Holidays in the Big Apple

I think we can all agree when I say ringing in the holidays in the Empire State is a bucket list for many. Nobody celebrates the winter holidays better than New Yorkers. The Christmas atmosphere and ambiance is on a whole nother level with its gleaming Christmas decorations, smashing Christmas trees, blasting holiday music, and towering skyscrapers. It is without a doubt, one of the best experiences I have had in my lifetime.

Last holiday break, my sister and I were able to spend a day at the Big Apple and experience all of the Christmas vibes. This was not our first time as we had spent a few other Christmases and New Years Eves there before. However, the reason this time felt more special was that it was the first time I was visiting New York since like, three years! It had definitely been a minute! I had moved to live and work in Uzbekistan three years ago and, while I had visited the U. S. a few times before this trip, I had not had the chance to take a jaunt to New York.

So my grandmother and I had arrived in the U. S. from Uzbekistan for the winter holidays to spend some time with my family in Maryland. For those of you who are not familiar with this state, it is located on the East Coast, near Washington D. C. This vacation was super special for many reasons but especially because it was the first time my grandmother was visiting the United States. So the whole family was thrilled to have the both of us for the holidays. They had planned a bunch of exciting things for us to do and enjoyable trips to take. Unfortunately a few days into our trip, my grandmother caught a nasty cold. Her escalated symptoms forced us to take her to the hospital where we were told she had signs of early pneumonia. It was very unfortunate because the remaining period of her trip she mainly spent it at the hospital, bedridden and connected to a bunch of IV's. Even though she could not walk around and enjoy the lovely cities of Maryland and D. C., she was able to experience the atmosphere of American hospitals!

While my family members and I were super consumed and involved in my grandma’s care, my parents still wanted me to enjoy my holiday vacation. Thus, one of the things they organized was a day trip to NYC. Even though it was only a day, I was still super excited because like I said, it had been a while since I had visited the city of NY, especially, during the most wonderful time of the year! My brother purchased our BoltBus tickets from here. Each seat cost around $35 and we left from Bethesda, which is a city in Maryland. We left very early in the morning; I do not recall the exact time but I do remember waking up particularly early and passing out on the bus! The buses are super comfortable though and it was not very packed which worked to our advantage, as my sister and I got our own row of seats where we could spread out our legs and sleep. The buses also had standard outlets under each seat accompanied by the newer USB outlets as well! We also had access to free WIFI and the driver was very friendly and kept us updated about the ride schedule throughout the trip.

When we arrived in New York City, our bus dropped us off near Penn Station, which was a very convenient stop since it was right in the south of Manhattan. The weather was very annoying because since early morning, it had been raining and drizzling incessantly and neither my sister nor I had brought umbrellas. However, this type of weather during the winter season is not surprising for New York and my sister and I were both aware of this but neither of us wanted to carry around an umbrella! Anyway, we had straightened our hair and did our makeup nicely for pictures so as you can imagine, it was quite the struggle! Thankfully, there are Uber and Lyft cars everywhere in NYC so we immediately requested an Uber. Luckily, there was one super close, just around the corner. He picked us up right away and we headed to our first point of interest in the Big Apple.

Since we had left quite early in the morning, neither my sister nor I had had anything to eat so naturally, we first hit up one of the cutest aesthetic cafes in the city: Maman. My sister found this adorable French cafe on Instagram and thought it would be the perfect place for us to grab a bite to eat. The café sold different types and sandwiches, pastries, cookies, and quiches. My sister ordered a four- cheese quiche while I got the salmon croissant sandwich. We also got hot drinks to accompany our food; my sister ordered a tall peppermint mocha latte and I just got a grande raspberry tea. I know, we are pretty basic.

I absolutely loved this cute little rustic café because it was cozy, the food was excellent, the set-up and presentation of the place were superb, and the customer service was amazing! The staff was very friendly and welcoming as well. And the bathroom was just goals! Check out this bathroom:

I was obsessed with the decorative details. It had a very vintage effect with the black-and-white pictures and green succulents. The cafe itself is not very big so there are limited seats available, which you should keep in mind if you want to stop by in the future.

After grabbing something to eat, we decided to hit up a few touristy spots in the city. We mainly used Uber to get around and the prices were not too bad. I think the cost for each trip ranged from $7 to $20 depending on the distance. Luckily, the majority of the landmarks are all within walking distance (with an exception of a few) so this made our lives easier.

We first decided to check out the Westfield World Trade Center shops in downtown Manhattan.

I was pretty excited to visit this fairly new shopping center because it had only been about a year since it had opened. Also, it is completely different from its counterparts in New York City since clothing and beauty stores are usually scattered throughout the city and not gathered under one roof. I would definitely advise taking a stroll through this shopping center even if you do not have any plans of buying luxurious brands because the architecture and composition of this place are just sublime. Also, it makes for great selfies!

The next place we decided to hit up was the National 9/11 Memorial. This is another landmark I had not seen because it had recently been constructed. If you are ever in New York, this is an attraction you simply do not want to miss. While we could not go inside and tour the museum, we were still able to absorb a lot from just exploring the memorial. Looking at the beautiful fountain structure and reading the names of the individuals who lost their lives in this horrific event evoked some somber memories from this awful, historical day. Both the North and South pools are beautifully constructed and it is mind-blowing to think that two of the tallest buildings on Earth used to stand in place of them before being destroyed in a matter of hours. Visiting this spot is a beautiful experience not only for Americans but for the whole world!

Another very popular hot spot that is not too far from the 9/11 Memorial is the Charging Bull on Broadway. It is basically a bronze sculpture of a bull representing Wall Street and it is appropriately situated in the Financial District of New York. This piece of work stands in the middle of the street and you will always see a great number of people lined up to get pictures with this sculpture.

However, the line does go through pretty quickly as each person has only a few seconds to stand in front of the bull. So make sure whoever is taking your picture knows exactly what they are doing otherwise all that waiting will be for nothing! I was very lucky because I completely avoided photobombers!

The next place we hit up was the Metropolitan Museum Steps. If you have watched Gossip Girl then you should be familiar with these infamous steps were Blair Waldorf hung out with her posse before school every morning. This is the perfect spot to take a breather after doing some sight-seeing. You can refresh, grab something to eat from one of the many food trucks nearby and just people- watch. Unfortunately, when we were visiting, the steps were all wet due to the rain so we could not enjoy it as much.

Another spectacular must-see place in NYC is the Rockefeller Plaza. This tourist magnet is especially popular during the holiday season. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is erected and a huge open-air ice- skating rink is set up at the foot of the tree. This iconic tree is stunning and the decorations surrounding it are a sight to behold.

Everyone is in a great festive mood with Christmas music blaring through the speakers. It is just an all-around wonderful experience. The lines are usually pretty long because they only allow 150 people at a time. Thus, we could not take part in this incredible experience but if you have the time, you should definitely try it out. Prices are a little high but it is totally worth every penny. Ice- skating costs $25- $32 for adults and $15 for children plus it is $12 to rent a pair of skates.

Once we were finished admiring the ornate decors of the beautiful Rockefeller Plaza, we slowly made our way down to the street to Fifth Saks Avenue. On our way, we came across the lovely St. Patrick's Cathedral. You cannot miss this rustic church because it stands out from all the surrounding modern infrastructure. It is quite rare to see these kinds of cathedrals in the U. S. because it is more similar to European ones. The interior of the church was remarkable as well and very peaceful. The Christmas wreaths were also a beautiful touch!

After admiring this beautiful holy place, we continued on to Fifth Saks Avenue. This shopping center houses every luxury brand you can think of. Excellent choice of place for those who enjoy shopping!

Now a trip to New York City is not complete without a stroll through the famous Times Square. I love how the minute you step into Times Square, you immediately know you are in the Empire State. There is so much going on in this part of town so if you do not like crowds, then this iconic place is not for you. You can find so many shops and eateries that are open until very late at night. It is always very lively and crazy busy. Times Square is a unique New York experience with its massive electronic billboards, flaring lights, and loud crowds. Therefore it is a place you definitely do not want to skip on when visiting New York! Also, do not forget to take pictures on the super popular Red Steps.

Another experience you need to have when in New York is a stroll through Central Park. Again, due to the poor weather conditions, we were not able to visit this beautiful location. However, if you ever visit in the warmer and drier months of the year, you should definitely drop by this gorgeous park. You can chill on one of the many benches and admire the view of the soaring skyscrapers.

Now, let's talk food in NYC

You cannot visit the Big Apple without trying a slice of authentic New York pizza. This is a must. There are many pizza joints in the city but I will recommend the diner where my sister and I had some bomb pizza! NY Pizza Suprema near the Penn Station serves amazing pizza and we were able to feast on some quintessential New York pizza by the slice at this very spot! I had an extra cheese; I like to keep it traditional, what can I say! The crust was thin, and the pizza was just mouth-watering, delicious! Also, very inexpensive

New York City is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities so, of course, there are all kinds of restaurants. We wanted to take advantage of this and decided we were in the mood for some Japanese spicy ramen. Because the weather was not really on our side, we decided to make ourselves feel better by consuming some hot and sour soup and my goodness was it delicious! It was the perfect meal for a cold, rainy day. I cannot recall the exact name or location of this place but I do know there are several similar cafes in NYC so you are bound to find one if you do your research!

What do you do when it is super cold out? You look for a cute restaurant with delicious food! You are probably wondering how did we even manage to eat all this in one day?! Trust me, it is beyond me too! Last but not least, we dined at a Mexican restaurant and feasted on some tortilla chips, guacamole, and quesadillas. The food was amazing and again, I cannot recall the name of the restaurant.

All in all, we enjoyed every single eating place and our gastronomical experience in New York City was truly incredible.

Before I finish off this blog post, I would like to list some other places you should have on your New York itinerary:

1. Chinatown
2. The Statue of Liberty
3. Brooklyn Bridge
4. Greenwich Village
5. Flatiron building

The winter holidays in New York City is unequivocally special and something I can never forget. I hope you will also have the opportunity to visit during this wonderful time of the year and experience one of the greatest cities in the world.

And if you're interested in going to New York, have a look at this complete guide to New York at Christmas: the most wonderful time of the year!