The Big Apple

My first ever blog entry has to be about my favourite city in the world! New York.

I have spent a lot of time in this wonderful vibrant city and every trip has been totally different to the one before. It seems I discover new things to do or see with every visit. I wanted to share some of the great tips I’ve picked up over the years, so here goes!

Where to eat

My favourite area to eat in is the Meatpacking district. Here there is an abundance of trendy restaurants, "beautiful people" and divine food! Some of my favourites here include Fig & Olive and STK.

For the best Thai food ever I would recommend Tao. This is by far my no.1 restaurant in New York. It’s buzzy, full of fun and gorgeous people, lots of crowd watching to be done and the cocktails are to die for!

Little Italy is nice too if you want a more traditional Italian meal. It can be a bit overwhelming when you’re here as to which one to pick – my suggestions is go with the busiest, that’s usually a good sign!

Where to go for cocktails

Anywhere in the Meatpacking district is usually the place to be! Try the Standard hotel or Gansevoort for some amazing cocktails and celeb schmoozing.

If revolving bars are your thing then it’s worth checking out The View in the Marriott Marquis in Time Square. It’s the kind of place that’s good for one drink but a little pricey for any more. You’re really paying for the experience and view but in my opinion it’s worth it for a once off!

Where to stay

For those on a budget then who just want a place to rest their heads after a long day of shopping then The Edison near Time Square is your place.

If you’re looking for somewhere mid range with great locations then look no further than Distrikt hotel or Fashion 26. If you visit the latter make sure to keep an eye out in the morning for their free mini Oreo cupcakes. It’s worth staying in this hotel for them alone!

If you have a little more to spend then I recommend looking at hotels such as the W in Time Square, The New York Palace (you’ll recognise this fab hotel from Gossip Girl if you’re a fan!) or the Thompson LES if you want something very trendy with the benefit of a rooftop pool.

What to do

One of the best tips my friend gave me was instead of spending the time queuing to go up the Empire State Building go up the Rockefeller building instead. You get equally great views at less cost and time. If you’re in New York around Christmas time aswell this whole area is quite magical with all the lights, music and the ice skating rink.

If the weather is good then I highly recommend taking the boats out on the lake in Central Park. Such a lovely thing to do for the afternoon and the views are amazing.

If you’re not too fearful of heights then getting one of the helicopter rides can be a lovely way to sightsee some of the city. There’s no need to splash out on the much longer and more expensive journeys - the very brief one’s are great too as after a short while you’ll feel like you’ve seen it all anyway!

Where to shop

The best department store has to be Saks 5^th Avenue. This whole area around there is great for the more mainstream well known high end shops.

I tend to avoid the crowds of 34^th street and venture into Soho (Spring St area) instead where you have all the well know high street shops but also some additional trendy boutiques. The neighbourhood itself is more interesting than 34^th and is lovely for walking around and soaking up true New York atmosphere.

If you’re looking for Abercrombie then my recommendation is to skip the queues of the 5^th Avenue Store and head down to South Street Seaport. You’re very near the old Twin Towers location here so you could tie it in with that on your visit. It’s a much quieter store and the area itself is nice for a walk around if the weather is good.

In terms of the outlets unless you’re looking for runners and t-shirts then I would suggest to avoid these. If you’re planning a longer visit with more time to spare then it might be worth the journey.

Phew! That's all for now but keep an eye out for new trip details and tips from my next vacays!