most for the effectiveness of the message.
If you are interested, you will also find the museum on the same site. We didn’t visit it but I’m pretty sure there are no architectural barriers.

The Bull of Wall Street

What can I say, after all the movies I’ve seen, I couldn’t skip this stage. Honestly… a little disappointing… Maybe sometimes it is better to let the imagination travel without dismantling your myths.
Giulia Lamarca al ponte di Brooklyn e ponte Manhattan, New York

Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge

I put these two bridges together because, in addition to being very close, the most famous photo of the Brooklyn Bridge (i.e. this shot) is actually… drum roll… it’s not of the Brooklyn Bridge, but of the Manhattan Bridge!!

Yes, we went to the indicated place to take this photo when we realized it was the wrong bridge.

They have always made fun of us!!

In fact, we haven’t found a place to take a good photo of the Brooklyn Bridge. If you find a place, please tell me HERE!!!!

The Statue of Liberty

During our short trip we decided, although it is certainly the most famous monument, not to go and visit it.

For those who want to save time and money like us, you can take the free ferry to Staten Island and see it a little closer as you pass by.
The ferry is partially accessible, meaning you can go up without steps, but there are some very steep (and occasionally wet, of course) ramps and the floor isn’t always smooth. Once on board, there is a disabled toilet (we asked the crew for the key).

In any case, the crossing takes about 15 minutes. Once you get to Staten Island you can take a stroll there (we haven’t been there, so I can’t give you any more information) or jump on the ferry that comes back from the pier next door.

Giulia Lamarca the park poet, New York City

The Park Poet

Certainly the meeting that most impressed me in New York.

While we were walking in a park in the middle of the city we saw a boy with a table, only with a pen and paper in front of him and a little bell.

We approached and asked his story. In short, he quit his job to live exclusively writing poems. In exchange for a free offer (even nothing) he writes small personalized poems starting from a small story about you or about whatever you want.

If you’re curious, look for it, in parks or on @theparkpoet

Giulia Lamarca the park poet, New York City

The Park Poet

Sicuramente l’incontro che più mi ha colpito a New York.
Mentre passeggiavamo in un parco in mezzo alla città abbiamo visto un ragazzo con un tavolino, solamente con carta e penna davanti e un campanellino.
Ci siamo avvicinati e abbiamo chiesto la sua storia. In breve lui ha mollato il suo lavoro per vivere esclusivamente scrivendo poemi. In cambio di un’offerta libera (anche niente) scrive delle piccole poesie personalizzate partendo da un piccolo racconto su di te o su qualsiasi cosa tu voglia.
Se siete incuriositi cercatelo, nei parchi o su @theparkpoet

There you have it, these are the main things we saw on our short stop in NYC. The impression it gave us is that it is more a city to live than to visit. It really has a lot to do, nice and quaint restaurants, back streets to explore. So perhaps, having more time available, it is a city that does not bore wanting to live it as a real New Yorker.

This was our hotel: Renaissance New York Hotel 57.

Unfortunately, if you want to stay overnight in Manhattan, you will only find hotels that are quite expensive. The location of our hotel was perfect: very close to the south side of central park and just minutes from 5th Ave.

A romantic dinner for two in NYC?

NOMO Kitchen!
A beautiful restaurant in the SoHo district with romantic lights at the entrance and a truly unique interior design!
I recommend you book in advance!

And now, if you’ve made it this far, it means you’re interested in my list of the best and most characteristic bakeries in New York City! So don’t miss my post on the BEST BAKERIES IN NEW YORK CITY!!